Poetry People - Conversation on Poets

Julie, I'm so glad you brought that point up.

Poetry does appear to have lost its relevance to all but those who write it these days -- that's why it's up to those of us who write it to shove it back under people's noses, because poets (the real ones, not the beret-wearing posers)  should be a cultural conscience.  

Dress it up and make it pretty by all means, but we desperately need poets to say things, say them loudly and make sure that they're heard.  How is that supposed to happen?  I don't know.  Poetry needs a makeover and not with the botox injections it's been getting for the last half century.  Lights, colours, flashpots, whatever works -- but don't dumb poetry down, smarten people up.