SERENDIPITY.

Sri Lanka. Europeans once called it "Ceylon" and before that "Serendip", a place of exotica and unexpected happenings.

When I read 'criticism' that the net, particularly its poetry journals and zines, are contaminated by 'commercialism' I think: SERENDIPITY. There are advocates for 'purity' -- no sponsor/no affiliate icons - and the 'uncluttered look' (make the zine look like it's on paper). As the first line of this 'editorial' has no relation to the poetry in PoetryRepairShop, the purist arguments are unrelated to poetry. In the West, poets have briefly been without patrons. Or, without the appearance of patronage. But I must ask what is it to receive government grants if not patronage of a power elite; what is it to be an 'academic' journal if not to receive patronage of a department chair or dean; what is it to be an 'independent' publisher if not the patronage of some outside enabling corporation? If not patronage, poetry becomes the property of the wealthy, an elite of voyeurs and posteurs.

Whether the money comes from multinational or national or local individuals or governments, it is patronage. The ideology of economics rules. That is, 'economics' in the sense of 'those forces that impinge upon an individual'. Without patronage, the only place on net (or anywhere else) for 'publishing' poetry is the free space of a bulletin board. Post it and be done with it.

But poets want to shepherd their poems, lead them to the finest audience pastures, bring them into the familiar landscapes of comparable poetry, to herd with similar minds. Without such an impulse, poetry becomes domestic ('those forces which derive from the individual'). Whitman and Emily Dickinson come readily to mind as 'domestics'. But it takes much time for 'personal experience', the 'domestic', to become 'poetry.' There was no widespread discussion recorded for Leaves of Grass until Lord Strang's discussion in the 1878 Pall Mall Gazette and in America, not one discussion in America until a 1930 article in the Periodical Of the Modern Language Association (now PMLA), an arbiter of academic acceptance. Many poets, myself included do not wish to be dead or in our elder years when our work is accepted. So there is patronage.

Patronage - is is merely support for one's work, support from a well known or influential person or corporate entity. (Except for Vachel Lindsay who sold his poetry door to door during the Great Depression.) An editorial is as much a sign of patronage as is a corporate affiliate icon. The 'contributor' page similarly says - 'look at whom we've patronized' - judge OUR poets by comparison to those of others. So, instead of all these things, I simply ask readers to patronize by clicking thru on an icon. What PoetryRepairShop earns will keep it online; perhaps, PoetryRepairShop will be able to be a patron to these poets. I'd like that. The poets would like that. It should be serendipity when the creator of poetry receives a paycheck (do I dare speak such heresy!) Yes, a paycheck for his or her efforts.

Now, instead of patronage by using taxes (your money) or your purchasing power; you can be a patron by clicking. Perfectly pay/in-less. And, by clicking, you the reader controls patronage (if not the whole zine, then just those pages and poets you like).

This is only the second time in two years that I've 'editorialized' ... Don't make me do it again!