White House Poetry Media Cluster Fuck

UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL

I was clicking through some of the links I’d missed on Silliman’s blog in regards to the poetry reading at the white house. I take the whole event as being one that tows the line in a non-threatening way; but then, that seems to be the case with most contemporary poetry. The fact that Common coming to read at the white house is something worth discussing at length in the media in regards to some political debate is sad. There is an element in distraction in all of this. Goldsmith could have taken the event as an opportunity to state something that didn't just buy in, but he didn't. It makes me think that Kenneth Goldsmith is made of the same sort of clay as Billy Collins. This is not something I want to think.

All of this hubbub about Common and Kenneth Goldsmith is its own sort of distraction. The stuff about Common is manufactured by a conservative, capitalist media corporation. Even if the Daily Show (or whatever) points this out, they still simply create a debate that dwells in the pundit echo chamber.

The whole thing makes me deeply sad. Poetry is in its own anechoic chamber within the larger chamber of the bottom line. Drill baby drill.

I also thought this Lihn Dihn quote was great:

"As Obama fizzles out, as he loses legitimacy, the power brokers will come up with other figureheads and slogans for American liberals and conservatives to become passionate about. These candidates will jabber, jab and insult each other. As in professional wrestling, the battle will appear fierce. Barack, meanwhile, can look forward to a lucrative memoir and six-figure speaking fees. Even that man of malapropisms and snafus, the much despised Bush, is getting $150,000 each time he opens his mouth these days."

Poetry on capital hill fizzles and jabbers.