| You should support local poetry scene |
So I open up my copy of Fast Forward this week and find buried in Lee Shedden’s review of Robyn Sarah’s book of poetry, A Day’s Grace (Happy Discovery: Sarah’s poetry full of delight, Books, April 22 — April 28, 2004), a divisive attack on two important Calgary writers, Governor General’s award-winning poet Fred Wah and local stalwart Derek Beaulieu, which is in effect a much larger attack on a sizable segment of the Calgary literary community. After recently spending some time with a well-known poet from out of town who told me that he enjoys coming to Calgary because of how supportive its poets are to each other, whether their work is difficult or not, Lee Shedden’s comments make my heart sink. As a long-standing participant in the local literary community and as the current poetry editor of filling Station magazine, I have seen what attitudes like Shedden’s can do to not only split communities but to create hostilities within them. Using accusatory rhetoric, Shedden points a hateful finger at the "difficult" poets saying that they have turned common folk away from poetry. This type of rhetoric is dangerous. Instead, why not act as supporters of the local literary arts, seeking to become multipliers who choose to turn people on to interesting writing. I’m looking at you Fast Forward!
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Poetry Editor, filling Station magazine
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