Poets Laureate: So What?

This little essay is OPINION. And we all know that opinion is the lowest form of knowledge. Informed opinion is slightly higher, but not too much. So, as you read this essay, if you continue to read, keep in mind the first sentence.

Okay. Poets Laureate. Poets Laureate are folks who have been selected by a government official or a government agency like the Delaware Division of the Arts to act as ambassadors (or maybe as cheerleaders) of the poetic arts in schools and other places where poetry should happen. In Delaware the governor appoints people to the position, usually under advisement of the arts agency. But the governor does not need to consult anyone on the appointment, unless of course, his wife or some other relative has a suggestion.

Here in Delaware, where every move by today’s government officials is politically crafty (and always politically correct) new Poets Laureate were announced yesterday evening. This is the first time that two poets will share the position. This is also the first time that twin brothers will claim the title. And this is the first time Spoken Word poets have been selected for the job. Lots of firsts.

But really, why do we need Poets Laureate? In some places that title is purely honorary or symbolic and there are no duties attached other than an occasional reading of a poem at official functions. In other places the position is only as active as the appointee wants to make it. Here in our State the last two Laureates have been busy folks. They took the job seriously and did much to promote the literary arts in Delaware. So maybe we need a Poet Laureate if only to be a reminder that poetry is still around and it might still have some value.

Now let’s turn to Spoken Word poetry. Of course almost all poetry is meant to be spoken. But the modern appellation of Spoken Word designates poetry and poets who deliver poems in a strong rhyme and meter pattern, often spontaneously. It has been called “Rap” without musical instruments in the background. A great deal of Spoken Word poetry is political, addressing issues of race and urban living. Much of it is aimed at young people and is intended to be inspirational. And some of it is sexually charged or intentionally shocking in content. There is a strong tradition in Spoken Word that goes back to the 1960’s “First Poets’ of New York City. And of course the “First Poets” drew on earlier traditions of story tellers and probably spontaneous “testifying” in various predominately African-American churches. What modern Spoken Word poetry does not draw on is the vast library of poetic literature that is the foundation of today’s written and orally presented poetry. In fact, I have had Spoken Word artists say that they stay away from “old style” “classical” or “written down” poetry since it is “irrelevant”.  When I asked a particular Spoken Word guy if he had read or heard any “Beat” poets from the 1950s or 1960s he said that he didn’t have time to fool with that stuff.

So I’m a little worried. I don’t know the two poets who are our new Laureates in Delaware. I’ve heard that they are good and caring individuals. I’ve read that they are very active in their communities and that they are both professional social workers. But I don’t know if they have any regard for poetry other than Spoken Word. I don’t care if they have MFAs or a long list of academic credentials. I’m sorely lacking in those myself. But as ambassadors of poetry in schools I’d like to know that traditional poetry gets a fair shake. I’d like to see kids encouraged to read Shel Silverstein, Billy Collins, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Sherman Alexie, Pablo Neruda and hundreds of others as their young minds move from grade school and on to college. Poetry is not a subject that gets much attention in today’s English classes. Its value has diminished even more than it had when I was in school decades ago. It has gone the way of good grammar, cursive handwriting and classical literature.

Our previous Poet Laureate was struggling mightily against that decline. She strongly supported the Poetry Aloud program. She pushed creative writing of all types as she traveled to schools up and down the state. She encouraged students to enter writing competitions, poetry and prose. And she always encouraged young people to read – read the old poets and prose writers, read new poets and prose writers, read local poets and prose writers. I’m hoping the new Laureates will continue that struggle for real literacy.

In Delaware there is also a strong network of poets and other authors. There are numerous writing groups in every county. Critique groups, weekly or monthly workshops, writers’ breakfast or lunch clubs are a regular part of the lives of many writers in our state. Poetry readings happen on a regular basis. Guest speakers are brought in from around the nation to give talks and lead workshops. These programs take place in Libraries and churches and museums and schools. Delaware is a lively place for literature. I hope that our new Laureates take advantage of this built in network to spread the word about their particular Art. And I hope they call upon all of these organizations to help in the revitalization of literature in the schools.

I’m not a big fan of Spoken Word poetry. But that doesn’t matter. I’m not a fan of “Language” poetry either, or 19^th century Romantic poetry. But I see the value in all those things. They are all building blocks in the foundation of literature. What we do now has been built on what came before.

I wish the new Poets Laureate much success in their new posts. I hope to meet them soon and I hope they continue the activist ways of their predecessor in the office. 

Holiday Warning

Hello friends and family and happy Monday. In the spirit of optimism as we head into the onslaught of the holiday season I would like to offer a few positive suggestions to help you all handle what is coming and to deflect all those things that wreck your mood and threaten your sanity.

First let us deal with the ever earlier creeping of the holidays. Valentine’s Day selling and promotions now start in December. Easter stuff is on the shelves by New Year’s Day. Fourth of July begins on Good Friday. Labor Day sales start the day after Memorial Day. Halloween candy and costumes hit the shelves on June 3^rd. Thanksgiving turkey sales begin around July 4^th. Christmas sales start three days after that. Who drives these seasonal encroachments? The quick answer is retailers. But retailers aren’t the real problem. The real problem is consumers. If, when a bunch of retailers try moving the holiday ball down the field before the play starts, and consumers not only allow the moves but approve of them by buying a bunch of advertised junk, then the retailers will try another move. And if the consumers bite again the cycle will go on and on.

Personally I haven’t bought presents, wrapping paper and stuff for Christmas of 2012 yet. That’s not on my schedule until 2016. I’m a consumer. I have that kind of power. And you do too. So quit buying early. The retailers will stop pushing so hard and the holidays will return to their proper places on the calendar.

Now let’s listen (or read) while I tell you about this so called war on Christmas, or war on religion. Ignore such media hype. Go to the church of your choice. Sing hymns, say prayers. No one is stopping you. Would you like to attend a mosque or synagogue? Head on out and do it. This is still America. I repeat, no one will stop you. Do you live in a predominately Christian community where crèches and other symbols are present? Does it bother you? Get over it. Americans are allowed to display symbols of their religion in their homes and businesses. The Christians won’t object if someone of another faith hangs a holiday sign on their heathen porch. They know the rules. They may get all dressed up in dark suits and knock on your door and try to get you to see how cool their particular brand of belief is. But you’re free to politely tell them to go away. It’s America. We can choose this stuff. And we can choose to ignore it. Of course pushing religion into the arena of political decision making is a trickier problem. I’m for keeping it in the churches, mosques, synagogues, homes and even business places. If business people are not worried about losing business when they do too much proselytizing then that’s their right. We can shop at a different dollar store down the street.  So enough about this “war” business. We’ve got bigger things to worry about.

Which is why I’m worried about Thanksgiving Day shopping. Sure I’m all for personal choices as you’d know if you read the paragraph above. But shopping on Thanksgiving Day is just wrong and it should be avoided at all costs. Believe me friends, if you don’t buy that blender for Aunt Carol or that 82” big screen TV for your dear old dad at WalMart when it opens at six in the evening on Thanksgiving you won’t be missing out. I guarantee that those items will be available somewhere on Friday. You might have to pay a couple bucks more, but you will have spent a little more time with Aunt Carol and dad and they’ll appreciate that as much as those gifts. So stay home with your friends and family on Thanksgiving.

Okay. I’m done thinking about holiday stuff now and I’m going to slip back into my hermit mode. And keep the doggone Christmas music off. It’s too early. Now have a fine day.

Options in Education

One of my daughters is active in the anti-standardized testing movement here in our little state. They call it “opting out”. Some in the movement object to the heavy-handed way the federal and state educational agencies dictate policies to local districts. Others are against standardized testing in general, citing its useless collection of bureaucratic data that proves nothing and provides no benefit for students. Some of those against testing also claim that the constant emphasis and pressure to do well on mandated tests brings a great deal of useless stress to kids who might already be struggling with school work. And then there are many teachers who are against testing because it is a drain on their classroom time, discourages innovation in teaching and is also used as an unfair measure of a teacher’s effectiveness.

All those folks are correct. But there is a powerful movement of administrators, educators and government officials countering the arguments of the anti-testers. They have experts and pseudo-scientific studies that back up the “need” for federally mandated, corporately designed testing. As always, when we look at some big move to push a program into something as large as the educational system, we need to wonder who is benefiting financially. What entity or which people will profit the most? After some rather casual research it looks to me like computer manufacturers, software manufacturers, a select group of consultants and experts, and a growing bureaucracy of record keeping and analyst types will make a ton of money.

With absolutely no real research or hard evidence I’ll also go out on a limb and say that some way, somewhere a bunch of politicians are finding ways to line their pockets as a reward for pushing these programs through the legislative process. I might be wrong about that, but in my cynical old age, I believe there’s a good chance this is happening.

Of course some progressive idealists think it’s a fine idea that federally centralized control of education should come to pass. They think all those smart folks in Washington would be much better at running the schools, setting curriculum requirements, administering everything from building maintenance to the distribution of high school diplomas. Me, I’m not so convinced.

Personally I’m all for testing. If a kid takes a class in English or Math or basket-weaving he or she should take a test to see if anything stuck in his or her brain. If enough material was retained then the kid passes the class. But I happen to believe that all of that could (and should) be handled by local districts, perhaps under the aegis of a loosely structured state educational agency. Some districts would prove to be effective, some less so. If a district consistently produced a low grade of graduates, too high a drop-out rate or too many grade failures then the school boards would be compelled to change administrators and bring in the state watchdogs to evaluate teachers and programs. I suppose that is simplistic thinking, but it might work.

Another measure of a district’s performance would be the college acceptance rate of graduates. How many are getting into college, and into which colleges. This could be measured fairly easily on a local level. But again, this is kind of a simplistic approach.

So friends, I just want to voice my support for those anti-testing folks, whatever their motivations might be. I’d especially like to voice support for those who believe that parents should have a substantial say in how their kids are educated, including those who decide to “opt-out” their kids from standardized big government, common core testing. They’re being brave as they stand up for their children. And bravery will be much needed in the years ahead.

Have a fine day.

Retirement 101

Picture this. The long, grey hair of the poet is gently ruffled by breezes moving up the river valley as he sits with his portable keyboard in the screen house. A chipmunk is raiding the bird feeders. Small birds complain as they swoop in for a quick snack. Down in the river a heron poses in its regal way.

Yes that’s the scene up here on the Deer River on this Thursday afternoon in August. The poet’s wife is inside the house reading. She’s resting, recovering from her morning of bossing the poet around. Clean the shed, she said. Replace the blade on the lawn mower, she ordered. Why didn’t you finish whacking those weeds along the driveway, she asks, in a wheedling way. Retirement. Only six days into it and she’s found the rhythm of boss-dom. But it’s okay. This poet can take a little structure, a little direction. After all his wife

has included time in the schedule for writing, reading and research. At least there’s time

if all the chores are finished.

I’ve been retired for a little over eight years. My wife would go to work and I’d do many of the housekeeping duties. I handled the laundry. I planned and prepared almost all the meals. Bed making, minor cleaning, grocery shopping – I did it all. And during those years I was able to write a bunch of poetry and other stuff. I also read several books a week and attended weekly and monthly writing group sessions. Now I’m not worried about the changes that may be coming with my wife’s retirement. I’m sure she’ll lose the urge to be somebody’s boss pretty soon. If not, she might find a certain poet is harder to tame than the average “work study” young adult. And she might find that same poet out in the screen house writing some seditious little blog entries.

For now, I’m just going to enjoy the sound of the river and the antics of the birds and chipmunks. So you all have a really fine day.

Aunt Helen: A Remembrance

My dear old Aunt Helen died yesterday morning. She hadn’t been herself for some time and I’m sure she was happy to move on to an easier existence. So now relatives and friends are remembering her fondly using words like kind, funny, full of faith and generous. And of course those are all appropriate words for Helen. But I’m thinking about some other words that might not be mentioned at all. Those words include – tough, determined and even stubborn.

Aunt Helen was tough. She was born in hard times in a pretty hard place. She grew up in an era when women were defined by who, and how well, they married. But she never found a man who could meet her standards and I often think she really didn’t care about that. She was an independent person. She went to work and made her way as a single woman, not all that common in the decades during and after World War II. Helen worked in retail for a time and then moved on up to a job at the college in Plattsburgh. She worked in the print shop doing a job that was both physically and mentally difficult. But there was no complaining from her and she made a good solid living that allowed her to be independent.

And while we all remember Aunt Helen as a caring person, willingly being nurse and caregiver to her father, mother and later to her sister Margaret, we forget the toughness that is required to fill that role. When caring for her parents she was still working. So she would drive home to Standish do her nursing and housekeeping chores then get up the next morning and do it all again. That kind of work takes a toughness that many, if not most, of us don’t have.

One other side of toughness that I recall in Aunt Helen was displayed as she interacted with her three brothers. Those fellows, Francis – Leo – Arthur, were sometimes quite sarcastic with Helen. Though they loved her and appreciated her, they also teased her unmercifully. But she could handle it and the edge on her humorous knife was every bit as sharp as theirs. She had a great sense of humor but it too could be tough.

Determination was something that Aunt Helen brought to every part of her life. She was determined to make a good living. She was determined to be the best woman of faith that she could be. She was determined to stay living on her own, independently for as long as she possibly could. That inner strength and determination helped her achieve all of those goals. The last time I saw Aunt Helen, the time she still had good awareness of what was happening to her, she was determined to get back home. I’m sure her spirit has also achieved that goal.

Now stubbornness can be a bad trait. But it can also be a different shading of determination. And Aunt Helen could surely be stubborn in both ways. If she wasn’t stubborn she might have ended up in an unhappy marriage. If she wasn’t stubborn she could have stayed in Standish and pretty much done nothing. But she didn’t do that. She traveled. She had an active social life. She had good and long lasting friendships. And she was also very stubborn about the importance of her family. She maintained contact with more relatives than most of us ever do. She remembered birthdays, anniversaries and more. She was stubborn about those things. And we should look to her as an example of good and productive stubbornness.

So over time I’ll remember Aunt Helen. I’ll smile at memories of good times, think about her sense of humor, her kindness, her loving generosity. But I’ll also remember a tough lady who was determined to make her way on her own and stubborn enough to stick to her own path.

Rest in peace Aunt Helen.

Raised Hackles

Well friends and neighbors, my hackles are up again. Does anyone know what hackles means? It's the hairs (or feathers if you’re a bird) on the back of your neck. In my case it’s the feeling I get when my red-neck self gets fired up about some bureaucratic stupidity. Today’s stupidity is the move in our public schools to start indoctrinating grade school kids into thinking that every last one of them is entitled to a college education.

I just got calmed down about the move to disallow parents the right to opt their children out of the insipidly foolish and dangerous standardized testing business. And today I learn that my youngest grandson needs to complete a crazy “packet” of tasks designed to teach him that a college education is very important and absolutely necessary to a successful life. He’s in third freaking grade. Who is making the decision that this is an appropriate educational requirement for a third grade kid? What insane bureaucracy decided that all children must go to college? When did the state abrogate the responsibility of parents in making these decisions?

Do you understand that I’m pissed off here? I respect a good college education. Both of my children have degrees. I want my grand-kids to have the opportunity to go to college. I want all kids to have the opportunity to go to college if they have the aptitude and ability to do the course work. I respect young people who go to technical colleges as much as I respect those who go to Harvard or Yale. Education is a wonderful thing. But, contrary to government propaganda, college is not for everyone. College is not for the youngster who doesn't want to be there. College is not for the kid who did a crap job through twelve years of school and who is completely unprepared for the necessary intellectual discipline that college courses should require. And colleges should not be extensions of high school where the first three semesters are spent trying to get a student up somewhere close to the necessary level needed for that course work.

Two year “degrees” should not take three or three and half years to complete. Four year degrees should not take five or six years to complete. The push to make college a requisite for life is a mistake. We are losing people who would be a valuable part of the workforce doing jobs in all kinds of trades because the propaganda tells them that those jobs are less important than the ones requiring a college education. How did this aberrant idea take hold?

But that’s not my focus here and it’s only part of why I’m angry. I’m angry because little kids, from the ages of five through eleven or twelve are being propagandized into believing that college is a thing they need to think about right now. I’m angry because those “educational” packets about college are wasting time that these children could be using to learn math or history or English. Or they could be using that time doing some other useful childhood activity like playing outdoors or reading a book or drawing pictures. What has gotten into our educational system? Where have we gone wrong? And most importantly, can we fix it?

I know that I’m not a highly educated person. I passed up my opportunity to go to college. I never thought about higher education until I was in seventh or eighth grade. There are folks with PhD s who have done all kinds of research, served on panels making recommendations to educational departments in state and federal governments. These folks always assume that they know more about what is good for kids than parents and local school systems. They advise the people who control the money that is pulled out of the pockets of citizens. Perhaps if the money supply got interrupted these bureaucrats would learn where their paychecks really come from. Maybe then they would listen to a little common sense advice provided by parents and teachers who know what is truly important. And telling third graders that they need to worry about college now is not truly important. It is truly foolish.

Now have a fine day. 

Yes, Another Dang Plug For The Gibson Brothers

Yesterday a link came up on my Facebook page to the Prairie Home Companion website that had another link to the new album by the Gibson Brothers. That album is called “Brotherhood” and it is being released by Rounder Records on February 24^th. Bluegrass radio stations already have the album and they’ve been playing cuts for a few weeks now. The Gibson’s appeared recently on the PHC program and it seems that Mr. Keillor was impressed enough with the new album that he arranged for this preview link with the record company.

Prairie Home Companion has long been a showcase for Bluegrass, Americana, old time Jazz and other genres of fine music. Sometimes it seems like a liberal Grand Old Opry. And that’s a good thing. Whenever I get the chance I tune in for the music, the humor and the nostalgic feel of classic radio. The production values are high, the writing is excellent and Mr. Keillor does the nation a valuable service by keeping the art-form alive.

So now you know that this old, curmudgeonly conservative guy likes a PBS mainstay. But my real point here is to tell you about Eric and Leigh Gibson’s new recording. This collection of “brother duets” is not just another bunch of high quality songs put together by an extremely talented band. It certainly fits that description but there’s much more to this album. This one, taken in the context of the current state of Bluegrass and country music, should be considered as a new standard of musical excellence. The Gibson Brothers, by carefully choosing from the vast catalog of old brother duets and then by adopting them (and adapting them) into their own very distinct sound and style, have shown that old material can be respected, renewed, re-presented in a thoroughly modern way.

They have made old time songs timeless. They have reclaimed and re-worked harmonies and made them natural and real. What might have been considered American “parlor songs” have been converted to concert pieces that will satisfy really big audiences as thoroughly as they were enjoyed in country home “musicales” of decades past. This is American country music at its finest.

I’m not here to review the album. There are songs that were originally done by well-known artists like the Everly Brothers, the Monroe Brothers and the Louvin Brothers. But there are also songs by groups that most of us have never heard of like the York Brothers. Every track is a gem. The clarity of the recording is beautiful. The musicianship of Jesse Brock on mandolin, Clayton Campbell on fiddle and Mike Barber on bass is solid, supportive, and often nothing short of astounding. Guest musicians like the McCoury brothers (and others that I can’t name because I don’t have my own copy yet) add complementing features that truly enhance some of the songs.

But the real joy of this record is the vocal purity of Leigh and Eric Gibson. Each of the brothers has a distinctive voice. But when they blend, or do counterpoint, or make jumps into pure high tenor synchronicity they become something else again. I recall years ago hearing a very young Alison Kraus do vocal work that made goose-bumps jump up on my arms. Several tracks on this album by the Gibson Brothers created that same physical reaction every time I listened. It’s that fine a work of Art.

So order a copy from Rounder or from Amazon. Better yet find the Gibson Brothers when they appear near you and go to the show. You’ll be glad you did. And I expect you to thank me for the suggestion. Now go look up the link at Prairie Home Companion. It’s posted on my Facebook page. And have yourself a fine day.