So I went over to the Cobalt Poets Yahoogroup to check on whether a certain reading was going to occur this week, and I read something about an open mike charging $5.00 [actually, it was $5 for a coupon to buy coffee and goods at the coffeehouse] and there's a discussion that isn't totally positive [not discussing a somewhat more contentious one involving fundamentalism and homophobia a few posts later]. Here comes the Cobalt Cafe host Rick Lupert to express his usual discomfort (boldface added by me):
More importantly, it would be nice, kind and even more human if we didn't jump
on opportunities to critique others, their readings or projects in a cynical or
sarcastic way. If that's your preferred style of communication, please contact
the intended recipient directly as it is not welcome on this list.
This is essentially a "don't say anything un-nice about anyone; I only want this list to be announcements only because I like control better than dealing with variables" announcement.
While one can at least respect Rick as a poet and long-time community pillar, one can't help but long for the days of the Cobalt list when people could disagree (and sometimes quite forcefully) with each other without being almost immediately told to shut up and take it elsewhere or suffer banishment.
Perhaps it's better for people to be themselves every so often without masks and hypocrisy. It makes it easier to see which community poets you want to be friends/allies with--and which ones to avoid.
It was more than just charging $5 dollars for an open mic. It was $5 for a coupon to buy coffee and goods at the coffeehouse. Cash only. For a two hour window on Sunday afternoon. Which will be videorecorded and put on YouTube. And poets will have to compete with musicians and comics.
ReplyDeleteI rephrased the notice truthfully to highlight how that open mic was just not very enticing to poets and that pissed off some people. But I was only voicing what everybody was thinking when they read the notice.