[Rick Mullin]

Yes, but we generally go ahead and discuss.

[Jesse Anger]

Oh good, I got a little turned around. Thanks Rick.

[David Rosenthal]

I am sorry, everyone, for causing a mini-dust-up about the codes, especially since I didn't end up submitting anything for the event.

David R.

[Rick Mullin]

This has been a very dull decking of the halls, though, despite the caliber of the poetry. Maybe there's some confusion about how or whether to participate. Should we be commenting and, well, critiquing? As I remember we have in the past, and it's been a fun group grope.

RM

[Mary Meriam]

I imagine being the host AND the distinguished guest AND a moderator AND a fabulous 5,000-pound-winning poet is a lot to deal with, but is Whitty supposed to be commenting on each poem too?

John, you're the soul of the Sphere. Thanks.

[Charlotte Innes]

Hi all,

Maybe I'm tired, and it's SO after the event, but I got a bit confused about the whole thing. Could someone clarify (for the next time around!):

1) What you can send in. Yes, the poem has to be been workshopped, but does it have to have been published as well?

2) Can anyone comment on the poems as they come up? Or is it a special crew? I wasn't sure if that was the case.

Sorry! Too much going on here...

Charlotte

[Maryann Corbett]

Charlotte, I'm sorry you felt confused this year. Things have been a little different from the usual plan, including the very late start.

I've run a couple of these events, so I feel safe saying how things have been done in the past--with the caveat that a given year's judge can bend things to suit his own preferred methods, and we need to adapt to that.

What should you send? What you send in should have been something you workshopped here, at some point in the past. And something should have "happened to it" this year.

If all that happened was that you workshopped it this year, and it's not out in submission somewhere, that's enough for it to be eligible to submit.

Other "things that happened" could include publication, or winning a contest, or placing, or getting an honorable mention somewhere. Creative thinkers might come up with other possibilities.

Anybody can comment on the posted poems, as soon as they're put up. They're fair game. John has a point that having the judge's comments come last is less inhibiting to those comments.

I hope this helps some. You can look back on the DG board at past years' events and they might tell you something too.

[Charlotte Innes]

Dear Maryann,

This is incredibly helpful. Thank you. It puts everything in a nutshell! I think it was the "things that happened" part that confused me the most--now I know!

I did just have a poem accepted that was workshopped here, but it hasn't appeared yet, and I was wondering if that was eligible--or only after it was published.

At any rate, I'll know better next year!

All best,
Charlotte