zodiac24 Jan 2006

I think there is a sameness of voice. (You don't see it reading journals because journal selections, as a rule, aren't workshopped; you see it from watching a lot of workshops.) The almost-inevitable result of workshopping IS a uniform blandness. Think of the poems you've workshopped: This guy says, I'm not so sure about your use of 'fuck' - isn't there a better word? This one says pallid as mushrooms seems a bit cliche; this one says he doesn't get ridged as a whale's mouth. This one says explore the sex imagery more; this one'd like more violence imagery. This says he didn't get it; this says it's too obvious. If you listen, your voice isn't your own; the poem's, um, unity is compromised. It's like democracy: with all the great inspired leaders and individuals in our midst, how do we end up electing the blandest, most anonymous President?

I'm not saying don't workshop. I'm saying put something out for the first reaction, like or dislike, and to catch big mistakes. When people say they want shorter lines or more sex, don't change the poem you posted; write another one using their ideas, see what they think of that. Even then, half the time you'll get one responder who hates your poem for every one who loves it - so that, after all the workshops in the world, it's still the loneliest profession.