Alec, by the “Guardian's darling” presumably you mean Salt? I don’t know about publishing so I can’t comment on poetry book sales etc. You may be selling more than Salt, and good luck to you. My point is that Salt can say what they want, as can you about this “brilliant poetic movement”, as does Chris when he says:

"I do think that the main problem with the avant-garde is that it isn't any longer avant and the experimentation isn't especially experimental. It all begins to feel like a society for historical reenactments. It's like seeing green mohawks on the streets of London — it's performative and runs the risk of becoming "style." Incidentally, I'm just as tired now of the eco bandwagon, and I fear we've a lot more of that to come." 

http://z11.invisionfree.com/Poets_On_Fire/index.php?showtopic=1701&st=20

If he’s wrong about this, then that’s his problem. There’s no point losing any sleep over it. It’s good that the poetry world is big enough to encompass both Salt and other smaller booksellers such as yourself. My point is that fee speech should be allowed—whether it offends us or not.


> Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 20:46:40 +0100
> From: Alec Newman <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Quote of the day by Chris Hamilton-Emery
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
>You've got to admit, though, when the Guardian's darling comes out and confirms what their poetry editor has been saying once a year: 'the small presses aren't giving the reader what they want', and we are selling 65 copies of a book on title average, in comparison to Salt's 55, it can be rather annoying that Chris is being so vocal about the shortcomings of a brilliant poetic movement, which I have dedicated the last 18 months of my life to promoting. Everyone is quite welcome to an opinion, and quite free to express it. However, that doesn't mean that your opinion won't ruffle a few feathers. 10 years ago I could pretty much buy every book Salt published, and feel that I had grown as a person when I read them. My bookshelf is full of Salt books, running from when they started up until Zeppelins by Chris McCabe. However, Shearsman have taken their place in my heart recently. I think it's a shame, I used to love buying Salt and Shearsman. 

Anyway, such is life,

Alec. 

> Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 20:46:40 +0100
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Quote of the day by Chris Hamilton-Emery
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
> Alec, he wasn’t shitting on people, just expressing an opinion. You may think it a wrong opinion but we should be allowed to have opinions surely. I don’t agree with some of Chris’s ideas such as when he says things like:
> 
> "Some [poets] see print as their validation, not my income -- and that's perfectly fine, we just won't do business together."
> 
> http://z11.invisionfree.com/Poets_On_Fire/index.php?showtopic=936&st=40
> 
> But these sorts of opinions aren’t really making life difficult for the avant-garde by “shitting” on them. 
> 
> 
> 
> > Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 19:46:28 +0100
> > From: Alec Newman <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Quote of the day by Chris Hamilton-Emery
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >David, 
> 
> That is all well and good. And, I must say, I am impressed by a few of the Erotic titles. But, why is Chris shitting on people lower down the ladder with his rants about the avant-garde? It does make our job harder. I mean, you only need to look at the TLS article about the Michael Marks prize. Crater got one sentence, that is it. Salt got a paragraph.
> 
> Alec. 
> 
> > Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 19:46:28 +0100
> > From: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Quote of the day by Chris Hamilton-Emery
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > 
> > Alec, there’s nothing wrong with Salt representing many genres in its list. If they can sell some avant-garde poetry in the process all well and good. As Jane says, avant-garde poetry in the UK is well catered for by niche publishers such as your self. I don’t think Salt need to justify themselves to this niche market anymore. They have moved on.