From a correspondent whose identity I'm keeping secret:
I am very curious about this.
News from the Library of Congress: 2005 Witter Bynner Fellow Claudia Emerson Wins Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Claudia Emerson, the 2005 Witter Bynner Fellow at the Library of Congress, has won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her volume of verse titled Late Wife.
Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Ted Kooser had chosen Emerson last year as a Witter Bynner Fellow, along with Martin Walls. As fellows, Emerson and Walls each received $10,000, which was granted by the Witter Bynner Foundation, in conjunction with the Library of Congress.
Ted Kooser happened to be a juror for the prize that year. There were over 200 entries and the winner was...gasp... someone he actually knew personally and had previously assisted.
I also notice that Copper Canyon Press, the publisher of his Pulitzer winning book, is on your Watch List.
Curiouser and curiouser. I was thinking that someone may be aware of even deeper connections that might explain how such terrible poetry has won such important awards. (I'm still trying to figure out Franz Wright).
We welcome comments and debate.
Showing posts with label Foets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foets. Show all posts
Bugzita (Jennifer Semple Siegel) is NO One's Puppet
I received an e-mail from a reader, suggesting that Post Foetry might be be a "puppet" blog. I decided to answer here and clear up any misconceptions.
I'm in charge of Post Foetry; when Foetry closed, I created the Post Foetry blog, and I'm its sole administrator. I created the blog with great trepidation and some fear, but that wasn't going to stop me. I decided early on that my posting style, for better or worse, would reflect a more moderate tone, which is more in keeping with my basic personality.
As you can clearly see in the left panel, Alan, Matt, and Nomi are team members, but, so far, only Nomi has posted entries, and that is perfectly okay. They understand that I would never censor a team member, so if Alan decided to post something in his own style, no big deal.
However, I make the decision as to what I post, sometimes scathing, sometimes humorous and downright silly, sometimes newsy, sometimes sad, and sometimes just plain fun. I wanted to create a place where I would want to visit time and again--besides, aren't blogs really a form of "literary masturbation"?
But I also want foets to understand that they won't get a free pass here.
I don't have the money, time, or staff to do in-depth investigative work, but if I get a tip and can verify it with two or more sources, I'll do my best to act on it in a timely manner. Also, readers can leave comments (or e-mail me) if they want to tell their side.
I have posted a "Watch List" of contests, and I have yet to receive a message from any of the people running these contests. Perhaps they believe that a wall of silence will shut this site down, but they would be totally wrong. I may be a kinder and gentler soul, but I'm also persistent and stubborn.
In other words, I'm no puppet of anyone.
In his personal blog, Alan Cordle did coin the term "Foet Laureate" (as it pertains to Charles Simic), and after looking at the facts, I agreed with Alan's assessment. Alan had absolutely nothing to do with my launching the "Foet Laureate" web page; he didn't even suggest the possibility. I take full credit and responsibility for the Foet Laureate site, not the term itself.
Believe me, it was a difficult decision for me to challenge a major poet and the Library of Congress, but it was the right decision. Still, my writing career, such as it is, has probably been ruined, at least in a traditional venue.
Alan has made the decision to distance himself from Foetry and Post Foetry, and I respect that. I was disappointed and sad that Foetry closed, but circumstances change and people move on--the cycle of life in motion.
Alan is my cyber friend (we have never met), and I will always admire him for what he risked personally and professionally three years ago.
Of course Alan and Foetry have influenced (to a certain extent) my thinking; two years ago (yes, sadly, I missed the best year of Foetry), I was thoroughly pissed off at the publishing industry, in particular The Iowa Review and The Paris Review. I would never submit to these two publications again, not because they rejected my work, but how they rejected it: no answer from Iowa at all and a mangled manuscript from Paris, with ripped pages and not even a form letter.
All I could see was a wall of red, and, somehow, I stumbled on Foetry and stayed with it for two years (a lifetime on cyberspace).
Writers have long memories, and little magazines would do well to remember that.
I have picked on New Yorker poetry on both Foetry and Post Foetry, but someone has trained their staff well in the art of basic courtesy; once (1988), when I was living in Yugoslavia, I submitted a manuscript to them, with a SASE for "reply only." They rejected the piece, but someone took the time to explain to me that (at that time), they returned all manuscripts, and gently chided me for not including full postage. They actually paid international postage to send the piece back to me. I was embarrassed, but also impressed that they would treat a lowly, totally unknown writer with such respect (and on their dime, and it wasn't cheap, either).
So, here's the deal: love us or hate us (or somewhere in between), Post Foetry will hang around for as long as at least one other person reads us; my posts, for better or worse, will be mine alone; if Alan wants to say something, he will have to say it himself, and he knows that.
I see no reason to "out" the questioner, but if he/she would like to respond, feel free, either anonymously or signed.
Bugzita
Jennifer Semple Siegel
I'm in charge of Post Foetry; when Foetry closed, I created the Post Foetry blog, and I'm its sole administrator. I created the blog with great trepidation and some fear, but that wasn't going to stop me. I decided early on that my posting style, for better or worse, would reflect a more moderate tone, which is more in keeping with my basic personality.
As you can clearly see in the left panel, Alan, Matt, and Nomi are team members, but, so far, only Nomi has posted entries, and that is perfectly okay. They understand that I would never censor a team member, so if Alan decided to post something in his own style, no big deal.
However, I make the decision as to what I post, sometimes scathing, sometimes humorous and downright silly, sometimes newsy, sometimes sad, and sometimes just plain fun. I wanted to create a place where I would want to visit time and again--besides, aren't blogs really a form of "literary masturbation"?
But I also want foets to understand that they won't get a free pass here.
I don't have the money, time, or staff to do in-depth investigative work, but if I get a tip and can verify it with two or more sources, I'll do my best to act on it in a timely manner. Also, readers can leave comments (or e-mail me) if they want to tell their side.
I have posted a "Watch List" of contests, and I have yet to receive a message from any of the people running these contests. Perhaps they believe that a wall of silence will shut this site down, but they would be totally wrong. I may be a kinder and gentler soul, but I'm also persistent and stubborn.
In other words, I'm no puppet of anyone.
In his personal blog, Alan Cordle did coin the term "Foet Laureate" (as it pertains to Charles Simic), and after looking at the facts, I agreed with Alan's assessment. Alan had absolutely nothing to do with my launching the "Foet Laureate" web page; he didn't even suggest the possibility. I take full credit and responsibility for the Foet Laureate site, not the term itself.
Believe me, it was a difficult decision for me to challenge a major poet and the Library of Congress, but it was the right decision. Still, my writing career, such as it is, has probably been ruined, at least in a traditional venue.
Alan has made the decision to distance himself from Foetry and Post Foetry, and I respect that. I was disappointed and sad that Foetry closed, but circumstances change and people move on--the cycle of life in motion.
Alan is my cyber friend (we have never met), and I will always admire him for what he risked personally and professionally three years ago.
Of course Alan and Foetry have influenced (to a certain extent) my thinking; two years ago (yes, sadly, I missed the best year of Foetry), I was thoroughly pissed off at the publishing industry, in particular The Iowa Review and The Paris Review. I would never submit to these two publications again, not because they rejected my work, but how they rejected it: no answer from Iowa at all and a mangled manuscript from Paris, with ripped pages and not even a form letter.
All I could see was a wall of red, and, somehow, I stumbled on Foetry and stayed with it for two years (a lifetime on cyberspace).
Writers have long memories, and little magazines would do well to remember that.
I have picked on New Yorker poetry on both Foetry and Post Foetry, but someone has trained their staff well in the art of basic courtesy; once (1988), when I was living in Yugoslavia, I submitted a manuscript to them, with a SASE for "reply only." They rejected the piece, but someone took the time to explain to me that (at that time), they returned all manuscripts, and gently chided me for not including full postage. They actually paid international postage to send the piece back to me. I was embarrassed, but also impressed that they would treat a lowly, totally unknown writer with such respect (and on their dime, and it wasn't cheap, either).
So, here's the deal: love us or hate us (or somewhere in between), Post Foetry will hang around for as long as at least one other person reads us; my posts, for better or worse, will be mine alone; if Alan wants to say something, he will have to say it himself, and he knows that.
I see no reason to "out" the questioner, but if he/she would like to respond, feel free, either anonymously or signed.
Bugzita
Jennifer Semple Siegel
A Post Foetry Forum?
I'm thinking of setting up a simple forum for Post Foetry; I have already looked into a forum template called "Simple Machines," but I haven't set up anything yet. I'm not sure how much more tech information I can stuff into my head, but I'm willing to try.
I would like a Post Foetry forum to be a place where members could vent (pro and con), submit tips on foets, AND discuss new ideas, whatever that means. It probably won't be a copy of Foetry, which reflected Alan and Matt's unique styles, but it won't be censored either (except for spam and libelous stuff that could land me in court).
This blog would stay up--I'm discovering that I enjoy blogging.
Also, I have set up a Flash Fiction Project web site (which hasn't been advertised yet), and I think a Post Foetry forum would be a good place to start a thread where writers could post their own flash fiction pieces. I am also contemplating a Poetry Project thread and a Flash Memoir Project.
I have set up The Flash Fiction Project Blog, but it is at a very elementary stage; I'm thinking that a forum might be a better place for self-posting of creative work, but I could still post pieces that we admire and like on the FFP blog.
Anyway, to gauge possible interest, I have set up a poll.
I hope you all vote!
Best, Bugzita
I would like a Post Foetry forum to be a place where members could vent (pro and con), submit tips on foets, AND discuss new ideas, whatever that means. It probably won't be a copy of Foetry, which reflected Alan and Matt's unique styles, but it won't be censored either (except for spam and libelous stuff that could land me in court).
This blog would stay up--I'm discovering that I enjoy blogging.
Also, I have set up a Flash Fiction Project web site (which hasn't been advertised yet), and I think a Post Foetry forum would be a good place to start a thread where writers could post their own flash fiction pieces. I am also contemplating a Poetry Project thread and a Flash Memoir Project.
I have set up The Flash Fiction Project Blog, but it is at a very elementary stage; I'm thinking that a forum might be a better place for self-posting of creative work, but I could still post pieces that we admire and like on the FFP blog.
Anyway, to gauge possible interest, I have set up a poll.
I hope you all vote!
Best, Bugzita
FoetLaureate.com: Call for Charles Simic's Resignation as Poet Laureate
After much internal debate and soul-searching, I have decided to post an ad-free web page FoetLaureate.com calling for the resignation of Charles Simic from the Poet Laureate of the United States post, and I have explained my rationale on the page.
I don't know the man personally, and I may even feel a sort of affinity toward him in that I spent a year in the former Yugoslavia (1988-1989), his native land. I wanted to be happy and thrilled when his name was announced and Nomi posted the news on this blog.
Mr. Simic may be an excellent and renowned poet; he may even be a personable soul, but I believe that our Poet Laureate should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us mere mortals. There should be no taint associated with his/her name because this person should represent all American poets and the best of American poetry.
We have enough lousy politicians giving our country a bad name, so why not aim for a Poet Laureate with impeccable credentials?
With regret and sorrow,
Bugzita
I don't know the man personally, and I may even feel a sort of affinity toward him in that I spent a year in the former Yugoslavia (1988-1989), his native land. I wanted to be happy and thrilled when his name was announced and Nomi posted the news on this blog.
Mr. Simic may be an excellent and renowned poet; he may even be a personable soul, but I believe that our Poet Laureate should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us mere mortals. There should be no taint associated with his/her name because this person should represent all American poets and the best of American poetry.
We have enough lousy politicians giving our country a bad name, so why not aim for a Poet Laureate with impeccable credentials?
With regret and sorrow,
Bugzita
Charles Simic is our new Foet Laureate?
According to Bluehole, we need to take a closer look at our new Poet Laureate Charles Simic as a Foet Laureate.
Bluehole makes a compelling argument in his August 4, 2007, blog entry.
Is it any wonder that ordinary folks eschew the literary arts? First, one is inflicted with obscure and puzzling poems that only insiders understand and then these foets cheat to get those really lousy poems published.
Post Foetry will continue to lobby against fee-based literary contests. Unless the playing field (in terms of judging) is leveled, then, quite simply, paying to enter a contest is worse than playing the lottery.
Starting immediately, Post Foetry will remove all links to literary magazine contests; we will make a list of magazines to avoid (without links), and we will develop a link list to litmags that offer good guidelines and are known to play fairly.
I suspect that will be a very short list, indeed.
Jennifer
Bluehole makes a compelling argument in his August 4, 2007, blog entry.
Is it any wonder that ordinary folks eschew the literary arts? First, one is inflicted with obscure and puzzling poems that only insiders understand and then these foets cheat to get those really lousy poems published.
Post Foetry will continue to lobby against fee-based literary contests. Unless the playing field (in terms of judging) is leveled, then, quite simply, paying to enter a contest is worse than playing the lottery.
Starting immediately, Post Foetry will remove all links to literary magazine contests; we will make a list of magazines to avoid (without links), and we will develop a link list to litmags that offer good guidelines and are known to play fairly.
I suspect that will be a very short list, indeed.
Jennifer
Sawtooth Revisted: The Intrigue Ccontinues . . .
Buried in the comment section...
Spirit of Mallie said...
1. St. Mary's is unofficially affiliated with Sawtooth: Brenda Hillman and Graham Foust both teach there. The former "judged" a Sawtooth prize and the later "won" one. Three St. Mary's people. What ARE the chances?
2. Rusty will be publishing Bin Ramke's new book.
3. Hillman and Gander edit the California poetry series.
4. Gander is married to Wright.
5. And the list continues . . .
Thanks, Spirit of Mallie.
Bugz
Spirit of Mallie said...
1. St. Mary's is unofficially affiliated with Sawtooth: Brenda Hillman and Graham Foust both teach there. The former "judged" a Sawtooth prize and the later "won" one. Three St. Mary's people. What ARE the chances?
2. Rusty will be publishing Bin Ramke's new book.
3. Hillman and Gander edit the California poetry series.
4. Gander is married to Wright.
5. And the list continues . . .
Thanks, Spirit of Mallie.
Bugz
2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize competition, and the winner is...
Thanks to "anonymous," I looked up the winner of the 2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize:
Ahsahta Press is delighted to announce the winner of its sixth annual Sawtooth Poetry Prize competition: Rusty Morrison of Richmond, California, whose manuscript the true keeps calm biding its story was selected by Peter Gizzi. She will receive the $1,500 prize in addition to the publication of her book by Ahsahta Press in January 2008. Read the rest here...
C.D. Wright will judge the 2008 contest.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Rusty Morrison and her husband Ken Keegan are founders of Omnidawn Publishing: a publication founded "to create books that are most closely aligned with each author's vision, and to provide an interactive and rewarding publishing experience for poets and writers."
"She was the winner of the 10th Annual Colorado Prize for Poetry (2004) judged by Forrest Gander for her poetry collection, Whethering, published by Center for Literary Publishing and distributed by the University Press of Colorado. She is also the winner of the 2006 Cecil Hemley Memorial Award and co-winner of the 2003 Robert H. Winner Memorial Award, both from the Poetry Society of America. She also co-edits the poetry journal 26, which is affiliated with the Saint Mary's MFA program."
Finalists for the 2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize:
Geri Lynn Baumblatt, Chicago, Illinois, Atlas of a Cul-de-sac
Oni Buchanan, Brighton, Massachusetts, Spring
Adam Clay, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Nodaway River
Joshua Corey, Ithaca, New York, Windlestrae
Donna de la Perrière, Oakland, California, Saint Erasure
Rebecca Morgan Frank, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Everyday Disaster
Anthony Hawley, Lincoln, Nebraska, Autobiography/Oughtabiography
Stephanie Heit, Frankfort, Michigan, Quiet Anatomy
Brenda Iijima, Brooklyn, New York, If Not Metamorphic (runner-up)
Alice Jones, Berkeley, California, Plunge
Jim Klein, Rutherford, New Jersey, I Didn’t Know if I Was Afoot or on Horseback
Rusty Morrison, Richmond, California, the true keeps calm biding its story (winner)
Danielle Pafunda, Shelburne, New Hampshire, Iatrogenic: Their Testimonies
Karin Randolph, Brooklyn, New York, Blitz
Richard A. Reid, Brooklyn, New York, to be hung from the ceiling by strings of varying length
Evelyn Reilly, Hillsdale, New York, Reverse Landscapes
Andrea Rexilius, Denver, Colorado, A HEM
Christopher Schmidt, Brooklyn, New York, The Next in Line
Brandon Shimoda, Missoula, Montana, O Bon
Michael Slosek, Chicago, Illinois, Artificial Origins
Ashley VanDoorn, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Devices
G.C. Waldrep, Gambier, Ohio, Archicembalo
_____________________
Semifinalists for 2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize:
Angus Bennett, Austin, Texas, Stomachion
Jessica Bozek, Beverly, Massachusetts, The Bodyfeel Lexicon
Julie Carr, Denver, Colorado, I, Minimus
Jennifer Denrow, Saint Louis, Missouri, A Knee for a Life
Shira Dentz, Salt Lake City, Utah, Diagram of a Voice
Janet Kaplan, Brooklyn, New York, Dreamlife of a Philanthropist
Jennifer MacKenzie, Portland, Oregon, With Its Brightness
Dora Malech, Bethesda, Maryland, Say So
Sarah Mangold, Seattle, Washington, Everything About How
Malinda Markham, Tokyo, Japan, Who Came Running
Susan McCabe, Santa Monica, California, Descartes’ Nightmare
Mary Molinary, Memphis, Tennessee, Feast of Anonymous
L.J. Moore, San Francisco, California, F-STEIN
Rusty Morrison, Richmond, California, Beyond the Chainlink
Kristin Naca, Seattle, Washington, Bird Eating Bird
Christopher Rizzo, Albany, New York, 33 Days in the Month of Kid
Donna Stonecipher, Seattle, Washington, The Cosmopolitan
Allison Titus, Richmond, Virginia, Barter, Fasten
Leila Wilson, Chicago, Illinois, The Hundred Grasses
Terence Winch, Silver Spring, Maryland, Lift from Below
Lynn Xu, Brooklyn, New York, For an Expedient Return to Wilderness
_______________________
I wonder: Is Rusty Morrison's work really that good that she would win this contest and place as a semi-finalist?
I would say that she is well-connected. But I'll let you all judge for yourself.
Ahsahta Press is delighted to announce the winner of its sixth annual Sawtooth Poetry Prize competition: Rusty Morrison of Richmond, California, whose manuscript the true keeps calm biding its story was selected by Peter Gizzi. She will receive the $1,500 prize in addition to the publication of her book by Ahsahta Press in January 2008. Read the rest here...
C.D. Wright will judge the 2008 contest.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Rusty Morrison and her husband Ken Keegan are founders of Omnidawn Publishing: a publication founded "to create books that are most closely aligned with each author's vision, and to provide an interactive and rewarding publishing experience for poets and writers."
"She was the winner of the 10th Annual Colorado Prize for Poetry (2004) judged by Forrest Gander for her poetry collection, Whethering, published by Center for Literary Publishing and distributed by the University Press of Colorado. She is also the winner of the 2006 Cecil Hemley Memorial Award and co-winner of the 2003 Robert H. Winner Memorial Award, both from the Poetry Society of America. She also co-edits the poetry journal 26, which is affiliated with the Saint Mary's MFA program."
Finalists for the 2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize:
Geri Lynn Baumblatt, Chicago, Illinois, Atlas of a Cul-de-sac
Oni Buchanan, Brighton, Massachusetts, Spring
Adam Clay, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Nodaway River
Joshua Corey, Ithaca, New York, Windlestrae
Donna de la Perrière, Oakland, California, Saint Erasure
Rebecca Morgan Frank, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Everyday Disaster
Anthony Hawley, Lincoln, Nebraska, Autobiography/Oughtabiography
Stephanie Heit, Frankfort, Michigan, Quiet Anatomy
Brenda Iijima, Brooklyn, New York, If Not Metamorphic (runner-up)
Alice Jones, Berkeley, California, Plunge
Jim Klein, Rutherford, New Jersey, I Didn’t Know if I Was Afoot or on Horseback
Rusty Morrison, Richmond, California, the true keeps calm biding its story (winner)
Danielle Pafunda, Shelburne, New Hampshire, Iatrogenic: Their Testimonies
Karin Randolph, Brooklyn, New York, Blitz
Richard A. Reid, Brooklyn, New York, to be hung from the ceiling by strings of varying length
Evelyn Reilly, Hillsdale, New York, Reverse Landscapes
Andrea Rexilius, Denver, Colorado, A HEM
Christopher Schmidt, Brooklyn, New York, The Next in Line
Brandon Shimoda, Missoula, Montana, O Bon
Michael Slosek, Chicago, Illinois, Artificial Origins
Ashley VanDoorn, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Devices
G.C. Waldrep, Gambier, Ohio, Archicembalo
_____________________
Semifinalists for 2007 Sawtooth Poetry Prize:
Angus Bennett, Austin, Texas, Stomachion
Jessica Bozek, Beverly, Massachusetts, The Bodyfeel Lexicon
Julie Carr, Denver, Colorado, I, Minimus
Jennifer Denrow, Saint Louis, Missouri, A Knee for a Life
Shira Dentz, Salt Lake City, Utah, Diagram of a Voice
Janet Kaplan, Brooklyn, New York, Dreamlife of a Philanthropist
Jennifer MacKenzie, Portland, Oregon, With Its Brightness
Dora Malech, Bethesda, Maryland, Say So
Sarah Mangold, Seattle, Washington, Everything About How
Malinda Markham, Tokyo, Japan, Who Came Running
Susan McCabe, Santa Monica, California, Descartes’ Nightmare
Mary Molinary, Memphis, Tennessee, Feast of Anonymous
L.J. Moore, San Francisco, California, F-STEIN
Rusty Morrison, Richmond, California, Beyond the Chainlink
Kristin Naca, Seattle, Washington, Bird Eating Bird
Christopher Rizzo, Albany, New York, 33 Days in the Month of Kid
Donna Stonecipher, Seattle, Washington, The Cosmopolitan
Allison Titus, Richmond, Virginia, Barter, Fasten
Leila Wilson, Chicago, Illinois, The Hundred Grasses
Terence Winch, Silver Spring, Maryland, Lift from Below
Lynn Xu, Brooklyn, New York, For an Expedient Return to Wilderness
_______________________
I wonder: Is Rusty Morrison's work really that good that she would win this contest and place as a semi-finalist?
I would say that she is well-connected. But I'll let you all judge for yourself.
Does Post Foetry Have a Future?
Maybe it's because it's summer, or, perhaps Al was right: it's possible Foetry has run its course. I reread the last few posts that I wrote, and I can see why readers aren't checking in and/or responding. Post Foetry isn't breaking new ground; in fact, in my opinion, we have taken a step backwards.
At least one comment suggests this fact.
I could just be cranky today; it's hot out, and I'm tired, but I'm getting the sense that writers like the status quo, even though it's a deeply flawed system. Certainly, pobiz benefits those in power, so there is little incentive for real change, unless...
The government gets involved and starts investigating some of these university and private elitist contests, which, in my opinion, are sophisticated versions of poetry.scam. I do believe that a day of reckoning is upon the horizon, but I, as a lonely dissenter, will not be the impetus for such an investigation. I have neither the money nor the ambition to sustain the ire and relentless investigation required of a whistle blower. Perhaps some government wonk will get up off his or her ass and start the ball rolling, but I'm not holding my breath. It will take a truly egregious scandal to get the attention of the right legislators. It will happen: if nothing else, pobiz powers have a bottomless capacity for self-deception--sooner or later, some narcissistic pobizer will piss off the wrong people (read: powerful).
Three years ago, Al, as a private citizen, did a damn good job of ruffling feathers, but he's only one person; even if you dislike him, he stirred up the pobiz and some changes did take place, but now he has had to move on and reclaim his life before Foetry.
I note that pobiz has pretty much lapsed back into its sloppy ways and slimy contest guidelines, but here's the deal: most of you are adults, and if you choose to support these bogus contests, then who am I (or anyone else) to stop you?
For the past few days, I have been doing some serious thinking about where I want to concentrate my limited energies, and I had to admit that it isn't here.
Therefore, I will no longer be updating contest guidelines; you're on your own now. Perhaps another fofighter will take up the fight. However, I'll keep this blog open for comments and team members should anyone have anything important to say.
Post Foetry has an opportunity to become a place where important ideas are discussed, but it isn't there yet, and it may never be there.
So be it.
I'll check in a few days from now.
Bugzita
At least one comment suggests this fact.
I could just be cranky today; it's hot out, and I'm tired, but I'm getting the sense that writers like the status quo, even though it's a deeply flawed system. Certainly, pobiz benefits those in power, so there is little incentive for real change, unless...
The government gets involved and starts investigating some of these university and private elitist contests, which, in my opinion, are sophisticated versions of poetry.scam. I do believe that a day of reckoning is upon the horizon, but I, as a lonely dissenter, will not be the impetus for such an investigation. I have neither the money nor the ambition to sustain the ire and relentless investigation required of a whistle blower. Perhaps some government wonk will get up off his or her ass and start the ball rolling, but I'm not holding my breath. It will take a truly egregious scandal to get the attention of the right legislators. It will happen: if nothing else, pobiz powers have a bottomless capacity for self-deception--sooner or later, some narcissistic pobizer will piss off the wrong people (read: powerful).
Three years ago, Al, as a private citizen, did a damn good job of ruffling feathers, but he's only one person; even if you dislike him, he stirred up the pobiz and some changes did take place, but now he has had to move on and reclaim his life before Foetry.
I note that pobiz has pretty much lapsed back into its sloppy ways and slimy contest guidelines, but here's the deal: most of you are adults, and if you choose to support these bogus contests, then who am I (or anyone else) to stop you?
For the past few days, I have been doing some serious thinking about where I want to concentrate my limited energies, and I had to admit that it isn't here.
Therefore, I will no longer be updating contest guidelines; you're on your own now. Perhaps another fofighter will take up the fight. However, I'll keep this blog open for comments and team members should anyone have anything important to say.
Post Foetry has an opportunity to become a place where important ideas are discussed, but it isn't there yet, and it may never be there.
So be it.
I'll check in a few days from now.
Bugzita
Ho-hum, Another Contest, More of the Same Old, Same Old
Yesterday, I received what I consider another piece of contest junk mail, this time from Hollis Summers Poetry Prize.
Yet another way to lose $20.00.
I don't even need to go into the full guidelines, but the following is, in my opinion, a deal killer:
How can one know if the judges are friends, former teachers, family, or foes if one does not know who the judges are? See our ideal guidelines in our favorite link list. Please note that our ideal contest guidelines text is a dynamic document; we are still working on it.
Eventually, we'll have in place a list of contests to definitely avoid and a list that have in place ethical submission rules. The latter will have links to their websites.
Hmmmmmm....I wonder which list will be longer?
Readers, if you want to help out in this effort, please e-mail any hinky guidelines to me.
Best, Bugzita
Yet another way to lose $20.00.
I don't even need to go into the full guidelines, but the following is, in my opinion, a deal killer:
The final judge for the competition will be announced when the winner is named in April [2008].Post Foetry recommends that you avoid all literary contests that don't announce their judges in advance and don't have the Jorie Graham Rule in place (e.g., former students, current students, friends, family, etc. may not enter).
How can one know if the judges are friends, former teachers, family, or foes if one does not know who the judges are? See our ideal guidelines in our favorite link list. Please note that our ideal contest guidelines text is a dynamic document; we are still working on it.
Eventually, we'll have in place a list of contests to definitely avoid and a list that have in place ethical submission rules. The latter will have links to their websites.
Hmmmmmm....I wonder which list will be longer?
Readers, if you want to help out in this effort, please e-mail any hinky guidelines to me.
Best, Bugzita
Calling All Suckers! poetry.scam "Press Release"
Most Post Foetry readers know this scam well, but just in case you're new to this game, I offer you an important warning:
poetry(dot)com and other vanity press companies scam the media with advertising dressed up as press releases, such as the following:
[SPAM!] For Immediate Release
Free Poetry Contest [Except for the $49.99, plus shipping, to see it buried on page 755, UNLESS you pay extra, yadda, ydda, yadda...]
OWINGS MILLS, MD (USA) - Poetry (dot) com [a.k.a. The International Library of Poetry and other bogus names, too numerous to mention here] has announced that $58,000.00 in prizes will be awarded this year in the International Open Poetry Contest. Poets, particularly beginners [suckers], are welcome to try to win their share of over 250 prizes. The deadline for the contest is [blanked out]. The contest is open to everyone [and they mean anyone, even your cat or gecko or local caveman. Sorry, Geico] and entry is FREE [Though your poem will be published in a cheesy edition with thousands of other REALLY BAD poems, and you'll have to pay $49.99, plus shipping, to see it on page 755, UNLESS you pay extra, yadda, yadda, yadda...].
"Any poet, whether previously published or not, can be a winner," stated [the scamster, uh, Contest Director]. "When people learn about our free poetry contest, they suddenly realize that their own poetic works of art can win cash prizes, as well as gain national recognition [along with 5,000,000 other suckers]," continued [Gort, the evil contest director] .
To enter, send ONE original poem, any subject and any style to: [blanked out--you'll THANK me]. The poem should be 20 lines or less [Do you think we REALLY want to waste more than 20 lines of profit on your CRAP?], and the poet's name and address should appear on the top of the page. Entries must be postmarked or sent via the Internet by [blanked out]. You may also enter online at poetry(dot)com [Noted here only because you'll want to know what to avoid].
The International Library of Poetry, founded in 1982, is the largest poetry [scam] organization in the world. [For more information, see Bugzita's Squidoo lens on this scam]
Unfortunately, many media outlets fall for this ploy, thus perpetuating the myth that these outfits are community-minded and spirited, when, in fact, they are huge money-making machines--$12,000,000 per year--that prey on the hopes of the young and naive.
My Squidoo lens offers some good links to organizations that have spent careers documenting the activities of scam poem contests.
Best to all,
Bugzita
poetry(dot)com and other vanity press companies scam the media with advertising dressed up as press releases, such as the following:
* * * * *
[SPAM!] For Immediate Release
Free Poetry Contest [Except for the $49.99, plus shipping, to see it buried on page 755, UNLESS you pay extra, yadda, ydda, yadda...]
OWINGS MILLS, MD (USA) - Poetry (dot) com [a.k.a. The International Library of Poetry and other bogus names, too numerous to mention here] has announced that $58,000.00 in prizes will be awarded this year in the International Open Poetry Contest. Poets, particularly beginners [suckers], are welcome to try to win their share of over 250 prizes. The deadline for the contest is [blanked out]. The contest is open to everyone [and they mean anyone, even your cat or gecko or local caveman. Sorry, Geico] and entry is FREE [Though your poem will be published in a cheesy edition with thousands of other REALLY BAD poems, and you'll have to pay $49.99, plus shipping, to see it on page 755, UNLESS you pay extra, yadda, yadda, yadda...].
"Any poet, whether previously published or not, can be a winner," stated [the scamster, uh, Contest Director]. "When people learn about our free poetry contest, they suddenly realize that their own poetic works of art can win cash prizes, as well as gain national recognition [along with 5,000,000 other suckers]," continued [Gort, the evil contest director] .
To enter, send ONE original poem, any subject and any style to: [blanked out--you'll THANK me]. The poem should be 20 lines or less [Do you think we REALLY want to waste more than 20 lines of profit on your CRAP?], and the poet's name and address should appear on the top of the page. Entries must be postmarked or sent via the Internet by [blanked out]. You may also enter online at poetry(dot)com [Noted here only because you'll want to know what to avoid].
The International Library of Poetry, founded in 1982, is the largest poetry [scam] organization in the world. [For more information, see Bugzita's Squidoo lens on this scam]
* * * * *
Unfortunately, many media outlets fall for this ploy, thus perpetuating the myth that these outfits are community-minded and spirited, when, in fact, they are huge money-making machines--$12,000,000 per year--that prey on the hopes of the young and naive.
My Squidoo lens offers some good links to organizations that have spent careers documenting the activities of scam poem contests.
Best to all,
Bugzita
A New Beginning?
Foetry fans and others,
With some trepidation, I started this Post Foetry blog because I believe that Foetry's work is important and should continue in some form. Alan Cordle, founder of Foetry, and Matt Koeske worked very hard on the Foetry forum, but life goes on and people burn out.
Maybe Foetry itself burned out. Maybe Post Foetry will burn out even before it's truly launched.
With that in mind, I would like Post Foetry to consist of a blogging team; this is not a "call for bloggers" per se; I have some people in mind, Foetry members, and I will be emailing them soon.
However, this blog will be open to moderated comments. It's not that I wish to squash opposing viewpoints--I just need to eliminate spambots and comments that could get me sued.
So we'll see how it goes.
On another topic...
I keep getting junk mail from literary organizations who want me to join as a member. Today's invitation was from Poets House, an organization located in New York City. It touts a library and offers "a place for congenial conversation and socialility."
For $40.00, I'll "receive free admission to Poets House programs, discounted tickets to special events, a Poetry Advocate lapel pin and a collectible Poets House Haiku Pencil."
The problem is, I live 150 + miles from New York City. If I get there once a year, that is a lot. I can't afford NYC, and I don't have a lot of money to burn on memberships.
Where do these people get my name?
Best to all,
Bugzita
With some trepidation, I started this Post Foetry blog because I believe that Foetry's work is important and should continue in some form. Alan Cordle, founder of Foetry, and Matt Koeske worked very hard on the Foetry forum, but life goes on and people burn out.
Maybe Foetry itself burned out. Maybe Post Foetry will burn out even before it's truly launched.
With that in mind, I would like Post Foetry to consist of a blogging team; this is not a "call for bloggers" per se; I have some people in mind, Foetry members, and I will be emailing them soon.
However, this blog will be open to moderated comments. It's not that I wish to squash opposing viewpoints--I just need to eliminate spambots and comments that could get me sued.
So we'll see how it goes.
On another topic...
I keep getting junk mail from literary organizations who want me to join as a member. Today's invitation was from Poets House, an organization located in New York City. It touts a library and offers "a place for congenial conversation and socialility."
For $40.00, I'll "receive free admission to Poets House programs, discounted tickets to special events, a Poetry Advocate lapel pin and a collectible Poets House Haiku Pencil."
The problem is, I live 150 + miles from New York City. If I get there once a year, that is a lot. I can't afford NYC, and I don't have a lot of money to burn on memberships.
Where do these people get my name?
Best to all,
Bugzita
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