Preface - Electronic Poetry Center

From: Gale Nelson
Subject: Re: bland abstract lyrics
I find it an interesting leap for Mark to make that Ron was necessarily referring
to younger writers as being those for whom the air was coming out of the
lyrical balloon. If we accept the bait, that Ron is casting doubt on a new
generation (rather than, say, his casting a wider net of concern over poetry
generally), then perhaps a younger generation will have to articulate the
multiplicity of designs it has on the future of poetics. Variantly, if Ron’s
concern is more general, then everyone is welcome to leap in, and contemplate.
Question. Where does the younger generation begin? End? What can be said to
be holding it together? What could be said to be holding together the previous
generation? How do we define the parameters of that generation? Is it useful to
generalize (say, poets from city x like to write about boats, whereas those from
city b are likely to use gerunds a great deal, and poets who are friends with a
tend to disdain representation…). Are movements in poetry fluid or static? Are
poets?