[Tim Murphy]

I have been having discussions with poets and staff about what we should do with our board to try to match (we can't top it) the shows we staged in 2008.

Sonnet Bake-Off number eight, or nine? Cathy Chandler has very gracious agreed to select twelve sonnets, and forward them blind to the Judge, me. My goal will be to replicate the close readings of Mike Stocks and Alan Sullivan. I suggest March for submission, and April for comment and balloting. Cathy will furnish instructions.

We must repeat the wildly successful Translation and Light Verse Bake-offs, and beg Lee Gurga and Steve Collington to continue their haiku teaching. I shall seek screeners and judges for the Bake-Offs.

I want to follow our Frost Fest of last July with a Wilbur Fest. Rhina and I will coordinate the event. Unlike Robert, Dick can participate! Many, many of us have written monographs and papers on our greatest living poet, and Dick is churning out poems but not buying any green bananas.

Last year we devoted the month of November to women's poetry. I would like to tackle two similar projects. Poetry by the young, chair persons to be selected by you. Young means FORTY or less! You rug rats figure that out. I'd also like to discuss men's poetry.

And of course we would all adore a return of Tim Love's Flash Fiction workshop.

December we will Deck the Halls. I'll get Rhina to return, but this year I shall screen.

So see what you think, Spherians.

[Julie Steiner]

I, too, look forward to seeing equal time for outstanding poetry by men. And even though I'll be an old fart by the time November rolls around, it's still very reassuring to hear that I have eight months of youth left to misspend!

Thanks for the time and talent you put into making these worthwhile events happen here, Tim.

[Rose Kelleher]

And while we're at it, how about a special feature for white poets?

[Rose Kelleher]

Julie wrote:

Thanks for the time and talent you put into making these worthwhile events happen here, Tim.

Oh, all right, that too. But really, "equal time" for men? Gimme a break.

[Mark Allinson]

But really, "equal time" for men? Gimme a break.

Rose, are you seriously suggesting a policy of "affirmative action" on DG?

[Julie Steiner]

Actually, Mark, I think Rose is innocent--it was MY unfortunate "equal time" phrase that suggested that...

Sigh. What I meant was, I'm looking forward to another, EQUALLY LONG AND DIVERTING, celebration of poetry and personalities in the Distinguished Guest forum. Said personalities happened to be yin last time, and I expect the yang to be just as much fun.

Cut me some slack, people! I'm only forty! Sheesh!

[Mark Allinson]

Ahh, I see - thanks, Julie.

Actually, I don't really care for "women's poetry" or for "men's poetry", because in my view there is only "poetry".

I really wouldn't mind if Chimps could learn to write, so long as it was good stuff.

Will we eventually see "Bald-Headed Poetry" or "Freckled Person's Poetry"?

All I want to see is POETRY!

[Tim Murphy]

All of my poetry is freckled person's poetry.

[Mark Allinson]

All of my poetry is freckled person's poetry.

That's great, Timmy - but do you believe that your freckledness held you back in the po-world.

Are there freckle-ist forces working to suppress your voice?

I write Bald-headed poetry myself, and let me tell you the baldism abroad today is truly frightening.

And as soon as editors see my baseball cap, they know.

[Jan Iwaszkiewicz]

We are all freckled.

Everyone has one.