Comments/statement: On page 68 of The Triggering Town, Hugo says, "Many American poets seem to feel personally worthless unless they write." I'd like to disagree with this. I think that the use of the word "worthless" may be over the top. I wouldn't say that writing doesn't make people feel like they're doing something worthwhile with their lives, but I would say that not all writers feel like they are of no value themselves unless they write. I don't really understand why he says such a strong thing, especially when writing in and of itself does not necessarily make people feel worthy--take Plath for example. If writing all those poems made her feel worthy, would she have killed herself? I think, instead, that writing something that others appreciate is what makes people feel worthy, and I think that a poet CAN write a poem without having that nagging feeling of personal worthlessness being the driving force. Basically, I just have a problem with that whole idea Hugo presents.
Question(s): What would Hugo have to say about someone who isn't a Krebs or a Snopes? Would he even consider them legitimate poets (or writers)?
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