Jack Hirschman, A poet laureate of the people SAN FRANCISCO
15Ιαν
SAN FRANCISCO
A poet laureate of the people
Newsom taps Jack Hirschman to ‘challenge the status quo’
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Two years ago, Jack Hirschman, a social activist and communist, backed Matt Gonzalez’s run for San Francisco mayor. On Thursday, the business community’s candidate and victor in that race, Mayor Gavin Newsom, will officially name him the city’s new poet laureate.
Hirschman, who at 72 has been a prominent figure in American poetry with a half-century of published work, is scheduled to accept the post at noon at a City Hall ceremony. Four hours later, he plans to be reading poetry on the steps of the State Building in San Francisco at a demonstration against the death penalty.
That should surprise no one. For Hirschman has used his words and his body to protest injustice for decades.
What may be more surprising is that Newsom selected him to serve as San Francisco poet laureate.
Hirschman, who has been arrested numerous times in social protest, was a notable supporter of Gonzalez, the then-president of the Board of Supervisors and Green Party member who was Newsom’s chief opponent in the 2003 mayor’s race. Hirschman described his candidate as a political leader dedicated to transforming “the system of same-old machine politics and corruption.”
Despite comments like that, or maybe because of them, Newsom, a dedicated Democrat who came into office endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce and real estate developers, said Hirschman was the right person for the poet laureate post.
“I want that position to be more audacious, more exciting, to shake things up,” Newsom told The Chronicle. “I want someone who will challenge the status quo.”
Hirschman’s reaction: “That’s excellent. I like statements like that.”
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