Dear John,
To learn we must observe.
We don't need our ears or eyes to observe, we feel.
I'll come clean, my son is also a non-verbal, described as 'challenging
autistic' harsh words those psychiatrists and educational psychologists use.
I didn't lay a trap, all I did was remove the boundary of your thoughts.
You spoke for those who can hear and see what you hear and see .
I spoke for those who feel, those who write something that has never been
taught.
Something organic, natural, spontaneous, need I go on about the non-verbal
who write brilliant poetry.

John you said the following and I reacted.

There is a lot to be said for unpolished and aboriginal work and in some
case those pieces
can be extraordinary.  But how much more can that same poet bring to their
work after
years of study and refinement.  It would be quite reasonable to see the
unpolished piece as
holding a great potential, but unless the poet develops the craft and the
language to enable
them to put their ideas on the page then they may come to nothing, or spend
their lives
writing doggerel.

I don't see doggerel or hear doggerel I feel their voice.

My point is, there is a big world out there and poetry is a medium for
many - not just those who study and develop the 'craft'.

My thoughts are moving to the kid living in the tower block, his first
language is ???? but he's writing in English - do we stop him doing what
he's doing?
Lynn


Subject: Re: National Poetry Day


> I figured this was coming.
> >Hence I didn't mention the fact that the kids at the kids club are
> >non-verbal.
>
>
> Oh I see you laid a trap...! Oh no but hang on a minute where did I ever
say
> that poetry
> needed a verbal element or a written on for that matter.  My concept of
what
> poetry is
> borders with all art and intertextuality.  It is you who applied these
ideas
> to restrict it not
> me.
>
> So are you suggesting that we should not teach our children to be
> facilitators of language,
> are you saying that they should be abandoned to their own devises?  At
what
> point do we
> stop enabling them to develop, would you like to put a point on that.
> Because a child or
> young person is less able for whatever reason are you suggesting that we
> should never
> give them the tools to expand their minds or their horizons.
>
> I find this view so reactionary it makes me ill.  Everyone has the right
to
> demand of us
> that we do our best for them, enabling them to become the best they can
be.
> Your judgement of what might be their plotential may have no bareing ion
> what they want for themselves.
>
> You might tell a child that its dubings with paint are wonderful and hang
> them in your kitchen but they will never make it to an art gallery.  So do
> you just keep the child in blissful ignorance getting a pat on the head
from
> those who think its cute, or do you give them the tools to grow and
develop
> intoi people who can express themselves in a way which will touch many
> people.  I would have thought this was even more important in the case of
> people from whome we can lean so much.  if we do not give them the tools,
> how can they teach us?.
>
> John
>
>
>
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