No, she didn't leave because Bush won, but because she (foolishly!) took someone up on a challenge, essentially a bet, and whichever side lost (among those who accepted the challenge) would leave for a year.
Poet isn't, at least not right now, missing it much. She's getting published, she won that very prestigious prize, is being invited to give readings of her work quite regularly, and has been asked to do reviewing by some poetry journals. And she's working on an MFA. Foolishly, I feel kind of vicariously proud of her accomplishments over the past three or so years! She is writing some very good poetry indeed. When she won the Neruda Prize, which is judged anonymously, the judge told a third party that "The winner's work was so much better than any other entry that it wasn't even close."
She's pretty happy right now, and I'm happy for her.
But it was dumb, imo, to make such a bet... Who cares if someone stops posting? Pas moi. Because what can one win? That somebody else doesn't get to post? Oh great. And maybe later she'll feel like posting something. Then she'll be sorry!.... |
