Is there some sort of stigma about fan poetry?
Yes. I think part of the problem, in my context, was always that those who chose poetry as their medium tended to be those who thought that prose couldn't sufficiently express the
incredible angsty love
they were feeling. So, as poetry gets defined as something syrupy and excessive and reductive, fewer people are willing to try out poetry as a way to express any
other
kinds of feelings.
I used to know a woman who wrote original poetry all the time, great poetry, stuff I really admire, and she only ever wrote prose fanfic.
Brighid writes fan poetry. Although only for Stargate, I think.
It occurs to me, in a very tangenty way, that part of the problem may be the same as original poetry has. Most people- even very well-read, literate people- feel that prose is much more accessible, and when they buy from a bookshop it's prose and not poetry they buy.
Add that to the problems that fanfic has already- inaccessible if you don't know the show, looked down on slight as not 'real' writing- and fan poetry is under two kinds of stigma. People who aren't fans won't read it, and people who don't read poetry are unlikely to.
And fans-who-are-poets is a small group. Worth contacting, because we clearly have some and we need to get in touch with each other, but never going to be as large as general fanfic.
Nope, she wrote one for Sentinel, too.
I've seen fan poetry for Due South by (I think) Kellie Matthews and collen.
Currently I'm working on a poem based on Warren's last moments alive, I'm kind of stuck on certain phrasing, trying to find the words I want.
I'd read it, but I know my poetry-crafting skills are not what I would like.
This is a really good essay, and captures my own discomfort with the overuse of the term "Mary-Sue" far better than I've been able to.
Michele, that's perfect. That's a definition of Mary Sue that I can get behind. I love it so much I"ve bookmarked your post so I can find that again.
Yeah, that's really good. I like Alara, she's quite thoughtful.
