Manifesto: A Call For Our Own Critics - Nomad 5/6, 1960 (1 Viewer)

cirerita

Founding member
What a bunch of hyerophants and steatopygous old farts on a nosography trip!

nomad-5-6.jpg
 
Well that's funny and, as usual, spot on. I think it's obvious that the wording was a tongue in cheek jab. But in the clowning are a few good points, not the least of which;

"Perhaps we too must invent our own history and choose our own gods if our portion of American literature is to receive a hearing on some tomorrow."

Have we done that? I don't think so. It seems the "university coterie" still bestow the stamp of approval, and anyone outside of that circle is considered - at best - a temporary, amusing diversion from the work of the REAL POETS (who no real people read).
 
If anyone has created their own history, literary or otherwise, it is the USA.
For better or worse, yours is a young country with more 'modern mythology' than most older ones - at least where it has cared to invest.
 
Have we done that? I don't think so. It seems the "university coterie" still bestow the stamp of approval, and anyone outside of that circle is considered - at best - a temporary, amusing diversion from the work of the REAL POETS (who no real people read).

Agreed. The "real poets" win the prizes and are not read because they are boring and humorless, and the others, well where are they? Below the horizon, hiding like rats in walls, hoping for a crumb to fall from the table.
 
mjp, your diligence is duly noted. A daunting task and yer wrastlin' it to the mat. If we could easily reconcile all of the same poems with different titles in the DB, then we'd be onto sumthin'. We are already onto sumthin' of course. :)
 
It's daunting overall because it's probably impossible. But at least what we're doing here is something. And it's daunting just checking what's already here in the forum, but that's just a matter of chipping away at it one post at a time. But there's no end, so there's no hurry. ;)
 

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