Re: [New-Poetry] An Era of Détente for Creative-Wri ting Programs

[Anny Ballardini]

Congratulations to your son. Believe it or not, I also thought of going on a
sabbatical and studying something similar to physiotherapy... which would
undoubtedly lead me astray.

Re.: Universities
what you say might be true, even if generalizations mean very little. The
U.S.A. are too big to be reduced to one concept. My Director of Studies was
Bill Lavender, person whom I respect. The student - professor relationship
worked perfectly for me. He is too smart and I could not cheat, nor did I
want to cheat because I respected his intelligence.

There are millions of students who cheat. When I find one I tell this person
that what he thought was so supremely great is nothing but a backward step
for him- herself. They rarely understand the complexity of this statement.

Re.: New York. As an ex-New Yorkese, I have always thought that whatever
happens in New York is the best. I think it has something to do with the
air. Just to put it down plainly.


On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 5:00 PM, Mark Weiss <junction at earthlink.net> wrote:

> I don't think it's a question of my reading ability, though it's nice of
> you to suggest it.
>
> Possibly these old arguments hold some water.
>
> One of the huge changes in American society since WWII has been the
> enormous growth of the academic industry. Before then, even referring to it
> as an industry would have provoked laughter. Anybody out there have figures
> on what percentage of GDP we're talking about? MFA programs are a part of
> this, along with a fair number of other now overcredentialed fields.
>
> Here's an example from another area. My son just got a degree in
> physiotherapy in Britain. It took four years. Many of his classmates already
> had university degrees, but most were straight out of their secondary school
> honors years--like medical schools,  physiotherapy programs in Britain don't
> require an undergraduate degree. In the US physio programs are now masters
> level and the doctorate has begun its takeover. The reasons have a lot to do
> with hierarchy within the medical professions. Enhanced credentialling means
> higher status. And of course it's a boon to universities. But the training
> in each country is identical, and Carlos can practice in the US.
>
> What's different about writing programs is that they replace a situation in
> which there was no credentialling and no defined career track.
>
> I'm not deriding the professors. I'm questioning the system in which they
> work and the likely outcome of the requirements of that system on them and
> an literary culture. Read it as a personal attack if you must, but that's
> not my intention.
>
>
> At 10:30 AM 7/3/2009, you wrote:
>
>> Like I said before, Mark, you're making the same arguments that have been
>> made for years. Which might hold some water if all these academic professors
>> you deride wrote the same kind of poetry. If you are as tuned into poetry as
>> you claim to be you should be aware of the incredible diversity of styles
>> out there.
>>
>> ----------
>> Make your summer sizzle with <
>> http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005>fast and easy
>> recipes for the grill.
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-- 
Anny Ballardini
http://annyballardini.blogspot.com/
http://www.fieralingue.it/modules.php?name=poetshome
http://www.lulu.com/content/5806078
http://www.moriapoetry.com/ebooks.html
I Tell You: One must still have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing
star!
Friedrich Nietzsche
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