Caesura

    Diligent readers of this blog may recall that Poetry magazine and the Poetry Foundation underwent some turmoil over the summer, as hundreds of writers took them to task for not supporting non-white poets. People at both the publication and the foundation were forced to resign, but their critics were not mollified; they called for "the massive wealth hoarding that underlies the foundation's work" to be more often distributed, in the form of grants and prizes and publications, to writers of color. 

     So, rather than put out a September issue, the folks at Poetry are going to take a month to consider their prejudices. Editorial and hiring practices will be scrutinized. Souls will be searched. "This pause is a necessary part of Poetry magazine’s reckoning with the deep-seated white supremacy of our organization," quoth a statement from the editors.

     It's remarkable to see any American institution publicly acknowledge its racist past and current bias. Tens of millions of dollars may end up in different pockets because a few hundred people (including prize-winning leaders in their field) refused to silently accept inequity. Or perhaps this pause in publication is just a stall tactic, an empty gesture from people who intend to make no real changes...let's hope not. America is not so unremittingly white as a blank page, and its poetry should reflect that.