Monday, December 8, 2008

12-1-08 Week Fourteen Final Discussion of VWS Canidates

Today in class we met and the proposal for VWS finalists was under way. Before class I had printed out all the candidates and read a fair portion of the samples I was given. There were two people that I knew I would be voting for, Rachel Zucker, and the female essayist. I really loved all the poems I have red of Zucker's and I like that she is a "confessional" poet, and doesn't just throw allot of random and bizarre images together and slap it with title. It is difficult for me to understand contemporary poetry, possibly because I'm stupid, or possibly because I'm a woman and am not so impressed by the very male desire to master and manipulate language but rather the approach of using language, with purpose and precision to articulate an experience of being. Personal or Universal this is the poetry that appeals to me. But I'm not saying other forms of poetry do not have value or that they do not take skill and time to create, just that I, personally, don not get anything from them.

I liked the female essayist and also Claudia Rankine, who I think is delectably bizarre and incredibly intelligent, while still being readable.
I am at the moment at a loss for who to vote for, all the presenters did such a wonderful job and they are all so passionate about their person. It makes me feel a little "detached" from the contemporary literature world, because I have no "favorite person" favorite writer :(.

I look forward to voting next Thursday.

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