Move over Lord Byron here comes Fen Chou.
A Â furious ethnic scandal in the world of poetry.: Â Â a white guy got his poem accepted in the 2015 edition of Best American Poetry by
writing under the pen name, “Yi-Fen Chou.†A poem rejected by 40 journals under the name “Michael Derrick Hudson†suddenly became more liked by the editors.
Isn’t the 2015 edition of Best American Poetry precisely where you would expect to see runaway political correctness? Be bothered by this, but don’t be surprised. For better or worse, the editor of the book comes out and addresses his thinking process openly and honestly:
I did exactly what that pseudonym-user feared other editors had done to him in the past: I paid more initial attention to his poem because of my perception and misperception of the poet’s identity. Bluntly stated, I was more amenable to the poem because I thought the author was Chinese American . .
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Firenze Sage: Â National review actually reviewed and found this bit of ….. Â depravity.
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below is a poem by Lord Byron
She walks in beauty, like the night
   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
   Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
   Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
   Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
   Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
   How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
   So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
   But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
   A heart whose love is innocent!
