David,
This is my second go at a response to your message. I should clarify my
position. I don't think a rigorous application process for poetryetc is
practical- it's a free forum and we should try to keep it that way. Who
would have time to assess applications unpaid?
But I do think we should do two things to safeguard both listmembers and the
integrity and democracy of discussions.
1. Invite absent, valued listmembers like Viv and Joe back with promise of a
self-regulatory Code Of Practice.
2. Jointly draft a Code of Practice that is emailed to all new members on
the understanding that upon violation they will be issued with three
warnings by a nominated list member or by John Kinsella, after which they
will be removed from the mailing list for a set period. After which they can
rejoin if they choose.
The Code of Practice would read approximately as follows:
a) Discussion to be soley about poetry and matters of demonstrated
relevance, eg. news of publications, philosphical issues, anything else that
is presented in the context of an argument, or for the benefit of the group
b) Personal attacks, gratuitous self-promotion, threatening language,
presumptions and prejudices of all kinds about fellow members to be left at
the door
c) An honour system whereby each member makes any effort to listen to
others' arguments, however foreign, and try to ensure the democracy and
contructiveness of proceedings
d) Endeavour to create a forum for diversity, where women, ESL speakers and
younger writers, as well as older, established and of course male writers,
cam feel comfortable speaking
e) Attention to the logic and relevance of our own posts, and a willingness
to be wrong on ocassion, without loss of face
c) Forum not to be used as a drop-in centre
On Mon, 17 Jul 2000 08:05:20 +0100, [log in to unmask] wrote:
Contributions welcome.
Cheers,
Cassie Lewis
> Cassie Lewis wrote to the effect that we should not be looking for ways
to
> exclude people. I have to confess that while I respect this view, I find
it
> difficult to share it. It seems to me that there are individuals whose
sole
> purpose in joining lists like poetryetc is to (a)advertise their own
> personalities (b)abuse other members and (c) who think it is their divine
> mission to 'liven up' such lists by various types of 'mischief' which -
> surprise, surprise - no-one finds funny. In my view this makes them
> self-excluding because they are not participating in the subject of the
> list. But most importantly, it excludes others - witness the fact that
> several people have left this list because they are fed up with the level
to
> which it has in some areas descended. This is, of course, just one view
of
> such activity. Everyone will have their own.
>
> However, I agree with Cassie that we should all move on and in the
interests
> of that I would like to discuss some poetry. I came across a book
recently
> which came out last year and seems to have eluded reviewers. It is called
> Almost and is by Oliver Reynolds. Reynolds is an Anglo-Welsh poet who has
> probably suffered from an early association with Craig Raine and the
> so-called martians or metaphor men. Anyway, his new book is much better
than
> that and well worth a look. It's published by Faber and I'll end by
quoting
> a bit from a poem called 'The Gap' which, yes, does in part derive from
the
> cotton clothing chain:
>
> Your white jeans had a workman's loop, handy for a hammer
> Which, climbing into a cab ("Chinatown..."),
> Snagged, and the seam gave, and gave me more:
> A private road to Paradise which, serpentine,
> I took, exploring this gap, this fissure
> For my fingers, for the aficionado
> I am of you: your skin, your yawn, your laugh...
>
> [Apologies if transmission misses up the lineation]
>
> This seems to me to be a clever and complex portrayal of desire. So, if
you
> like it, go buy the book. One of way of moving on is to climb into that
cab
> with Oliver.
>
> cheers
> David
>
>
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