"The feminist movement in Ireland opened doors to publishing for women in an immense way but the opportunity presented was lost in a welter of bad poetry, an uncritical acceptance of anything written by a woman and a fierce resistance to any reviewer who declared (particularly if the reviewer was male) than some work was not up to much . . . What we are left with, sadly, is a welter of 'chick-lit' novels and a sad passion for poems that deal with broken love-affairs and child-birth and deceased grandparents and myths about mermaids and women-who-dance-with-seals."The latest issue of Poetry Ireland Review has a review by writer Fred Johnston of five recent poetry books which he uses to write a wonderfully opinionated piece in which he takes side swipes at many targets in the world of Irish poetry and publishing. The above quotation from the review is a good example.
(Memo to self: Write no more poems about deceased grandparents.)
It's an interesting issue for other reasons also. There's an interesting article by Tom Duddy in defence of Seamus Heaney and an edited version of a talk given by Belinda McKeon at Poetry Now 2010. A selection of the poems she refers to are printed in the magazine. The last poem in the magazine, by Máiríde Woods, is an hilarious riposte to the much discussed and criticised essay in Poetry Ireland 100 by Maria .Johnston.
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7 comments:
oh my god who writes about mermaids and women who dance with seals? lots of people have broken love affairs and um yes women have been known to go through childbirth. I'm sure chick lit novels serve their purpose. Anyway so what about the feminist movement oepning doors, for god sake we can write about what ever we want now we don't need to feel privileged or ask for permission!!
I think the mermaid reference is getting at a well known female poet who writes in Irish.
oh I see, sound like the article would be worth reading in entirety :)
A door to publication opened by the "Feminist Movement in Ireland" (whats their number? Where's their office?) through which I can get my poor quality WOMENS poetry published - WOW!
Where's THAT door? I'm battered and bruised trying to find it...
Ps There is a an award for you over at my blog
Pps but its not for getting my blood boiling with your choice of quotes!
Orla, Niamh thanks for comments on what was presumably meant to be a provocative review, I didn't write them!! Thanks for the award niamh will get to it by the weekend.
what an intriguing extract. Must rush out and buy it now. And I'll have to write a poem or two about my deceased mermaid grandmother who left my grandfather for a love affair with a tall, dark handsome seal (the American sailor kind - now you're talking!)
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