It seems to me that banning poets and artists from getting political would be, in itself, a profound political act. And profoundly negative.

I love Kinky! One of my favorite poetry collections!

That was really interesting. In prose and poetry, alcohol and drugs can be a tricky and risky thing to write about. What I really respect about these poems is that the alcohol use isn't demonized or glorified. After listening to these poems, I see the drinking more on the negative side, but I am understanding why the people in the poem are drinking, and it isn't stemming from being evil or weak or sick, but from being human.

I don't think a writer of poems or anything else is obligated to be any more political than is necessary to carry the narrative or story.

Politics in writing should honestly be as reflective of the time they're being written in as the time they're set in, though that will often depend on the values of that time.

Thanks Gary!

Thank you both so much for "being" here (albeit virtually)!