Comments on: Taylor Mali is a Rock Star Poet http://rockstarpoet.ca/taylor-mali-is-a-rock-star-poet/ Good poets should be treated like rock stars; this blog is the first step. Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:35:53 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Adam Snider http://rockstarpoet.ca/taylor-mali-is-a-rock-star-poet/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Adam Snider Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:33:13 +0000 http://rockstarpoet.ca/?p=1#comment-5 Gerry, I definitely understand your point, and I actually do share some of your concern. I suppose, to some extent, the "rock star poet" term is a bit of shorthand to explain a bigger concept. That said, I would argue that you're confusing "rock star" with "pop star," at least when you say that very few rock stars write their own material. I'd say that pop stars---and I'm talking about pop as a genre (Britney Spears, et al), rather than simply popular music---tend to be talented performers who let others write their music for them. Rock stars, I'd argue, are more likely to write their own material (whether or not that material is worth the attention it gets is another issue). Further to all of this, I don't think that commercial viability and artistic worth are mutually exclusive---at least, they shouldn't have to be. Anyway, thanks for commenting. I'm planning a post about this whole concept of the rock star poet for the not-too-distant future, so I hope you'll check back and let me know what you think after I've provided a more in-depth explanation of what I'm trying to get at with this blog. You may still feel that same at that point, but that's fine. I welcome differing opinions, and I'd love to hear from you in the future. Gerry, I definitely understand your point, and I actually do share some of your concern. I suppose, to some extent, the “rock star poet” term is a bit of shorthand to explain a bigger concept.

That said, I would argue that you’re confusing “rock star” with “pop star,” at least when you say that very few rock stars write their own material. I’d say that pop stars—and I’m talking about pop as a genre (Britney Spears, et al), rather than simply popular music—tend to be talented performers who let others write their music for them.

Rock stars, I’d argue, are more likely to write their own material (whether or not that material is worth the attention it gets is another issue).

Further to all of this, I don’t think that commercial viability and artistic worth are mutually exclusive—at least, they shouldn’t have to be.

Anyway, thanks for commenting. I’m planning a post about this whole concept of the rock star poet for the not-too-distant future, so I hope you’ll check back and let me know what you think after I’ve provided a more in-depth explanation of what I’m trying to get at with this blog. You may still feel that same at that point, but that’s fine. I welcome differing opinions, and I’d love to hear from you in the future.

]]> By: Gerry http://rockstarpoet.ca/taylor-mali-is-a-rock-star-poet/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Gerry Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:45:08 +0000 http://rockstarpoet.ca/?p=1#comment-4 Colluding the two terms 'Rock Star' and 'Poet' is doing more harm than good. 'Rock Star' is a term that has come to denote an artist that is appraised for commercial ability rather than praiseworthy insight into the human condition. Further consider that very few 'Rock Stars' in the current application of the term compose their own material. This is not to say that populism should be shunned, or that obscurity is the hallmark of a more insightful artist. Simply, 'Rock Star' is a very poor term to describe any artist. The term is too engaged with excess and celebrity to offer anything constructive when used to describe an artist's output. Colluding the two terms ‘Rock Star’ and ‘Poet’ is doing more harm than good. ‘Rock Star’ is a term that has come to denote an artist that is appraised for commercial ability rather than praiseworthy insight into the human condition. Further consider that very few ‘Rock Stars’ in the current application of the term compose their own material. This is not to say that populism should be shunned, or that obscurity is the hallmark of a more insightful artist. Simply, ‘Rock Star’ is a very poor term to describe any artist. The term is too engaged with excess and celebrity to offer anything constructive when used to describe an artist’s output.

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