Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Donald Hall
Thanks to Jilly Dybka of Poetry Hut

Donald 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.html

Asked 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.html


Should we (the blogging poets) forward our own list? What would top your list of new poetry initiatives?

posted by Carl Bryant @ 1:56 PM   5 comments Literary Shirts

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5 Comments:

At 6:53 PM, Blogger lorguru said...

Thanks for posting this. I'll have to think about suggestions.


 

 

At 9:24 PM, Blogger Carl Bryant said...

I'm thinking number 1 should be...

abolish poetry.com


that gives me an idea...


 

 

At 10:28 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

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.


 

 

At 11:26 PM, Blogger Carl Bryant said...

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.


 

 

At 4:28 PM, Blogger Collin Kelley said...

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.


 

 

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