Saturday, October 31, 2009

Local Poet Wins Whiting Award

USD Professor Jericho Brown was just awarded a Whiting Writers' Award. Along with the accolades and another line on a writer's bio, the honor includes $50,000. Which, for Mr. Brown, probably nearly equals his USD salary (I feel authorized to say this; my husband graduated from USD, and thought his professors were all underpaid). Anyhow, good for Mr. Brown; poets aren't paid enough or valued enough in this country. No, I'm not about to rant about poets being rock stars in other countries, but Argentina issued special pesos with Borges' image. I'm not saying I want to live in Argentina (I go desaparecido enough on my own in San Diego), but if our government makes a coin for buffalos, can't we also mint one for Mark Twain, disheveled hair and all?

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