Thanks to Jilly Dybka of Poetry HutDonald Hall is an activist for the cause of artistic freedom, an outspoken critic of the religious right's influence on the arts, an extraordinary poet, and is also
the new Poet Laureate of the United States.Robert Pinsky, who was poet laureate from 1997 to 2000, said he welcomed Mr. Hall's appointment, especially in light of his previous outspokenness about politics and the arts. "There is something nicely symbolic, and maybe surprising," Mr. Pinsky said, "that they have selected someone who has taken a stand for freedom." -http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/books/14poet.htmlAsked what he will do to advocate for poetry during his roughly two-year term, Hall said he hadn't figured that out yet, despite his friend Rector having forwarded a helpful list of more than 80 suggestions. ("It made me tired," Hall joked.) One of his own initial thoughts, which he called a "wild idea," was to help start a poetry channel on one of the satellite radio networks.
-http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061301731.htmlShould we (the blogging poets) forward our own list? What would top your list of new poetry initiatives?
Thanks for posting this. I'll have to think about suggestions.
I'm thinking number 1 should be...
abolish poetry.com
that gives me an idea...
I think this is a good thing. I'm not crazy about Hall's poetry but I think he's an excellent critic and essayist and really knows his shit when it comes to poetry.
He definitely knows his shit.
What impresses me most about Hall is that he's a true writer. He isn't strictly a this-and-not-that poet. Be it a play, an essay, or a poem - he's equally at home.
I love his work. Looking forward to seeing what he does and hopefully Poetry at Tech or Oglethorpe will get him down for a reading in the next year.