Guy,
The article is fascinating and blind at the same time. Poetry's problem is the same as music's problem. There is too much bad poetry and too much bad music and a large proportion of the population are content with both.
Popular music and popular song lyrics satisfy the needs of a majority of people. The people left with "poetry" are the ones whose needs are not met by these readily available Macsperiences.
Muzak and Poesak crowd the air waves and lifts/elevators and TV ads. Senses are blunted. Easy sentimentality gives emotional fulfilment with a guitar accompaniment.
My supermarket used to play Rock Around the Classics and I was the only person who complained.
Poets are lonely and always were.
The idea of changing one's life in order to write better is ludicrous. I constantly meet vapid world travellers who drop exotic place names competitively. I think the excellent Mr Barr is very confused.
Poetry is where you live, which in my case has been a good few places and countries, or in Emily D's case, a quiet room.
Poetry in the sense that most of the people here mean poetry will probably never be popular.
Janet
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