I am senior to most of you (though younger than Mr. Wilbur), and I think this poem is excellent. The zucchini piece, on the other hand, I find embarrassing and tasteless. That is my opinion, for what it's worth, and nobody else has to agree with it.

If Mr. Parnassus gets another mouse aren't we expecting him to post and read here unfiltered? Maybe it's best he doesn't get another mouse if we need to protect him from seeing things that might offend or which aren't good enough for his attention. In that case I suggest we stop pretending he's going to appear and speak for himself in the first place.

What Eratosphere should be more worried about is its overwhelming preoccupation with reaching a consensus on what is "the best that Eratosphere has to offer." In my opinion.

Carol

Seconding Robert, and I'm not second-guessing Rose. I just talked to Richard, and he is typing up his observations on the six sonnets. I'm sure Rose will post them as soon as she receives them by mail.

By your own admission, Tim, your "Case Notes" includes
child molestation, homosexuality in the boy scouts, alcoholism, drug addiction and psychotherapy - and I'm sure Mr. Wilbur is well acquainted with all of your poetry.
http://www.ablemuse.com/erato/ubbhtm...ML/001624.html

Why would it be permissible to mention those things around a man of "another generation" and not these things?

The zucchini poem may be more graphic (although this one is not) - but honestly, isn't a person's own imagination the most graphic thing around? I would imagine Mr. Wilbur has as imaginative an imagination as anyone around here.

As for a generational divide - I really don't see it. We're all pretty much the same age, aren't we?

I'm with RC - it's Rose's call - you picked her to do it and you picked well. Trust her.

Lo






[This message has been edited by Laura Heidy-Halberstein (edited May 08, 2008).]

For at least a day, since I first became acquainted with 'Cummington', I did not associate it with being a place name, but, perversely, completely assumed we were talking about Collington. Stephen Collington. And wondered why everyone seemed so concerned about him, and only him, being exposed to poems of a salacious nature.

Now, it is all so mundane. And disappointing.

Quote from introductory thread: Rose Kelleher, whose first book was just so deservedly awarded Waywiser's Anthony Hecht Prize by Wilbur, will host this year's bake-off. In reading her manuscript I was pretty well gobsmacked by the number of first rate sonnets in the book, and so was Dick.

I'm with Lo. I chose wisely.

I have been known to stand on chairs and scream.

Kinky

How about if a moderator edits the words "CONTENT WARNING" into the subject line? Then anyone who reads this sonnet will be doing so at his or her own risk.

In answer to your question, Tim and Sam:

In the first packet I sent to Mr. Wilbur, I included the following sonnets:

Fist
Caravel
The Pick-up Artist in Spring
Opening a Jar of Dead Sea Mud
Attention

I also included these two, with a note saying I was torn between them:

Food
I'll Call Him Art

and this one, with a note saying it wasn't eligible, but that I loved it and thought he might enjoy it:

the sirens answer

In my second letter, I included the updated final six:

Fist
Caravel
The Pick-up Artist in Spring
Opening a Jar of Dead Sea Mud
Attention
Barcelona (I explained in the Barcelona thread my reason for choosing this one over the other two.)

So the real risk here is that I've confused Mr. Wilbur with my dithering.

I'm sorry you don't approve of all my choices, but I'm doing the best I can. My taste is what it is. And if I listened overmuch to what others said, I would never have written a second poem.

In any case, the fact that Mr. Wilbur seems to have liked my collection indicates to me that he is not the type to have fainting fits over a little impropriety.


[This message has been edited by Rose Kelleher (edited May 08, 2008).]

Not my cuppa. Thumbs down.

Jim wrote:
Yeah, I had the same confusion going on in my mind. I think Richard Wilbur can handle this poem. I do hope he was spared the "squash stew" poem, though. I thought it was just vulgar. I mean, it is fine and dandy if people want to 'do it' with vegetables, but please just don't make me read about it, okay? Or as my kids would say... "Get a room!".

Anne