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Classical Poets Live with Andrew Benson Brown

Episode 6 Part 3 of 3: Why Are Trendy Poets Weirdos? Eccentricity vs. Creativity

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Andrew Benson Brown has had poems and reviews published in a few journals. His epic-in-progress, Legends of Liberty, will chronicle the major events of the American Revolution if he lives to complete it. Though he writes history articles for American Essence magazine, he lists his primary occupation on official forms as ‘poet.’ He is, in other words, a vagabond.

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15 Responses

  2. Joseph S. Salemi

    A nice video, excellently made and produced. I’m glad my essay was of some help.

    I wouldn’t be concerned about those who attack us. It only means that we are doing something right, and that they are scared.

    Reply
    • ABB

      Think they’re starting to feel threatened. Have started to get attacked on Twitter—or X, whatever. It is quite exciting and I consider it a milestone in my X career.

      Reply
  3. Roy Eugene Peterson

    This is a fascinating video presentation that all members of the SCP should watch. The inclusion of portions of the Joseph Salemi essay with the great points he made really brought to life the differences among creativity, originality, and eccentricity. One hint, click on the picture in the middle to see and hear the presentation so well done by Andrew Benson Brown. The personal name link does not work.

    Reply
    • ABB

      Thanks Roy. Glad you enjoyed Joe’s essay—very illuminating regarding what’s going on today, as well as entertaining.

      Reply
  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    I’ve spent many a fine holiday in Wales but have never been introduced to the weird wildness of Taliesin. I’m casting the beauty of bumblebees aside for the crazed eye of a linguistic titan. I cannot thank you enough for adding a huge dose of hot spice to this fine art!

    Reply
    • ABB

      Next time you’re in Wales, you should check out the site of Taliesin’s (supposed) grave. It’s basically just a rock slab, but there is a legend that if you sleep on it, you will awake “a poet or a madman.” And since you are already the former, Susan, there would only be one option for you! Who knows what madness might do for your versifying?

      Reply
  5. Monika Cooper

    Well, ABB, you are an effective speaker. After watching this podcast, I cancelled something else I’d ordered so I could buy the Book of Taliesin. Looks wonderful so far. You touch on many topics that fascinate me, in this episode especially.

    Reply
    • ABB

      Great to hear about your enthusiasm for the B of T, Monika. I stumbled on it while browsing the Kansas City central library, and it’s definitely one of the most interesting books I’ve read recently. The editing job behind the Penguin edition is really solid. Proof that there is still some great scholarship happening in the institutions of higher education.

      Reply
  6. C.B. Anderson

    Very good. Who knew? It’s been a long time since any of us have beheld a true Prince of Wales.

    Reply
    • ABB

      I suppose we could compensate by writing praise poetry for William? Or perhaps a blazon about Kate Middleton’s good fashion sense, in the style of Herrick’s ‘Upon Julia’s Clothes.’

      Reply
  7. James Sale

    A very perceptive essay from Joseph Salemi proves a firm basis on which Andrew Benson Brown explores the distinction between creativity and what he calls ‘weirdos’: which is that affection besetting modernism and post-modernism whereby simply creating something nobody has ever thought of, nobody wants, and which lacks all sense of form or beauty but is considered original! A must view in my opinion.

    Reply
  8. Sally Cook

    Dear ABB –
    My maternal grandmother was Welsh, and if my mother inherited any of her Welsh traits, then I grew up thinking of Welshmen and women as good gardeners, folks who tippled a bit too much, and had beautiful voices. In pursuing my genealogy, I found that gang landed in Delaware not speaking a word of English and built a house called Fox Hall while not speaking a word of English, a remarkable feat. Guess it was “first things first”!

    Thanks, ABB, for enabling me to take part in this project..

    Reply
  9. David Hollywood

    Many thanks Andrew. It’s always uplifting to know upon a daily basis that I can access new poems on the SCP website which have been written to minimum standards and without pretensions, and further supported through reassurances, such as your own video and the comments afterwards from various members, that the levels are being protected and continually fought for. This is very consoling when compared to what I see being advanced on a huge scale as self promoted trite which receives large amounts of praise and plaudit from other attention seeking readers who announce how ‘amazing’ or ‘awesome’ or ‘brilliant’ or even how ‘genius’ these terrible works are. Of course, my Achilles heel is that I believe if everyone read and/or attempted to write a sincere poem each day then the world would be a better place, but that gateway to creativity is also where the vying for attention resides, and the dilution of effort or standards seems to take place. Thanks again.

    Reply

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