What you are saying, Clay, is that, in light of Sally's work as a poet, she could not wholly mean what I cited in the quote.
Oh well, we all overstate our cases from time to time. Me too.
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A poem should not betray a confidence, for example, a trade secret.
A poem should not plagarize the work of another poet.
A poem should not needlessly reveal something about another living party which could jeapardize their reputation or get them in legal trouble. (Suppose the Lustig family was keeping it a secret that their daugher, Sandy, had been raped at age 9. Further suppose that you became privy to confidential police documents. A poem called "The Rape of Sandy Lustig" published in a local poetry journal would be a violation of Sandy's right to privacy.)
A poem should not encourage the commission of a crime.
[This message has been edited by Fred Longworth (edited June 30, 2004).]
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