Britain’s Poet Laureate and summer reading suggestions
Posted by Will Entrekin on June 11, 2008
So, apparently, the role of Britain’s poet laureate (whatever that is) is up for grabs next year, and while some people think it’s time for a woman to get the ‘honor’, none want it. Which I think is funny: strikes me as a bit of a superfluous position, anyway (’poems about the monarch’? Really), and I wouldn’t want it either, no matter how much sherry they gave me (apparently, compensation is 630 bottles of Spanish sherry. Why it’s not English sherry, or Scotch, maybe, or heck, Guinness, is beyond me).
Over at Bookslut, Jessa Crispin makes the whole issue about sexism and misogynism, as is her wont:
LADIES, we are trying to HELP YOU here. We won’t let you into the canon, of course, but we can let you write silly poems about the monarchy and prance around a bit. Work with us, because you’re making us look a little desperate to not appear sexist.
No word on who she’s speaking for. And I’ll bet current laureate Andrew Motion will be glad to know he’s been writing silly poems about the monarchy and prancing around a bit for the past decade.
Still, he’s got all that sherry. He probably doesn’t care.
(for all this talk of chauvinism etc. in the literary world [see: the Orange prize], it sure strikes me that there’s a lot of misandrism/androphobia going around. No wonder there are so many sad young literary men)
On other topic, the Los Angeles Times has a huge long list of recommended summer reading, though judging by the sheer length and scope if it, they’ll last you till next summer. Also: is it just me, or does every last one of them seem just utterly boring? Ethan Canin’s first on the list.
