Thanks martin, I really meant by "that's not the same thing", that I wasn't
doing anything like the others there, nor was I doing anything like what I
understand slam poetry to be. Your ask, 'is there an essentialistic
description of "poetry"?' & I'd tend to agree with you that 'It's more the
Wittgensteinian
"family relationship" thing' & have long ago given up trying to make a
workable definition, since (by definition) that tends to be (as Candice
might say) far too pre ( & pro) scriptive. Although my own tastes will lead
me to enjoy some more than other kinds.
>As far as your questions go ~ I believe there was an extemporizing tradition
>in Armenia up to fairly recently, for example, and that poets found the
>competitive aspect inspiring, why not? But of course I'd very much like to
>hear, like you, from slam participants or rappers or poetry improvisers of
>any kind on the list.
Yup. yup. I guess on some level we can not escape competition in our world,
but I'm not sure, really, that it brings out the best in us as artists. Or,
perhaps, I'm thinking that whatever competition occurs should be external
to the act of creation...
Doug
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
He saw the dark as a ragged garment
spread out to air.
Through its rents and moth-holes
the silver light came pouring.
Denise Levertov
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