2009/10/30 New York
Perhaps
Active
At the opening of a gallery I overheard a man saying: “I know all poets in Manhattan, I don’t know you, you are not a poet.”
The other man replied: “But I’m a poet."
The first one: “Are you active? Are you published?”
The poet: “I try to be active.”
The first man, doubtful: “Are you published?"
The poet mentioned a small press I had never heard of.
The first man: “I know that press very well. Perhaps you are a poet. Perhaps you are not a poet.”
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12 comments 
You can't be a poet if you are not being published?
When is one allowed to call themselves and artist (poet, musician, etc.)?
at least new york snobs have their own kind of poetry!
I suppose a person can be considered a poet when he or she gets offended when called a poet by others. Granted he or she also loves poetry, and every now and then feels the inexplicable urge to destroy the world with words.
Poetry
In the end we are all poets, published or unpublished.'They were silent
He, she & the bench,
they were sitting on...'
'Nothing is older
than a two-day dayfly'
Being published is of course the ultimate (?) recognition...
And being a snob is no crime.
You can be called a snob for watching BBC's Newsnight!
Arnon
Was this Eliot Weinberger speaking?Sasja
Interesting question. I wonder how Arnon, being an artist himself, would define it.Arnon
Mieke's comment makes me wonder if you consider yourself an artist?I am a poet.
Dutoit
Being an unpublished poet is like being a virgin who claims to be a prostitute.I'm a prostitute!
Grunberg
That's a pretty good description of who I am as an artist.[ Add comment ]
