What is it? I've always like this by Andre Gidé (from The Counterfeiters)
about what it should be. He's writing about the novel, but I think the quote
can apply just as well to poetry. Of course, read in the context of the rest
of the novel, it has nothing to do with Christianity - Gidé being an
important member of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
"There is a kind of tragedy, it seems to me, which has hitherto almost
entirely eluded literature. The novel has dealt with the contrariness of
fate, good or evil fortune, social relationships, the conflicts of passions
and of characters - but not with the very essence of man's being.
"And yet, the whole effect of Christianity was to transfer the drama on to a
moral plane. But properly speaking, there are no Christian novels. There are
novels whose purpose is edification; but that has nothing to do with what I
mean. Moral tragedy - the tragedy, for instance, which gives such terrific
meaning to the Gospel text: 'If the salt has lost his flavour wherewith
shall it be salted?' - that is the tragedy with which I am concerned."
On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 7:39 AM, TheOldMole <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Mary Oliver 8-1 -- Second only to Billy in popularity.
>
>
> Barry Alpert wrote:
>
>> I might take intriguing bets. Top candidates from my reading of the
>> context:
>>
>>
>> Jorie Graham / 5-1 / they need a woman, but too many laureates have hailed
>> from (New) England
>>
>> Mary Karr / 15-1 / recently took over poetry column in Wash Post
>> previously penned by pls
>>
>> Martin Espada / 20-1 / a Latino doctor, but again (New) England
>>
>> Julia Alvarez / 25-1 / alas NE again, & best known for her fiction / I
>> like her
>>
>> Frank Bidart / 30-1 / NE, was clearly being groomed for the position but
>> . . .
>>
>> Dana Gioia / 50-1 / a step down, but decision made before the 2008
>> election, so . . .
>>
>> Katia Kapovich / 100-1 / the decider is a Soviet history scholar and Simic
>> benefitted, so . . .
>>
>>
>> Barry Alpert
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 20 May 2008 11:42:55 -0400, TheOldMole <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> I don't suppose any of the major bookmakers are laying odds...?
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Fifteen candidates will be selected by Gioia, Simic, and previous
>>>> consultants. The Librarian of
>>>> Congress, James Billington, will make his final selection from that
>>>> list. Place your bets now. I'm
>>>> guessing Jorie Graham, but I was wrong about Frank Bidart last year.
>>>>
>>>> Barry Alpert
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> Tad Richards
> http://www.opus40.org/tadrichards/
> http://opusforty.blogspot.com/
>
> The moral is this: in American verse,
> The better you are, the pay is worse.
> --Corey Ford
>
--
http://nathanhondros.blogspot.com
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