BLOGITORIAL: POETGATE

A few months ago I read a tweet about something called Poetgate. I can't remember all the details, but here's the gist. A governor of one of our southeastern states appointed a woman as Poet Laureate without vetting her through "approved" poet channels. The F.B.I.P. (Federal Bureau of Investigative Poets) were called in. What they found was shocking - she was self-published. Fear of being blacklisted led the woman to resign her position as Poet Laureate.

For clarification purposes, I am not that woman, but I could easily have been.

I love writing. I especially love writing poetry. I'm sure the woman at the heart of Poetgate loved writing poetry also. The governor of her state loved her poetry enough to appoint her Poet Laureate. Who did the governor think he was, anyway!

Until I read that Twitter feed I was unaware of the standards "approved" poets hold over their poet rank and file. 

As a poet (WAIT! Am I really a poet? I write poetry. I write a lot of poetry. Hmmm. I wonder if I should write the F.B.I.P. for clarification), freelance writer and blogger, I want to encourage other poets and writers to keep on writing, no matter what anyone says. 

I have encountered some prejudice. I don't possess a college degree, which evidently excludes me from prestigious poet's and writer's circles. Poetry posted here on this blog and other forms of social media are considered published by many editors/publishers, so I may indeed refer to myself as a published poet/writer. However, under the jurisdiction of those "approved", I would as of this posting be considered self-published. 

Did I mention how much I love poetry? True, I don't always get what others label as great writing in modern poetry. On many occasions I find myself wondering "how in the world does anyone think this is good, let alone actually get paid for penning this garbage?" Poetry, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder.

Don't let writing bureaucrats get you down. Don't let anyone tell you you're not a writer, because if you write you're a writer. If you write poems you're a poet. If your poetry/writing is made available to the public, you're published. 

What a shame that truly talented poets/writers can't be accepted based solely on their talent. 

Just. Keep. Writing. 

mtk