You look at magazines and see that they all invariably have letters pages. Magazines must have letters, you see. Letters are a magazine's lifeblood. Therefore, we would like letters. In fact, we would like the whole gamut of letters - from the outright outpourings of bile and hatred, to the rare declaration of undying praise that Marked Accordingly is "alright, I suppose".

So, with that in mind, I suppose we better tell you where to send your letters, should the urge manifest itself in your psyche... Simply send them to markedaccordingly@hotmail.com, and that's it.

7th April 2003 Now You Have A 'Letter'

To "Posthumous":

As someone who owns and operates a poetry board called inVerse, I had to wonder if your cartoon was a potshot against my forum for reason(s) unknown to me. Since we are small and not publicized, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt.

Frankly, I don't find the name anymore absurd than say "Posthumous", which certainly isn't original since I've seen it used on more than one poetry board. Anyhow, now you have a 'letter' for your completely empty 'letters' page, and I will go back to attending my poetry board, which contrary to what your cartoon (I call it that only from the style--it lacks the humor I usually associate with cartoons) suggests is not a coffee klatch but rather people truly interested in producing quality poetry (I recently attended a workshop held by Alice Notley, for example).

I guess we can't all be clever enough to come up with sublime names like "diaryland."
- C. M.

Dear C.M.,

Alas, that sad, small voice whispering to your heart was correct. I had never heard of your poetry board when naming my cartoon. Perhaps I was too hasty, but the poor humorless creature stumbling about without a name was more than I could bear. As a result of this act of ill-prepared compassion, I now share this intimate accoutrement with several entities, including your own.

But that is where our connection ends, ma'am. My attempts to publicize the grave crisis of contemporary American poetry are in utter philosophical and moral opposition to your graphic depictions of fauvism with endangered animals and Cher.

There, I've just boosted your Web traffic two hundred percent. Can we be friends now?
- Posthumous

Emotionally Sensitive Sorts

For my rant yesterday. I'm a poet. We are emotionally sensitive sorts.
- Christin

Christin,

I know what you mean. Just the other day Guildenstern plinked his tiddlywink into my eye and boy did it hurt. He claims it was an accident. He is of course lying but we believe what we need to believe. Besides, I won after all the penalties were assessed.
- Posthumous

   
© Marked Accordingly and credited authors 2003.