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 Carolinas 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. Macons appointment last week. Several of the states 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 hadnt 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 states arts council to make the selection.
Read more: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/north-carolinas-new-poet-laureate-bows-out
Xipe Totec
(43,872 posts)dhill926
(16,234 posts)awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)happyslug
(14,779 posts)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
rickyhall
(4,889 posts).
LeftofObama
(4,243 posts)I could submit a few from my Nantucket series.
No Vested Interest
(5,156 posts)DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)Tyrs WolfDaemon
(2,289 posts)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!
blm
(112,919 posts).
littlemissmartypants
(22,417 posts)FreedRadical
(518 posts)I know we have people post their poetry all the time. Should we have a contest to elect our official poet laureate?
we should