CONTACT WITH POETS

ly, I’ve been writing almost exclusively in public, in coffee shops or bars,
alone or with other writers. Several establishments in my neighbourhood
recognize many of us as “the poets.” Regardless of role, at least we have
presence. I think the arts are a necessary component of education and
public life, but poetry doesn’t need proselytizers or converts. Poetry
has been and will continue to be an esoteric concern. If poets have a role
in public life, their role is to assert the integrity of their art. Often
arguments in favour of arts—and I’m thinking specifically
of municipal funding for arts in this city—centre on economic factors,
such as tourism and cultural capital. It’s for poets to resist
accessibility in service of narratives of progress.
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