Poets seek to define concept of radicalism

The face of radicalism has changed dramatically since its former "dirty, bomb-throwing" image, according to celebrated poet Allen Ginsberg. And last night, Ginsberg, and colleagues Robert Creeley and Susan Howe, three "radical" writers, attempted to redefine the concept. In the second event of the three-day Steinberg Symposium, the poets discussed "The Future for Radical Writers and Writing in America" in front of an audience of nearly 400 students, faculty and community members. The site was changed to the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Auditorium after almost 100 students had to be turned away from Tuesday's poetry reading. English Professor Robert Lucid opened last night's event with a short introduction of the panel, which was moderated by fellow professor, Robert Perelman. "The future will come out of people learning about poetry," Perelman said. "Radical writing can have immediate widespread and lasting impact." Perelman began the discussion by classifying each poet by his own radical philosophy -- Ginsberg by his "sound," Creeley by his "page" and Howe by his "margins of historical writing." Each poet then attempted to define radicalism in his own terms. According to Howe, radical poetry is a form of experimental writing, making the poet a "documentarist." She added that by focusing on women and history, she is able to accomplish that end. Ginsberg said that for him, radicalism is intended to alter consciousness via a "recovery of feelings." He read his poem "White Shroud," which illustrates a renewed focus on emotions. "My deepest feelings are there waiting to be wakened," Ginsberg said. "The task of poetry is?the introduction of the possibility of recovering the body of our feelings." For Creeley, extremism has an entirely different meaning -- it is when a poet sees writing as a necessity. "In radical disposition, there is no choice," he said. "[Our] intent to write was curiously not a personal initiation. No one learns that power -- for us, there's no such thing as 'I think I'll be a poet.'" Despite their varying of opinion, the three poets agreed on one central point -- radicalism is "a double-sided coin," as Perelman said. But perhaps Ginsberg was able to capture the evening's theme most precisely. "We have found a new definition for the radical in an academic world," he said. "But the shadow of the original 'bomb-thrower' is still there. And we retain some of his emotion, if not his actions."