Oh, thanks, Mishari! I hadn't clicked on the link before now, but your blog looks cool. Thank you for the well wishes! Take care! Bruce

Thanks, Kevin! I'm glad my posts could generate such an extensive response. I have no problem whatsoever with your "gripes" as you call them and am happy to be in conversation! Underneath my irony, as I mentioned earlier, I was trying to make a serious point. But again, I have no special claims to the role of editor or award-giver. Anyone who sees a gap in award or anthology representation should fill that gap her- or himself. Again, thanks so much for your well wishes! All best, Bruce

Thanks Heidi and Stacey! I hope I've lived up to these high expectations! :) Bruce

Hi Nin! I share your feelings about the conference itself but love the opportunity to see so many friends and buy books. I'm happy to send you some of these if you'd like. Email me your address? Bruce

Thank you, David!

Hi Kevin and Marissa, Thanks for your comments! Kevin, I absolutely meant the name to be gimmicky, over-the-top, and difficult to remember. I also intended the dollar amount to be absurdly low. The point of my post was that we as informed readers and editors and poets have the right to create new awards if we feel particular poets or poetic communities are under-represented by the current award/anthology system, along the lines of what David did so many years ago in creating Best American Poetry. I'm sorry if the irony didn't come through more clearly. That said, I'm serious about the awards themselves and their selection processes. I, however, am not uniquely equipped to create an alternative award or anthology--my post was, in essence, a suggestion that, if necessary, we create new means of recognizing deserving poets, rather than criticizing existing selection processes. In the meantime, please send me some nominations? Bruce