~Terran - a short bio...

Rapplings,

Realizing I might have come on too strong, just popping in out of the
ether et. all, I thought it might be useful to re-introduce myself.

My sock-puppet here is (tilde)Terran.  I posted on rap and was in on
the inception of aapc (to the consternation of my fellow rappers) in
the mid to late nineties and briefly again in the 0's (as Xmasghost).

At that time both boards but esp. rap (aapc being the more dignified
anglofied offshoot) were raw vibrant virtual places for virtual poets
and artists to interact, insult and critique each other - virtually.
MCR. gatherings were common.  Rap had even gained a reputation in lit.
circles beyond the net.  It wasn't all Camelot but it was alive and
thriving.  Most of the poets and writers of that era have moved on or
shuffled off (as in "that mortal coil").  You are our descendants.

When I happened to look in this time, I was pleased to see people
posting and critiquing poetry again, without the incessant barrage of
off-topic white noise and spam.  

Two thoughts.

First, some of you need to develop thicker skins.  Critics are giving
you a gift, whatever their motives, be they animus, ego, jealousy,
pettiness or spite.  Learn to see them in this way and you can learn
from anyone.  Give up the newbie poet belief that every jot of your
poesy is the inspired word of some higher deity.   It may be, but
likely is not.  Read the crits.  Thank the critics.  Use what you can.
Ignore the rest.  Make shrines to your verse, vanity publish, paper
your bedrooms with it if you want, then look back in five or ten years
and see who was right.  Oft times, it was the critics, I'm sorry to
say.

Second, give up any notion that poetry is some channeled muse.  Only
Coleridge was stoned enough to believe this (though they claimed
otherwise, even the romantics penned drafts).  Poetry isn't written,
it's re-written.  Make it as good as it can be.  Better for you to
think like Michelangelo, that the poem is there, all you have to do is
chip off the useless bits.

If you guys/gals keep this up, you might just attract some poets back
to this board to write with you and look at your work.  It will make
you better and you might just learn something (a thought...)

Keep up the reformation and rap may yet rise again!


~Terran