Do you recognize these two people? If you love poetry, then you’ll recognize them as Alice Oswald and John Kinsella. They are, or were, two of the finalists for the TS Eliot prize, but now they are no longer in the running…at their own choice.
Alice pulled out of the running in protest to the event’s sponsor, Aurum Funds, which is an investment management company. Within one day, John also withdrew while thanking Alice for enlightening him about the sponsorship. We’re going through tough times, and to turn down money seems crazy to many people. And yet, sometimes, money just isn’t enough to go against your principles and beliefs.
The TS Eliot prize is given by the Poetry Book Society, which itself is struggling after having lost funding by the Arts Council England. Many artistic organizations are suffering the same fate as governments everywhere are increasingly not only withdrawing funds from the arts, but making statements against the entire spectrum of the art world as superfluous.
It’s clear what our world will become if art of every kind is relegated to non-essential status. We see what happens when emotion is removed from understanding all around us. Emotions are a big part of who we are, and art is a big part of emotional expression. It transcends intellect and moves into a realm embodied by a soul stirring. Art will never disappear because there are passionate people who support and create it. And some of those people choose to speak out about their beloved when an external force threatens to pall its beauty.
More info:
Read about Alice Oswald’s Illiad remake
John’s blog that he co-authors with Tracy Ryan, Mutually Said: Poet, Vegan, Anarchist, Pacifist
And to understand just how tired people are of the unfair advantages that Big Money has, take a look at two cities (Los Angeles, CA and Boulder, CO) to stand upon against corporate personhood as approved by the US Supreme Court with their Citizens United decision that is universally hated (except by corporations themselves):
Los Angeles, CA
http://youtu.be/0EowNLWa7eQ
Boulder, CO
