marlene mountain
essay

a poll letter

Eric Amann, Tom Clausen, Alexis Rotella, Rod Willmot, Jane & Werner Reichhold, Jan Bostok, Hiroaki Sato, Ruth Yarrow, Randy & Shirley Brooks, Sylvia Forges-Ryan, Brian Tasker, Patrick Frank, Terri Grell, Kyoko Selden, Kenichi Sato, Larry Gross, Elizabeth Lamb, Hal Roth, Randy Grandinetti Rader, Penny Harter, Cor van den Heuvel, Jerry Kilbride, Bill Higginson, Dorothy Howard, Francine Porad, Adele Kenny, Lesley Einer, John Dunphy, Jeanne Jorgensen, Doris Heitmeyer, anne mckay, Anita Virgil, David Priebe, Andrew Grossman, Lewis Sanders, Virginia Young, Raffael DeGruttola, Keith Southward, Bob Spiess, Ruby Spriggs, Lilli Tanzer, Vincent Tripi, Tom Lynch, Ron Asato, Michael McClintock, Marco Fraticelli, Ken Tanemura, Brian Johnston, John Einarsen, Michael Welch, Ion Codrescu, Tadashi & Kris Kondo, Paul Williams, Gary Hotham, Marshall Hryciuk, Richard Evanoff, and . . .

'a poll' began as a way of 'discussing' 'somalia the body the heat' with myself, of further discussing what I could not shake from my mind as I watched television news this past winter. Isolated as I am I do occasionally wish for some earnest conversation with my haiku family so 'a poll' also began as a pretend dialogue. I did send a few copies out: Jane Reichhold ('Mirrors') replied favorably as did Jan Bostok (although she no longer publishes 'Tweed') and Francine Porad ('Brussels Sprout') suggested that perhaps it needed a wider audience.

Although I sent out a copy now and then I let the idea drop, knowing the material was tough and that I'd not even had contact with some of you. Until Tuesday night when I received a call from Ken Tanemura who is poetry editor of the Buddhist newspaper 'Wheel of Dharma.' (We are renga partners and I merely sent it along with my link.) Even though I kept saying I hadn't followed through with the idea--could never decide if I should enclose the explicit, real life material--he was persuasive. The paper could publish the poll and have room for your comments. He suggested we ask some poets to join in the discussion too. (I left the poll as originally written only to editors.) Would you, could you give some thought to the poll and SEND KEN a paragraph (or whatever space you need) for his haiku column? I would truly appreciate your time, your energy, your participation. Perhaps you have a related haiku to share. I'm sending the material to those listed above, and planning to include a few more people this week. Ken may have other names as well. And perhaps you know someone who might like to join in.

from the mountain

Marlene Mountain

PS 'Wheel of Dharma' is a monthly newspaper. Could you be in touch with Ken by the MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER for the October issue? If that's too soon there will be room in the next issue.

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESPONSE TO: Ken Tanemura. THE ENCLOSED MATERIAL IS EXPLICIT IN IT'S DISCUSSION OF CLITORIDECTOMY, INFIBULATION, DEFIBULATION, REINFIBULATION. PLEASE DISCARD IF YOU WISH NOT TO READ OF THESE PRACTICES. ('Female Genital Mutilation' by Fran P. Hosken, 'Woman of Power' #18)

mm note
the project did not come about although quite a few responses were received.
if the responders have their material in some form ofcomputer-talk (email, word doc) and can send i would like to include it here. others are invited to participate.

essay 'a poll'
sequence 'somalia the body the heat'
essay 'but i just want some peace'
'next writing'
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