POETICS list
Encyclopedia
The University of Buffalo POETICS listserv (informally and variously known as UBPOETICS or the POETICS list) is one of the oldest and most widely known mailing list
s devoted to the discussion of contemporary North American poetry
and poetics
. It began on 8 December 1993, although the most easily accessible archive only contains messages from after the middle of 1994. A number of influential poets and critics associated with various movements in contemporary poetry, including Marjorie Perloff
and Charles Bernstein
, are list subscribers. Estimates of list membership numbers vary, but are around 1800 readers.
It is run on servers owned by University at Buffalo
, and is associated with that school's graduate program in poetics. It is a closed list with submitted postings selected by the administrator and editor Amy King. The list has undergone numerous controversies over the years; in 1999, Bernstein briefly shut down the list allegedly in response to a large number of postings by one subscriber, Henry Gould, who denies his postings as the cause. The list later reopened. Currently the list provides for a mild amount of moderation by the list owners, with most messages "pre-approved"; the new list rules also state that:
"We generally do not accept postings of creative work not directed toward a discussion of poetics issues on the list. The Poetics List is not a venue for the posting of free-standing, personal poems or journal entries. However, the Poetics List editor may occasionally solicit or approve poems for posting on the list."
In the early days of the list, membership, list discussions and even the existence of the list itself were kept private, and members were required not to discuss the contents of list postings or the list itself with "outsiders." People who wished to join the list were asked to provide a short "personal statement" before being approved. "Real names" were also required. These requirements have been relaxed in recent years, although some remain technically in force.
In 2001 the list served as the main forum for a protest against the appointment of Billy Collins
as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
. Members of the list participated in the election of an anti-laureate run by Robert Archambeau
. Anselm Hollo
was elected to this honorary position
Mailing list
A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is referred to as "the mailing list", or simply "the...
s devoted to the discussion of contemporary North American poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and poetics
Poetics
Aristotle's Poetics is the earliest-surviving work of dramatic theory and the first extant philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory...
. It began on 8 December 1993, although the most easily accessible archive only contains messages from after the middle of 1994. A number of influential poets and critics associated with various movements in contemporary poetry, including Marjorie Perloff
Marjorie Perloff
Marjorie Perloff is an Austrian-born U.S. poetry critic.Perloff was born Gabriele Mintz into a secularized Jewish family in Vienna. Faced with Nazi terror, her family emigrated in 1938 when she was six-and-a-half, going first to Zürich and then to the United States, settling in Riverdale, New York...
and Charles Bernstein
Charles Bernstein
Charles Bernstein is an American poet, theorist, editor, and literary scholar. Bernstein holds the Donald T. Regan Chair in the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is one of the most prominent members of the Language poets . In 2006 he was elected a Fellow of the American...
, are list subscribers. Estimates of list membership numbers vary, but are around 1800 readers.
It is run on servers owned by University at Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
, and is associated with that school's graduate program in poetics. It is a closed list with submitted postings selected by the administrator and editor Amy King. The list has undergone numerous controversies over the years; in 1999, Bernstein briefly shut down the list allegedly in response to a large number of postings by one subscriber, Henry Gould, who denies his postings as the cause. The list later reopened. Currently the list provides for a mild amount of moderation by the list owners, with most messages "pre-approved"; the new list rules also state that:
"We generally do not accept postings of creative work not directed toward a discussion of poetics issues on the list. The Poetics List is not a venue for the posting of free-standing, personal poems or journal entries. However, the Poetics List editor may occasionally solicit or approve poems for posting on the list."
In the early days of the list, membership, list discussions and even the existence of the list itself were kept private, and members were required not to discuss the contents of list postings or the list itself with "outsiders." People who wished to join the list were asked to provide a short "personal statement" before being approved. "Real names" were also required. These requirements have been relaxed in recent years, although some remain technically in force.
In 2001 the list served as the main forum for a protest against the appointment of Billy Collins
Billy Collins
Billy Collins is an American poet, appointed as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York and is the Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Winter Park Institute, Florida...
as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of...
. Members of the list participated in the election of an anti-laureate run by Robert Archambeau
Robert Archambeau (poet)
Robert Archambeau is a poet and literary critic, whose works include the books Citation Suite, Home and Variations, and Laureates and Heretics, and the edited collections Word Play Place: Essays on the Poetry of John Matthias, The &NOW Awards: The Best Innovative Writing, and Letters of Blood:...
. Anselm Hollo
Anselm Hollo
Anselm Paul Alexis Hollo is a Finnish poet and translator. He has lived in the United States since 1967.-Life and work:...
was elected to this honorary position