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Presumably in some language Narr either means 'first' or 'fool', eh? P > -----Original Message----- > From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jon Corelis > Sent: 01 April 2007 16:21 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Poetry subsidies proposed > > I thought people in this group might be interested in this: > > > ---------------------- > > > FEDERAL POETRY SUBSIDIES PROPOSED > > Washington, D. C. (CNS) - > > In a surprise move, the Bush Administration has announced > that it will propose legislation in Congress to subsidize the > production of verse by American poets. > > The program, which will be modeled on the longstanding > federal agricultural price support program, will be designed > to ensure a market at a basic price support level for the > nation's poetry output. > > According to administration spokeswoman April Narr, a goal of > the subsidies will be to ensure the continuing production of > particular types of verse for which the market is currently > weak. "For instance," she said at a news conference this > morning, "not too many people write sonnets or heroic > couplets any more, so those types of verse would be eligible > for special price supports." > > Narr also said in response to questions that although the > details have yet to be worked out, subject matter may also be > taken into account to determine the price support levels of > different types of poems. "There are plenty poems being > written about having an affair or traveling in Europe or > watching your child grow up," she said, "so that sort of > poetry probably needs less subsidy. But poems about junk > yards or shaving cream or peeling an orange are more rare and > may be deserving of more price support." > > When questioned as to whether the public will accept a > government program which channels taxpayers' dollars to > poets, Narr replied, "It's really not such an unusual idea > when you think of it. After all, if the federal government > can pay farmers to produce soybeans, why can't it pay poets > to produce sonnets?" > > -- > =================================== > > Jon Corelis www.geocities.com/jgcorelis/ > > =================================== >