My hissy fit about Southern Writers.

For the past week or so in my senior lit class we have been exploring poetry. I have had a bit of a struggle. For the most part I can pull the kids in, get them interested. I know that everyone will not love it but I at least want them to appreciate what poetry is and be able to understand it. Long story short I have had some resistance. I mean some major resistance like they are meeting underground at night to find ways to undermine my whole system of reeling them in. I even had one student say, "Poetry is just an author who is lazy." Ahhhh! So on I trudge to my hissy fit I had with the Sunday Morning Dem Gaz at my kitchen table. Today in the style section was a whole article on poets living in Arkansas. My first thought was "Yes! A way to show how poetry is alive right here in their state!" My mind was making lesson plans with the article before I even read it. "Good Stuff," I was already patting myself on the back. As I read the article the two poets weren't native Arkansans but have made Arkansas their home. Ok so far so good. Both poets were asked a set a similar questions including something similar to ...did it make a difference being in Arkansas as compared to New York or Tokyo. Both said that place didn't hinder the artist within but one continued to talk about the place in which he called home. He said southerners had an ego the size of Texas (ok.....we do agree....because obviously we have reason to!) and something along the line of Southern Writers being overrated. I would quote the article here but in my rage I threw the paper into the trash which quickly was covered and smashed in the trash compactor. I was beside myself. I begin throwing names of Southern Writers who should only be revered and circled the kitchen island as my poor husband was utterly confused. How dare an artist live in the south and then declare such a blasphemous statement. Whether the gentleman truly meant what was printed I'm not sure, but he surely insulted anyone who has ever fallen in love with Southern Literature. I feel better now that I have had the opportunity to rattle on about the matter for a second time. I did get one good quote to combat the resistance in my class tomorrow: "A poet takes 14 lines to write what an author says in 500 pages."