[imc-st.louis] No Subject

[DeborahLS at aol.com]

Hi friends...
This is very much worth reading. A letter from poet Sharon Olds to the
First Lady.
This is the kind of political and moral stance artists can take in times
like this. It's inspiring!\
Hope you're all well.
Debbie

> >
> > No Place for a Poet at a Banquet of Shame
> >
> >
> > by SHARON OLDS
> >
> > [from the October 10, 2005 issue]
> >
> > For reasons spelled out below, the poet Sharon Olds has declined to
attend
> > the National Book Festival in Washington, which, coincidentally or not,
> > takes place September 24, the day of an antiwar mobilization in the
capital.
> > Olds, winner of a National Book Critics Circle Award and professor of
> > creative writing at New York University, was invited along with a number
of
> > other writers by First Lady Laura Bush to read from their works. Three
years
> > ago artist Jules Feiffer declined to attend the festival's White House
> > breakfast as a protest against the Iraq War ("Mr. Feiffer Regrets,"
November
> > 11, 2002). We suggest that invitees to this year's event consider
following
> > their example.   --The Editors
> >
> > Laura Bush
> > First Lady
> > The White House
> >
> > Dear Mrs. Bush,
> >
> > I am writing to let you know why I am not able to accept your kind
> > invitation to give a presentation at the National Book Festival on
September
> > 24, or to attend your dinner at the Library of Congress or the breakfast
at
> > the White House.
> >
> > In one way, it's a very appealing invitation. The idea of speaking at a
> > festival attended by 85,000 people is inspiring! The possibility of
finding
> > new readers is exciting for a poet in personal terms, and in terms of
the
> > desire that poetry serve its constituents--all of us who need the
pleasure,
> > and the inner and outer news, it delivers.
> >
> > And the concept of a community of readers and writers has long been dear
to
> > my heart. As a professor of creative writing in the graduate school of a
> > major university, I have had the chance to be a part of some magnificent
> > outreach writing workshops in which our students have become teachers.
Over
> > the years, they have taught in a variety of settings: a women's prison,
> > several New York City public high schools, an oncology ward for
children.
> > Our initial program, at a 900-bed state hospital for the severely
physically
> > challenged, has been running now for twenty years, creating along the
way
> > lasting friendships between young MFA candidates and their
> > students--long-term residents at the hospital who, in their humor,
courage
> > and wisdom, become our teachers.
> >
> > When you have witnessed someone nonspeaking and almost nonmoving spell
out,
> > with a toe, on a big plastic alphabet chart, letter by letter, his new
poem,
> > you have experienced, close up, the passion and essentialness of
writing.
> > When you have held up a small cardboard alphabet card for a writer who
is
> > completely nonspeaking and nonmoving (except for the eyes), and pointed
> > first to the A, then the B, then C, then D, until you get to the first
> > letter of the first word of the first line of the poem she has been
> > composing in her head all week, and she lifts her eyes when that letter
is
> > touched to say yes, you feel with a fresh immediacy the human drive for
> > creation, self-expression, accuracy, honesty and wit--and the importance
of
> > writing, which celebrates the value of each person's unique story and
song.
> >
> > So the prospect of a festival of books seemed wonderful to me. I thought
of
> > the opportunity to talk about how to start up an outreach program. I
thought
> > of the chance to sell some books, sign some books and meet some of the
> > citizens of Washington, DC. I thought that I could try to find a way,
even
> > as your guest, with respect, to speak about my deep feeling that we
should
> > not have invaded Iraq, and to declare my belief that the wish to invade
> > another culture and another country--with the resultant loss of life and
> > limb for our brave soldiers, and for the noncombatants in their home
> > terrain--did not come out of our democracy but was instead a decision
made
> > "at the top" and forced on the people by distorted language, and by
> > untruths. I hoped to express the fear that we have begun to live in the
> > shadows of tyranny and religious chauvinism--the opposites of the
liberty,
> > tolerance and diversity our nation aspires to.
> >
> > I tried to see my way clear to attend the festival in order to bear
> > witness--as an American who loves her country and its principles and its
> > writing--against this undeclared and devastating war.
> >
> > But I could not face the idea of breaking bread with you. I knew that if
I
> > sat down to eat with you, it would feel to me as if I were condoning
what I
> > see to be the wild, highhanded actions of the Bush Administration.
> >
> > What kept coming to the fore of my mind was that I would be taking food
from
> > the hand of the First Lady who represents the Administration that
unleashed
> > this war and that wills its continuation, even to the extent of
permitting
> > "extraordinary rendition": flying people to other countries where they
will
> > be tortured for us.
> >
> > So many Americans who had felt pride in our country now feel anguish and
> > shame, for the current regime of blood, wounds and fire. I thought of
the
> > clean linens at your table, the shining knives and the flames of the
> > candles, and I could not stomach it.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > SHARON OLDS
> >
> > 
> >
> >
>
>



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