I’d like them to be submitted to the editor of the journal, who would
then remove the writer’s name from the manuscript before passing it on
to two independent reviewers who would not know who the article was
written by, and who the author had no idea who was reviewing their
work. This is standard procedure with academic journals.
I’m not saying that this journal won’t comply with the first requirement—
passing on the article with the name of the author removed—but the
fact that we know who the likely reviewers will be makes the second
part problematic.
As I said before, I’m only going by what Elizabeth James has said about
the editorial board doing the reviewing themselves. Maybe, she’s got it
wrong, and they won’t be. We just don’t know at this stage.
On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:53:31 -0400, Mark Weiss
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>How would you like to see articles selected?
>
>At 04:26 PM 10/22/2009, you wrote:
>>No, I wasn't. I genuinely don't understand it. It was badly
constructed.
>>What is it specifically referring to in the comment I made? I can't
>>answer if it is not clear, can I?
>>
>>
>>On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:42:45 -0400, Mark Weiss
>><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> >Sorry to hear that. Unless you're making a
>> >punctuation pun. In which case I'm sorry to hear that.
>> >
>> >At 02:22 PM 10/22/2009, you wrote:
>> >>I don't understand your question, Mark?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:54:47 -0400, Mark Weiss
>> >><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >Let's, for argument's sake, say that they are.
>> >> >What other possibility would you envision? Do you
>> >> >think the hands-on editor should in all cases be governed by
the
>> >>reviewers?
>> >> >
>> >> >At 01:45 PM 10/22/2009, you wrote:
>> >> >>If the board is, as you say, for prestige only, then Elizabeth
>>James,
>> >>who
>> >> >>is on this board, shouldn’t have said in an earlier post here
that
>>they
>> >> >>would do peer-reviewing also. So any misunderstanding is
due to
>>her
>> >> >>input in this matter.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>Of course, I’m not saying a journal shouldn’t have an angle or
>>biases,
>> >> >>to credit me with that is building a straw man for me. My
concern
>>is
>> >> >>that the journal may become elitist and exclusive, acting as a
>>sort of
>> >> >>arbiter of innovative poetic taste, in the same way that
Poetry
>> >>Review
>> >> >>in the UK is an arbiter of taste for mainstream poetry.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>But I think the overriding issue is to find out if the editorial
board
>> >>will,
>> >> >>indeed, be doing the peer-reviewing or not. I can’t see
Elizabeth’s
>> >> >>Freudian slip being insignificant, however.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:16:57 -0400, Mark Weiss
>> >> >><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> >Let's be real for a moment. All academic fields
>> >> >> >are so small that only neophytes don't know most
>> >> >> >of the players. I'm a non-academic, but I was
>> >> >> >able to identify immediately two of the three
>> >> >> >anonymous readers of my Cuban anthology
>> >> >> >manuscript. It's also not unheard of for a member
>> >> >> >of a peer-review committee to tell a friend or
>> >> >> >student that he's on the committee and this would be a
good
>>time
>> >>to
>> >> >>submit.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >That said, contributing editors aren't a
>> >> >> >peer-review committee. Their function is to lend
>> >> >> >prestige by simply being listed (and many never
>> >> >> >do anything beyond that for the publication) and
>> >> >> >to keep their ears out for what they think is
>> >> >> >interesting work, tho they are never the only
>> >> >> >source the actual editors rely on.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >You seem to expect a degree of objectivity that
>> >> >> >humans are rarely capable of. I'm not convinced
>> >> >> >that it's even desirable in a journal. This one
>> >> >> >will develop its own character. Let's see what that is
before we
>> >>jump
>> >> >>on it.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >Mark
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >At 12:09 PM 10/22/2009, you wrote:
>> >> >> >>My guess is that the honorifics are there on purpose.
They are
>> >> >>making a
>> >> >> >>statement. They may be removed now that critical
attention
>>has
>> >> >>been
>> >> >> >>brought to them. But it's the lack of anonymity of the
peer-
>>review
>> >> >>board
>> >> >> >>that concerns me. Robert should have decided what was
more
>> >> >> >>important: the honorifics or the sanctity of the peer-
review
>> >>process.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:14:30 -0400, Mark Weiss
>> >> >> >><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >Black Mountain was hardly a formally organized
>> >> >> >> >institution, particularly in its last few years,
>> >> >> >> >when Olson was called in to oversee its demise.
>> >> >> >> >There were at that point about a hundred
>> >> >> >> >students. But it's the Black Mountain College we
>> >> >> >> >remember as poets. Even in its rum days it
>> >> >> >> >neither sought nor received accreditation.
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> >I'm acutely aware of the impact of the
>> >> >> >> >academicization of poetry in the US. It's been an
>> >> >> >> >unmitigated disaster. But that wasn't caused by
>> >> >> >> >the existence of academic journals. Let's se what they
turn
>> >>out.
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> >The inclusion of titles in the board list is a
>> >> >> >> >bit comic opera, but let's blame it on a
>> >> >> >> >beginner's mis-step. We should wish the
>> >> >> >> >enterprise well, and maybe in that spirit let the
>> >> >> >> >editor know that he should drop the honorifics.
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> >Mark
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> >At 10:58 AM 10/22/2009, you wrote:
>> >> >> >> >>One of the big dangers is definitely the codification of
>> >>practice,
>> >> >>and
>> >> >> >> >>I am with Jeff on this. This has happened to some
extent
>> >> >>with 'avant
>> >> >> >> >>garde' poetry in the States and it has certainly
happened
>>to
>> >>art
>> >> >>here
>> >> >> >> >>in the art colleges - they do not set good examples.
>>Once the
>> >> >> >>products
>> >> >> >> >>of creativity get into that loop it is very difficult for
them
>>to
>> >> >> >> >>disentangle. We all want good teachers and good
>>teaching
>> >>but
>> >> >>all too
>> >> >> >> >>often good teachers and good teaching get lost in the
>> >>systems
>> >> >>and
>> >> >> >> >>bureaucracies with their other demands and agendas.
The
>> >>need
>> >> >>to
>> >> >> >>get a
>> >> >> >> >>'qualification' or certain letters after your name has
in the
>> >>past
>> >> >>not
>> >> >> >> >>been the same as the need to create originally. You
need
>> >> >>freedom
>> >> >> >>and
>> >> >> >> >>focus. At times this has been given by creative people
>>living
>> >>and
>> >> >> >> >>working together - the typical artistic group or milieu
or
>> >> >>movement.
>> >> >> >> >>And sometimes of course in glorious isolation from
any
>>such
>> >> >>thing.
>> >> >> >> >>Cases of such things coming from formally organised
>>higher
>> >>ed
>> >> >> >> >>institutions are rare - Black Mountain would be one of
>>those
>> >> >>rarities.
>> >> >> >> >>I'm not being romantic about this, I think I am being
>>realistic.
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>Individuals, such as Robert Sheppard or whoever, are
>>able to
>> >> >>fight
>> >> >> >> >>against codification, but systems and organisations
>>cannot.
>> >>Or at
>> >> >> >> >>least, they cannot within the context of modern
capitalist
>> >>society.
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>Tim A.
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>On 22 Oct 2009, at 15:01, Jeffrey Side wrote:
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>>Sean, I'm not against academic journals if they are
>>about
>> >>the
>> >> >>study
>> >> >> >>of
>> >> >> >> >>>poetry rather than concentrating on how it should be
>>written
>> >> >>etc.
>> >> >> >> >>>And I
>> >> >> >> >>>get the feeling that this journal may lead to this,
having
>> >>read
>> >> >>some
>> >> >> >> >>>of
>> >> >> >> >>>Robert‚s theories on practice. Only time will tell,
>>however.
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>Announcing The Whole Island: Six Decades of
>> >> >> >> >>Cuban Poetry (University of California Press).
>> >> >> >> >>Forthcoming in November 2009.
>> >> >> >> >>http://go.ucpress.edu/WholeIsland
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >Announcing The Whole Island: Six Decades of Cuban
>> >> >> >Poetry (University of California Press).
>> >> >> >Forthcoming in November 2009.
>> >> >> >http://go.ucpress.edu/WholeIsland
>> >> >
>> >> >Announcing The Whole Island: Six Decades of Cuban
>> >> >Poetry (University of California Press).
>> >> >Forthcoming in November 2009.
>> >> >http://go.ucpress.edu/WholeIsland
>> >
>> >Announcing The Whole Island: Six Decades of Cuban
>> >Poetry (University of California Press).
>> >Forthcoming in November 2009.
>> >http://go.ucpress.edu/WholeIsland
>
>Announcing The Whole Island: Six Decades of Cuban
>Poetry (University of California Press).
>Forthcoming in November 2009.
>http://go.ucpress.edu/WholeIsland
|