Interesting to note that poetry - or at least poetry about beer - remains a difficult medium to get one's hands on through the miracle and conundrum that is the internets. The promise of 2004 was that by now all copyrighted works would be as easily ripped off as Napster allowed Gen Y to undermine the music industry. Apparently poets are a tougher lot as I have found no webby text of a piece called "Ode to a Can of Schaefer Beer" despite its publication in 2006 in the New England Review. It's mentioned in yesterday's Wall Street Journal interview of the poet, Campbell McGrath:
WSJ: What inspired "Ode to a Can of Schaefer Beer," a brew you at one point describe as "tasting of metal and crisp water?"I need to work through this. Perhaps a direct request made to the poet, not as illustrated, to make a special exception allowing the publication of a line or two. Maybe permission from the publisher. You know that we like to think of ourselves as supporters of the beer poem oeuvre. Maybe the upcoming announcement of the 2008 Beer Poetry Contest brought to you by TAP NY '08, now in its second year, will assist in my argument.
Mr. McGrath: It was inspired by coming across a six pack of that beer. This beer was an icon in my childhood, and the TV commercials and jingles popped back in my head. It made me wonder: How is it that certain icons live and die, and what does it mean? That's what the poem riffs on. Their ridiculous slogan -- the one beer to have when you are having more than one - - is totally inappropriate now, so it makes you think of the good old days. The culture stays alive, but certain parts of it die or fail, and that's very interesting to me.
Maybe I should just buy the book.
Comments
Adam @ Beer Bits 2 - March 3, 2008 9:57 am
I found it! (not really, but, I'm trying to be funny)
http://www.mob.net/~scott/beer/homer.html
Cheers!
Alan - March 3, 2008 10:36 am
See, that is the spirit that does really well in the annual beer blog spring poetry contest.