OK---I think I found a good one---Ted Kooser's
THE POETRY HOME REPAIR MANUAL, maybe a turn-off by the title
but so far he's got good things to say:

"TOO MANY POETS

A noted contemporary poet and critic has said we ought to keep poetry a secret from the masses. Another, the editor of a prestigious anthology of poetry, said that each nation ought to have no more than a handful of poets. Both sound pretty elitist, don't they? . . .

(cut out a section here)

Considering the ways in which so many of us waste our time, what would be wrong with a world in which everybody were writing poems? After all, there's significant service to humanity in doing no harm. . . "

I like his thinking . . . I will read this book.

Just wanted to share a find after that pathetic Paglia book---I'm excited to read this one.

Lisa

I seem to remember checking this one out of the local library back when Kooser became Laureate. I don't recall anything about it however, but I don't know if that means it wasn't very memorable, or I just was not paying enough attention. Could be either one, right.

Speaking of books though, I had an annoying experience with Alibris recently. I ordered several books from them, wanting to give myself some early Christmas presents. All arrived within 10 days to two weeks, except for one (Sound and Sense, if you must know). I sent them an e-mail, asking for verification that it was shipped, and they refused to do so, or even to respond at all until 30 days had elapsed. I suggested they might contact their vendor, Matchmaker Books, but was again rebuffed. After the 30-day mark, I again requested a trace or some kind of confirmation, but they again refused to trace or replace it, instead offering to credit my bank card for the overcharge.

Obviously I wanted the book more than the money, or I would not have ordered it in the first place, so this was not a welcome response. They apologized for the 'inconvenience'. Baloney. Inconvenience is when the electric can opener fails and I have to use the manual one. Refusing requests from customers is more of a bad business practice than an inconvenience.

There. I feel better now that I have vented my spleen in public about such practices. Carry on.

Lisa, thanks for the suggestion.


>They apologized for the 'inconvenience'. Baloney. Inconvenience is when the electric can opener fails and I have to use the manual one. Refusing requests from customers is more of a bad business practice than an inconvenience.


Loved reading these lines, Hugh. Chuckled first, and then cheered!
I'm beginning to think customer service is a thing of the past and that "good business" means... being good enough to let people try to buy things.

Marty

>Sound and Sense, if you must know
Do you think they could have shipped it to me by mistake? Maybe they knew how much I wanted/needed it. My sense of sound or sound of sense could benefit with some further reading on the subject.

>> A noted contemporary poet and critic has said we ought to keep poetry a secret from the masses. Another, the editor of a prestigious anthology of poetry, said that each nation ought to have no more than a handful of poets. Both sound pretty elitist, don't they? <<

Personally, I think one has to accept that poetry is inherently elitist.

Who wants to write for the average man? The average man can only ever be exactly that - average! And his choices, opinions and inclinations will only ever be average.

I don't think poets should be looking for the approval of those whose opinions hardly matter.

In effect, all art is essentially ego-centric. An act of the perpertrators own volition. Though that isn't to suggest it cannot or should not make social comment. But it should in some way transcend the average.

Just like money. It was never meant for the poor.


www.uvray.moonfruit.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2006 01:39AM by U.V.RAY.

There's no such thing as an average man - all the ones I've ever met have been unique in something and an elite in some form or other - it just takes looking for and appreciating the quality in which they excel- and many have the potential to excel in things they haven't discovered yet.

The average is like the arithmetic mean. Take the mean of 100 10 20 and 200 - its 70 - and that isn't even on the list! So average is meaningless except in terms of gathering data.

I look at poetry as painting, sculpture or literature is quality only if it endures. If it does not appeal to people at some point in time, then it is just a pastime for the artist and not a work of quality.

In my mind quality is what separates the truly great artist from those who merely pick up a pen. [www.radioblogclub.com]


Les



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2006 03:32AM by lg.

>> There's no such thing as an average man all the ones I've ever met have been unique in something and an elite in some form or other - it just takes looking for and appreciating the quality in which they excel- and many have the potential to excel in things they haven't discovered yet. <<


Most people never discover this quality in themselves and pursue it.

They are the average. They lack the tenacity required to achieve something with their talent. Take most people who pick up a pen - they toy with it but never hone their craft.

The designation of "average" has wider implications. What makes anyone elite is not that they have talent but whether they do something with it. It is the drive behind the ability that makes someone great.

In "Leadership Secrets Of The Rogue Warrior" by Richard Marcinko he elaborates on the theory that the consistant figure of 5% (1 in 20) people are elite in their chosen field.

This figure has also been widely discovered as accurate within business corporations and the military. Interestingly Colin Wilson's book "The Occult" has a fascinating chapter on poetry as an occult science - when again this figure of 5% is suggested.

Personally, I think its pretty obvious that the drive and determination I am talking about is what separates the average from the great.

But in regards to poetry, what I was referring to was the fact that few people have any technical appreciation. Its ok them reading a poem and saying "That's great" but informed opinion means much more.

I do agree though, that most people do have some talent, even if it is undiscovered. But it's still down to them to discover it. Whether they ever look inside themselves and do so.... well, only a special kind of person does that. The rest are... average.

This is just how I look at it, personally, and I by no means mean to suggest another angle on the issue is definitely wrong.


-----------------------
www.uvray.moonfruit.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2006 06:42AM by U.V.RAY.

And here I thought I was a member of an elitist club.

only in your incarnation as Talia al'Ghul