Rebecca Seiferle wrote:
> out of university could be the best thing that could happen to it. He was
>
>>only half joking.
>>
>>
>
>Neoconservatives like
>Bob Novak talk about the 'fringe element' of 'some academic, intellectual,
>artistic types at some universities," and I suppose it bothers me to hear the ease
>with which poets adopt certain rhetorics so that one group may denigrate the
>other by calling them "academic' poets.
>
Novak is suspect if only because he "gave up the anonymity" of a CIA
operative as a way to get at her husband, who was perceived as disloyal
to Bush. Novak is a journalistic prostitute. Academic poetry when was
in college was considered an expression of praise--I have no idea who
was being talked about. Actually I don't much care.
>On the other hand, I am and
>know a number of poets who teach at universities or colleges and yet while they
>are 'academics' in the sense of working at an institution, none of this pertains.
>
The late Milton Kessler, our visitor Basil Bunting, another visitor
Philip Dow (whatever became of him?), Bob Kroetsch (though he wrote
fiction back then). Most recently, talking with Stephen Dunn, who is on
the faculty of Stockton State College in South Jersey: he's learned the
art of the staged temper tantrum to get the department higher-ups to do
what he wants. Stephen, Pulitzer winner, Famous Man, has twisted the
REAL academics around his little finger to get his own way. It may not
be nice but it works. I suspect he plays these games to make Academe a
tolerable way to make a living.
My dream for years was to live inside Academe, not because I'm madly in
love with most academics I've met, but because I might have some space
in the day to do my own work, teach it if I'm lucky, connect with and
maybe even "inspirit" a group of students, and get tolerably paid for
it. It beats working for most corporations...unless I'm being
unbearably naive again.
Ken
--
Kenneth Wolman
Proposal Development Department
Room SW334
Sarnoff Corporation
609-734-2538
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