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SecularMotion

(7,981 posts)
Fri Jul 18, 2014, 04:29 PM Jul 2014

North Carolina’s New Poet Laureate Bows Out

Source: NY Times

The governor of North Carolina learned the hard way this week about the dangers of mixing politics and poetry.

Less than a week into her role as North Carolina’s poet laureate, Valerie Macon, a self-published poet and state employee, resigned over questions about her literary credentials and qualifications.

An uproar ensued after Gov. Pat McCrory announced Ms. Macon’s appointment last week. Several of the state’s previous poet laureates denounced his choice as a political appointment rather than one that rewarded literary merit. They criticized Ms. Macon as a novice who hadn’t earned the distinction of the post, and faulted the governor for choosing the poet laureate himself rather than allowing a committee of writers appointed by the state’s arts council to make the selection.

Read more: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/north-carolinas-new-poet-laureate-bows-out

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North Carolina’s New Poet Laureate Bows Out (Original Post) SecularMotion Jul 2014 OP
Here I sit/ all broken hearted... nt Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #1
haha…. dhill926 Jul 2014 #2
DUzy. nt awoke_in_2003 Jul 2014 #3
If most poet laureates were as talented as the person who wrote that quip. happyslug Jul 2014 #5
Wordsworth was another example, he got it only after he turned on the Romantics. rickyhall Jul 2014 #8
heheheh blm Jul 2014 #12
If limericks will qualify me to be the Poet Laureate LeftofObama Jul 2014 #4
If not, we at DU are all ears. nt No Vested Interest Jul 2014 #6
Here's one: DeSwiss Jul 2014 #16
Not a Nantucket, but my personal favorite is about the man from Malbass Tyrs WolfDaemon Jul 2014 #10
Or...there once was a girl from McFarden.... blm Jul 2014 #13
She did the right thing. eom littlemissmartypants Jul 2014 #7
Hey. Does DU have a poet laureate? FreedRadical Jul 2014 #9
heh blm Jul 2014 #14
See I said she would once pressed. Historic NY Jul 2014 #11
Harriet Meyers, is that you? nt tblue37 Jul 2014 #15
 

happyslug

(14,779 posts)
5. If most poet laureates were as talented as the person who wrote that quip.
Fri Jul 18, 2014, 05:19 PM
Jul 2014

Poet laureates have had a bad reputation for centuries, ever since the position was first invented it has been known NEVER to go to the best poets of the time period, but some hack whose poetry offends no one in power but does a decent job of poetry (not outstanding, but decent and offends no one).

Thus this Poet Laureate is really no worse then any other poet laureate.

A good example of this is Robert Frost, in many ways THE American Poet. The US had Robert Frost its Poet Laureate for just two years, 1958 to 1959, when he was only 84 years old. By 1958 he was considered THE American Poet, but he was "NOT" good enough to be Poet Laureate till he turned 84. Why? By 1958 it was clear, if anyone should be the US Poet Laureate it should be Frost, thus he held the title for two years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Poet_Laureate

That does not mean Poet Laureates do NOT do great poetry, but most of the time others do it better. In recent Centuries there has been a tendency to go with poets with wider appeal then whoever is making the appointment, but the title does NOT mean someone who is writing the best poetry of period he or she is the Poet Laureate. On the other hand, the position is not the butt of jokes it was in the 1700s where calls for abolition of the position was strong in the United Kingdom:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poet_Laureate_of_the_United_Kingdom

Tyrs WolfDaemon

(2,289 posts)
10. Not a Nantucket, but my personal favorite is about the man from Malbass
Fri Jul 18, 2014, 07:37 PM
Jul 2014

There once was a man from Malbass
Whose balls were made of Fine Brass
and when it would rain
they would go clang
And sparks would fly from his arse!

FreedRadical

(518 posts)
9. Hey. Does DU have a poet laureate?
Fri Jul 18, 2014, 07:08 PM
Jul 2014

I know we have people post their poetry all the time. Should we have a contest to elect our official poet laureate?

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