WV Division Of Culture Commissioner Bans Poem Paying Tribute To Upper Big Branch Widows

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

A young poet named Gracie has been asked to read for this year's Governor's Arts Awards at the Culture Center, an annual gala honoring exceptional artists throughout West Virginia.

In planning for the event, Gracie chose the piece "Black Diamonds," by Afrilachian poet Crystal Good, for her reading.

The poem pays tribute to widows of the 29 miners who died in an explosion, as a result of flagrant safety violations in Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine in 2009. With the four-year anniversary of the tragedy coming up in a few weeks, it would have been a fitting and moving choice for the event.

Gracie has been practicing and planning for the reading for some time, but, on Monday, just three days before the event, she received a message (pictured right), relaying instructions from Randall Reid-Smith, the Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture, asking her to chose another piece, because "your poem deals with coal and many state representatives will be there."

More:
http://www.wvablue.com/diary/7840/wv-division-of-culture-commissioner-bans-poem-paying-tribute-to-upper-big-branch-widows

Here's the piece in question:

[liberal N proud]

1. Don't want to upset Massey in a state owned by Massey

[MountainLaurel]

2. I am furious

But not surprised.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Same here.

the whole state is owned by Big Coal, lock, stock & barrel.

[phleshdef]

3. The article is updated, they are gonna let her read it now.

but wow...

asking her to chose another piece, because "your poem deals with coal and many state representatives will be there."

That's so WV...

[Berlum]

5. Maybe the Republicons will let her read a poem about water?

[theHandpuppet]

7. Oh, it doesn't take Republicans...

West Virginia is run by Democrats, top to bottom.

By the way, that Randall Reid-Smith, the Commissioner of Arts & Culture mentioned in the article, is the same man who took Blair Mountain off the National Register of Historic Places and sports a "Friend of Coal" bumper sticker on his car. Guess we know where he stands, huh?

[jsr]

4. So Gracie should have written a poem about financial derivatives?

WTF.