Peter
Hi. In raising 'Adverts' on this List I was simply trying to attract more
discussion. In terms of my post (my advert) I think, in my stumbling way,
I've been quite successful.
Given that the Daily Mail has a readership of three million, growing eight
fold to 2,000 here would leave us rather short of the ugly Daily Mail.
The paradox of poetry is that poets wish for universal acclaim, yet
want/require the tiny applause of their peers.
I'd like this List to grow to 2,000. It has an amazing legacy and history.
Better still it has retained and maintained brilliant and sturdy poets (like
yourself) who can step in when any upstart (like me) gets bolshie. I think
growth in numbers would mean more activity here, poetry and give
website/blog links a greater flux & context than at present.
Love, Rupert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Riley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: Adverts
Re my rather rude remark, what I'm saying is that for me 250 is fine. I
think that if this list had 2000 members it would probably be unbearable.
The people taking part at present generally know what they're talking about,
are distinct in their interests (too much unity produces constant mutual
congratulation) are free of cliché-ed thought, don't just pile up attitudes,
etc. They're worth listening to. Look at some of the other lists, the kind
of person who is attracted to this kind of safe semi-public platform. There
are people who neither eat not sleep but constantly send messages to lists
and treat it as a kind of chat-show, quite happy to say nothing much except
"Hi there!" over and over again. There's also danger of a kind of take-over
by highly committed and ideologically evangelised persons who can say a mass
of interesting stuff but don't want to listen to any differences, and who
put the fear of God into ordinary citizens.
We're free of all that here, aren't we, generally speaking, and if there are
long silences that's better than all the cant and fustian we could so easily
get.
The list wants to attract people who recognise its worth rather than sell
itself to all comers.
PR
|