LEAVING GPS: As some of you already know, I resigned as vice-president of the Georgia Poetry Society earlier this week. This means an end to the open mic and reading series I've hosted for the last two years at the Barnes & Noble at Georgia Tech the first Friday of each month. The final open mic will be Friday, Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. with Dustin Brookshire featuring. I plan to make an announcement about my new open mic and reading series that will launch in the fall. I will be partnering with the Georgia Writers Association on this new venture and poets writing in all forms (or non-forms) will be welcome.
The last three years with GPS have been a mixed bag. It became increasingly obvious that my politics and my opinions were not appreciated by some of the membership. I turned down the presidency last year, not wishing to rock the boat with my "radical" ideas of modernizing the society. Since it was apparent that I would ascend to the top spot in 2006, I had made no secret that I wanted to change the name of the organization and extricate us from the National Federation of Poetry Societies. The word "society" is quaint, antiquated and, to me, sounds like the bastion of old, rich, white people. I've been unhappy with our continuation in the NFPS for sometime because it is so out of step with the evolution of poetry in this country. Many state poetry organizations have left the national federation over the last few years, finally waking up and smelling the coffee. When I mentioned these ideas again after our meeting on Saturday, I was politely asked to "reconsider my position" with GPS. So I did.
I have no ill-will toward GPS. The membership is mostly an older group of people (a recent survey said the average age of our members was 65), many who write in form, and are set in their ways. They don't like change and the changes (or attempts) that were made over the last few years were met with criticism. The open mic I hosted was never embraced. As a matter of fact, only a handful of the 100 or so members ever attended in the last two years. The protest in absentia was disappointing. The open mic was created for the members to share their work. Luckily, the open mic was embraced by a diversity of local poets and I am proud to have featured such nationally known poets at Maureen Seaton, Cecilia Woloch, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Tania Rochelle, Stephen Bluestone, Jessica Care-Moore, Cherryl Floyd-Miller, Sholeh Wolpe and many others.
Before I ever joined GPS, I was warned by a number of former members that the society would do nothing to further my knowledge or appreciation of poetry. I am of two minds now. I met a number of great poets and friends during my three years in GPS, people I admire and respect. On the other hand, I also dealt with some of the most backwards, closed-minded, bigoted, doddering old farts you could imagine. The membership was polarized by the changes former president Rosemary Mauldin and I instituted, but we truly believed those changes were necessary to move the organization forward. My presence in the society was met with a mixture of welcome or hostility. My "upstart" ideas and my poetry in general was too brash, too "dirty," too political for many. The very idea of diversity was pooh-poohed as being a politically correct term with no real merit.
I also acted as webmaster, but you will see that site is now closed. I was asked to give this up as well and a new site has been created. The motto on this new site declares that GPS is "Poetry for the 21st Century." All evidence to the contrary, but I wish the organization the best and I hope they can live up to this bold statement.
The last three years with GPS have been a mixed bag. It became increasingly obvious that my politics and my opinions were not appreciated by some of the membership. I turned down the presidency last year, not wishing to rock the boat with my "radical" ideas of modernizing the society. Since it was apparent that I would ascend to the top spot in 2006, I had made no secret that I wanted to change the name of the organization and extricate us from the National Federation of Poetry Societies. The word "society" is quaint, antiquated and, to me, sounds like the bastion of old, rich, white people. I've been unhappy with our continuation in the NFPS for sometime because it is so out of step with the evolution of poetry in this country. Many state poetry organizations have left the national federation over the last few years, finally waking up and smelling the coffee. When I mentioned these ideas again after our meeting on Saturday, I was politely asked to "reconsider my position" with GPS. So I did.
I have no ill-will toward GPS. The membership is mostly an older group of people (a recent survey said the average age of our members was 65), many who write in form, and are set in their ways. They don't like change and the changes (or attempts) that were made over the last few years were met with criticism. The open mic I hosted was never embraced. As a matter of fact, only a handful of the 100 or so members ever attended in the last two years. The protest in absentia was disappointing. The open mic was created for the members to share their work. Luckily, the open mic was embraced by a diversity of local poets and I am proud to have featured such nationally known poets at Maureen Seaton, Cecilia Woloch, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Tania Rochelle, Stephen Bluestone, Jessica Care-Moore, Cherryl Floyd-Miller, Sholeh Wolpe and many others.
Before I ever joined GPS, I was warned by a number of former members that the society would do nothing to further my knowledge or appreciation of poetry. I am of two minds now. I met a number of great poets and friends during my three years in GPS, people I admire and respect. On the other hand, I also dealt with some of the most backwards, closed-minded, bigoted, doddering old farts you could imagine. The membership was polarized by the changes former president Rosemary Mauldin and I instituted, but we truly believed those changes were necessary to move the organization forward. My presence in the society was met with a mixture of welcome or hostility. My "upstart" ideas and my poetry in general was too brash, too "dirty," too political for many. The very idea of diversity was pooh-poohed as being a politically correct term with no real merit.
I also acted as webmaster, but you will see that site is now closed. I was asked to give this up as well and a new site has been created. The motto on this new site declares that GPS is "Poetry for the 21st Century." All evidence to the contrary, but I wish the organization the best and I hope they can live up to this bold statement.
Comments
GAV
GAV
I don't know all the intrigue behind the story, but I know you'll channel your energies positively.