Michael Parker
What are your thought's on the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies? If I could start off being cheeky and a literary geek, I want to rephrase your question: "To Pushcart or not to Pushcart. That is the question." And my answer is "Yes, absolutely to Pushcart!" Why? Here are a few thoughts I often consider every time I see this question posed:
1) I get it. I get that anthologies, prizes and awards in the field of poetry are subjective and can be (and frequently are) poo-pooed more than appreciated. But when undertaken and overseen by editors steeped in the poetic tradition and sufficiently acclaimed by their peers, I feel we can trust that the anthologies they compile are noteworthy and significant.
2) Humans of all cultures are at their core competitive creatures. We celebrate and honor the best in any sport or craft. And we love awards, handing them out as well as receiving them. I dare say this honoring tradition is as old as the age of oral traditions when a tribe's cultural, genealogical, social and religious customs and mores were preserved in the stories they created and recited. I feel some of the best and/or most memorable of those myths and tales finally found their way onto parchment, papyrus, and stone and were preserved. Consider what rich tapestry of life and the evidence of civilization's beginnings that would be unknown to us if it were not for the compiled writings of the honored Greek poets and writers Homer and Hesiod. So, yes, as a poetry movement with a long and storied heritage, it is right that we continue to honor the best of poems and poets (and even continue debating the worthiness of such honors) because in the long run, this annual process is our movement's protective device. We continue making it relevant. We continue preserving its significance. And as editors and publishers mark the best and most memorable works of a year, they continue to build onto that overarching landscape of poetic history that will be read, analyzed, debated, and written about for years to come.
3) In his blog post for January 19, 2009, Ron Silliman recorded some amazing statistics about the poetic community that are relevant to this topic. He explained that "we have…more than ten thousand publishing poets in the English language, which is maybe ten times what it was when [he] was in [his] early 20s & close to 100 times what it was when the New Americans were making their way in the 1950s. In another decade, we will easily have more than 20,000 publishing poets."
With this in mind, I think of the fledgling poets that I have heard from on a few poetry communities on the web. For the most part, these new poets come with preconceived notions that poetry is a natural gift and one that is not learned and developed. To be fair, the ability and skill to write good poetry might come naturally. But for the majority of us, this fact does not exclude the young (even gifted) poet from a development process that consists of maturing one's experience and honing the skills of poetics, language, and voice. Yes, if I could sum it up, I'd say what is missing is a complexity of thought and of life's insight. Often, when these young writers get advice from skilled and recognized poets, they come emotionally undone and come across in their replies and responses as children in the forum of Socrates' School of Athens -- naive, unable to follow the philosophical rumination of the sage teachers, lacking reasoning ability, and lacking an appreciation or even knowledge of the poetic tradition. Time and again, the advice given these new poets is to "read good contemporary poetry and read all of the time."
Because of this, I believe the "Best of" anthologies and the Pushcart Prize nominees and winner help train young poets as a measuring tool. Sure, it might not be the ultimate training or educational solution for them. But it is a great introduction, especially if these poets take the time to read the Introductions and Prologues written by the editors of these collections.
www.poetsandartists.com
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