10-30-2018, 05:48 AM
You're from Texas, so you have every reason to despise R. W. Emerson. But I'm going to quote him, though not really, I just made this up, but most people would probably believe he said this if someone says that he did. But . . . An American refuses to believe anything, any truth, that he didn't come up with himself. . . . The literary tradition in America is that we have no tradition. Like Larry Flynt or Flint or however said, If you're going to treat me like a baby, I'm going to act like a baby. . . . Americans aren't pragmatic anymore. . . . And then there's that oft quoted quote: All bad poetry is sincere. : Keywords, keywords. All my poetry is sincere. And all my critique. And what does any of this have to do with America? . . . Like George Carlin said: You're gonna have to figure that one out for yourself.