What is a poet?

I found this perspective from Tony Hoagland on youtube this morning. It was recorded in October of 2011 at the Poetry Foundation as part of the Chicago Ideas Week series (think Ted Talks with Chicago folks). In his talk, Hoagland suggests that poets are the complainers of society. Their pain is our pain, articulated. Where as some are forced to speechlessness by some events, the poet is forced to speech.

I don't mean for my summary to make Hoagland's talk sound romantic. It's not. And, it's not finger-wagging either. It's a clear argument that good poetry comes from that person we don't usually want to listen to--that person who our culture, with its relentless enthusiasm for positivity, asks us to ignore. Hoagland uses personal anecdotes and well-known poems to make his point. If you write poetry, make a cup of tea/grab a drink and listen closely. It's inspiring.

After listening, I was compelled to reconsider what I am giving to my writing group for tomorrow's workshop. Will I turn in schlock molded from the shape of my comfortable middle-class life or articulate deformity?

How is that writing group going, you ask? Well, one of is in now New York. Our Friday afternoon "band practice" is a bit more precious now. We meet at 30th Street Station just a few hours before she catches her train home to her new city. Weird to write that.