Difficulty in poetry & an argument against a Michigan poet laureate
"Poetry, Difficulty, and a Very Annoying Word," by Mark Doty from The Best American Poetry blog, is an interesting response to Charles Harper Webb's recent essay in The Writers Chronicle. Plus, you get to experience (through Doty's description) what his walk home was like.
I was happy to read Doty's response, because he did not attack accessibility in poetry while defending complexity. Many poets seem to slide over to one corner or the other. Of course, variety is the spice of life and there should be room at the table for everyone and why can't everyone just get along, etc.
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"Poetry Slam," by James M. Hohman from the Mackinac Center, argues against wasting Michigan taxpayers' money on a unpaid state poet laureate position. With new state and city poet laureates popping up all over the country, it is interesting to hear a voice arguing against the post.
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