Preface - Electronic Poetry Center

From: Sheila Murphy
Subject: Thoughts About Engagement
Spencer’s most recent post quite clearly crystallizes some of the concerns that
have been discussed around theory/participation/community and the like. His
post brings to mind for me the extent to which it perhaps always has been true
that there’s little room, certainly in art, and probably in most things, for the
pure entity of THE PROCESS AND WHAT’S MADE to exist without that
entity’s being propped up by loads of self promotion. An unspoken kind of
currency exists in many realms of endeavor. Specifically, having "something to
trade," some commodity to hold/exchange/seek that puts one on the board at
all. This offering can take the form of publishing, producing programs, critical
perspective published or spoken, and undoubtedly several more. Spoken
opinion or assessment concerning someone’s work, where and how it fits, what
new ground it breaks, etc., has particularly high value associated with it. To me,
it has always been true that this kind of exchange pattern has been present. But
with the abundance of material and of distribution channels (be they
small/large, unofficial/official), including the machines we can access to share
them, there’s been an escalation of need to create focus on any given work.
(Sort out something that seems to deserve light) However people fare within
this system, combined with their own needs for recognition, (and these are not
the sole variables!) seems to connect to levels of frustration or levels of felt
reward. I suspect that the struggle to be counted forces many people to have to
expend far more effort than they would choose just getting into the middle of
things and being perceived as complete.. This, of course, can rob time from
producing work one cares about producing. I feel this among people in the
earnings world, too. So much energy goes into getting one’s name out about
one’s business services, etc., that there’s too little time (sometimes) left for
doing what one does. This whole issue seems pertinent to the theory question
within the world of practice. I hate to put theory into the category of "must do,"
as though it were something no one would do if they didn’t have to, because
it’s at least potentially worthy and elegant and illuminating an a thing unto
itself. (Transcending the level of inventing a frame within which to illuminate
what one is doing!) But for some people, at least the writing about writing
aspect is a price to pay to get closer to what is wanted.
I have no particular answer for this except to say that the sooner one can pursue
something at the center of her or his passionate concerns, without the