I think many people miss the point of minority-focused journals when they look at which writers are being excluded. Instead, perhaps they should focus on what such journals have to offer readers. For one thing, the assumption seems to be that the readers will probably be mainly from the specific minority focused on in the journal. It is not surprising that members of a minority group might be most interested in reading about the experiences and perspectives of members of their own minority, especially if they feel those are underrepresented in other journals. If I want to read about cooking, I turn to a cooking magazine, not to Time or Newsweek, even if they occasionally include an article about cooking. Perhaps white men already find their own experiences represented in many journals and don't feel a desire for a journal that focuses only on them. If minority-focused journals claimed to be presenting the best poetry anywhere, white men might be justified in objecting to being excluded. But they claim only to be presenting good poetry by members of a particular minority. Is there something wrong with that?
Susan
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