Tara Betts found herself attacked by a particularly ignorant political blogger named Debbie Schlussel over her class at UrbanWordNYC. Betts’s response is elegant, measured, and powerful, everything the attack was not.
Oscar Bermeo takes on the changes at Harriet and talks about the need for an actual exchange of ideas about poetry.
Kaya Oakes wants to know how long a person has to avoid writing poetry to be considered a non-poet.
David Biespiel’s article in the latest issue of Poetry has spawned a number of responses (including my own). Tamiko Beyer weighs in at the Kenyon Review, and Josiah Bancroft discusses it at his blog. There’s also a good comment stream going at the Poetry Foundation website.
It’s time for the Oxford Poetry Professor election again. I doubt it will be as ugly as last year’s.
Another Poem to Love 
My gratitude for bringing these links up, Mr. Spears.
It should be noted that Debbie Schlussel attacked the idea of hip-hop pedagogy and the associated program at the University of Wisconsin. Urban Word NYC, where Betts is an instructor, was also targeted because they have contributed time, resources, instructors, and materials to the U. of Wisconsin program. But this was not an attack on Ms. Betts herself…although given her years of experience in the field, it may as well have been.
Thanks again,
Rich Villar