Sunday, April 02, 2006
Snark
I got pretty snarly with a guy at the Poetry West meeting yesterday who was trotting out the most useless part of the poetry accessibility argument in highly condescending fashion. If I can closely paraphrase his point, it was "Your poetry won't be read by the masses unless you use all words and references that the masses know." Ugh, how patronizing. My poetry isn't difficult by most methods, and I do think the house should at least have a door you can get in, and I don't think poets should primarily be writing for other poets, but he took the argument too far and stated it in a way that set my teeth on edge--I'm sure your auto mechanic will take well to your poetry when you tell him you're descending off High Poet Mountain and dumbing everything down for him, ___. It's made even worse by the fact that the specific he was objecting to was an allusion to Cassandra--I objected to the reference on the grounds that it was stale, but too difficult? It's in the fucking lexicon!
Comments:
<< Home
The word "difficulty" itself is difficult.
Those who would deign to speak for the "masses" usually know very, very little about the "common reader" they so defend.
I'd object to the Cassandra reference if it were stale, as well. My God--what's difficult about chasing down an allusion? I know it's more difficult than changing the station on the tv, but still . . .
Good for ya, Steve. I'm glad that you stood up to the blow-hard.
(On another note, I've yet to recieve my contributor's copy of The Eleventh Muse--)
Jeff
Those who would deign to speak for the "masses" usually know very, very little about the "common reader" they so defend.
I'd object to the Cassandra reference if it were stale, as well. My God--what's difficult about chasing down an allusion? I know it's more difficult than changing the station on the tv, but still . . .
Good for ya, Steve. I'm glad that you stood up to the blow-hard.
(On another note, I've yet to recieve my contributor's copy of The Eleventh Muse--)
Jeff
"who was trotting out the most useless part of the poetry accessibility argument in highly condescending fashion"
Got the same line of thinking from Ted Kooser at a reading in Iowa recently. How perfectly insulting to any reader.
Got the same line of thinking from Ted Kooser at a reading in Iowa recently. How perfectly insulting to any reader.
Honestly?
That surprises me about Kooser, whose work I like and find refreshing. I don't find his work condescending at all.
But, I don't know the guy.
That surprises me about Kooser, whose work I like and find refreshing. I don't find his work condescending at all.
But, I don't know the guy.
I think you should just write about whatever you find interesting, compelling, whatever drives you crazy, makes you laugh, cry, piss your pants, punch your mother, etc. If you're enthusiastic about it, passionate, than who cares about the reader. Your never going to entertain or engage every reader, so may as well entertain and engage yourself.
Post a Comment
<< Home
