Poetry has zones of (relative) "clarity" and "obscurity." Zones within the work of a single poet and zones in literary history. Clarity is always a relative concept because not all readers are the same, and within the history of taste there have been larger shifts in perception. In the 50s Cummings was still a difficult modern poet. Ashbery was hard to read until about 1982, after which he became (relatively) easy. Poets teach us how to read their work.
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Nobel predictions.
1. Clark Coolidge. The Swedish academy will finally come to its senses and award the prize to Coolidge.
The upside: This is a major American poet with a long list of publications. Everyone will be surprised. The New York Review of Books will have to acknowledge that Clark Coolidge exists.
The downside: It won't happen. Coolidge is still not translated into Swedish and is a cult figure within his own nation.
Odds: 5 billion to 1.
2. John Ashbery. Come on, why doesn't Ashbery have the Nobel prize yet?
Upside: A major American poet. Has won all the other prizes.
Downside: Not enough political "leverage." Ashbery skeptics will write another round of stupid articles.
Odds: 500 to 1.
3. Joyce Carol Oates. She's been around forever.
The upside: Everyone knows who she is. She will be easy for journalists to talk about.
The downside: the odor of the middlebrow. No political "leverage."
Odds: 20 to 1.
4. Antonio Gamoneda. The journalists will be calling me this year.
The upside: Gamoneda is the most notable poet of contemporary Spain.
The downside: Antonio who?
Odds: 6,000 to 1.
5. Adonis. This one is actually possible.
The upside: A nice nod to Arabic culture in the current world climate. A wonderful poet.
The downside. People will say stupid things about Arabic culture. The prize will be considered too "political."
Odds: 5 to 1.
6. Coral Bracho. Why not?
The upside: major Mexican poet. A woman.
The downside: Under 60 years old. No political agenda is served for the Swedes.
Odds: 12,000 to 1.
7 comentarios:
Gamoneda SHOULD win the Nobel, but I suspect you are right.
There is absolutely no way Coral Bracho could get the Nobel... Atwood or Oates, very possibly.
I forgot about Atwood: 25 to 1 odds.
The upside: A Canadian and a woman, a feminist. Middle-brow ma non troppo. Plenty of things for journalists and bloggers to say.
Come on, what about Donald Hall? He's still alive, isn't he?
Donald Who? Is that someone I should have heard of?
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/264
It was sarcasm, Ernesto.
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