tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post8137024551879618709..comments2023-10-23T09:08:53.213-07:00Comments on Adele Ward the poet at the bus stop: Poetry Society: To Vote Or Not To Vote?Adele Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-55807788608980621092011-07-18T05:42:12.075-07:002011-07-18T05:42:12.075-07:00There's a great FAQ page which makes the point...There's a great FAQ page which makes the point of the campaign clear on http://thepoetrysocietyuk.wordpress.com/faq/Adele Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-34754682808985552832011-07-18T05:32:57.192-07:002011-07-18T05:32:57.192-07:00I'm starting to sound like George Orwell's...I'm starting to sound like George Orwell's 1984!Adele Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-58589507514064785442011-07-18T05:32:05.153-07:002011-07-18T05:32:05.153-07:00It wasn't somebody at the Poetry Society, but ...It wasn't somebody at the Poetry Society, but was said in a discussion online. The question was raised about whether or not Fiona should have used email lists to send her message to people as the Data Protection Act would forbid it for Poetry Review or Poetry Society lists. In fact I don't think she did use these lists as I didn't get the email direct from her but only saw it as it was forwarded. So she must have sent it to her personal email list and in it she asks for it to be forwarded. Whether or not a person can give information would depend on whether or not it's being permitted by the Poetry Society as they are the ones taking protective action and lawyers are involved so we all feel more than a little cautious. If confidentiality is being protected with the risk of disciplinary action then it would be possible to give some information for some people, without that meaning others are 'freed' up to do the same as suggested by Eva's post.Adele Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-74655241121633178712011-07-18T05:16:36.667-07:002011-07-18T05:16:36.667-07:00I thought she was staff. If someone at Poetry Soci...I thought she was staff. If someone at Poetry Society described her as NOT staff and therefore free to speak as other staff members are not, this is one question for the meeting surely.Eva Salzmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17352235455502746924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-57378583200764047862011-07-18T04:30:29.233-07:002011-07-18T04:30:29.233-07:00Fiona Sampson is listed as 'staff' on the ...Fiona Sampson is listed as 'staff' on the Poetry Society's own website: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/aboutus/<br /><br />Janet FisherThings being varioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13163419360699209900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-11254143246438341932011-07-17T17:02:14.589-07:002011-07-17T17:02:14.589-07:00Martin - I agree that this is for everyone and not...Martin - I agree that this is for everyone and not just for a clique. I wanted to draw attention to the risk of sounding like a clique if the campaign has too much gossip, arguing and criticism of named individuals. It will really help the campaign if it's pared down to the information people really need to know in order to make a decision. A lot of people have found it hard to work out what the main point of the meeting is as it has been buried beneath an information overload containing guesswork, assumptions, misinterpretations, twisting of words and some quite insulting comments. Most people don't want to see personal insults. Things have improved with not so many emails coming to us, and some of the emails were offputting as the discussion was being dragged down into something very gossipy.Adele Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-54376790755419490802011-07-17T16:52:28.386-07:002011-07-17T16:52:28.386-07:00I do mean the legal issues affecting staff as they...I do mean the legal issues affecting staff as they are not to talk about this. This means that we can't be given all the facts we need. I asked for facts during the week and the answer I was given was that Poetry Society staff can't talk about it, and it's even hard to leak information as they could be identified.<br /><br />Somebody said Fiona wasn't actually Poetry Society staff so that would make it different for her. <br /><br />I agree that even with the few facts we can be sure of we can see that the Board needs to step down.Adele Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13423081842097694829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-7802500192279870782011-07-17T15:29:01.743-07:002011-07-17T15:29:01.743-07:00Dear Adele,
Your points make a lot of sense. The...Dear Adele, <br /><br />Your points make a lot of sense. There HAS been a lot of confusion. However, it HAS been verified that Judith Palmer has NOT initiated a legal case against the Society so there is no reason the circumstances of her departure can't be discussed or revealed. Unless you mean ANOTHER legal case? <br /><br />Perhaps you mean legal issues of staff disregarding the orders not to talk on these and related issues, but Fiona Sampson just did, so I assume that others are likewise freed. I'm greatly concerned that the hiring of an outside agency for the Q and A essentially absolves the Board from having to answer themselves. <br /><br />Regardless, the Board should step down, surely. Too much has happened on mismanagement side.Eva Salzmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17352235455502746924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185472649263590085.post-24972439014654808452011-07-17T14:47:15.594-07:002011-07-17T14:47:15.594-07:00Dear Adele,
Thanks for posting this, and for incl...Dear Adele,<br /><br />Thanks for posting this, and for including the link. I hope your readers will find some straightforward facts on our site. <br /><br />I'd also like to say that until a week or so ago, I was even more of an outsider to the UK poetry scene than most other members. I came over from Hong Kong about a year ago - and until last week I had no idea about any of the issues, personalities or politics of the Poetry Society. <br /><br />Like everyone else, I was baffled and appalled to find that something catastrophic - we knew not what - had happened at the Poetry Society. I know a lot more now, because I offered to help Kate by setting up the website. Until very recently, though, I didn't know her either, and to date we've never met. So it's absolutely not a cabal of connected insiders rocking the boat.<br /><br />This IS a very grass-roots movement, and it has the proper management of the Poetry Society at its heart. The vast majority of us are just ordinary members and we want to know what's going on. That's it.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />MartinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com