Ed Madden
Allegiance

On the occasion of the Hegseth Senate confirmation hearings

Experience and expertise matter less
than loyalty to the would-be autocrat.
Opinions matter more to him than facts.
Forget diplomas, study, steady service,
or years of know-how. Those don’t count
as much as conspiracists, yes-men, or that
kowtowing badge of allegiance, that kakistocratic hat.

Ed Madden is a professor of English and former director of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina. He served as the inaugural poet laureate of Columbia, South Carolina, 2015–2022. He is the author of six books of poetry, most recently A pooka in Arkansas (Word Works, 2023), selected for the Hilary Tham Capital Collection. He is the recipient of an artist’s residency from the Instituto Sacatar in Brazil, a Breakthrough Leadership in Research Award from the University of South Carolina, and a South Carolina Governor’s Award for the Arts.

Indolent Books and editor Michael Broder are back with another poem-a-day series to help us process the emerging neofascist autocracy. Initially planned to start on Inauguration Day, but contributor Ed Madden wrote a very timely poem about the Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of defense, and I just could not hold out any longer. Back soon with info on how to submit.