Hail to thee O Scarriet bard thou never squirt

And this, too, is part of the discourse -- oops, I mean the "national conversation" -- about poetry.

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42. Jorie Graham The more striving to be relevant, the more she seems to fade

43. Alan Cordle Strange, how this librarian changed poetry with Foetry.com

44. Janet Holmes Ahsahta editor and MFA prof works the po-biz system like no one else

45. Paul Muldoon How easy it is to become a parody of oneself!

46. Cole Swensen Some theories always seem to be missing something

47. Matthew Dickman Was reviewed by William Logan. And lived

48. James Tate For some reason it depressed us to learn he was not a laugh riot in person.

49. Geoffrey Hill His poetry is more important than you are

50. Derek Walcott A great poet, but great poets don’t exist anymore

51. Charles Bernstein A bad poet, but bad poets don’t exist anymore, either

52. Kay Ryan Emily Dickinson she’s not. Maybe Marianne Moore when she’s slightly boring?

53. Laura Kasischke She’s published 8 novels. One became a movie starring Uma Thurman. Who the hell does she think she is?

54. Louise Gluck X-Acto!

55. Rae Armantrout “Quick, before you die, describe the exact shade of this hotel carpet.”

56. Heather McHugh “A coward and a coda share a word.”

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All I can say is: Jeepers, creepers, where did you get those peepers?

Ahem said my friend Flicker. It's more like Flaubert's "Dictionary of Received Ideas." Well, maybe.

And there are comments on the picks, earnest as all get out. The public chimes in! For example, Mary Douglas: "I wholeheartedly agree with Scarriet in awarding the top place to Valerie Macon—in her appointment as poet laureate of North Carolina and in her subsequent resignation. . .When Valerie Macon was appointed Poet Laureate of North Carolina on July 11, 2014, I was jubilant, as I realized she had made it through the gates without the tedious, tendentious counting up of prizes, accolades and tenures. I considered it a miracle. The criticism of her made me gleeful, almost giddy, because I realized she had soared above it all on the merits of only loving poetry and writing it for and out of love: the thing I most believe in (next to God and Christ) of all things left to believe in on this earth. . .On July 17, 2014 I was at home, halfway listening to the radio (local news) and doing, as a friend of mine says, “little busy things” around my minuscule apartment, when I heard the announcement: Valerie Macon has resigned. . . Oh no, I said and dropped what was in my hand. Fortunately, it was only a feather duster and nothing breakable etc.
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Click here for the whole listicle, 2013 vintage, or here for the 2014 version of "Poetry's Hot 100" as brought to you by Scarriet.

This post is brought to you as a public service dedicated to those who quote William Carlos Williams on the subject of poetry and news.

Comments

[Stephanie Brown]

Scarriet had me lose in the first round of a playoff of poets a few years ago. Calling me charming to damn with faint praise while I shot baskets like a girl, a girl who is charming and easily dismissed. As if I'm such a loser.

[Bob Tonucci]

Ms. Brown, I learned of your poetry via Scarriet, love your work!

[noochinator]

2010 Scarriet sermon on the need to get back to the books of the BAP-le:

https://scarriet.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/nooch-reflects-on-his-one-year-anniversary/

[Jeremy Masters]

Mrs Brown you've got a lovely daughter! Loved your poem set in Paris in recent BAP (I think it was 2011).