Quite right, Tim. I always give Adam's essays serious consideration because he has a perceptiveness that many in this area don’t seem to want to display for fear of being ridiculed.
Original Message:
Very much agree with Geraldine here. I wasn't going to say anything as last time a piece by Fieled was given notice here it was shot down in the same brusque way, and I responded, but nothing happened - it seemed that people just didn't want to even consider what he was saying, let alone engage with it. This latest one has the same sweeping generlisations, and like Geraldine I certainly do not go along with everything Fieled says (he simplifies the subject far too much and goes over the top), however, what he is talking about is quite obviously a genuine perception of his, and one that is shared by many. If people think strongly enough that he is wrong then they should challenge it properly and give it the respect it deserves.
Personally I would find what he says very difficult to challenge directly, because 'directly' what he says points to a real and ongoing problem with much of the current poetry - any challenge would have to go around the sides. Poetics itself, for me, is not the root of the problem, but it is in the picture.
On the subject of people being afraid to say things that others might disagree with I think Geraldine is right, it is a dangerous place to be. We need more Adam Fieleds, not less. We need people who care enough about these things to speak up - agreeing with them, or not, is not the issue.
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