In Defense of National Poetry Month

April 4, 2008

[photo by thinredjellies]

Despite attacks by Charles Bernstein, Richard Howard, and others, April continues to be National Poetry Month. I understand– but don’t share– their antipathy. Honestly, I find most of the protestation to be rather ridiculous and contrived. What’s left then appears to be mostly a symptom of typical elitism (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in every incarnation) by those who don’t exactly turn against their "oppressors" and the mainstream at every opportunity. I see Howard and Bernstein have appeared multiple times in that most reviled of mainstream publications, Poetry magazine… and they continue to allow their work to appear and be promoted on various mainstream sites, including that of the Academy of American Poets (founders of NaPoMo). One would think that if these kinds of publications and groups are so dangerous to poetry, these in-the-know sophisticates wouldn’t allow themselves to be used so mercilessly by them!

At any rate, readers of poetry will always fall along a continuum with most being mainstreamers in the fat-belly of the statistical curve followed by smaller groups focused primarily on the classics, popular and humorous verse, and the avant/experimentalists. If the most common avant public party line is true, and the mainstream of today represents a respected tradition whose time has passed, then I don’t see the harm in most National Poetry Month activities being geared towards those readers. After all, the vast majority of those reading and writing new poetry came out of the mainstream world. I find it unlikely that NaPoMo drives many readers away from poetry and I have first-hand experience seeing those activities bring new readers in.

Nor is there anything stopping those who desire to move people away from (out of, past… whatever) the mainstream from using the attention brought by NaPoMo to help do so. I’m sure that subversion would be at least one characteristic of arguments from those who proclaim their independence and avant-garde-ness while also taking advantage of the publications put out by and featuring the readers for which they can barely disguise their contempt.

Paying particular recognition to something at a particular time doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t paying enough attention the rest of the time nor is it necessarily an excuse to pay only superficial attention, claiming a dedication that isn’t earned in some approved way. Most of the time, those arguments are ascribing qualities to something that are a projection of the claimant’s agenda. NaPoMo’s an imperfect solution to the "poetry problem." It’s not nearly enough; it focuses mostly on a narrow range of poetries; it’s not a replacement for the very real issues of the way poetry is taught in school, perceived by general readers, etc. But it’s something… and it’s something that’s more good than bad. Why not spend the energy spent protesting and make sure that the writers and poetries you like are represented? And if you already are, throw the NaPoMo label on it and snare a few extra people you might not have reached otherwise.

Tags: culture, poetry, Publishing