Is American Poetry All About Me?

This week the quotes come from the poet Diane Wakiski.


"American poetry is always about defining oneself individually,claiming one's right to be different and often to break taboos." ~ Diane Wakoski

Always is such a specifically defining word and am not really sure that Wakoski is correct here, but I would say that I agree that for the most part, this statement is accurate to American poetry. I think it is often true of poetry other than American, though perhaps not to the same degree.

Certainly I have written of things that I don't believe have particularly spoken to my own individuality. At least not intentionally, though I perhaps do a good deal of the time.

Et Cetera:

• A city with it's own poet laureate - Poet laureate working to connect local writers [here]
• An Essay - A Toast to the Happy Couplet [here]
• Editorial - Shameless election politics [here]
• Greenfield: Going back to the well -Will gay marriage and flag burning rally the GOP base one more time? [here]
• Advise to the person who came to this site via a google search for "long hair dachshund cuts," Don't! I've had two long haired Dachshunds, and aside from trimming a tangle (usually around the ears) or cutting away hair on their hind side, for obvious reasons, the dogs don't need cuts. They are not poodles for God's sake. The natural growth of their long hair is part of the beauty of this breed. Of course this person has already come and gone from this site so right now there is probably some previously long haired Dachshund out there looking half naked and feeling silly & shy.
• Poetry and Politics [here]
• Picked up a book of Love Poems over the weekend.

Tags: dachshunds Bush Diane Wakoski

GOP Poet Laureates Writing and poetry