Tuesday, January 28, 2003
- Poets Against Bush call for poems to counter war
January 19, 2003
Dear Friends and Fellow Poets:
When I picked up my mail and saw the letter marked “The White House,” I felt no joy. Rather I was overcome by a kind nausea as I read the card enclosed:
“Laura Bush requests the pleasure of your company at a reception and White House Symposium on “Poetry and the American Voice” on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 at one o’clock”
Only the day before I had read a lengthy report on the President’s proposed “Shock and Awe” attack on Iraq, calling for saturation bombing that would be like the firebombing of Dresden or Tokyo, killing countless innocent civilians.
I believe the only legitimate response to such a morally bankrupt and unconscionable idea is to reconstitute a Poets Against the War movement like the one organized to speak out against the war in Vietnam.
I am asking every poet to speak up for the conscience of our country and lend his or her name to our petition against this war, and to make February 12 a day of Poetry Against the War. We will compile an anthology of protest to be presented to the White House on that afternoon.
Please submit your name and a poem or statement of conscience to:
There is little time to organize and compile. I urge you to pass alon this letter to any poets you know. Please join me in making February 12 a day when the White House can truly hear the voices of American poets.
Sam Hamill
Ref
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=750
Posted by paularenson