Best
In the past, WCA and I would pick up a copy of the Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays year by year, a practice extended to Best American Sports Writing at least once on my part, probably more by WCA, although in later years, as the series extended itself to Mystery Stories, Travel Writing, Spiritual Writing, Recipes . . . it exceeded my interest. Best American Poetry is independent of these others, and I’d be interested in seeing it, although some of the reviews have been less than positive. Before we relocated, M. and I went down to the poetry café on the Lower East Side and read as a farewell to the East Village literary scene, and reading about what’s been included in the 2004 Best, I’m reminded of the experience, as I am when I look at the photo of the six performance poets appearing in the Sydney Festival’s “Slammin’”. Dude, the orange hair doesn’t make you an artist. O.k., that’s unfair. Maybe his poetry is actually good. But I don’t think anyone will ever find out by going to a “Slam.” These performances are an extension of rap into literature, nothing more than playing the dozens, really, although the content is probably a bit more elevated than “yo’ momma” insults. I must be getting old, but I do want more substance from poetry than format, and more content than performance.