I am talking about societal conditioning, which includes a lot of assumptions about what constitutes quality, aside from the what actually does. Blind submissions are a good idea, but not practicable. Firstly, poets recognise other poets' work. Secondly, a lot of major journals solicit work from poets or works is passed by friends or friends of friends: their students, someone deemed new talent. I've been on editing side of this.
(And by the way had a horrendous experience at teh hands of my co-editors, all men. I innocently had no idea I was the token woman when I was hanging around in pubs with them. Or rather was honorary male. On that subject too, I write exensively in my essay, but it's been said too and better by other writers such as Adrienne Rich.)
So, conspiracy? I'm not sure what we mean by this. And yes a lot of men STILL feel threatened by smart women, even those who profess to love them. What I've learned is that many men talk the talk but they don't walk the walk.
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