News at Eleven: Ultimately, I think [Helen] Vendler's

condescending talk about race and writing is driven by her defensiveness about her own tastes (and more about that in a bit), which of course does nothing to excuse it. But given that [Rita] Dove and others have already effectively unpacked this most glaring aspect of the review ---- and given that Vendler's case seems far from unique ---- it's worth stopping to look at the assumptions that underpin most arguments against inclusiveness in art, including this one.

Part of what leads Vendler astray is her belief in a kind of literary value that's all noun and no verb ---- that is, one that wants to define value without making room for the fact that many people do in fact value the very writing that, she says, is not, well . . . valuable.

from The Millions: Race and American Poetry: Dove v. Vendler

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