For those who don’t know, Dave Schneider has an excellent page on all things literature called Cosmoetica. I first found his page when I was suffering through a Modern Poets class and fell on a bomb called Sharon Olds. His essay on Olds’ laughable attempts at poetry helped me laugh when I wanted to vomit and drop the class. His phrase “The Cult of the Cunt” is a pretty apt description of most modern female poets. The only reason Sharon Olds and Eve Ensler (among others) are read and studied is because of what they have between their legs.

I rediscovered his page recently and wanted to see what sir had to say about Adrienne Rich. To me this is the best line I’ve read about Rich’s work:

There are so-called great poets like Adrienne Rich who could be beaten to death with a great poem and not recognize what hit her, much less write one that was great.

Yes, yes, yes… ten thousand times yes.

It always amazed me that Adrienne Rich is so popular with college professors. I think a lot of it has to do with her stupid contributions to Queer Theory that has made straight feminist professors feel guilty for being straight. When you feel guilty you can put yourself in a position of moral superiority, which is what straight, upper-class white liberals love more than anything else. Never mind that this never actually helps minorities who need it.

And while we’re on the subject, if somebody really wanted to push a female poet’s work to the top of the canon, why not Elizabeth Bishop? From what I’ve read she wass a full-blooded bagel bumper, not a wishy washy bisexual (with three sons!) like Rich. And she’s a helluva great poet.