Statements I made on the Science Fiction Poetry Association Facebook group
I've been pretty dissatisfied, disappointed and disgruntled with SFPA for a growing number of reasons over the past couple years. A year ago I tried to leave altogether but was talked out of it. Right now I'm regretting I agreed to that request. I appreciate that Marge offered an apology, but now that the people around her are adding to the problem by defending this terrible and blatantly obvious faux pas - I'd say that's the final straw. Now I finally vote with my feet the way I once intended. The good news for SFPA, I guess, is that I will have no more criticisms of Star*Line to offer, as I will no longer receive it.
There are folks who are trying to characterize my objection to this poem as a problem with its politics. Not at all so. And now that I'm no longer a member, I feel a little freer to explain why this pisses me off so much. I'll try and keep it brief.
When I was President, I tried very hard to build an image of SFPA as a tent open to all. My efforts weren't perfect, but so it goes. When Deb was President she did the same. Nonetheless, SFPA has been criticized more and more heavily because of a perception that it's an organization that is not welcoming to all potential members. I am very sympathetic to those who feel that way based on some of my own behind-the-scenes ordeals while a volunteer. A couple years ago a large scale multi-sided brouhaha erupted based on some of these criticisms that resulted in at least a few people leaving the org.
Star*Line is not just someone's personal zine, it's the org's official showcase. It doesn't take much objective inspection to read "The Green Reich" (or for that matter, "The Vampire of Ramallah" from the previous issue) and conclude that these are pieces that have definite potential to seriously offend, maybe not ALL, but at least some of the paying members.
And, are either of these poems so good that they justify possibly driving members away or potentially proving this perception of SFPA as hostile to minorities and women true in the eyes of its critics? Um, no.
And that is what makes me want to tear my hair out.
There are folks who are trying to characterize my objection to this poem as a problem with its politics. Not at all so. And now that I'm no longer a member, I feel a little freer to explain why this pisses me off so much. I'll try and keep it brief.
When I was President, I tried very hard to build an image of SFPA as a tent open to all. My efforts weren't perfect, but so it goes. When Deb was President she did the same. Nonetheless, SFPA has been criticized more and more heavily because of a perception that it's an organization that is not welcoming to all potential members. I am very sympathetic to those who feel that way based on some of my own behind-the-scenes ordeals while a volunteer. A couple years ago a large scale multi-sided brouhaha erupted based on some of these criticisms that resulted in at least a few people leaving the org.
Star*Line is not just someone's personal zine, it's the org's official showcase. It doesn't take much objective inspection to read "The Green Reich" (or for that matter, "The Vampire of Ramallah" from the previous issue) and conclude that these are pieces that have definite potential to seriously offend, maybe not ALL, but at least some of the paying members.
And, are either of these poems so good that they justify possibly driving members away or potentially proving this perception of SFPA as hostile to minorities and women true in the eyes of its critics? Um, no.
And that is what makes me want to tear my hair out.