Comment on Natalie Zed’s Blog

Her writing lacks rigour. Her writing lacks analysis. Really? Cause from my perspective your reading lacks rigour. Your reading lacks imagination. Your reading lacks an open mind.

As for what passes for clear thinking on blogs? The general rule seems to be why use one word when you can use ten and be even more unclear.

Mud is mud is mud. Enthusiasm is not intelligence.

I have politely refrained from comment because my general thought is if you don’t encourage they’ll go away. But they don’t. The silence is apparently encouragement. The silence makes these voices bolder. And then I remembered Adrienne Rich, and the fact of silence being such an oppressive and pervasive aspect of women’s lives. Even their writing lives. One woman speaking the truth makes room for others.

So, think about the other.

And women, take the risk. Speak up. And appreciate when others do in your name.

Every opinion I state publicly costs me something.

Every moment I spend writing a blog post is time not spent with my children, or on my own writing.

Every altercation online is time and energy drained.

And yet the silence gives those who don’t have self-reflection enough to consider other voices more and more room to speak…

And it’s not even really about gender, it’s about self reflection and habit. Break your habit.

I really want to hear diverse voices, and I mean more than just gender, or aesthetically speaking.

I really want to hear from people outside of Toronto.

I really want to hear some news, some action, and move on from pointing it out and having to argue and defend. It’s a drag to do that. It’s draining. It’s not at all fun…and it creates a negative environment (see here for my own suggestions…).

Either we move forward, or I suppose I can simply walk away from poetry. This game doesn’t play out elsewhere as intensely–the academy for example.

One needs to ask: why do so many women seem to chose silence still?

Sina Queyras
Alas, I have no more time to spend digging around on this issue. Perhaps, Mr. Godkin, you can?
Women are seriously underrepresented. To ask us to spend any more time accumulating these statistics and making arguments for inclusion is quite frankly, an insult.
A little self-reflection will go a long way.
I posted on this several times: the literary test, for example,
the gatekeepers and the glass ceiling,
etc.
The literary test is important: if you only read white male writers who reflect your style and tastes, you can delude yourself into thinking you are reading only the best books…and if a woman, or non-white writer happens to write into your precise idea of goodness you can include them.
This is fine for a blogger, not fine for someone with a national profile.
I think it’s time for the dudes to do some thinking and some work. Think about the amount of time you, male editors, spend mentoring your male writers.
Then do the same for women.
You say women don’t submit.
I wonder how many of your male reviewers you have found on list serves, etc, and asked to submit?
The problem isn’t reviewers like Michael Lista per se, the problem is the lack of ongoing dialog about how these critical communities take root and are supported.
Women above: I suggest you submit your responses to the National Post. Better yet, create your own site. A better one.