Quote:
Originally Posted by R. Nemo Hill
The arguments of the old days, even when they became petty or vituperative, were, for me, just as instructive as the calmer archival education. The reputation of the Sphere rested firmly upon such an unsparingly critical approach, and on the full airing of opinion which often compelled response from one. It did get messy, but the poetic results were often dazzling, and the lessons learned were invaluable to me. It changed me, thickening my skin without making it impermeable. I see nothing even remotely comparable to that raucous goldmine going on here these days, nothing to distinguish the Sphere from any other site. But perhaps lightning only strikes once.
Nemo
|
I believe it, although I wonder if this site is still the strongest poetry community to be found online. In terms of archival quality, skill of the poets who are still here, and the critique that's still happening. I have no doubt that standards would have been higher in the early days, but much of the critique I've received since joining has been quite strong. At least IMO.
Really, I can say something similar. What I've learned since joining in 2021 has been invaluable, and wouldn't have been possible without this community. So it's not all in tatters.
I also agree on the point about general poetic education. A lot of what I've learned since joining hasn't only come from critique, but more generally having access to a community of poets and an archive of the conversations that have been had here.