Dg 2009
 

I have been having discussions with poets and staff about what we should do with our board to try to match (we can't top it) the shows we staged in 2008.

Sonnet Bake-Off number eight, or nine? Cathy Chandler has very gracious agreed to select twelve sonnets, and forward them blind to the Judge, me. My goal will be to replicate the close readings of Mike Stocks and Alan Sullivan. I suggest March for submission, and April for comment and balloting. Cathy will furnish instructions.

We must repeat the wildly successful Translation and Light Verse Bake-offs, and beg Lee Gurga and Steve Collington to continue their haiku teaching. I shall seek screeners and judges for the Bake-Offs.

I want to follow our Frost Fest of last July with a Wilbur Fest. Rhina and I will coordinate the event. Unlike Robert, Dick can participate! Many, many of us have written monographs and papers on our greatest living poet, and Dick is churning out poems but not buying any green bananas.

Last year we devoted the month of November to women's poetry. I would like to tackle two similar projects. Poetry by the young, chair persons to be selected by you. Young means FORTY or less! You rug rats figure that out. I'd also like to discuss men's poetry.

And of course we would all adore a return of Tim Love's Flash Fiction workshop.

December we will Deck the Halls. I'll get Rhina to return, but this year I shall screen.

So see what you think, Spherians.

I, too, look forward to seeing equal time for outstanding poetry by men. And even though I'll be an old fart by the time November rolls around, it's still very reassuring to hear that I have eight months of youth left to misspend!

Thanks for the time and talent you put into making these worthwhile events happen here, Tim.

And while we're at it, how about a special feature for white poets?

Julie wrote:Oh, all right, that too. But really, "equal time" for men? Gimme a break.

Rose, are you seriously suggesting a policy of "affirmative action" on DG?

Actually, Mark, I think Rose is innocent--it was MY unfortunate "equal time" phrase that suggested that...

Sigh. What I meant was, I'm looking forward to another, EQUALLY LONG AND DIVERTING, celebration of poetry and personalities in the Distinguished Guest forum. Said personalities happened to be yin last time, and I expect the yang to be just as much fun.

Cut me some slack, people! I'm only forty! Sheesh!

Ahh, I see - thanks, Julie.

Actually, I don't really care for "women's poetry" or for "men's poetry", because in my view there is only "poetry".

I really wouldn't mind if Chimps could learn to write, so long as it was good stuff.

Will we eventually see "Bald-Headed Poetry" or "Freckled Person's Poetry"?

All I want to see is POETRY!

All of my poetry is freckled person's poetry.

That's great, Timmy - but do you believe that your freckledness held you back in the po-world.

Are there freckle-ist forces working to suppress your voice?

I write Bald-headed poetry myself, and let me tell you the baldism abroad today is truly frightening.

And as soon as editors see my baseball cap, they know.

We are all freckled.

Everyone has one.

Rapidly evolving situations. Chris Childers will screen and Clive Watkins will judge our second translation bake-off. Quincy Lehr and Jehanne Doubrow will host our discussion on young poets. I am grateful for their participation.

Sounds like it will be another great year. Part of me wishes I were competing with 30 year olds and under. I don't know if there are many of us on this board. What month with the young-uns' thing be in?

Christy, give me time to get the schedule in order. We need more twenty-somethings on this board.

Actually, why the need for a screener at all? I know the previous screeners have done a splendid job and all, but sometimes they've agonised over it---and who knows but they might exclude something the final judge would have liked? Why not just let the judge see all the entries and comment on twelve (or whatever). That's how Mike Stocks did it, as I recall. The anonymising of entries for the judge just needs someone to receive them and send ALL of them on minus names, etc.

Also, Tim, it would be helpful to have a clear statement each time on whether the entries need to have been workshopped here or not. This used to be a requirement (it was "within the last couple of years" I think) but I don't think the point has always been covered in recent bakeoff calls.

What Henry said.

Tim,

Henry and Jim have a point.

Please let me know if you still want me to be a screener for the sonnet bake-off or simply an "anonymizer". Of course, it will mean more work for you, but I don't want people piling on me because I didn't send their sonnet on to you.

Cathy

Mike used an Anonymizer. Which I think is silly. I have never thought these things need be blind. I have usually served as screener for the judges. The people I have asked to screen over the years are people whose judgment I trust. Marion Shore screening for Charles Martin. John Whitworth for Joe Kennedy. Rose for Dick Wilbur. Myself for many judges. We went to screeners to minimize work for the judges. We went to blind judging to respond to demands from our members. I'll handle it anyway you want. I for one trust Cathy to choose twelve sonnets, but I can do it myself.

I don't believe it has ever been a requirement that anything in a bake-off have been workshopped here. Never. We'd not have had entries from the likes of Williamson and Stallings otherwise. The requirement is "not published in a trade book or an anthology." I am paying attention to all this discussion of our work being rejected at Poetry, etc. I have written Sasaki and Wiman on our behalf. But certainly at The Lariat it's an issue, for ours is an anthology whose archives are not expunged. And I guess I'd urge members to submit published work and acknowledge its provenance.

What a great lineup, Tim. Thanks for all you do.

Personally, I think we should have some attention on all poets who can/have bench-pressed 300 lbs. :)

Tim,

First: the lineup looks good but...

Second: How about we give Tanka a spin? Ask David Anthony...he can set it up.

Third: How about a month dedicated to poets whose poetry other poets hate? That way I could actually win a contest!

Fr. RP

I vote for Catherine being more than a mere "anonymizer." I'm interested in seeing which sonnets she chooses. Aren't you? And I hope she'll comment on her selections, too, along with Tim.

No offense, Tim, but we all know your taste by now. I'd like to see Catherine have her say. She's an accomplished sonneteer with useful insights to share.

As for piling on, Catherine, let 'em complain. What do you care?

And just a note to Tim--

Let me know when you want to start getting the act together for the "younger" poets thing. I assume we don't really need to move on it quite yet.

I'm with Mark. I'd like to see something highlighting chimp poetry, perhaps then expanding to other primates.

Black labs, Mike? I agree on Cathy screening and making her own observations on choices, and there is a chance a major poet will be joining us. Quincy, I'm thinking fall for the younger poets affair, so no, we needn't think about that yet. I'm also thinking that white male poetry is not such a good idea. But I might round up Mary Merriam and Nemo Hill for a stint on gay poetry.

Timmy, take the extra "r" from my last name and move it over to R. Nemo Hill, and I'll be there with bells on! Yessiree! How exciting that would be!

Mary Meriam

Ha.

Just as I suspected - no word about the possibility of a Bald Poets event.

We are people too, you know.

And we demand our place in the sun! (with a 30+ screen, of course)

But who am I kidding - what else can you expect from such a hairist culture!

Mark

Our boyos bought Alan a tee shirt which read

It's not a bald spot.
It's a solar panel for a sex machine.

I'm curious as to why the trade book or anthology limit, but no none on publication in, for instance, widely read journals.

Best,
Marcia

Marcia, it's so established poets can't come in and clobber the field with anthology pieces. In fact, I encourage the submission of published work.