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LOL KS 2009/4/1 Jon Corelis <[log in to unmask]> > Thought this might be of interest .... > > ===== > > Washington (CNS) - In a surprising twist on the administration's > economic stimulus plan, a proposal is being floated to include funds > for the purchase of poetry in the program. > > According to White House congressional liaison aide April Narr, the > proposal is still under development, but it is conceived as involving > substantial grants to American poetry publications to pass on to their > contributing poets in payment for their work. "The working idea," > said Narr, "is to consult experts to draw up a list of the hundred > best established poetry journals in the country, and give them federal > economic stimulus grants so they can pay their poets much more for > their work. The target figure is $1,000 per line." > > Though some may question the effectiveness of trying to restart the > American economy by paying money to poets, Narr maintained that "the > whole idea of the economic stimulus plan is to get people to buy > things, and why should buying poetry be any different from buying > apples or toothpaste?" > > Since poets are typically starving artists, Narr continued, they would > be likely to spend their increased revenues on basic foodstuffs, such > as bread, and usually being bohemian types they would also spend the > money on wine and cheese, making this part of the stimulus > "potentially of significant benefit to our nation's baking, > wine-making, and dairy industries." > > Narr admitted, though, that there was some concern that the proposed > $1,000 per line payments might result in a proliferation of poems with > very short lines. > > Asked if she herself is a poetry fan, Narr replied, "Yes, I am a great > fan. In school I got to recite The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe in a > pageant." > > ===== > > -- > =============================================== > > Jon Corelis http://jcorelis.googlepages.com/joncorelis > > =============================================== >