I admit I love joining groups and getting membership cards. I've kept all my library cards. When I was 7 years old, I tried to join the Official Cher fan club. I felt ripped off more than satiated. I was a member of the Barry Manilow Official fan club for about 10 years and wrote about it on Ape Culture in 1999. I just want to belong!

Over the last six months, I've joined a few poetry associations to see if it was worth it. And I'm finding much to like about them.


DsThe Science Fiction Poetry Association: The first group I joined, because my book has science, technology and space exploration themes, was The Science Fiction Poetry Association. So far I've received last year's issue of Dwarf Stars, a small press anthology of mini-poems and two issues of Star Line, the main journal of the association. I really enjoyed the second issue and poems like "Sea Monkeys" by Robert Borski, "The Truth About Unicorns" by Beth Cato, "No Man's a Mythic Hero to His Wife" by Jason Braun, "Dracula Considers Celebrity" by Chris Bullard. They're often ironic, meta and suited to a Gen Xer like me. Even the mini-oems are pithy and smart:

even at light speed…
Sl
long stretches
of boredom

–James Weaver

The issue also taught me what steampunk was and alerted me to the book Where Rockets Burn Through: Contemporary Science Fiction Poems from the UK. I also loved F.J. Bergmann's short essay on about whether poetry is possible in a world of tragedy, the power a small word offers "the world of diplomacy. Not a few treaties and negotiations have foundered on deficient wording."

Poetry Fash: This was simply an exercise in throwing money down the drain. I once picked up these newspaper-style issues in Los Angeles. I paid for a two-year subscription via their website (Paypal) over a year ago and have never received a single issue. I've sent four emails to them (via their website and Facebook page) trying to figure out what happened that have all gone unanswered. They did have the balls to send me a mail solicitation last month asking for more money. I think not.

The Santa Fe Poetry Society: I think there are less than 30 members in the Santa Fe Poetry Society, a subset of the New Mexico State Poetry Society. They send out a two-page newsletter once in a while, although since I've become an official member, I haven't received any more (what a tease!). They also run a local open mic event in town that draws more than 30 people. I've been to about four of them but haven't made any poetry pals yet. The group participates in a state convention in Albuquerque in June and I do hope I will still be in town to attend that. I love conventions!


ApThe Academy of American Poets: Early on I also joined The Academy of American Poets. Who has not found their website (http://www.poets.org/) beneficial at one time or another? They've sent me two nifty cards already, a Season's Greetings postcard with a quote from Denise Levertov, "To confuse snow with stars,/simulate a star's fantastic wisdom," and four letters: one welcoming me, one end-of-year appeal for more money (why are those always 4-page sagas?), one presenting me with my 2013 membership card (improved with my name on it), and one with their enclosed journal American Poet.  I was pleased to receive my first issue of American Poet, considering there are allegedly 9,000 subscribers. The basic structure to the articles, which I like, includes an introduction to a poet, two or three of their poems and then a poem from the introducing poet. Issue #43 also included a manuscript study of a William Stafford poem, some reprinted poems from books the academy likes and short book reviews. And the journal looks good, is well designed (I loved the cover art). The poems tend to be difficult…surreal and oblique without much variation, as do the essays and introductions. This would appeal to language and other experimental poets.


AprThe Poetry Society of America: One of my favorite memberships so far is The Poetry Society of America.  Their welcome letter on card stock came with a tear-away membership card I could sign (which I just did today), a button (have I mentioned I love buttons?), an Metro-Transit Authority (NYC) bookmark (I have one of their MTA posters from years ago, too), four beautiful postcards which are too pretty to ever send, and, best of all, a membership to one of their partnering journals. I picked American Poetry Review, a journal that I love not for the fact that I tend to like the poetry and essays they provide, but because I am addicted to anything in a recycled newspaper format. This is why I had Literal Latte shipped to my house in Lititz, PA, for all those years until it folded (sad day!). I've received three issues so far; and beyond being mostly a catalog of ads for MFA programs, (a non-poet might think that's all poets have to offer these days), I've loved every issue. They've provided me with a whole new list of poets to explore, including D.W. Fenza, Kathleen Graber (love her America poems), Michelle Ornat, Paisley Rekdal, and Rachel Zucker.

And there have been some great essays:

  • Tony Hoagland on Brenda Hillman (Sept-Oct, 2012)
  • Arielle Greenberg on hybred (multi-format) poetry (Sept-Oct, 2012)
  • David Wojahn on Elizabeth Bishop (Nov-Dec, 2012)
  • David Rivard's poetic meanderings on Robert Frost and writing  (Jan-Feb, 2013)
  • Arielle Greenberg on second-wave feminist writing (Jan-Feb, 2013)
  • Alex Giardino's interview with Annie Finch (Jan-Feb, 2013)


PrThe Scottish Poetry Library: Now contrary to the sound of my (married) name, I'm not Scottish. Well, at least not that I know of. The Ladd family were cowboys who kept no genealogical records behind. The reason I joined The Scottish Poetry Library had everything to do with how impressed I was with their website when I happened upon it while looking for something else. It was a well-made, efficient, friendly web site. This is a rare animal in the poetry world. Most poetry sites and blog, even unintentionally, come across as exclusive and elitist. Not this one. Having worked in the website business for many years (as a consultant for ICANN even) and having read plenty of books on user experience, I know a good website when I see it. I joined pronto.

I was not disappointed. Right away, they sent me a laminated card (so old school!), a letter with a personal message on it about being delighted to have a Santa Fe member and to please come and visit someday (I sure will!), a programme booklet of all their local events, their annual review report and the Poetry Reader journal. This group impresses me. If I ran any kind of poetry association, I would rip off everything they do. They do smart and aggressive outreach with local kids and museums, they coordinated an Olympic Games poetry competition for this year's games, they're involved in book-related artworks around the city, they take their online site and social media very seriously (yet inclusively), they provide lesson and reading guides for teachers, librarians and writers. They partner with scholars, artists, local bookstores and poets in other countries. They're materials are really really well designed. They're transparent and so, so friendly. I can't emphasize that enough. I wanted to join this place of good feeling and acceptance. I was darn-right enthusiastic about it.

The first journal talks about nature writing, discusses the biography of a Scottish poet or two (Nan Shepherd) and what the library is doing with their collection, tours of poetry readings in local bookshops (with pictures), their podcasts and some interviews and columns from members.

Overall, I've enjoyed these memberships and look forward to getting more mail from them.