Capitol Hill Blue Forums Misc. Topics Ain't This America What is distinctive about American art and letters

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Meanwhile, back in the world of High Culture, which alone makes life worth living....

And poetry. Sweet Jesus, would that be better if women were nekkid when they read that crap in front of an audience!

I'm most grateful that poetry is not an American creation. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that poetry was first conceived in the brain of some Canadian wandering around Italy high on mushrooms.

I've actually been to a poetry reading - once. Show me a guy who willingly goes to a poetry reading and I'll show you one desperate sumbitch trying to get laid.

I was tricked into going by an account in Chicago. It was a horrible experience. People clapped and murmured in awe, women cried. It was disgusting, truly. I pretended to have eaten a bad chilli dog for lunch and hurriedly excused my way to the Gents.

As soon as made it to the lobby of the little theater I grabbed an usher and demanded to be escorted to the bar, "quickly". There wasn't one. Or it wasn't open for the reading, fear clouds the memory. I saw two other guys, terror stricken, looking for a portal to reality. I followed them outside and bummed a smoke (I had long since quit). The three of us stood in the cold Chicago night mumbling about fate, trickery and not getting laid.

Starting no earlier than the era when the ill-begotten American Republic was formed, one might mention Mozart and Beethoven in music, and Goethe in literature, who by themselves outshine the whole pantheon of American practitioners of their respective arts.

John Ciardi, an American poet who perhaps should have been included in my first list, proposes a theory of great art that says it appeals first to the people in the time when it is created. Then, throughout history, great art will still hold its appeal in other eras. By that theory--which makes sense to me--none of us knows what will be great art from our time. Ciardi's approach makes more sense IMHO than dismissing an entire culture.

we could argue that mark twain's work is then great literary art, counter to earlier comments by one person here. twain's work is revered both here and abroad. it has managed to stay relevant for over a century now.

John Ciardi, an American poet who perhaps should have been included in my first list, proposes a theory of great art that says it appeals first to the people in the time when it is created. Then, throughout history, great art will still hold its appeal in other eras. By that theory--which makes sense to me--none of us knows what will be great art from our time. Ciardi's approach makes more sense IMHO than dismissing an entire culture.