Poetry In Government
September 12, 2008 at 8:37 am
Last night Barack Obama and John McCain participated in a panel discussion about getting more people involved in service.
But what if folks want to leave service — particularly government service?
You don’t often hear much about them.
Which is why we so enjoyed today’s Washington Post article about Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts since March 2003, who announced he will leave in January.
This Gioia quote is a gem:
“I really want to go back to writing. I haven’t had time for my own writing. I write all the time for the NEA, official writing. Since I have become chairman, I have not published a poem.”
What a great reason to depart the government. Not to become a lobbyist or to be part of the permanent Washington Institution … but to write poetry.
That, Mr. Gioia, is poetry right there. Congrats on getting published again.
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