Comments on: Top 10 Poetry Books of 2008 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/ A National Blog of Literature & Discussion Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:12:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: grant http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2585 grant Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:36:21 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2585 Unless Katie or Claudia are men, then it's three women on the list, including CD Wright. Great list; thanks. Hadn't come across the Bellem or the McCabe, but will look for them now. That's why I like lists such as this; exposure to new voices. Unless Katie or Claudia are men, then it’s three women on the list, including CD Wright.

Great list; thanks. Hadn’t come across the Bellem or the McCabe, but will look for them now. That’s why I like lists such as this; exposure to new voices.

]]> By: Illinois Press Book Blog » Follow the links http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2584 Illinois Press Book Blog » Follow the links Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:18:28 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2584 [...] January 8 post on Bookslut points to VQR’s top 10 poetry books of 2008, which led me to a comment below, that refers to this ZYZZYVASPEAKS post, which mentions our own [...] [...] January 8 post on Bookslut points to VQR’s top 10 poetry books of 2008, which led me to a comment below, that refers to this ZYZZYVASPEAKS post, which mentions our own [...]

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2583 Waldo Jaquith Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:51:12 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2583 Oh, I suspect Ted was a big fan of Victoria Chang and Cecily Parks' books, too—he published them. :) But as he wrote in his blog entry, it's not really right for him to include those. But if he had included them then...3...4...5... Yup, the list would be 50/50! Oh, I suspect Ted was a big fan of Victoria Chang and Cecily Parks’ books, too—he published them. :) But as he wrote in his blog entry, it’s not really right for him to include those. But if he had included them then…3…4…5… Yup, the list would be 50/50!

]]> By: Jeff http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2582 Jeff Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:53:47 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2582 I'm a feminist and generally find myself reading more female poets than male poets -- and I liked books in 2008 by Sharon Olds, Victoria Chang, Cecily Parks, Darcie Dennigan, and Paisley Rekdal (to say nothing of the THREE women here on this list whose books are very worth one's time) -- but this is one man's list on a blog, and he's entitled to an opinion. Make your own list (why not here in the comments? why not expand the discussion rather than scowl and snark?) if you don't like this one. I’m a feminist and generally find myself reading more female poets than male poets –

and I liked books in 2008 by Sharon Olds, Victoria Chang, Cecily Parks, Darcie Dennigan, and Paisley Rekdal (to say nothing of the THREE women here on this list whose books are very worth one’s time) –

but this is one man’s list on a blog, and he’s entitled to an opinion.

Make your own list (why not here in the comments? why not expand the discussion rather than scowl and snark?) if you don’t like this one.

]]> By: Edward Dougherty http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2581 Edward Dougherty Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:02:53 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2581 First, I appreciate your patient explanation of the VQR process; although contests have been trying to clear up the cronyism that infected it, its taint has spread across the whole publishing field as a result. Second, and maybe more importantly, it's great to see a consideration of good writing, particularly of poetry. Honest, thoughtful praise is our greatest force in the face of this culture's neglect of poetry. Finally, there's no way that your list can reflect mine or any other readers, so I urge others who believe books (or authors) have been overlooked to create and publish their own lists. On-line retailers have a space for reviews and lists, and such promotion helps guide readers to books they may only glance at. First, I appreciate your patient explanation of the VQR process; although contests have been trying to clear up the cronyism that infected it, its taint has spread across the whole publishing field as a result. Second, and maybe more importantly, it’s great to see a consideration of good writing, particularly of poetry. Honest, thoughtful praise is our greatest force in the face of this culture’s neglect of poetry. Finally, there’s no way that your list can reflect mine or any other readers, so I urge others who believe books (or authors) have been overlooked to create and publish their own lists. On-line retailers have a space for reviews and lists, and such promotion helps guide readers to books they may only glance at.

]]> By: sb ramsey http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2580 sb ramsey Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:26:46 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2580 Oh, Ted. Two women. Oh, Ted. Two women.

]]> By: Ted Genoways http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2579 Ted Genoways Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:18:45 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2579 Yes, I paid a subvention for the publication of my book. The subventions for other VQR books come out of VQR funds; the subvention for my book comes out of a discretionary fund the university affords me as a faculty member. I paid the subvention to AVOID conflict of interest—after all, the real problem would arise if Georgia needed funding from me for the series at the same time that I was asking them to pay for the publication of my book. The decision to publish or not was in the hands of outside reviewers and the burden of subvention was up to me. This model is an old one—employed for decades at Wesleyan and Chicago and countless independent small presses. People disliked having to defray the cost of publishing their own books, so the contest system was devised, whereby lots of people who DON'T have their book published pay for the publication instead. To me, that seems unfair (though that's how my first book of poetry was published), and I think it also lessens the commitment of the press to the author. Publication is treated as a prize that completes the relationship, rather than the start of a partnership in which all parties are invested. If you want to know more, though I can't imagine that anyone does, Howard Junker covered it in detail several months ago: http://zyzzyvaspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/09/ted-genoways-inserts-himself.html Better still, buy and read any of the books on this list. My intention here was to celebrate the great work of so many poets and so many great presses in the last year. You may not like the way many small presses are forced to do business, but there's a simple solution: buy books, lots of them, and tell everyone you know to do the same. Yes, I paid a subvention for the publication of my book. The subventions for other VQR books come out of VQR funds; the subvention for my book comes out of a discretionary fund the university affords me as a faculty member. I paid the subvention to AVOID conflict of interest—after all, the real problem would arise if Georgia needed funding from me for the series at the same time that I was asking them to pay for the publication of my book. The decision to publish or not was in the hands of outside reviewers and the burden of subvention was up to me. This model is an old one—employed for decades at Wesleyan and Chicago and countless independent small presses. People disliked having to defray the cost of publishing their own books, so the contest system was devised, whereby lots of people who DON’T have their book published pay for the publication instead. To me, that seems unfair (though that’s how my first book of poetry was published), and I think it also lessens the commitment of the press to the author. Publication is treated as a prize that completes the relationship, rather than the start of a partnership in which all parties are invested.

If you want to know more, though I can’t imagine that anyone does, Howard Junker covered it in detail several months ago:

http://zyzzyvaspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/09/ted-genoways-inserts-himself.html

Better still, buy and read any of the books on this list. My intention here was to celebrate the great work of so many poets and so many great presses in the last year. You may not like the way many small presses are forced to do business, but there’s a simple solution: buy books, lots of them, and tell everyone you know to do the same.

]]> By: Sally http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2578 Sally Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:40:37 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2578 Didn't you also have to pay money to have the series publish your book? Didn’t you also have to pay money to have the series publish your book?

]]> By: Top 10 Poetry Books of 2008 « Choriamb: Poetry News and Reviews http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2577 Top 10 Poetry Books of 2008 « Choriamb: Poetry News and Reviews Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:56:04 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2577 [...] January 6, 2009 · No Comments Ted Genoways of the Virginia Quarterly Review posts his picks for Top 10 Poetry Books of 2008 [...] [...] January 6, 2009 · No Comments Ted Genoways of the Virginia Quarterly Review posts his picks for Top 10 Poetry Books of 2008 [...]

]]> By: Ted Genoways http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2008/12/31/top-10-poetry-books-of-2008/#comment-2576 Ted Genoways Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:52:34 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/?p=829#comment-2576 Sally, I make no secrets or apologies about publishing in the VQR Poetry Series. I thought it showed my support for the series. Other people see it differently. So it goes. As for "picking" my own book, that's not how it works. I pick the other books, but my book had to be sent out to two anonymous outside readers and then approved by the press's advisory board. More importantly, our series is not a contest. I dislike the whole idea of poetry as a competitive business, but to the extent that VQR awards prizes or compiles best-of lists, I leave my friends, family, and business associates out of the equation. Have I published work in VQR by old friends? Yes. Do they win our contests? No. Have I published books by old friends? Yes. Do I list them among the year's best? No. To me, there's a bright line, but I understand if you don't see it. Sally, I make no secrets or apologies about publishing in the VQR Poetry Series. I thought it showed my support for the series. Other people see it differently. So it goes. As for “picking” my own book, that’s not how it works. I pick the other books, but my book had to be sent out to two anonymous outside readers and then approved by the press’s advisory board. More importantly, our series is not a contest. I dislike the whole idea of poetry as a competitive business, but to the extent that VQR awards prizes or compiles best-of lists, I leave my friends, family, and business associates out of the equation. Have I published work in VQR by old friends? Yes. Do they win our contests? No. Have I published books by old friends? Yes. Do I list them among the year’s best? No. To me, there’s a bright line, but I understand if you don’t see it.

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