Carol Ann Duffy Becomes Britain's First Female and First Openly Gay Poet Laureate

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May 3, 2009

Carol Ann Duffy, 53, has been appointed poet laureate of Britain, a prestigious 341-year-old position previously held by men like John Dryden, Alfred Tennyson, William Wordsworth, Cecil Day-Lewis and Ted Hughes.

Not only is Duffy the first woman to hold the position, she is the first Scot, the first mother, and the first lesbian.

The British monarchy chooses a new poet laureate every 10 years, with the advice of the government. This time, the public was also consulted in making the appointment, although the decision was ultimately Queen Elizabeth's.

Part of Duffy's responsibilities in her new role will be to write works commemorating royal events. She will receive approximately $8,500 a year for the position, which she plans to donate to the Poetry Society to finance an annual poetry prize.

In announcing the decision, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham called Duffy “a towering figure in English literature today and a superb poet” who has “achieved something that only the true greats of literature manage — to be regarded as both popular and profound.”

Duffy told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour that she accepted the position after thinking "long and hard" about the offer, because "I look on it as a recognition of the great woman poets we have writing now."

Duffy is alternately described in the press as bisexual or a lesbian, but appears to identify publicly now as the latter (she referred to herself as "openly gay" in this BBC interview last week).

This weekend's lengthy article on Duffy in The New York Times referenced Duffy's sexuality, noting that, "In an interview with the writer Jeanette Winterson several years ago, [Duffy] said she had no interest in being known as a 'lesbian poet, whatever that is.'"

She added: “If I am a lesbian icon and a role model, that’s great, but if it’s a word that is used to reduce me, then you have to ask why someone would want to reduce me.” She said she preferred to define herself as “a poet and a mother — that’s all.”

Duffy has a 13-year-old daughter, Ella, and ended a 10-year relationship with Scottish poet Jackie Kay a few years ago.

Duffy was reportedly considered for the position of poet laureate in 1999, but her friend Andrew Motion was eventually offered the role. It was widely speculated at the time — based on remarks from a Blair staffer — that Duffy was passed over in part because Blair was concerned about how Duffy's sexuality would go over with the public.

Attitudes towards LGBT people have changed considerably in the U.K. since then, however; the country began offering civil partnerships to gay couples in 2005.

Duffy's poems often reflect on the themes of time, change, and loss. Her first collection was published in 1985, and her 2005 award-winning collection, Rapture, was described by U.K. newspaper The Guardian as "an extended rhapsody on a love affair, ushering the reader from first spark to full flame to final, messy conflagration."

The Guardian went on to add, "Not since Philip Larkin has a living British poet straddled the commercial and critical arenas with such finesse." (Duffy has joked that the only similarity she shares with Larkin is that "we are both lesbian poets.")

Duffy in the John Rylands Library in Manchester on Friday

The New York Times describes Duffy as a poet "known for using a deceptively simple style to produce accessible, often mischievous poems dealing with the darkest turmoil and the lightest minutiae of everyday life."

Duffy's friend and writer Daisy Goodwin calls her, "a woman and a poet who is emotionally honest in everything she does and she expects the same in others" in this weekend's edition of the UK's Sunday Times.

In addition to poetry, Duffy has also written several plays, children's books, and jazz compositions.

Read more about Duffy in the second installment of our Lesbian Poetry Retrospective, and listen to her first BBC Radio interview here:

TAGS ::

Hidden in the new york times

Submitted by

ziggy (35 posts)

on May 3, 2009 - 9:12pm.

Interesting. I read that article in the new york times, but I only read the part that was on the first page of the arts section. It graciously commemorates how she's the first female, but from the standpoint of the casual newspaper reader I had no idea she was an out lesbian. Which means neither will most casual newspaper readers.

Goddamn media bias works in subtle ways. If you can't trust the new york times then who can you trust?

It gets worse

Submitted by

Trix (457 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 7:07am.

Even the BBC censored the information initially. And the UK is not as paranoid about things queer as the US is, in general. I was appalled, actually. Still, they seem to have fixed it up in the interim. And they still have all the material relating to her for high school students on the site.

WoW! This means that in

Submitted by

Iperuranio (15 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 7:46am.

WoW! This means that in Italy we have been more 'FREE' than in USA.

In Corriere.it (newspaper for right wing) the news was...completed since the beginning

http://www.corriere.it/esteri/09_maggio_03/fabio_cavalera_donna_omosessuale_il_poeta_laureato_b97ae972-37b2-11de-8d05-00144f02aabc.shtml

Whoopee!

Submitted by

notshane (333 posts)

on May 3, 2009 - 9:42pm.

Her book Rapture is my favourite book of poems. Its mesmerising and funny and heart wrenching. Loved Jeannette Winterson's interview with her a while back.

http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=350

Looking forward to watching what she does in her role as Poet Laureate.

CAD

Submitted by

jennifer from p... (1434 posts)

on May 3, 2009 - 10:50pm.

I love that she's asked for her butt of sack up front! You go girl! Get that hog's head of sherry before you write one line ;)

Deserves this.....

Submitted by

Nona J. (342 posts)

on May 3, 2009 - 11:12pm.

I was introduced to Carol Ann Duffy, when I read about the controversy over the removal of her poem "Education of Leisure" from I believe, correct me if I'm wrong a high school syllabus. Curious of the controvery, I read her poem and I loved her since. She is certainly an amazing poet and deserves this prestigious honor for her work.

" True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united" ~ Wilhelm von Humbolt

Yes,

Submitted by

Imo (65 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 4:35am.

Yes, 'Education for Leisure' was removed from the GCSE English lit syllabus (the exams for all 14-16 year olds in England) due to its violent content. Which is really stupid seeing as ALL the other poems in the GCSE poetry syllabus are pretty disturbing and some are equally as violent. The idiocy of the government never ceases to amaze me... Her collection 'The World's Wife' is still on the syllabus for A level (final secondary education exams for 16-18 year olds) englit, though, I studied it last year.

Thought I'd just clear that up :)

I think it's great that she's been made Poet Laureate from the perspective of female/gay equality, but personally I don't like her as a poet. Also she is a classic case of the man-hating, butch, angry lesbian which is how many English people stereotype all gay women, and it would be nice for there to be a British queer woman in the public eye (as in someone who most average people know of, not just those within the community) who for once doesn't fit that stereotype. We haven't got the equivalent of Ellen or Rachel Maddow over her yet, lesbianism is still generally associated with highly politicised and a little threatening masculine women, like Duffy.

Indeed

Submitted by

A (23 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 5:17am.

I was the last year to study 'Education for Leisure' and although I didn't particularly like the poem, it was ridiculous that it was taken out of the anthology- there were poems on the same par content-wise. But some of her poems are still in there, as you say, like 'Havisham' and i believe she wrote 'Anne Hathaway' as well, which, in my opinion, are excellent.

I saw her speak at Poetry Live last year and she was being slightly ridiculed on stage by pathetic teenagers but she seemed to grin and bear it.

Congrats Duffy :)

I don't think she's

Submitted by

Girlface (53 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 5:38am.

I don't think she's man-hating. I mean, lots of her work has a feminist bent to it, but that's not the same tihng.

I'd disagree. While her

Submitted by

Imo (65 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 5:49am.

I'd disagree. While her poems are undoubtedly feminist, a lot of them are not just pro-female but quite forcefully anti-male, which are different things all together.

And when were they written?

Submitted by

Trix (457 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 7:11am.

I think that's her earlier work you're referring to - yes, those separatist-leaning lesbians were pretty earnest and "man-hating" back in the late 70s - early 80s. Most of them have moved on, including, apparently, Duffy.

As for talking about "butch" and "politicised" lesbians, and contrasting them to Maddow, are we talking about the same butch and politically-aware commentator?

Well, the collection I

Submitted by

Imo (65 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 8:54am.

Well, the collection I studied was published in 1999, and they seemed rather extreme to me. Of course its all dependent on what personally you view as radical/extreme feminism, but as pretty much a liberal feminist I find what I perceive as Duffy's anti-male stance as a little difficult to stomach.

Re comparisons to Rachel Maddow, by 'politicised' I meant in terms of politicised lesbianism, not just being generally involved in and actively political in mainstream party politics. Sorry if that was unclear :)

Yes

Submitted by

notshane (333 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 11:55am.

"pro-female" is certainly very different from "anti-male". And criticism of men per se should not be read as "anti-male". The World's Wife offers an alternative and humorous view which knocks these "great men" off the pedestal they're put on. She punctures the high and mighty notions that are normally attached to their stories. And its funny, entertaining and thought-provoking.

what man-hating?!

Submitted by

notshane (333 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 11:23am.

Totally puzzled by your description of her as man-hating. How? What has she written that makes you come to that conclusion?

She's a strong feminist. And I think her World's Wife book of poems demonstrates that clearly and with a wonderful dollop of humour. But that's unequivocally *NOT* man-hating.

Try Rapture...a book of poems about an love affair, you may change your mind about her poetry.

I made a forum topic on

Submitted by

surfer_rosa (53 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 5:28am.

I made a forum topic on this a couple of days ago when it was announced in the UK.

@ joelle: please be assured that the 'casual reader' in the UK will be left in no doubt as to the historical relevence of this appointment - there are only three 'recognised' lesbian writers in the UK that anyone straight would have heard of - Winterson, Waters & Duffy. I don't know about New York or the US, though.

here is a link to a related article on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8027767.stm

I remember reading Carol

Submitted by

Hopeless_Savage (386 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 5:37am.

I remember reading Carol Ann Duffy's poetry in school, many many years ago.

'Before you were mine' is the one that I remember the most.

I noticed a small article about this in the Daily Mail the other day. The point made was more about her being female than gay. The word Lesbian was only mentioned once and just used as a describing word rather than a point to be looked at. Which is cool :)

I remember.....

Submitted by

thatgirloverthere (37 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 6:31am.

In GCSE I studied 'Education for Leisure', and along with a lot of the other poems in the anthology I actually liked it.

I had no idea it had been removed, it never stood out as being worse than any other the others. I remember at the time liking the fact that we were taught modern poems with interesting themes instead of tame and boring poems about nature or something.

I guess its good she's the Poet Laureate for social reasons, other than that since I'm not hugely into poetry I don't really care.

She's brilliant

Submitted by

BloodTears (33 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 6:46am.

I have all of her books since Standing Female Nude. I'm really a big fan and I'm so glad she accepted it although she hesitated a bit.

My favourite CAD poem is "from Mrs. Lazarus", you can read it in the now famous The World's Wife. Also "The Laughter of Stafford Girl's High" from Feminine Gospels is absolutely genius.

The great thing about her writing is that it invites the reader to feel. Not all poetry does that, as I see it.

"don't trust what you see"

She was the only poet at

Submitted by

Lauz (824 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 7:01am.

She was the only poet at GCSE i actually enjoyed reading for english lit. Saw her read her works on a school trip, inspirational.

Mwahxxx

Oh I remember that one

Submitted by

Clara (878 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 7:22am.

Oh I remember that one about killing a goldfish or something in the GCSE Anthology. never knew of any controvery..

well done to her I guess, I've never been v. into poetry tbh though, I don't think I esp. remembered hers. I liked the one about the Bunny chows (we all wondered what they were, sounded nummy) and crushed ice glass or something..

________________________________

My AfterEllen/Bridget Video Game

"there's always time for a burrow..."

"We're getting fired, fired, fired, fi..

Bisexual, Not Lesbian

Submitted by

Proud 2B Bi (337 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 10:08am.

Quote: The 53 year old poet and playwright is often quoted as saying "I'm not a lesbian poet, whatever that is".

"If I am a lesbian icon and a role model, that's great, but if it is a word that is used to reduce me, then you have to ask why someone would want to reduce me?"

The Bisexual Index, a UK activism group fighting bisexual invisibility, today called on the UK gay press to report this story accurately, and not reduce bisexuality.

Source: http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/Main/News

I don't think CAD is

Submitted by

surfer_rosa (53 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 11:11am.

I don't think CAD is identifying as bisexual. I believe that she means that she would not want to be known as a 'lesbian poet', as in a poet who writes about/for lesbians exclusively. I think the quote makes sense taken in this context.

Well

Submitted by

Proud 2B Bi (337 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 12:01pm.

I haven't seen her quoted as saying she doesn't identify as bisexual either.

It's not really clear what her relationship with the author Peter Benson, the father of her daughter is, or was. Like were they ever a loving couple?

Proud2BBi, I believe you're

Submitted by

e^(i Pi) + 1 = 0 (47 posts)

on May 15, 2009 - 3:24pm.

Proud2BBi, I believe you're correct. CAD is most certainly bisexual although she does describe herself as 'openly gay'. I frequently refer to myself as gay even though I am bisexual because I feel the word gay is more inclusive...but it probably isn't.

Inclusive?

Submitted by

Proud 2B Bi (337 posts)

on May 16, 2009 - 3:49am.

Well I think it's just great when someone like Megan Fox comes out as bisexual. She's a babe. She looks like a Penthouse Pet. I think it's just great that the last 12 Penthouse Pets have all been openly bisexual too......

But seriously, if it's the truth, someone like Carol Ann Duffy saying "I'm not gay, I'm bi" would actually be far more significant and thought provoking.

I mean isn't being bi all about being inclusive?

I agree that its

Submitted by

e^(i Pi) + 1 = 0 (47 posts)

on May 16, 2009 - 5:15am.

I agree that its great to see people in the media come out as bisexual and let the world know that bisexuality is real, we do exist and it isn't just some experimental game (thank you, Katy bloody Perry) before we settle into one or the other.

That is why, if I'm coming out to somebody, I do say that I am bisexual and I correct people who assume that I am a lesbian. But in casual conversation with people who already know about my being bisexual, I often describe myself as a gay woman.

This probably sounds a bit daft since homosexual males have proclaimed the word gay theirs (which is irritating to no end) but for me, gay has felt like the name of the community I belonged to and bisexual a subgroup within that community that I also happen to belong to.

I know queer appears to be the preferred umbrella term to describe the whole community (within in the community at least) which I like because it is very inclusive of all LGBT(Q) people. That said I have a hard time using it in front of straight people because it was used solely as a derogatory term so recently in history.

So, when I say I feel the word gay is more inclusive, I’m using it interchangeably with queer rather than homosexual.

‘Queer, gay, homosexual ... in the long view, they are all just temporary identities. One day, we won't need them at all.’ (Peter Tatchell) Oh how I long for that day. Sadly though, I think it is several hundred years away still.

Well I believe

Submitted by

Proud 2B Bi (337 posts)

on May 16, 2009 - 6:38pm.

Well I believe if you are bi then you should say you are bi.

If everyone was just open - and therefore open to being bi (if only at least in principle) - then we really wouldn't need any of these "identities" anymore.

Funny how people are always saying bisexuals are "greedy". I really don't agree. To me being bi is far more about being generous.

OMG!

Submitted by

Ariana (9 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 11:13am.

I saw this woman live at Theatre Royal in Norwich and didn't have a flying clue she was gay. Can't believe I was there and I didn't realise who she really was.

hmmmm

Submitted by

yael (249 posts)

on May 4, 2009 - 1:54pm.

I'm really glad for her and it's amazing that she can break so many boundaries...btw for americans a lot of people here are saying the fact that she's a scott is more contraversial than her being a lesbian.

Anyhoo it's really great that she's allowed to be poet laureate but in my opinion her poetry sucks. I had to study it in school and it was really annoying...urgh! many of my friends share that opinion! maybe she'll write some better ones now!

~~~~

"laugh, laugh on at all the dreams that i the dreamer dare to weave,
laugh on, that i still belive in the people, for I still belive in life"

Maybe the fact that it

Submitted by

Briony (101 posts)

on May 5, 2009 - 2:23am.

Maybe the fact that it wasn't mentioned is a good thing in some ways. Don't get me wrong i don't think that people shouldn't know she's gay, because the more positive publicity the LGBT community get the better; however, considering that she has repeatedly stated that she doesn't want to be typecast as a 'lesbian poet', maybe it shows that the press is having some respect for her wishes. Perhaps they've misinterpreted what she meant by that, but it just doesn't strike me as that much of a problem...

This makes me proud

Submitted by

Susan Gabriel (190 posts)

on May 5, 2009 - 3:01pm.

I love it when women rise to the top of their field. Especially women like me.

www.SeekingSaraSummers.com

The American Poet Laureate is a lesbian too

Submitted by

londonchick (67 posts)

on May 5, 2009 - 5:40pm.

I'm surprised the article didn't mention that. Lesbian poets are experiencing real prominence.

Wow!!!

Submitted by

notshane (333 posts)

on May 5, 2009 - 6:58pm.

I've just looked her up: Kay Ryan. She's 10 years older than Carol Ann Duffy. Must read some of her work. I only know of 1 other contemporary US poet, who I like: Mary Oliver, another lesbian :).

What about celebrating it with one of her poems?

Submitted by

axon (485 posts)

on May 8, 2009 - 1:03pm.

I was introduced to Carol Ann Duffy thanks to Jeanette Winterson (is there a better introduction?). I think the best way to celebrate it is by reading one of her poems:

SELLING MANHATTAN 1987, COLOURS BY SOMEONE ELSE

Sweetheart, this evening your smell is all around
Down by the fishing-boats, the sky trembling

above the pier. Your tears have dried on my palms.
Darling, we should never have done that.

You made me your own, painted my face
into smithereens. Who can say where my tongue

has been in your dark boudoir? Soft heelprints
on my shoulder, sound of the hummingbird breathing its last.

Regret is in the air. Dante Gabriel Rossetti
saved his poems from her worms. Long hours

turning the rain to whisky. Weeping spectacles.
The landlord sees me mine Sinatra at the bar.

Sweetheart, are you listening? Pay heed
for I am insane on the underground, burning

the crossword with my eyes. I owe money
to a bowler hat, keep a brick from London Bridge

under the bed. We are drowning twice nightly
in rivers of silk. This is the year of the tiger.

Hush. There is no end to my love for you, for I
have eaten the owl’s egg, endured the sharpening of spoons.

When you see me in my uniform, act unconcerned.
The pin and the pomegranate will suffice to show

the workings of my mind. I am up to my eyes
in onions Sweetheart. Undress and read this.

Congratulations!!!

(I hope they give the same recognition to Cristina Peri Rossi in spanish speaking languages!!:

We were coming with an air of a masked ball.
We were still coming.
At dawn the streets were sad.
She advised me to see a psychiatrist
I threw a verse in her face
Like a stone.
Love is a question of words.

Cristina Peri Rossi, "Evohe, erotic poems", translated by Diana P. Decker)

Duffy

Submitted by

x.Lorna.x (92 posts)

on May 9, 2009 - 8:07pm.

Did me the great deed of really "getting me into" poetry. To see Havisham on the wall of my English class at 15 was quite a shock... I bought Rapture and it has been one of my favourite books since. I love how beautiful and relatable her poetry is.