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  #1  
Unread 10-16-2017, 03:42 PM
R. S. Gwynn's Avatar
R. S. Gwynn R. S. Gwynn is offline
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Default West Chester

I have resigned, effective immediately, my position as Program Director of the West Chester University Poetry Conference. To all of you who have helped to make the conference a success over the years, I offer my gratitude.
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Unread 10-16-2017, 03:53 PM
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Thank you for your time and effort and the support, Sam.
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  #3  
Unread 10-16-2017, 03:59 PM
Susan McLean Susan McLean is offline
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I am sorry to hear that you are stepping down, Sam. Thanks for taking on what has to have been a time-consuming and difficult job. I hope that someone else will try to keep the conference going.

Susan
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Unread 10-17-2017, 12:11 PM
Michael Juster Michael Juster is offline
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I think that this news is the start of a death spiral.
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  #5  
Unread 10-17-2017, 12:37 PM
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Rick Mullin Rick Mullin is online now
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Oh, I think the better metaphor is nitrogen cycle. And West Chester is many more than two years into it. It's natural. And it's all good.

Sam's effort to bring it back, especially in competition with a spin-off that many of us also support, has been extraordinary. Just dealing with the personalities is almost impossible. And catering! Again--thanks Sam.

RM
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Unread 10-17-2017, 02:07 PM
Michael Juster Michael Juster is offline
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Sam did some heroic work, but the loss of Mike Peich at WCU has left the conference at the mercy of clueless administrators.

Last edited by Michael Juster; 10-17-2017 at 09:52 PM. Reason: typo; existential angst
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  #7  
Unread 10-17-2017, 04:28 PM
Michael Cantor Michael Cantor is offline
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Mike Juster nailed it. It was Mike Peich's Conference, and by the time Sam took over the death spiral had started; and the further the Conference departed from being a cohesive entity, centered around the comfortable lounge at Sykes and the Holiday, the less involved the school became, the more we focused on panels and less on just mingling - and the loss of the Holiday and Sykes was a biggie - it increasingly became just an academic Conference on poetry, rather than a gathering of poets who also attended seminars. Thank you, Sam, for all of your efforts, and I'm sorry you didn't have more help.

Last edited by Michael Cantor; 10-17-2017 at 04:30 PM.
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Unread 10-17-2017, 06:33 PM
G. M. Palmer G. M. Palmer is offline
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Clearly you weren't at the 2017 conference.
It was indeed a cohesive entity, a gathering of poets, a celebration of mingling along with poets who attend seminars and engage in the academic study of poetry.
It was, in a word, sublime.
Don't criticize. Participate.
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  #9  
Unread 10-17-2017, 06:52 PM
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Ed Shacklee Ed Shacklee is offline
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Such a fine poet, with a deep, rich vein of humor. Some things can’t be replaced.

Best,

Ed
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  #10  
Unread 10-17-2017, 08:33 PM
Charlotte Innes Charlotte Innes is offline
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I was rather stunned to discover you were leaving, Sam. And I learned about it on Facebook! I do think the dean could have sent all the participants a letter.

However, I also want to say that you did a heroic job at the 2017 conference. I agree with G. M. Palmer that, despite being pushed out of Sykes and all that, it was a tremendously cohesive and comradely affair. I talked to so many poets and learned so much in Alicia Stallings' workshop, both from Alicia and the members of the workshop.

I also loved the concert, hours of piano playing by Lori Laitman and a very moving performance of "The Scarlet Letter," and Rick Mullin's art exhibit. Also, I was on a panel (my first and now probably my last), the First Books panel organized by Wendy Sloan and Quincy Lehr, ably moderated by Quincy. This particular conference really was one of those events you never forget--and I have been to quite a few. Also, a shout out to Luke Stromberg as Sam's sidekick, who worked day and night to ensure things ran smoothly.

And Rick is right, the food was fantastic!

Thank you so much for all you gave to it, Sam.

Charlotte
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