Critic studies three writers
America ‘isolates’poets
By Sandy Johnatona
American poets are "isolated
spiritually and emotionally”
because America does not need
poets, according to a poetry
critic who visited the University
Tuesday.
Only about 10,000 people are
capable of reading poetry judg
ing from book sales, said Peter
Stitt, who was on campus to
discuss three contemporary
poets.
Because poetry is "the
hardest, most challenging”
form of literature, most people
don't indulge in it, Stitt said,
pointing out that a well-received
book of poetry sells only 3,000
copies on the average
Stitt, an associate professor
at University of Houston, has
been published in the New York
Times Book Review, Georgia
Review and Carolina Quarterly.
Traditional poets use devices
such as meter and established
poetic forms to communicate
human truths, Stitt said They
have a sincere desire to com
municate in a relatively familiar
way
Innovative poets, on the other
hand, experiment with the ways
in which poetry is written To
these poets "form seems to be
more of an impediment than an
aid to communication," Stitt
asserted "Innovative poets are
less likely to deal with the world
as we know it."
Most of his lecture focused on
the relation between the tradi
tional and innovative styles of
three poets — James Wright,
Photo by Mark Pyrm*
Peter Stitt
"... America does not need
poets."
Louis Simpson and John
Ashbury
Stitt drew most of his in
formation from personal inter
views with the poets, inter
spersing extra detail and
humorous incidents through his
written lecture
Wright went through four
phases in his writing, Stitt said
He is 'trying to find a way to live
in an essentially hostile world ”
After a period when Wright
doubted his own ability, Wright
wrote light poems, published in
"The Branch Will Not Break."
This was followed by some
gloomier poems and eventually
Wright felt as though he was
through with writing forever.
However, his fourth stage goes
back to a happier style, accord
ing to Stitt.
Compared to Wright, Simp
son is "almost classical,’’ as he
deals with the "ancient subjects
of love, war and death." Simp
son was born in Jamaica and is
"more British than the British,”
but "gives a clear vision of the
United States," Stitt said.
Simpson deals with the
"commonest life” in America —
the "suburban middle-class
family" with Mom in curlers and
Dad in Bermuda shorts. His tone
is not satirical, Stitt insisted, but
"describes empathetically the
nature of American life.”
In contrast to both Wright and
Simpson, Ashbury is an innova
tive poet, Stitt said, calling him
"one of the most obscure well
known poets around."
Ashbury “tends toward
meaninglessness,” Stitt said,
because the “words take over
the meaning” of his poems. He
advises readers to look at detail
and not even try to figure out an
entire poem's meaning
Stitt's presence at the Univer
sity is made possible by grants
from the Time-Life Foundation
with matching funds from alum
nus Kenny Moore, a senior
writer for Sports Illustrated, in
conjunction with the Visiting
Scholars Program at the
University. The program is
sponsored by the University
creative writing program
The next speaker in the
program will be poet John
Haines, who will give a reading
at 8 p.m. on April 21 in Room
146, Straub Hall. Paul Friedman
and Janes Heynen will present
lectures in May.
LTD notches ridership gain
Ridership on Lane Transit
District buses increased about
5 5 percent for the month of
March, compared to the same
Correction
An article in Tuesday's
Emerald incorrectly stated that
Incidental Fee Committee
candidate Mike Cross is head of
the Young Americans for
Freedom He is a member, but
not the head of the organiza
tion.
time last year, according to an
LTD official.
The March increase, repre
senting nearly 282,000 person
trips, continues a ridership in
crease trend for the months of
January and February from a
year earlier.
January posted an increase
of 0.6 percent, and February's
ridership increased 3.9 percent.
“More students are definitely
riding," says Dave Kensler, LTD
marketing administrator.
Kenslar says more people are
riding the buses because for
some it's cheaper than car
use and because of LTD's
“streamlined" routes, which
were introduced in Octo
ber.
“We're starting to get some
people back on the bus.”
Much of the ridership in
crease hac occured on the
routes to the University, such as
the Fairmount and Bailey Hill
routes, he says.
The Santa Clara and River
Road routes also have had
marked ridership increases, he
added.
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