[David Anthony]

Dear Rhina,
Many thanks for undertaking this daunting task.
Cowardly as always, I didn't even vote myself; unwilling to risk upsetting 14 people and only pleasing one (but also worrying about apples and pears).
Thanks also for your insightful comments; we couldn't have hoped for a better judge.
Best wishes,
David

[Carol Taylor]

If you use published poems there's going to be a likelihood that many of us, including the judge of the bake-off, will be familiar with the work, isn't there? So maybe the next bake-off should be unpublished poems?

Carol

[Julie Steiner]

Hmmm. Since I've never published anything, Carol's idea appeals to me . (Then again, I assume that that Tim will again be narrowing the field, so my stinkers probably wouldn't make it into the sweet 16. )

For anonymity's sake, the poems would have to be unworkshopped, too. But that unpublished, unworkshopped state might encourage discussion. I refrained from commenting too much on these published poems because, rightly or wrongly, I assumed that the authors were unlikely to welcome advice for tinkering with something that they and an editor had already deemed final enough for publication.

Julie Stoner

[nyctom]

I for one would be curious to know where these were published. It would be interesting to see what publications/publishers are actually publishing formal work.

Howsabout it?

Tom

[kday1]

I've been in and out of this forum for awhile now, but I'd like to say thanks for doing this--to the writers, to Rhina, and to everyone who commented.

I liked the fact that the poems' authors weren't identified. That allowed for a completely unbiased response, on my part. I admire some of the poets so much that I confess to a predisposition whenever I see the name in print.

I've found myself reading and re-reading those poems, and it has been an incredible learning experience. It occurred to me that the thread is an excellent resource for teachers of poetry, because it reflects the best that can be done, in my humble opinion.

So consider my post a thank you and a vote of admiration as well.

[Michael Juster]

It was an honor to be in such fine company and judged by such a wonderful poet and person.

[Bruce McBirney]

I'm joining the party late today, since I was off to work early and home late. But many thanks to Rhina (who as I recall was deservedly one of the winners in last year's bake-off) for her perceptive comments and critique and to Tim for organizing all this.

I was both surprised and delighted to be included. As I've told Tim elsewhere, I felt like a guy who takes a wrong turn and walks into an exclusive party, but they hand him a glass of champagne anyway!

Rhina, I can't imagine a more knowledgeable, experienced successor to Dick Davis as the judge. Regardless of the format (names or not, published or not), I hope Tim keeps this tradition going. Perhaps next year Tim can persuade one of this year's winners, Alicia, Deborah or Paul, to follow in your and Dick's footsteps.

Michael Cantor made the suggestion above that the authors reopen the threads on their poems. I see no one has done that as yet. I would love to hear what everyone has to say, so I'll go do that now in hopes it will break the ice.

[Chris Childers]

I'll just say that many of these poems were really, really good, and reading the Rhina's comments and the others helped enhance my appreciation by no small degree. I'm actually going around and waving some of them in various people's faces, demanding that they join me in my veneration. I'm glad I stumbled here.

Chris

[Terese Coe]

I agree that tinkering with published work might be annoying to the poet, but we could all take a lesson from the positive energy Rhina puts into her commentary. That made this superb batch of sonnets all the more eye-opening. The Bake-Off has been a terrific success if luring fine work is any indication, and even more so if we can judge by its entertainment and literary value to the readers.

I like Carol's idea to include unpublished sonnets next time.

Many thanks to Rhina, Tim, Alex and all the participants. A most enjoyable performance!

Congratulations to Alicia, Paul and Deborah, as well as Catherine, Gerry and Bob M.!

Terese

[Tim Murphy]

I have to confess I don't know where all these poems were published. Paul's and Tim's were Sewanee Review. Alan's was probably in the Formalist. Gerry's and David's I first encountered in their new books. Wiley's poem is in his e-book at the New Formalist. And some of the poems are "forthcoming." The only reason I've asked for "published" work is to filter things out, a screening device, as it were.