If I can, as I will, speak as somebody with over 40 years experience in editing and publishing, this whole anthology project strikes me as a quagmire!
On one hand, Andrew Burke and Candace Ward generously took on the role of editors in which members of the list, past and present, were invited to contribute our work. (In terms of the contents/history of the list, there was no operative editorial idea, such as working with and from the archives of the week SNAPS)
It's just us past and present members sending stuff and then presumably Andew and Candace accepting and/or rejecting stuff to make it into an editorial whole. I gather it was Candace making final decisions about the connective 'book-making' tissue of all this.
Then, it seems, Candace is unable to assemble what she has done - maybe for reasons of computer breakdown, or whatever, it's not clear to me. So, when Alison offers to publish the book, Candace is unable to transmit the final manuscript to Alison - which makes one assume that Alison's offer was based on her good faith that the included poems, poets and the editoral structure would be worthy of Masthead's endorsement. Which as a process, if true, strikes me as strange. Masthead has a great reputation for careful editing by Alison, and, I say that, as both as a serious Masthead reader and one who has had work worked published there. Alison is tough.
So it is not clear to me why Alison would skip the step of editorial review and not make sure the book would meet Masthead's normal editorial standards.
Since Alison is taking the poems direct from the poets - because Candace cannot transmit the mss. - maybe Alison will take on a joint editorial role (indeed may have to). {And, excuse me, Candace, if I have misconstrued a break down in this account??} In current conditions, the book manuscript now appears like a three-legged horse looking for an ideal pasture (called a book & publisher).
Anyway the whole thing, at this point, seems a bit bonkers to me. What does seem true is that quite a number of us have submitted poems in good faith in which all of us contributors wanted to appear together as a way of publicly honoring our various contributions and history of participation with this list.
Given the historic grievances beween Joe/Anny as list managers and Alison (former list manager, banished) we seem lost in the hell realms.
I am not that personally invested in whether or not the book comes to pass. I am sorry that everyone who contributed has seen a good faith gesture seem to go asunder on the editorial level, and then fall into a power struggle with the leadership over the issue of defining the authorial/editorial limits of the imprint, introduction et al.
It ain't pretty. In the meantime - until someone can establish a comfortable clarity - I am not resubmitting my poems anywhere.
Stephen V
http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
Joseph Duemer <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Well, Randolph, we're both competent interpreters of texts, but we disagree.
As for noting that there is a "public record," I was simply stating that we
can check the texts rather than argue in a vacuum. I have not in fact gone
back to reread those posts, but my memory of Alison's departure is still
pretty clear in my mind. So, no, the interpretation is not unproblematic --
obviously you & others disagree with Anny's & my reading. I'm genuinely
sorry for this.
jd
On Sun, Aug 3, 2008 at 10:12 AM, Randolph Healy
wrote:
> Dear Joseph,
>
> That wouldn't be my take on it. It didn't at the time, nor does it now,
> seem to me that Alison "insulted" listmembers. Her language appeared to me
> playful, in fact she signed off on one of her posts "puckishly". Posts made
> to this list are indeed "a matter of public record". However, I feel that to
> append "This is a matter of public record" to your interpretation of what
> happened suggests that it is unproblematic in a way that may not be that
> case.
>
> best
>
> Randolph
>
>
> Joseph Duemer wrote:
>
>> But because of the current plan to publish the anthology at Alison
>> Croggon's journal Masthead, the managers do, now, have such a stake. As
>> many
>> of you know, Alison Croggon left Poetryetc some time ago after insulting
>> the
>> community because some members of the list disagreed with her on a
>> literary
>> matter. This is a matter of public record. Her departure was voluntary,
>> but
>> controversial. Now she proposes to publish and write an introduction for
>> an
>> anthology consisting of current & former Poetryetc list members. She can
>> of
>> course publish anything she likes, but the current list managers strongly
>> object to the use of "Poetryetc" in the title of the anthology.
>>
>>
>>
>
--
Joseph Duemer
Professor of Humanities
Clarkson University
Weblog: sharpsand.net
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