Very much agree with Geraldine here. I wasn't going to say anything as last time a piece by Fieled was given notice here it was shot down in the same brusque way, and I responded, but nothing happened - it seemed that people just didn't want to even consider what he was saying, let alone engage with it. This latest one has the same sweeping generlisations, and like Geraldine I certainly do not go along with everything Fieled says (he simplifies the subject far too much and goes over the top), however, what he is talking about is quite obviously a genuine perception of his, and one that is shared by many. If people think strongly enough that he is wrong then they should challenge it properly and give it the respect it deserves.
Personally I would find what he says very difficult to challenge directly, because 'directly' what he says points to a real and ongoing problem with much of the current poetry - any challenge would have to go around the sides. Poetics itself, for me, is not the root of the problem, but it is in the picture.
On the subject of people being afraid to say things that others might disagree with I think Geraldine is right, it is a dangerous place to be. We need more Adam Fieleds, not less. We need people who care enough about these things to speak up - agreeing with them, or not, is not the issue.
Tim A.
On 29 Aug 2010, at 01:11, Geraldine Monk wrote:
Oh I find that a very unfair comment Mark. He may make some iffy points but I also thought he made some very good points - very good indeed - and I didn't pick up on any kind of resentment just a sort of frustration with where poetry is now. What's wrong with that? Shouldn't we always be striving for poetry to be more and to do more and asking how that can be achieved? He's not happy with what's happening in the poetry world and I actually agree with many of his points - there is so much so-called 'experimental' poetry about at the moment that is very much a sameness and if 'experimentation itself is an aim then it's a rather weird one to be honest. Much experimentation really has become meaningless through convention born maybe from poetry as a 'subject' rather than poetry as 'vocation'. I don't really have time to argue this as it's late and I've work to do but I really just needed to say I think it a great pity that any opinion expressed that is not a mirror image of ones own is shot down and cynically dismissed as 'resentful' instead of responded to in a thoughtful and constructive way. It really does make people frightened of opening their gobs - and that is a very dangerous place to be.
G.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2010 12:15 AM
Subject: Re: "The Conspiracy Against Poems" by Adam Fieled at The Argotist Online
And that's the least of it. He seems not to lnow much of anything beyond his resentments.