Hey, Aaron:

Most of your "criticisms" mirror the ones I didn't write down. I think most of them could be true of most awards and "Best Of's." I remember Jim Behrle's condemnation of the latest fill-in-the-year best o' da best poetry anthology, which I had no objections to. (He also announced his intentions to make a "not best-of" book. Whether the title is ironic or not, I'll be first in line to submit and include myself with the non-elite).

One thing I DO remember when working on my undergrad thesis was going through a bunch of Snodgrass interviews and essays. In one (Paris Review, I think?) Snodgrass explained that when he won his Pulitzer, he got the inside story on that year's voting process from someone on the judging committee. And while the people who fought for Heart's Needle prevailed, there was apparently a good number who wanted to vote for a particular light verse poet, citing the reason, "light verse sells well."

Not that Snodgrass gave back the Pulitzer once he heard that.

If I get any measure of success, awards will probably mean little to me as the years go by (or even months, as I immerse my self in blog culture). But for now, since being me has involved staying at home a lot and not engaging in workshops or shmoozing with fellow writers, it's nice when a committee of people I don't really know see my stuff as being of good quality. It's not any proof that I'm the "best" in anything, but it is admiration from our peers which I think most writers are looking for whether they admit it or not.

And of course, award shows can be a hoot to go to (CBA was pretty entertaining). Plus, once in a while, you see someone who deserves to be applauded (Grammys being the only exception, I think).

But it does suck when groups take over and exclude. You're absolutely right about the ballots, and I should have noted it before. The award ballots being only in open mic venues is reasonable enough, but SLAM venues only really narrows things even more. What if a good poet puts on a good show at a Borders or at Wordsworth (as I've known a couple to do). And since I only heard of the CBA when I received notice the open mic mailing list, I wonder how many true "page poets" actually get the opportunity to send their work. And that's why I posted it.

BTW: I only put quotes around "criticisms" because I can't for the life of me figure out why you quotes around "concede." Is it spelled wrong? Grammatically incorrect?

"Little" do I "know." ;).

Thanks for the continuing dialog. No qualms whatsoever with anything you said, but it's easier to do keep up with the blog when know I'm being read. Liked the chapbook you gave out at Wordsworth last weekend.

For the other two reading this, Aaron and I read together at Wordsworth back in May. It was the first "gig" I got since my book out. Check out the link I put in and find out more about him and his magazine Carve.