Ingram is evil
Am obviously pissed that one of my favorite magazine is closing shop. Am obviously talking about kitchen sink, edited by, among others, the fantastic Kaya Oakes (who is also a former contributor to mtd).
But I am not surprised at the situation. We had similar problems back when I was interning at Gulf Coast and I hear they (GC) still do, as do many, many other lit mags.
The problem with poetry today is not Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, experimental poetry or its profligacy, it's fucking Ingram.
(I know there are other distributors, like SPD, who has as much range and leeway as Ingram?)
But I am not surprised at the situation. We had similar problems back when I was interning at Gulf Coast and I hear they (GC) still do, as do many, many other lit mags.
The problem with poetry today is not Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, experimental poetry or its profligacy, it's fucking Ingram.
(I know there are other distributors, like SPD, who has as much range and leeway as Ingram?)
Comments
I know Borders and Barnes & Noble also get kitchen sink, at least here in Houston. Both retailers deal almost exclusively with Ingram, which makes me wonder where Ingram gets KS from. There are also two indie bookstores here, Brazos and Domy (and maybe a third one), but I don't know where they get their lit mags from.
I can only imagine what being owed 10K must be like for a small mag. While Ingram owed Gulf Coast (and still does, from what I hear) around the same amount, the magazine can barely get by with donations from private citizens, foundations and the university.
And yes, I am still coming, two weeks from now. The tickets are already booked.