[W T Clark]

If any of my abstruse comments have made anyone out of the small number who have read them curious enough to go off and take some interest in the work of Ishion Hutchinson, Lucillle Cliffton, or the much more undervalued Jay Wright, instead of reading another bestselling book or anthologised poem by Maya Angelou, then at least I have done something toward raising the profiles of these geniuses.

[Julie Steiner]

I'd love it if you'd use the Musing on Mastery board to post some of their works that really grab you.

In response to your praise, I read Ishion Hutchinson's three seven poems on the POETRY website and one in The New Yorker. Just as for most poems in POETRY and The New Yorker, I liked some of the imagery and phrasing, but was left with an overall feeling of having missed the point.

I hope that says more about the type of poems that appeal to the editors of those two publications than it does about me. [Edited to say: Actually, what it says about me is that I'd never heard of this poet before because I haven't paid much attention to two of my country's leading poetry magazines for the past two decades...because I got tired of paying good money just to feel stupid. I can be blissfully ignorant for free.] Perhaps I'll be able to engage better with his other work.

But I might still need some notes in order to see what you see in him. If you can provide some, I'd be sincerely grateful.

I do love this:

     I smashed my head against a lightbulb
     and light sprinkled my hair;

BTW, here's the series of quarters:



Gotta say, I appreciate the names being on these!

[Jim Moonan]

.
(Crashing back in on a wing and a prayer that what I have to say has any relevance to what has been said... I have tried to work in some punnage at Julie's behest)

I guess "it's all good" as the hipsters say. Or, as the GenX'ers say,"Whatever". "Better late than never" as the greatest generation would say (if they were still able to talk and chew gum at the same time).

But what would a poet say to being monetized? Isn't it the height of hypocrisy? Isn't it Chump Change? What would Maya write? Would the Treasury overrule her objection, claiming sovereignty over currency?

This is a boon for coin collectors; a hard nut to swallow for petrified racists and bigots who spend their currency resisting change. The transformation of currency is happening, but not in the way of minting/coining the likeness of overlooked under appreciated women would have you think. Currency is sea-changing from coinage to plastic to whateverthefuckbitcoin is. Is this a token gesture? The US has been tinkering with the quarter for the last quarter century. I hardly recognize our coins these days. Is the depiction/inclusion of women on our quarters a "too little too late" scenario?. Does money mean anything?

On the occasion I actually have change in my pocket I never look at the graphic relief on it and ponder its significance. I just put it in a vending machine or a parking meter to get what I want. Does it still say "In God We Trust" because that is definitely up for review, IMO. (or is that only on the bills? I don't know, I can't find my money anywhere). What would Jesus do to the Mints? Tip the tables.

I don't know for sure if Rome is burning... (how would I?) Perhaps it is a slow-burn. After all, Ginsberg predicted the Fall of America a half-century ago. There are always thousands of false prophets. But there is a feeling, an undercurrent to our culture that is

No, Rome is not burning, the ship is not sinking. I was being facetious. We're safe for now. That's not a prediction. We have insurance, right? We have poets to protect us. Protect us, Maya!

We must become a culture of readers. Not spenders. Make books our currency. —Oh crap! They digitized them, too!

.

[James Brancheau]

Cameron is correct. I don't have anything against Angelou, other than she wrote bad poetry. And it is bad. I cringe when my students choose her for a presentation and I hope they just make some interesting shit up. She was charming. I honestly would have liked to meet her. On a coin? Who cares. There are worse people we spend.

[James Brancheau]

Never mind. Cameron made the point more effectively and he's right that other poets/writers need far more attention.