Speaking of Ideologues ....

Another sampling from one representative -- LH in her comments section -- of those who're shut out of poetic discussions in this country:



"The lack of female voices in general poetic discourse in this country is not something one can argue with can they? Look at the blogrolls" (LH)


The lack of female voices of those starting and maintaining blogs is the fault of men? Who's to stop aspiring bloggerettes from saying whatever they want, whenever they want, on their screens? As for other poetic discourse in this country, what does she mean? There're a staggering amount of women writing and publishing poetry in this country. Or is she again bringing up that old shuck and jive about misogynist men who control the levers of critical publication and dissemination in Canada?


"look at the Cage Match and the inability of either candidate to weave the poetry of ANY women into their thinking." (LH)


Yes, Carmine Starnino certainly fits the bill, doesn't he? Scroll through the Signal Editions catalogue this century and see the paucity of distaff representation on the lists. (Sarcasm alert for the thick.) And both of the participants mentioned LH. Talk about ungrateful ....




"People can say all they want but their thinking reveals the lack of ability in general, to engage with work outside of their own immediate interest.

This is fine for the average person--engage with whomever or whatever you want. On the other hand, if you're a public intellectual, a critic, an academic, someone purporting to speak on behalf of an art, or literature, and then--well, it's shocking." (LH)



And what would that immediate interest be? Has LH blogged about any or many poet(s), for instance, who're already pushing up daffodils? And if not, why not? Is it because the current crop of poets are more "compelling"? If so, how is that different from hidebound narrow-interest public intellectuals rooting for their own corner? Do poets become irrelevant when they kick off? Or is it that dead poets can't provide favours? And see how easy it is to damn by (often) inaccurate suggestion?


"And embarrassing." (LH)

Quite.