[Tim Murphy]

I am really disappointed at Terese getting booted out of here, but I am PISSED at Lo accusing us of running a favored sons club. Lo, who the hell arranged your first publication in Solaris Hill? Tim Murphy. Arranged Videlock's first ebook? What member of the Sphere has written essays on Stallings, Tufariello, Warren, Doyle, and Espaillat? Murphy. Don't ever accuse me of running a favored sons club. There are many things I can be accused of, but sexism isn't one of them. This place is a meritocracy, and it is open to men, women, lesbians and gays.

[Quincy Lehr]

Tim--

Look at Lo's post again. The main argument isn't about gender therein--a reference to "women (or men)" being almost an aside. Think about her main points. Seriously.

Quincy

[Simon Hunt]

Tim: I've got a lot of respect for your presence here, and I've enjoyed my conversations with you tremendously, but I find your post here ill-advised in that it's unattractively self-congratulatory and personal in a way that Lo's post which has so aggrieved you simply is not. It may be that Lo meant you and exlusively you--I wouldn't know--but she did not "call you out" in the way that you are doing to her.

For what it's worth, moreover--although some of her diction indicated a gendered split--I didn't think (and I've just re-read her) that the charge of sexism was anything like Lo's main point. Rather, I take her to be saying that the Sphere too often seems to have an in-crowd (mostly men, I think she'd say) and a larger out-crowd (including both/all genders). That hasn't been my experience. I--a thick-skinned participant of meager talent at best--enjoy my time here immensely and feel welcomed. However, Lo's experience and her sense that such a dynamic may at play in the banning of Terese Coe are worthy of discussion, and I'm glad she's so brave as to say what she thinks.

I'd kill this whole thread, and I hope you won't mind my saying so.

Best, --Simon

[Daniel Haar]

Tim,

I cannot know what is in Lo's mind, but I read "favorite son" and not "favorite son". That is, I think she was speaking to a perceived favoritism on the board. She is no where near the only one to have expressed such a sentiment in recent weeks. I am certianly not saying this perception is correct. I have no idea. Tim, your contribution to Eratosphere has been invaluable. But you are admittedly a bit hot-tempered. If the perception of favoritism is false, then there is an interest in explaining that perception away. I don't think it helps to shut up those who have the guts to speak up and explain what others (including several long-time members) think as well.

- Daniel


"THROW away thy rod,
Throw away thy wrath:
O my God,
Take the gentle path."

[This message has been edited by Daniel Haar (edited October 08, 2006).]

[Quincy Lehr]

Daniel's read of what Lo meant by "favored son" is the same as mine.

[jack edwards]

Hmmm. Simon, I'm not sure it'd be a proper dust-up if there wasn't at least one bizarre spin-off thread, with Murphy in full 'Kiss the Ring' mode. This thread isn't a warning sign -- it signals that we're approaching closure. And that's a good thing.

Don't be sucked in by that tired old histrionics ploy, either. I suspect Murphy purposefully musters and dons the megalomania like a Polynesian chieftain's mantle of red herringfeathers, cleverly drawing the enemy away from the moderators who, very likely, have simply done their jobs in the interest of preserving this site.

Not sure why a temporary, 'penalty-box' type of solution isn't more common on poetry boards, unless it's because the more excitable participants spend themselves in condemning such penalties as 'censorship' -- disregarding the obvious benefits of not losing an excitable but worthwhile member forever.

[Simon Hunt]

I'm with Daniel and Quincy.

[And now I'm editing back to say that Jack's message cracked me up. Good point about the penalty box. We need more ice-hockey-derived procedures in every walk of life!]

[This message has been edited by Simon Hunt (edited October 08, 2006).]

[Janet Kenny]

Actually when Lo wrote about those who use Eratosphere as a "vanity board" I thought she meant me because I've hardly submitted anywhere for two years owing to various instabilities in my life.

I intend to submit, indeed, did so a little while back although to somewhere I don't expect any success.

Cool it friends. We all get a great deal of joy from this place. Some of us have published more than others. Tim is very generous towards those who have less knowledge about publishing work than he does. He is published because of merit.


He is also enduring a great deal of stress at the moment so why don't we all stop acting like Blind Justice and become humans again.
Janet

[Quincy Lehr]

Jack--

If you check the thread from which this one spun off, we've all already spoken our bits. Unless there are new developments there, I think my position is quite clear.

Quincy

[grasshopper]

Tim,
'Favourite son' is a unisex term (as 'old boys' club' has come to be).

Definition from Dictionary.com:
favourite son
n : a politician favored mainly in his or her home state [syn: favorite son]


Regards, Maz