Hi Writers,
 
Eric and I were talking in the hall tonight about the readings and about
David's idea that we don't have to make each one such a big deal.
 
The more I think about it, the more sense it makes to me.
 
What about earmarking an amount--maybe 1000, or somewhere between 500 and
1000, whatever we agree on, each year to be doled out to writers who are
passing through but might not warrant or want a big to-do?  That way, in
addition to 4 or 5 big readings a semester, we could pay $100 or $200 to
others just to read to a small group in the Reading Room, maybe at 4 in the
afternoon during the week.  Graduate students and a few undergrads could
come, no big deal, but it would give us a nice opportunity to be hospitable
to writers coming through and to offer more different voices during the
semester.
 
Since we have a few "big" names taken care of every year through Sprint,
Poetry Circuit, and Cook, we are in a senses freer to use a certain amount
at our discretion for smaller fish.    We might organize it on a
first-come, first-serve basis, with the agreement that none of us would use
more than 200 or 300 or whatever a year, or we might structure it more
thoroughly.  We could discuss the writers we'd like to bring in on this
listserve, or we could just each announce our choices as faits accomplis.
I have a feeling it would work out smoothly, since there probably aren't
TOO many writers passing through that we'd actually want to bring.
 
I think this would add to the intellectual life of the cw program in a way
that limiting ourselves to a few big readings won't; it would allow us to
take greater advantage of the resources offered by Cincinnati, neighboring
universities, etc.; and it will give us the flexibility to respond quickly
when we suddenly find out that someone we are interested in hosting will be
in the area.
 
Obviously, I have someone in mind; I just heard from a fine poet who has a
grant to pay for travel, who would like to come next fall,  and who I bet
will come for 150 or so.  There's no particular reason to use one of our
rare spots in the bigtime committe-approved schedule for her, or to invite
everyone and their students to come.  But we could give her a nice little
reading in the Reading Room for an audience of 20 or so.  Could we make her
a test-case for such a system?
 
 
Whaddya think?
 
Annie
 
Annie Finch        ( Homepage:  http://www.muohio.edu/~finchar/ )
Department of English
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45220