How much influence should poets have over politics? That's become a hot question in recent months, as many poets have taken controversial positions on the war in Iraq. This weekend Poets Laureate from all over the country gathered in New Hampshire to discuss their role in the culture. NHPR's Trish Anderton reports.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME LAUREATES FROM DIFFERENT STATES HAD EVER GATHERED TO DISCUSS THEIR ROLE.
22 STATE POETS SPENT SATURDAY IN CONFERENCES WITH WRITERS, THINKERS, AND POLITICIANS.
THE MEETING WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE POET LAUREATE MARIE HARRIS, WHO SAID SHE WAS SIMPLY CURIOUS TO SEE WHO FILLED THE JOB IN OTHER STATES, AND HOW THEY CARRIED OUT THEIR DUTIES.
29 115 I didn�t know who the other laureates were, and once I discovered who they were I wanted to meet them. // I thought wow, why don�t we just get together?
HARRIS BEGAN PLANNING THE CONFERENCE TWO YEARS AGO.
IT GAINED A LOT OF BUZZ THIS WINTER IN THE WAKE OF TWO CONTROVERSIES.
FIRST, NEW JERSEY LAUREATE AMIRI BARAKA TOUCHED OFF A STORM OF CRITICISM WITH A POEM THAT ALLEGED ISRAEL KNEW ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH ATTACKS IN ADVANCE.
THEN, FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH CANCELED A GATHERING OF POETS AT THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR SOME OF THEM WOULD USE THE FORUM TO VOICE OPPOSITION TO THE WAR ON IRAQ.
KENTUCKY LAUREATE JAMES BAKER HALL SAYS THE FIRST LADY�S DECISION AMOUNTED TO CENSORSHIP.
24 343 I wish she had sustained the invitation. I wish we had had that forum. It�s not very likely, though.
BUT HALL IS ALSO CRITICAL OF POET BARAKA.
HE WONDERS WHETHER THE INFAMOUS 9/11 POEM WAS WRITTEN TO PROVOKE CONTROVERSY, RATHER THAN IN THE INTEREST OF TRUTH OR ART.
TENNESSEE LAUREATE MAGGI VAUGHN HAS SIMILAR OBJECTIONS.
you have got to tell the truth. You�ve got to have an honest voice. If you say something that�s not true, you�ll be held accountable.
VAUGHN SAYS LIKE MANY AMERICANS SHE HAS STRUGGLED WITH HER OWN FEELINGS OVER EVENTS LIKE THE WAR ON IRAQ.
BUT SO FAR SHE HASN�T WRITTEN ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
20 56 its too new (war). I�ve gotta let it swim a little in my belly.
AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF WRITING POETRY ON CURRENT EVENTS.
POEMS DON�T NECESSARILY TAKE ORDERS, EVEN FROM THE PEOPLE WHO CREATE THEM.
WALTER BUTTS IS A POET FROM MANCHESTER.
What might start off as a poem with a certain emotion might become something else later on because something happens to the language to make it move somewhere else, happiness to sadness, tragedy to comic, that sort of thing.
NONETHELESS MANY AMERICAN POETS HAVE TAKEN A STAND ON CURRENT EVENTS.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SUBMITTED ENTRIES TO A WEBSITE CALLED POETS AGAINST THE WAR.
AMONG THEM WERE SOME OF THE COUNTRY�S BEST KNOWN POETS.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LAUREATE MARIE HARRIS SAYS THERE�S WIDE AGREEMENT THAT POETS MUST HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE.
29 230 there is clearly a role for poetry and all arts in daily life. There�s no one answer. But its clear that the enthusiasm for poetry as part of daily life is there.
VERMONT LAUREATE GRACE PALEY TAKES A BROAD VIEW.
PALEY ARGUES EVERY POEM REFLECTS THE POET AND HIS OR HER SURROUNDING CULTURE.
Poetry is political almost all the time, no matter what side it�s on it�s political, and if it pretends not to be it�s still political.
THAT MAY NOT BE AN ENTIRELY SATISFYING ANSWER, BUT IT�S PROBABLY AS CLOSE AS A ROOMFUL OF POETS CAN COME TO A CONSENSUS ON THEIR ART AND POLITICS.
THE LAUREATES DID FIND COMMON GROUND ON OTHER MATTERS.
THEY EAGERLY SWAPPED IDEAS ON HOW TO TEACH VERSE TO KIDS.
THERE WAS INTEREST IN POETRY AS A HEALING ART.
AND THE POETS RESOLVED TO KEEP PROBING THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD.
PLANS ARE ALREADY IN MOTION FOR A SECOND GATHERING OF STATE LAUREATES. FOR NHPR NEWS I�M
