(no subject)
May. 19th, 2005 10:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
novapsycheI attended one of my monthly poetry groups last night. It was half the size it normally is, but we had a good time (though a lot of people told stories about their families that were probably most interesting to themselves).
When I passed out "Conversation at the End of the Vale," I could see that they were struggling with what kind of feedback to give. After about two minutes of relative silence, I apologized and explained that there should be an epigram that puts the poem into context (which is that it refers to the Newsweek/Koran desecration scandal that's going on presently). Their expressions all changed and then they were able to give feedback. One of the people there (whose opinion I very much value) said, "Until you told us that, I really didn't know what to make of this." I said, "I should have kept the Newsweek info to myself for a few more minutes to see what you might have come up with."
It's frightening how few people are keeping up with the news these days. Only one person other than myself knew what I referred to when I said "the current Newsweek/Koran scandal." The one person who did know what I meant said that people only pay attention to the news that might affect them personally and that they might be able to do something about. But... if you don't even know what the news is, how can you determine if there's something you can do about it? I just don't understand. I fear for the future of our country.
When I passed out "Conversation at the End of the Vale," I could see that they were struggling with what kind of feedback to give. After about two minutes of relative silence, I apologized and explained that there should be an epigram that puts the poem into context (which is that it refers to the Newsweek/Koran desecration scandal that's going on presently). Their expressions all changed and then they were able to give feedback. One of the people there (whose opinion I very much value) said, "Until you told us that, I really didn't know what to make of this." I said, "I should have kept the Newsweek info to myself for a few more minutes to see what you might have come up with."
It's frightening how few people are keeping up with the news these days. Only one person other than myself knew what I referred to when I said "the current Newsweek/Koran scandal." The one person who did know what I meant said that people only pay attention to the news that might affect them personally and that they might be able to do something about. But... if you don't even know what the news is, how can you determine if there's something you can do about it? I just don't understand. I fear for the future of our country.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-19 02:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-19 04:54 pm (UTC)Me too. Everyone wants it to all come down to a simplified sound-bite, if they pay attention at all. I think this is why Bush is so popular -- he makes everything think it's all so simple, and the answer is a spanking. The people who don't want to see complexity, who "don't have time" find that somehow reassuring.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-19 06:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-19 07:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-19 07:34 pm (UTC)One of the people last night said something very similar, that if something was important, people would talk about it. "No," I said emphatically. "People don't talk about the important things." And they don't. They talk about the weather and their families. They talk about what happened to them that day. They don't talk about politics. People have gotten this idea that politics doesn't mean anything, that politics doesn't affect them personally, and they are wrong.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-19 09:14 pm (UTC)If you haven't read it already - I bet you'd like it. Especially the intro to the 10 year's later edition.