The Ashbery/Some Trees story is always fun, but it's not that unusual--in poetry land today, books are picked and published in much the same way. I'm a fan of Some Trees; I wrote my oral exam on it.
I don’t deny that having personal relationships still helps in some cases in today’s publishing landscape, but this episode seems particularly egregious in part because it was a contest with a prize rather than simply a book acquisition or open reading period. There are many reputable presses who do their best to judge blindly and disqualify judges who may have personal relationships with contest entrants in this day and age.
Good for you for writing an exam on Ashbery! He’s just not for me.
The Ashbery/Some Trees story is always fun, but it's not that unusual--in poetry land today, books are picked and published in much the same way. I'm a fan of Some Trees; I wrote my oral exam on it.
I don’t deny that having personal relationships still helps in some cases in today’s publishing landscape, but this episode seems particularly egregious in part because it was a contest with a prize rather than simply a book acquisition or open reading period. There are many reputable presses who do their best to judge blindly and disqualify judges who may have personal relationships with contest entrants in this day and age.
Good for you for writing an exam on Ashbery! He’s just not for me.