thoughtcrumbs

Further ado in the poetry world

My friend Alan has been in the spotlight for the last several months for his whistle-blowing website, Foetry. Using open record laws, he has exposed some questionable connections between judges and winners of poetry contests. Those who scoff at such a trivial domain (poetry--pshaw!) should know that thousands of contest entrants typically pony up $25 each, making the industry surprisingly profitable.

The latest of a litany of articles about Foetry (including those in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times) is in the Los Angeles Times. (Both the Chronicle and LA Times reporters commented on Alan's pudgy cheeks and call him things like "harmlessness in blue slacks," perhaps to soften the seriousness of his accusations and to show him as the likeable optimist he is.)

Thankfully, the hullabaloo has moved past its original focus on Alan and his wife, Kathleen (an award-winning poet), and now highlights changes in the poetry world, including talk about standardizing rules of ethics for judges and entrants.