Making Strides
By Ashley Fantz The Yellow Shoe Poets: Selected Poems 1964-1999 edited by George Garrett (Louisiana State University Press), 214 pp., $39.95, $19.95 paper In The Yellow Shoe Poets , there are no sweeping Scarlett-esque lines, no lazy-day ponderings about tree leaves, no quirky odes to rednecks or pantsuits that are usually contained in Southern poetry anthologies. The only common trait among the Yellow Shoe poets is a relentless preservation of their individual voices despite being published under an academic banner. A clever play on Louisiana State University's initials LSU which said quickly sounds like "yellow shoe" the Yellow Shoe poets published by the school's press have received considerable praise for their individual works. Instructor Lisel Mueller, whose Alive Together won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1996, arguably gave the state school its reputation for turning out capable poets. Mueller contributed to this 1964-1999 anthology, as did Joyce Carol Oates. From years ago and recent booms in popularity, new Yellow Shoe writers have extra pressure to keep up with their alma mater's standards. It's impossible to review poetry anthologies with any kind of consideration for public culture. The art form has become, unfortunately, a confined occupation. No doubt, there are more anthologies and independent verse on bookshelves today, yet poetry isn't appreciated in the intellectual or artistic mainstream like it was 30 years ago when poets such as Ogden Nash and Anne Sexton were celebrities. Poets are only famous among other poets. It's an insular world to be a poet in 1999 and, as if this were possible, it's even tougher to make a living as a poet now than decades earlier. Inevitably, poets need a world in which they can cultivate their art. It's no wonder then that the proliferation of graduate poetry students is second only to maybe trendy coffee shops. In that context, the latest collection from the Yellow Shoe poets might be a celebration within poetry circles, while review magazines and the | |
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