... eliminate the negative. David Montgomery on Negative reviews. I don't write them much either, only when I have to. Space is too much at a premium. I also think they're too easy.
Once in a while, I link to a negative review in Poetry & Poets in Rags. Mostly, though, a very well done, but negative review will not be one of the 11 articles in the "News at Eleven" section.
The negativity, however, is not the important issue in my selection. Going into Tuesdays when I do the intense reads and cuts, I'll have saved 40 to 70 URLs of good news articles on poets and poetry, negative reviews included.
In the end, they simply don't stand up to the others. One reason is probably that they are easier to write as you say, so possibly more shallow or petty or something, not as fulfilling. Another reason is that it is better to find one "must read" item, rather than a list of "mustn'ts".
But in the final analysis, the positive review simply in its positiveness, is displaying a passion, and therefore a reason to be passionate about whatever is reviewed, in this case, poetry, or poets.
Once in a while, I link to a negative review in Poetry & Poets in Rags. Mostly, though, a very well done, but negative review will not be one of the 11 articles in the "News at Eleven" section.
ReplyDeleteThe negativity, however, is not the important issue in my selection. Going into Tuesdays when I do the intense reads and cuts, I'll have saved 40 to 70 URLs of good news articles on poets and poetry, negative reviews included.
In the end, they simply don't stand up to the others. One reason is probably that they are easier to write as you say, so possibly more shallow or petty or something, not as fulfilling. Another reason is that it is better to find one "must read" item, rather than a list of "mustn'ts".
But in the final analysis, the positive review simply in its positiveness, is displaying a passion, and therefore a reason to be passionate about whatever is reviewed, in this case, poetry, or poets.