american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
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198 AMERICAN POLITICAL POETRY<br />
This context, <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r words, is <strong>in</strong>escapable. In a column <strong>in</strong><br />
The American Book Review (2005) appropriately titled “The Writer<br />
<strong>in</strong> Wartime,” Harold Jaffe debunks <strong>the</strong> illusory b<strong>in</strong>ary between<br />
“committed or engaged writ<strong>in</strong>g” and “so-called autonomous<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g,” which he says is a “qu<strong>in</strong>tessential” American notion. In<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r countries, he po<strong>in</strong>ts out, committed writ<strong>in</strong>g does not face<br />
“condescension.” Jaffe debunks as nonsense <strong>the</strong> argument that<br />
writers need <strong>in</strong>dependence from events <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> artistic<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrity. He says that <strong>the</strong> “restrictive imag<strong>in</strong>ative repertory”<br />
(no <strong>political</strong> <strong>the</strong>mes) of MFA programs and many journals and presses<br />
does not make a writer <strong>in</strong>dependent, but <strong>the</strong> opposite. Jaffe cites<br />
South African Nobel Laureate J.M. Coetzee’s claims that all writers<br />
should promote works of literature “as <strong>in</strong>struments of action” and<br />
social change because “it is not <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest of those who actually<br />
wield power to disabuse anyone” of <strong>the</strong> idea that literature is <strong>in</strong>effective,<br />
just idle people play<strong>in</strong>g with words while <strong>the</strong> powerful make decisions<br />
about real issues (3, 6).<br />
It is always wartime and <strong>the</strong> writer is never autonomous. Poetry is<br />
thus always “a reflection of and a response to contemporary culture”<br />
(Jaffe 3). But a question persists: What authority do poets have to<br />
write about war, genocide, poverty, capitalism, globalization, and<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r issues? Jaffe’s suggestions, to me, are <strong>in</strong>complete. He says that<br />
writers have authority from three primary conditions: <strong>the</strong>y have freedom<br />
from a 9 to 5 job and thus more time to th<strong>in</strong>k, <strong>the</strong>y are not<br />
“beholden” to “benefactors,” and <strong>the</strong>y can publish and thus distribute<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ideas to readers (3). I believe, however, that writers have no<br />
more authority than o<strong>the</strong>r citizens to speak about <strong>in</strong>justice. They are<br />
simply better at <strong>the</strong> speak<strong>in</strong>g than o<strong>the</strong>r citizens, so <strong>the</strong>y have a type<br />
of authority from <strong>the</strong>ir creative talents. Yet discuss<strong>in</strong>g a writer’s<br />
authority misses <strong>the</strong> po<strong>in</strong>t. The issue is not authority but power. Who<br />
has <strong>the</strong> power to speak? This is why it is crucial that at least some poets<br />
and rappers stay engaged with geo<strong>political</strong> and socio<strong>political</strong> realities.<br />
They have powers that most citizens do not. They do not have <strong>the</strong><br />
power of CEOs, bankers, politicians, filmmakers, and <strong>the</strong> wealthy, but<br />
poets and rappers have <strong>the</strong> power of <strong>the</strong>ir voices and visions, and if<br />
<strong>the</strong>y can make it through <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terferences of <strong>the</strong> corporate world, <strong>the</strong><br />
potential ability to disrupt <strong>the</strong> hegemony of that world.<br />
When we speak of authority <strong>in</strong> debates about <strong>poetry</strong>’s usefulness, we<br />
mean power. And I th<strong>in</strong>k that <strong>the</strong>re is an underly<strong>in</strong>g fear of poets, rappers,<br />
and artists ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g traction aga<strong>in</strong>st elite corporate and governmental<br />
forces that control <strong>the</strong> flow of ideas. I end <strong>the</strong>n with Charles<br />
Molesworth’s rhetorical questions about Gary Snyder’s “authority” as