V. told me that when someone [at a meeting to program literary events] proposed a poetry reading by cops who write poetry, another person said, “Yeah, and let’s have a night for poets who beat people up.” – Reginald Gibbons, in Taking Note: From Poets’ Notebooks
I don’t know of any English (or French) language poet who is or was a cop. Many poets have come to us from the worlds of business, medicine, labour relations, prostitution, mining, sports, and combat – but *not* from police departments. I don’t know that this can be said for any other profession.
Further, *lots of poets* have beaten people up. (A couple of these are friends of mine.)
Addendum: My co-editor Tierney introduces me to Sarah Cortez, the exception who proves the rule. – May 22
