|
Thanks Trevor, Lawrence, Alison (and to cris b/c) for your kind words. I'll
know for sure what the future is after next month, it's not that I want to
see the mag go but surviving on benefits alone here and now precludes the
possibility of such luxuries as a phone or personal internet access. I had
thought about geo-cities, Alison, and that is one possibility, and I'll
definitely have a chat b/c Trevor about nuts and bolts!
You are quite right, Alison, you did say a well-funded reading circuit, and
I can see how that contrasts with Australia, however even that reading
circuit seems to be in a process of slow financial starvation: here the
Leicester Poetry Society has been holding readings for a half a century but
all of its remaining funding is being withdrawn, it seems, after this
season. As the poets of the 'circuit' are asking more and more all the time
(it's not uncommon now for people to want £250 plus for a reading) it will
not be able to survive, except in a truncated form. Apparently there's lots
of money sloshing around in the arts funding system, where it's all going is
a mystery. The same though could be said of other forms of social support
though: the local council is withdrawing support for various agencies that
help the homeless such as Shelter and they will be replaced by - a helpline!
All the Best
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Spectare's Web, A Chide's Alphabet
& Painting Without Numbers
http://www.chidesalphabet.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: "Trevor Joyce" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: A Chide's Alphabet
David,
I agree it would be a pity if ACA just vanished in a puff of smoke.
Definitely, if at all possible, it should be retained on the web. I'm
not clear about the reasons for its threatened disappearance. Is it a
matter of the cost of the disk space, or is it other stuff?
(Incidentally, I think you'd find many people active in poetry, both
on this list and beyond, who have survived for years on benefits or
'a pittance', and often with little leisure, but who have still
maintained an active engagement.)
In any event, if nothing else more attractive rears its head, I'd be
interested in maintaining ACA under the general umbrella of the
SoundEye site. I'm paying for the web-space there anyway, so this
would simply be a good use of it. I'd need to figure out the
technicalities of sharing server-space, but if possible, and if you
were interested, I don't see why you should relinquish the position
of editor. You've a track record, so keep going.
Should we talk nuts and bolts b/b? If you're interested . . .
Best,
Trevor
>A sad note with a bit of an appeal: unless something miraculous happens by
>mid to late March 'A Chide's Alphabet' and its associated materials will
>disappear from the web. This is because the site relies solely on funding
by
>me and such funds are now sorely diminished. It is indicative of the true
>state of arts support in the UK that a magazine that has had thousands of
>readers relies entirely for its continuance on my unemployment benefit
>(sorry, here, Alison, but that comment you once made about there being 'a
>well-funded poetry scene in the UK' still rankles, if you only knew the
>truth). Now I don't like the idea of the magazine disappearing into the
>void, it has some fine work in it, including, among others, Trevor Joyce,
>Mark Weiss, Andrew Duncan, Tim Allen, Harriet Zinnes, Emma Lew, Candice
>Ward, Alison Croggon, Jill Jones, Robin Hamilton, Dominic Fox, Kent
Johnson,
>Randolph Healy, Philip Nikolayev, Patrick Herron, Angela Gardner and more.
>But go it will, unless that is someone else wants to take it over. Now I am
>willing to hand over all editorial rights and the material to anyone who
>would be willing to take it over, I won't be around on the net to see what
>happens but it does seem sad to me that it should just vanish while I go
off
>to work for a pittance in a warehouse. If anyone is interested in taking it
>over please contact me, there is at least eight weeks grace before the
>curtain falls but I'd like to get it sorted out sooner rather than later.
>
>Best
>
>Dave
>
>
>David Bircumshaw
>
>Spectare's Web, A Chide's Alphabet
>& Painting Without Numbers
>
>http://www.chidesalphabet.org.uk
--
------------------------------------------------------
http://soundeye.org/trevorjoyce
|
