Padgett is okay for an "accepted" pseudo-mainstream literary poet, but if you can't tell how much I scorn those types, you would realize that's high praise for him and utter loathing for the academic establishment -- usually of people who themselves are not gifted and hence not in the best position to judge something that has always remained somewhat subjective no matter what the Formalists thought. Yeah, I can't take most of them, can't relate to them, to their peaceful rustic or Ivory tower lives. And since they can't relate to so much of humanity who don't enjoy their leisures or even appreciate their fine craftsmanship, well a whole lot of people including me, prefer more populist poets to write and speak about things that actually MATTER to most in this country and the world and I guess if you want to protect the virginity of the canon from the intellectually inadequate masses around, stay in this cocoon, but if you have something to say, if you want to reach and impact people, I'd recommend reading more than journals such as Poetry Magazine, the Paris Review and New Yorker. There's a much bigger world out there full of talented people who are actually successful and liked by more than the 1500 writing professors who read the literary poets' works... Not recommended unless you love Dean Young, Donal Hall, Mark Strand and the like. This might be for you then... ( )

If you want to be happy, read Ron Padgett's poems. ( )