Poetry Is Doomed #21: The 2009 Inauguration Poem

[scottwoods]

Let's start the year with a bang, yes? My new column is up!

Poetry is Doomed #21: The 2009 Inaugural Poet 

Comments

[shadowprison]

I doubt that I've read all of your columns,
but this is the best of those.

[scottwoods]

Thank you! You can tell when I'm really into the topic because I try to cover my butt on all sides.

[sashash]

Exxxxxxactly.

Lord, it pissed me off. pysches_task and I found ourselves begging in retrospect for Martín Espada. There's a poet who wouldn't have crumpled under pressure, who speaks to and about the people, and who we know by precedent (see his 9/11 poem, good god) could have written something to sear the eyebrows off (and embolden the hearts of) the millions of global citizens still watching.

[scottwoods]

Who else might have been good for it is an article unto itself!

[insafemode]

I think you're all overreacting, I though the inaugaral poem was fantastic.

[scottwoods]

Oh, that's good. Of course, the host's comment before the clip about no one liking poetry kind of stung. Maybe if they let poets be themselves when put in front of cameras and not try to get them to be what they THINK poets are supposed to be like...

Back to the trenches.