News at Eleven: Because of this bias, much of the work

of the self-taught poets vanished as centuries passed. "We assume that poetry disappears from literary history because it was bad, and did not stand the test of time,"’ said [Julie] Prandi. "But sometimes scholars make mistakes."

More and more people are discovering the work of self-taught poets, said Prandi. While poets such as the Scottish Robert Burns have always been celebrated, people are uncovering works by authors such as Mary Leopor and Friedrich Müller.

from Illinois Wesleyan University News & Events: Reversing the Tide: Professor Gives Due to Self-Taught Poets

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