ViVACE4 Art, Photography and Writings Selected and Edited by Christine Neilson CN Pubications Christine Neilson, Editor
[email protected] © 2014 Christine Neilson. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010916647 For Jim Hayes and Family ISBN: 978-1499551723 ViVACE 2009 ISBN 978-1-4490-2336-2 ViVACE 2 ISBN 978-1-4520-8759-7 ViVACE 3 ISBN 978-1-4810-6603-7 Edited by Christine Neilson Cover Photograph by Karyn R.Millet Interior Artwork by Futzie Nutzle Design by Stacy Kroot -Kroot Studio FOREWORD Paradigm, Poetry, and Multiculturalism By David Swanger One way of describing political correctness: A new paradigm has emerged that, newness notwithstanding, resembles the old insofar as it constricts behavior and thought. What has all this to do with poetry? Poetry, and all art, as we have learned about art in Western culture since Plato, has the potential to subvert dominant para- digms. Indeed, in addition to linguistic delight, the beauty and satisfaction of form, the revelatory import of symbol, and the emotional gratification of access to interior life and the world of feelings, one of poetry’s powers has been subver- sion--subversion, if you will, of dominant paradigms. Plato himself, was furious with Homer and says so in Book V of The Republic because Homer’s portrayal of Odysseus as a warrior who wept and showed self-doubt subverts the ancient Greek (if not also the modern American) paradigm of masculinity, generally, and the dauntless soldier in particular.