Thursday, December 07, 2006

Guerilla Poetics

Guerilla Poetics. I have mixed feelings about stuff like this. Feels a little like guerilla advertising to me. Not that I'm against guerilla advertising, but if you're advertising your advertising, no? I don't know. Maybe not. I'm probably being ridiculous. It just sounds like advertising and it yanks out the thirteen-year-old-girl in me. Anyway. I'm sure Will's seen this already. He's seen everything. He's probably even shown it to be before. I should eat something.

7 comments:

MadisonGlass said...

I just don't think it goes far enough. When I was in college I bought a huge sheet and some fabric paint and I was going to hang some poetry (not mine mind you) from an overpass on I5, but I couldn't decide what poem to do. So. It never happened. Someone should really do that though. Someone else.

christopher cunningham said...

well, it goes pretty far considering it's only four months old and we've gone from 10 to over 100 members on three continents (plus our Patrons) who donate their own money to put great small press poetry into the hands of likely readers.

the GPP is more of a group of determined folks who think there are neglected voices in the big box literary landscape. we're a non-profit, and want only to spread the voices of strong yet obscure poets further into the world.

sure, there is an element of marketing (I mean, is any of your work going to be stumbled upon by chance? are you just writing into a void for yourself? why even bother submitting? why have a blog? and etc. on that argument), but the poems are chosen blind, by well respected and experienced publishers and writers of poetry (you can read the list at the site), and selected from invitations to great writers. there is NO self promotion within the framework of the GPP. the idea is to let folks know that there are living writers to read out there in addition to those "greats" we all know and love.

and as far as advertising, the only thing being promoted REALLY is the small press, the underground press, whatever you want to call it.

so tell your thirteen year old girl to sign up, get her beautifully printed broadsides in the mail (postage paid by the Operative because they believe in the project's potential to reach folks) and get to sticking in the Target Books.

and tell Will we're watching him, too.

MadisonGlass said...

Wow. That was kind of creepy.

amber said...

It was kinda creepy. But why isn't he watching me? Tear.

christopher cunningham said...

now now, amanda, don't cry. we'll start watching you immediately.

glad we're only kinda creepy.

christopher cunningham said...

now now, amanda, don't cry. we'll start watching you immediately.

glad we're only kinda creepy.

Bill - Bottle of Smoke Press said...

Hi,
We are a global, nameless, faceless, egoless group of dedicated poets and publishers.

You are certainly welcome to join our group.

We are not creepy at all! We are just looking to get out the word to people that need it.

All best,
Bill/Printer
Guerilla Poetics Project