Readings, Rated
Small Press Month, oh the controversy
Yesterday, the Books editor at Time Out Chicago wrote a blog post critiquing ChicagoPoetry.com’s C.J. Laity’s recent calls to boycott about National Small Press Month. A small press month whose investors include McSweeney’s and Tin House sounds like a good idea, right? Not to Laity. Messinger gives forth considered discourse on each of Laity’s points (that it has corporate sponsors, that it’s not Midwest enough, etc). Laity, in turn, responds with personal attacks as he is wont to do, see this Chicagoist entry about the Printers Ball, in which he calls someone a “little bitch,” among other things. Now, Literago.org exists to promote the wonderfully-thriving (but still somewhat scattered and non-cohesive) Chicago lit-scene, (which Messinger covers intelligently in this week’s issue) but when Laity responds with comments like, “Screw New York. Chicago does not need some folks from New York dictating when and how Chicago should celebrate its wonderful (be it struggling) world of small presses,” it makes us groan. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, of course, but the logic is incorrect; NSPM started in NYC, but is not a “New York event”-plenty of small presses from elsewhere are participating. Plus, polarizing attitudes like this foster further isolation of writers, presses, and publishers. Not to mention the fact that this commentary conveys a vast lack of diplomacy and sense of collaboration–both of which are needed to foster ANY sort of cohesive lit scene. Hey, it’s a big, spread-out city, so let’s learn how to work together and play with the big kids, eh? That’s our take. Give forth your own comments on the actual blog post about this.
Not only is this sort of rhetoric polarizing, it’s vulgar. It’s like watching a starving dog trying to wrest the tiniest scrap of meat from another starving dog.
Wow, I knew you folks at Literago were stuck up (only promoting the select few literary events that YOU deem worthy), but this takes the cake. We have had a “cohesive” lit scene in Chicago for over twenty years (that I’ve been in) and of course even before that before I made the scene. I can’t tell you how tiresome it is for newcomer cry babies like you to pop in the scene all the time without a clue to the history of it and then act like you’ve invented it or your way of thinking is its savior. Sell your soul to the big publishing industry if you like; the rest of us see the hypocrisy of this so-called National Small Press Month.–CJ Laity
By “the rest of us,” I assume Mr. Laity means himself and the voices in his head? Emphasizing select events isn’t stuck up; it’s editing, something CJ could clearly stand to learn something about.
Kris,
your comment reminds me of something I would expect from a neo con loon posting at ABC News. Now I’m awful for promoting EVERYONE instead of editing it down to the five people that I like? I see that Literago isn’t worth my time. Throw your insults all you like, I’m out of here.
Chicago historically stands on the shoulders of literary giants and wonderfully cohesive literary organizations; however, in order to further Chicago literary tradition and create new ones, we do need to attract the likes of literary businesses – agents, other presses, media etc as well as attract and support writers. Small Press Month may assist in doing some of that.
As far as “cry babies”"stuck up” and “selling your soul” it seems that Laity may not be concerned with working with new lit. organizations, nor should he be. His input and assistance, it seems, would only further damage a strong continuing tradition of Chicago literature.
Also, as far as “screw New York” it is ridiculous to state that cities shouldn’t assist each other in resources or in growing true independent presses. This is not Bosnia or France cerca 1800’s. Chicago has historically built upon New York’s achievements and, at our best, its mistakes (architecture, city planning, cultural institutions, business etc) and there is not reason why we couldn’t in the publishing industry.
It is unfortunate that Laity views this is such black and white term.