You may be right, Tim. It seems that many younger poets now see such
courses as an essential requirement. This no doubt will produce more
identikit “innovators” with very little independent thought and an
increasingly procedural-based approach to poetic composition. Although,
I dislike the mainstream, I do admire their amateurism.
On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:22:32 +0100, Tim Allen <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>I don't really agree with the bit below Jeffrey, although I wish I
>did. Younger poets seem to be more and more accepting of the way
the
>system works. It is not just a matter of them buying into the system,
>by imagining that you have to go to college and do this course and
>that course before you can be accepted as a poet, it is more a case of
>them not knowing anything different and never experiencing anything
>different. They have been brought up in/with this mechanical/career
>orientated view of education so the hoops expected of them regarding
>creative arts are no different to any other part of the package. It is
>all a con of course, as 'careers' are as hard to find as ever, but
>that tends to actually reinforce the imperative to work through the
>system, as a kind of hopeful insurance or safety net. Yes, there will
>always be independent spirits, but not enough of them to make any
>difference to the trend in my view - I certainly don't think too many
>of them will have a 'romanticised' idea of avant-garde poetry.
>
>I know that in these discussions there is always the problem of
>examples - so here is one - what about Luke Kennard? I am about 90%
>sure that if Luke had not been part of that course he did in Exeter he
>would still be an unknown - not because I think the course made him a
>good poet (I have no way of knowing such a thing) but because
without
>that base and influence his work would have come across to the usual
>mag editors as just another young man mucking about with language
with
>a bit of an attitude.
>
>I have said before that it is academia which has, to a degree, been
>the saviour of brit innovative poetry - in my interview of Robert
>Sheppard in 'Don't Start Me Talking' I think I said it was like being
>given the kiss of life by your worst enemy.
>
>Cheers
>Tim A.
>
>On 19 Oct 2009, at 19:57, Jeffrey Side wrote:
>
>> it will cause a
>> backlash against it, with younger poets who have a more
romanticised
>> idea of what avant-garde poetry is, and how it is written and
>> disseminated,
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