Quincy,
I take your point about that passage, though I'd hoped that the noticeable lack of contributions by anyone on that list save Greg Williamson, the somewhat off-putting language of "swarming nests," and the non-JHU URL might indicate a certain contrariness/outsiderness, by choice and by necessity. But I also admit I was more focused on the strangeness of the emergence of such centers of "formalism" long after the New Formalism's ostensible heyday.
On a related note, all four editors agreed we wouldn't post our bios, unlike those of a number of other online mags, precisely because we didn't want this to become a vehicle for self-promotion.
I have been burned enough by academia to want to see its course changed, though I'm also capable of laughing deep belly laughs at it (and myself). I pointed out the "Baltimore School" thingy elsewhere but smirking as I typed. What's more, by internal constitution I'm anti-schmoozing (I pointedly skipped the AWP meeting when it was in Baltimore) and, as such, playing tireless booster and delighted collector has sometimes pushed my tolerance for sprightliness. Love of the art is ultimately what drives me, and what contributions I'm making come straight out of my pocket and scraps of free time. Sure, I'll holler in the wilderness until I lose my voice on other matters where I'm not "on the inside," and I'm as good as the next guy at fruitlessly whining. Whatever you may think about Chomsky he does have a point about working for change from within an institution--whatever the limited extent my uploading into the PoBiz matrix has been I will stand straddling the boundary of campus and broadcast our little reports by Internet megaphone. I am grateful for your words about the intro essay, and I hope we live up to what we have promised.
As for not wanting to pick a fight, well, when you roll your eyes at someone, you know, you invite a response. I dislike conflict immensely but I couldn't let mischaracterization stand, that's all.
My, how this has veered off-topic.
All best,
D
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