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Unread 04-07-2021, 12:44 PM
Mark McDonnell Mark McDonnell is offline
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Default Covid Anthology

A nice review of the anthology Poems for the Year 2020 in that I managed to sneak into. My poem gets a little quote in the review, too.

https://londongrip.co.uk/2021/04/poe...the-year-2020/
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Unread 04-07-2021, 02:40 PM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
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Very cool! Congrats.
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Unread 04-07-2021, 04:00 PM
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Sarah-Jane Crowson Sarah-Jane Crowson is offline
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That's a good review, and a nice quote too. I don't like the idea of lockdown poems, although this seems like a more sensitive anthology than most. I still would worry it errs on the verge of highlighting specific, quite privileged voices. Sorry.

Sarah-Jane
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Unread 04-08-2021, 08:45 AM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
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This anthology has the advantage of having waited a year, unlike the anthologies that were rushed out a few months into the pandemic, when submissions were more likely to be only from those with a great deal of leisure on their hands. Time brings more diversity of experience in the submission pool, as well as more reflection.

Anyway, it's a very fine poem, Mark, and I'm glad it's getting more visibility.

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 04-08-2021 at 08:52 AM.
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Unread 04-08-2021, 09:23 AM
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Ann Drysdale Ann Drysdale is online now
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Good old London Grip, eh? Nice review, Mark. And thanks, Julie.

But - what are these specific, privileged voices of which you speak, Jane? How have they been highlighted?

It's a "one poem per poet" collection and I don't think Merryn selected anything on any other grounds than that she felt it displayed a degree of poetic quality.

What have you found that makes you think otherwise? (I ask as a concerned contributor.)
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Unread 04-08-2021, 10:22 AM
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Sarah-Jane Crowson Sarah-Jane Crowson is offline
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Ann - it's not about you or Mark, both of you I have read enough to like and respect (well, I don't really know you but I like what I've seen/heard of you on here).

I am also REALLY sorry I posted as this should be a celebratory thread for you and Mark and you both deserve it.

And it's one of the more sensitive anthologies. It does present some different perspectives and it tries to include different voices - I can see that. Also, it draws from the pool it has available to it, and it has to sell.

But looking at it in a relatively detached way - in terms of poets, not poems - even a quick recce of the first 10 poets (and a random sampling of about 5 others) shows that although they've a good F/M ratio, and there's one non-white voice in my sample, most of the poets represented here are over 50. And looking at their bios, their websites, they also look to be relatively comfortably off (by this I don't necessarily mean uber-affluent, either - but not poor).

Of course, this is a really basic/general way to go about things, and to do it properly I'd have to research every poet on the list and break it down accurately.

I'd like to read more young voices/perspectives in there, more inclusive voices, basically. Even if they had to be mentored to write in a way that would sell/reach this audience. I think the pandemic has hurt our young very much, although not as obviously as our older population, but as deeply in terms of mental health/economic deprivation. And they could do with being heard.

And I don't read their voices very often, compared to the wealth of (engaging and entertaining and intelligent) middle-aged or older voices, and that makes me sad.

Also I'm biased - I know that - and not against you or Mark, or even this anthology - but because it was such a sod of a year to work through, trying to contain the damage 2020 wreaked on enthusiastic cohorts of our creative youth - missing out not just on education but great chunks of social interaction at a time when it's crucial. So, I do get annoyed sometimes when I read about how 'it's not all doom and gloom'. That's my flawed perspective. The economic crash from this will be appalling for many.

Apologies, to both. I will drop now, and congratulate you both, as that's the more appropriate thing to do.

Sarah-Jane
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