Comments on: It’s the economy part II: scattered thoughts

By: Cathy

Cathy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:47:38 +0000

Hey Lavinia, thought it was a great question you posed and it just inspired me to recast that question to the recent past and if there has been any repercussions in poetry .
And Matt, I completely agree! Only writing topical poetry would indeed be sad and quite boring ( I never advocate anything as the only way). But when I ask if there has been more “poetry that holds a tuning fork to the world,” I don’t mean poetry that’s a full throated Op-ed commentary in verse form. Consciousness of politics in poetry can reflect itself formally, linguistically, as well as thematically. Most poets I mentioned are not topical poets in fact. Far from it. Sure, Juliana’s Spahr’s poetry may be “about” 9-11 or American imperialism, but her consciousness of collectivity is most clearly articulated through relentless and sustained anaphora. Same with Harvey whose reference to terrorism is more allegorical and through an invented abecedarius device. Or Reyes and the polyphony in her poetry. I don’t think an awareness of society, culture and politics in your poetry, of asking that poetry be timely as well as timeless (through form, language and not just topic) is limiting. It can even be enriching.
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By: unreliable narrator

unreliable narrator — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:59:33 +0000

I feel great sorrow upon acknowledging that my personal choice for NEA czar (Tina Fey) will probably not even make the shortlist. After all she did to get the guy elected!
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By: Lavinia Greenlaw

Lavinia Greenlaw — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:34:40 +0000

My question was slightly different. While there have been many other world events which demand a response, none has restored the feeling that action can bring about change – more often quite the opposite. This election has done that, leading me to wonder if this new sense of possibility, of potency and effectiveness, will translate into a renewed political engagement within the arts (not just poetry).
I like your image of the tuning fork. It’s a good way to describe how poetry can best focus and convey the world going on around it.
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By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:31:13 +0000

So, writing topical poetry is the only way to “hold a tuning fork to the world”? Nothing wrong with that way, I guess, but if that’s the only way, that’s pretty sad.
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By: Andrew Shields

Andrew Shields — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:27:57 +0000

I’ve just been reading Mark Wallace’s “Felonies of Illusion,” which begins with a longer sequence called “The Long Republican Winter.”
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