but thinking…

I’m thinking about creating an online community devoted to the posting of poems for the express purpose of subverting the current publication system.

I’m thinking of a place where poets can post work with the intent of NOT submitting the poems for publication anywhere. To work, this would have to be a place with REALLY excellent work that would be sacrificed, at least at first, because so many journals and publishers are not willing to take work that has been placed online.

The site would offer copyleft and Creative Commons licensed chapbooks, free for the download, as well as posted poems that are deliberately out there, defying the current system.

This wouldn’t be the same as blogging your own poems — think of it as a free access journal, a single online clearing house for poets who wanted their work out there on a site that would offer reliable and steady access to their work. Granted, there’d be no renumeration beyond free distribution, but I would love it if even some of my fine poet friends would submit the occasional poem there.

This is way early, not entirely well conceived, and still embryonic — but I like the idea of it as a big finger to the current tyranny of certain journals.

I’m just thinking out loud. But I know what I want, even if it’s not clearly stated yet. GotPoetry’s got a piece of the picture, but not all of it — a lot of poems on the site are what I might call “hobbyist” poems as opposed to the type of work I’m thinking of. That’s not meant in a derogatory way, just an observation.

Still thinking. Is the idea remotely clear? Even in a small way?