…in a similar vein
September 27, 2007 by onpurposeumd
The board of the 97-year-old Poetry Society of America, whose members have included many of the most august names in verse, has been rocked by a string of resignations and accusations of McCarthyism, conservatism and simple bad management.
Should John Hollander be stripped of the Frost Medal in light of his racially charged comments? Should members of the Poetry Society resign in protest? Moreover, do artists have political and ethical responsibilties that can/should play into their artistic recognition?
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I definitely don’t think he should be stripped of the Frost Medal based on what I read in that article. One claim was a paraphrase from the interviewer and the other was such a small snippet of conversation I wonder what the context was?
It’s pretty sad that such distinguished people can get into such a high profile mud-slinging. You would think that it could be handled so much better than this. Some of the quotes were just ridiculous!
“Moreover, do artists have political and ethical responsibilities that can/should play into their artistic recognition?”
That’s a really complex question for which I am not prepared to answer with confidence one way or the other. I think the “can” portion could be answered with a little research. I think a lot of our cultural icons are beloved for being social rebels. Maybe not in the same light that Hollander has been accused, but there is a fine line. If someone is a racist or a bigot and it shows in their work then it probably won’t be received well and that artist won’t find success. There are just certain things that our culture won’t tolerate anymore as far as popular opinion goes. Obviously Hollander hasn’t been rejected in that manner.
The “should” portion is the important one. For me, I feel that whatever the poets ethical and political beliefs are, if they don’t show in his or her work, then I don’t see the problem. Some artists are even embraced because of their counter-cultural beliefs. Even ones that are blatantly displayed in their work. I’d like to present Bukowski as exhibit A. I didn’t see anyone lambasting Hollander’s actual poetry as being racially slanted, so it should be separate from his poetic identity. Any responsibilities that an artist may or might not have should be contained to his or her work.
Everyone has a right to like or dislike an artist for any reason, but I don’t think Hollander’s career reflected that, and the award is for achievement. His achievements are still his right?
I just offer these opinions as a preliminary stance. They do reflect my beliefs, but I recognize that I haven’t given the issue enough energy to fool myself into thinking my argument is infallible. . . yet