Well, it's nearly officially official -- Lynne and Ram and I finished the 501(c)3 filing paperwork yesterday and we are on our way to federal nonprofit status (we're already cool with the state.)

In this process I wrote the following which was WAY too detailed to include in anything going to the IRS, but for me really sums up why we do what we do. So here it is for your edification and enjoyment. :)

The louderARTS Project was founded based on the recognition that there exists in both the literary and performance communities a false divide between written and spoken (performed) poetry. Two conditions of primary concern to the louderARTS Project result from this perceived and perpetuated division.

One: Outside of traditional universities, there is a dearth of opportunity for individuals to access highly skilled teachers and mentors, or to engage in the kinds of coursework or discussions that would allow them to improve their poetic craft through rigor and study. This results in the general exclusion (with a few notable exceptions) of individuals who by dint of cultural background or affiliation, lack of formal education, economic under-resourcedness, style of written expression not fitting the current literary canon, or other sources of marginalization, from academia and its attendent opportunities.

Two: Simultaneously, the wider performance poetry community is by and large not engaged or invested in the process of creating spaces conducive to excellence in writing, rigor in study, and nurturance of artistic risk and experimentation in the written and spoken word. As a result, while serving as a necessary platform for self-expression by many writer/performers who would otherwise lack access to or be excluded from the world of poetry, the performance community (with few exceptions) does not offer these individuals meaningful opportunities to identify and fulfull their poetic potential.

*** and that's what I think about that. started work on a new saint poem yesterday, probably won't get back to it until the end of this week. I have fallen victim to the "shoulds" I swore off somewhat effectively for quite a while. must... cut... back... on commitments. let's pretend the horoscope says that's what this week is for.

*