Frederick Pollack wrote:
> I never saw anything objectionable in Joe Green's posts. He seems smart and funny.
>
As I tried to write at the end of an exhausting day...Joe is a friend, a
mentor, and a colleague. I don't say that about too many people, so I
guess that by saying so, I am ruining my otherwise perfect record as a
misanthrope. And yes, when I first came across Joe years ago, I
detested him. Opinions can change.
I am being denser than usual or necessary. So I must echo one of Judy's
questions, i.e., who made the decision if not Anny herself? Who is the
eminence grise who is calling the shots on this list? Who is the
co-manager with her? Duemer has effectively disappeared from view
(yes?), so who is left? Or is there a Committee?
People really did this whole expulsion thing back-channel? A whispering
campaign, then? Are we working with a list of 200 names? A Salem witch
hysteria? A Cultural Revolution?
Poetryetc, since I've been on it (coming up on five years) has an habit
of injecting back-channel poison with great effect right into the most
convenient vein or artery. The identity of the listowner/manager is
immaterial because the poison acquires its own life and power to harm.
It has been this way during the tenures of Seiferle, Croggan, Duemer,
and now Anny. You could not ask for more disparate personalities. And
every one of those managers--Anny is thus far the exception--has been
disposed of like some minister of Henry VIII who outlived his
usefulness. A favorite today, head on the block a week later. I always
knew I should l have been born in 1510.
Tim Burton is about to issue a film version of (Stephen) Sondheim's
*Sweeney Todd*. The trailer motto is "Never forget. Never forgive."
One can let something slip from the front brain without formally
absolving the presumed offender. I am sure Stephen Vincent harbors ill
feeling toward me because I made some possibly over-the-top comments
about his political suggestions. That's a shame, but it's also okay; it
is not a critical part of my life. The point is we did it out in the
open: said it, dropped it, let it alone. I don't need to love everyone
here.
The back-channel is the killer, the virus.
In early 2005, some of you may recall that there was a tumultuous
situation in my divided family. My ex-wife's brother-in-law took his
own life; and the way he bungled it, it took him almost three months to
actually die. This was going on against the backdrop of Terri Schiavo
and the former Pope, both of whom were expiring by degrees. My sons
were profoundly upset. So was I. As I recall the incident, I let some
personal religious convictions show on this list. I didn't think I was
exposing myself but I suppose that is how it was viewed. I might have
done better admitting a fondness for pederasty. Several people had to
reaffirm their vows of atheism--like I care. Other people stayed out.
But the back channel did this:
1. This you've heard before. Ann White wrote to me privately and tasked
me for something I perhaps said. Who remembers? She was moderately
abusive (can you spell "pit bull"?) and I believe I told her in reply to
get out of my face. I was not abusive, just blunt. I didn't harass her
or hit on her. Next thing I know Ms. White has reported me to Alison
Croggan as a troll and harasser. I left the list before I could be
kicked. It turns out Alison had no intention of kicking me so I
eventually came back.
2. This I have *not* repeated in public because it is potentially
libelous, and I don't have the original email; so it could become he
said/he said. As the spinoff of this religious overreaction, Mr.
Lawrence Upton of the British Library wrote to me *back channel* and
invited me to kill myself so as to join my brother-in-law. I had no
exchanges with Mr. Upton before, and certainly have not had any since.
I don't save filth like that, it was too disgusting to even forward, but
it etched itself into my head, you might say. Like it said above: Never
forget, never forgive. Mr. Upton overturned everything I have spent
years trying to learn.
"And your point is?" Back channel on this list, while it's useful for
fostering friendships, seems to have a unique place on Poetryetc as a
place to conspire, and to anonymously denounce others, either to their
"face" or to the listowner.
By the way, I didn't see Joe Green in the woods dancing with the Devil.
Ken
--
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Kenneth Wolman
kenwolman.wordpress.com
To My Children
One last thing I will do for you:
I will grow up.--Mairead Byrne
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