The Washington Post is wrong again

[mariness]

I meant to add this to my last post, but got distracted by thoughts of chocolate, as you do. Anyway.

If you missed it, this may be one of the worst opinion posts published by the Washington Post, like ever, containing this particular "gem":

He has overcome numerous obstacles, struggled against opposition both internal and external - in order to

Comments

[supergee]

Poetry is dead and the kids got no respect today and other startling new insights.

[mariness]

Kids don't got no respect these days. I think they learned that from me :)

[fbhjr]

Maybe it is dead because it exploded...
That would kill me...

[mariness]

Well, it hasn't gotten to the "ed" part yet. Still exploding.

[ravena_kade]

I so agree. Especially the bad poetry as I have written it and hope to get my head relaxed again so I can write it...well, maybe better...

I also don't really like rap, but I do find power of the words the rappers put together to be a formidable force.

[mariness]

I've written lots of bad poetry myself. I find it helpful.

[queerbychoice]

Here is the inaugural poem:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/today-richard-blanco-poem-read-barack-obama-inauguration/story?id=18274653

The inaugural poet recently quit his job as a civil engineer to be a full-time poet. This seems to imply that it is possible to make one's living as a poet - possible enough, even, to be worth quitting a fairly decent-sounding job for. Which, in turn, seems to me like pretty good evidence that poetry isn't dead.

[mariness]

Not a bad poem.

And yes, Blanco has been able to sell his books, which strongly suggests that people want to keep poetry alive. Or at least his poetry.

[palusbuteo]

I chalk it up to the same people in the past who've said things like "Oh, Personal Computers? Who Needs Those?!" Paraphrasing the CEO of IBM some 2 decades ago.