Speccie: Self-Portrait - Page 8

R. S. Gwynn · #71 10-08-2009, 10:11 PM

Hadn't seen this, John. Definitely a winner! One hopes that you can cope with the transitory fame.

Julie Steiner · #72 10-09-2009, 12:13 AM

Ignore Susan, Marion. By all means, stop submitting such fine poems to this lost cause. (And while I'm at it, I sincerely hope you aren't planning to waste your time with the Nemerov Sonnet Award this year, either. And that goes for everyone else, too.)

John Whitworth · #73 10-09-2009, 02:14 AM

I have been submitting poems every year for thirty odd years to the National Poetry Competition - except for one year in the eighties when I was a judge. There are about a dozen prizes every year, that makes 360 prizes, give or take a few. And I have won once, one hundred pounds the year Wendy Cope was a judge. But are we downhearted? Nope. I sent off a couple this year and eight pounds of my money into the void. And there is somebody who has won the top prize THREE times. I've forgotten who that is, but may his or her withers be well wrung. Actually I wionj prizes quite ooften, but not in this bloody competition. Why don't they ask Wendy again, that's what I want to know?

And why am I not Poet Laureate? Prejudice and moral idiocy, that's what it is.

Marion Shore · #74 10-09-2009, 09:36 AM

They are fun. Too much fun.* Thing is, I invest so much time, energy and emotion into these little ditties, which I could be channelling into getting rejected for my "serious" stuff. Let's face it, it's a great timewaster, right up there with Web surfing, reality TV and the NY Times Crossword Puzzle.

I realize she gets tons of submissions. And yeah, we Yanks are probably up against the language barrier and regional humor and all that kind of thing. (I thought my Massachusetts anthem was rather a gem, if I do say so. But have they ever forgiven us for the Boston Tea Party?

)

But it's discouraging. I mean, how can I top: "Something there is that doesn't like a mall"? Or two rhymes for "Chaucer"? You try that.

*Was it Johnny Cash who sang "There's a whole lot of things I ain't done, but I ain't never had too much fun"?

Terese Coe · #75 10-09-2009, 09:38 AM

Congrats to John and the usual suspects!

Susan McLean · #76 10-09-2009, 09:44 AM

Marion, unlike the other time-wasters, writing poems to order actually hones your poetic skills. And surely some of your rejected entries might be welcome at Light Quarterly or Lighten Up Online. Let's start a groundswell of light verse.

Susan

Julie Steiner · #77 10-09-2009, 11:38 AM

And if it's any consolation, Marion, I love your entries, and it takes the sting of my own rejections to know they're in such esteemed company. I'll be pretty ticked off if, when I eventually buy your book, these aren't in it.

John Whitworth · #78 10-09-2009, 11:50 AM

Marion, I should tell you that my only poem in Light is a reject from a Speccie competition and so are some in Quadrant. My best don't win and (sometimes) poems I didn't think much of do. So there is a life after rejection. I keep mine in a special file called JW Verse as opposed to Poems, but I'm not so sure there really is much difference. And sometimes you can use a rejected Speccie in an Oldie and vice versa. I too would be sorry to see your shapely Speccies no longer appearing on the Sphere.

Roger Slater · #79 10-10-2009, 12:26 PM

Besides, Marion, didn't you win some Speccie cash once?

I don't think it's an American/British thing. Chris O'Carroll wins all the time, and he's from our side of the pond.

Marion Shore · #80 10-14-2009, 11:56 AM

Aw, you guys are sweet! I guess I feel discouraged because (sad to say) I have done doing some of my best work on this board, really outdone myself (I don't think I can top "electile dysfunction," or "get scrod at seafood restaurants" or my novel by Josh Harming or my anagrams "rubbers torn" and "ole tits" etc.)

I have to confess I've submitted some of these to Light, and in fact two are coming out next issue (two of the Darwin limericks, remember those?) one of which did appear in the Speccie, so yes Bob, I did win some cash. But not enough for a down payment on a Prius.

But I do like getting paid, I must admit. Even if it's not that much. It's refreshing.

As for the American/British thing, can't you at least leave me that one rationalisation (note spelling!) for my failure.

Anyway, I have stormed off the stage before. And if you guys are gonna twist my arm...well, ya never know. Remember the ending of that awful grade B women's prison movie,"Caged," when the main character is leaving prison?

...............SECRETARY
..........What should I do with her file?

...............WARDEN
..........She'll be back.