Hi one & all,
This was sent to me and I'm posting it here cos it sounds interesting, it
sounds well worth checking out.
And the Sam Hamill site that was mentioned here on The Works now has over
3,200 poems.
And dear ol Laura Bushbaby has been advised to insult Emily Dickenson, Walt
Whitman, Langston Hughes, and goodness knows how many other poets, by
slamming her front door in their faces.
And I guess, for those of us with feelings and words, the war has already
begun...
Anyway, read on...
Bob
>>This from Reuters:
>>
>>World Poets See No Rhyme or Reason for Iraq War
>>By Robert Melnbardis
>>
>>MONTREAL (Reuters) - A group of more than 100 English-language poets who
>>banded together to produce a electronic book of poems speaking out against
>>a war on Iraq hopes to expand the project, its editor said on Thursday.
>>
>>Todd Swift, a 36-year-old published Montreal poet who lives part of the
>>year in Paris, edited poems sent in by writers from around the world over
>>just one week. They were published in an electronic anthology coinciding
>>with the report earlier this week by U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans
>>Blix.
>>
>>Entitled "100 Poets against the War," the 95-page electronic book can be
>>download free at "www.nthposition.com," a London-based online magazine.
>>
>>Swift encourages those interested to host, share, swap and print the
>>collection. Download instructions include tips on how to fold and staple
>>the pages into book form.
>>
>>A revised version of the anthology will be available for download on
>>Monday, and some better known names from the international poetry
>>community will be added, Swift told Reuters.
>>
>>"I don't want to give the impression that we're just trolling for big
>>names now, but there are a few very fine poems by well-known and
>>lesser-known poets that will be added," he said.
>>
>>Swift said the impetus to cobble together a book of poems by those opposed
>>to armed conflict against Iraq came from a desire to do "something more
>>dynamic" than simply signing a petition against war.
>>
>>Relying on an e-mail network of fellow poets around the world, Swift sent
>>out the call, challenging 75 of them to submit a poem within the week
>>while passing on the word.
>>
>>He received more than 400 poems by e-mail, and after sifting through them,
>>selected and edited those that would make it into the book. Several of the
>>submissions were entitled "collateral damage."
>>
>>Swift said the project was inspired by legendary poets such as Americans
>>Allen Ginsberg and Robert Lowell, who opposed the war in Vietnam during
>>the 1960s.
>>
>>"I don't think a book of poetry can stop a war from happening," Swift
>>said. "But what I am hoping is this kind of cultural activity crosses into
>>the mainstream and encourages people to be brave with their opinions --
>>and that can have a ripple effect."
>>
>>Swift said he was struck by both the poems produced and the public
>>response to them. In the flood of verses sent in were many from first-time
>>poets or those who had not previously been published.
>>
>>"These are very sincere and moving poems and I actually included one or
>>two of those because they were so strong -- an effective use of language
>>and imagery," he said.
>>
>>Swift noted that many of poems may appear to be as grim as the prospect of
>>armed conflict against Iraq, but some tend toward the satirical -- such as
>>"Bubble Girl Song," by Wednesday Kennedy, with its refrain: "who's gonna
>>die for my SUV."
>>
>>
>>01/31/03 08:11
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