Sort of. Poets are cool. Sort of. As long as we don't have to listen to what they have to say. As long as they can capitalize on that lurky murky stereotype of someone having a mysterious soul, dressing in black, and thinking deep thoughts we aren't subjected too. They feel a lot, so goes the tales of yore. So when we conjure them for our fashion shoots, we hope that aura follows. The poet as mystical soul person who dabbles in wordsmithing and ripples the fabric of our emotional lives - gently.
So when Oprah dresses poets, who usually make very little to no money on their craft, affixes poets in hyperbolic writing poses and dresses them in clothing they likely could not afford, what does she hope to achieve? Further, all of the poets she locates are pretty poets: thin, young, fresh faced, without a nose too long or crooked or a blemish to be seen. Some of these poets are Eccentric, wearing turbans with words and wigs. These poets are to be seen, but are they heard?
David Orr's take @ The New York Times.
No comments:
Post a Comment