Caxton shows printing to King Edward IV (William Small)‘Frivolity from Quality’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick The Society May 30, 2025 Poetry 10 Comments . Frivolity from Quality Her works of elegance and style create frivolity, When book producers cluelessly reject such quality. But witless word her work is “not the right fit” holds no slight, Their dreadful publications prove ironically they’re right. . . Memories The million lovely things I’ve said— Most memories have left my head. But words that brought severe regret— Those I’m unlikely to forget. . . On the Other Hand He grew up with self-doubts as to most everything life brought. It partially was age-related, but the bulk was taught. Thus many things he did not try, for fear he’d end up “curtains,” With insecurities one sees poor outcomes wholly certain. But in the years to follow that got largely turned around, As blessings in most ways were what increasingly he found. Re-learning led to confidence, so courage got a jolt, And not surprisingly perhaps, success was the result. If only he had understood his virtues way back when, Accomplishments he savors now could all have started then. Were that the case his retrospectives would be much revised, And thus of most resentments life would not have been comprised. But on the other hand the special feelings he has now, From knowing that he greatly raised his confidence somehow, Brings massive pride and joy today, which might not be as strong, If triumph seemed routine from what occurred his whole life long. . . Russel Winick started writing poetry after ending a long legal career. He resides in Naperville, Illinois. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. ***Read Our Comments Policy Here*** 10 Responses Roy Eugene Peterson May 30, 2025 Russel, you are so right about book agents and publishers these days who seem to gravitate towards the lowest class denominators and fail to discern and welcome the works of class or least reject them as applying only to those who have good taste. Memories certainly seem as you describe in the second poem. Reticence as a young person due to lack of self-confidence and latter flowering as a mature adult is a widespread affliction. As always, you poems are filled with wisdom. Reply Russel Winick May 30, 2025 And you are always kind! Thank you, Roy. Reply Arthur Russell May 30, 2025 I enjoyed these poems, particularly the first and last, the first for its Popian wit, and the third for its patience with a nuanced matter of life, confidence, experience. Thanks. Reply Russel Winick May 30, 2025 Thank you Arthur – I enjoyed these comments. Much appreciated! Reply Joseph S. Salemi May 30, 2025 Book agents and commercial publishers today are only concerned with two things: whether a submitted manuscript promises a massive profit (not a small profit or even a moderate one), and whether the material toes the line in terms of adherence to current politically correct opinions. In addition, the work of reading manuscripts and making preliminary selections for further consideration is now largely left to Gen Z or Millennial graduates with a very limited knowledge of literature, and whose only criteria for judging a text are whatever is buzzing on social media. Reply Russel Winick May 30, 2025 Thanks. What do you think are the chances of a publisher of formal poetry books coming into being? Reply Joseph S. Salemi May 30, 2025 As my father-in-law used to say, “There are two chances — slim and none.” Many unknown poets go to small job printers to publish a limited run (maybe 100 copies) of their book. This is at their own expense, and there is no publicity at all other than word-of-mouth among your friends and acquaintances. The poets might sell a few copies at readings, or give the books away to fellow poets and some family members. Only big-name poets get published by major publishers, and even in those cases the publishers print such books at a financial loss. They are only printed as a “prestige” statement — i.e. “Look at us, we’re big and rich and sophisticated enough to publish poetry that practically no one buys.” That’s the crucial issue. There really isn’t any commercially viable market for published books of new poetry, except among the captive market of students who can be compelled to buy a book because it is assigned in a modern literature class that they’re taking. Are there a few small presses that will take your manuscript and publish it? Yeah, sure. But usually you have to be friends with somebody at the press, or be a favorite of the editor, or do a lot of networking and sucking up. If you have been published widely in many magazines and websites, your chances are of course better. Russel Winick May 30, 2025 Thank you for the education, Dr. Salemi. It’s too bad that more people don’t get exposed to good poetry. I can’t count the number of people who have told me that they “hate poetry,” but then when I show them work by various folks that’s been posted on SCP, they say, with surprised voices, that they “like THAT poetry!” Reply Joseph S. Salemi May 31, 2025 I follow the rule of Aristotle on poetry. People like poetry that is pleasurable and entertaining, and that satisfies their expectations of intelligibility and coherent order. They are generally turned off by poetry that is preachy, didactic, hortatory, moralizing, boring, or arrogantly impenetrable and shapeless. That’s why so many people today say that they “hate poetry.” Who can blame them? Reply Margaret Coats June 5, 2025 Russel, there was a short-lived scandal now some years back, because high-prestige Oxford University Press fired editors to employ marketers. The quality of any published text is up to the author–unless he hires an editor at his own expense, or relies on collaborating authors who have a stake in the book. This is usual for authors who native language is not English. Should anyone employed by the publisher read a book before publication, that person’s expertise will be in business. Except for popular books bought by bookshops that need wares to display, no copies will be printed from the digitized version, until payment is received and processed. It does save paper and storage space! 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Roy Eugene Peterson May 30, 2025 Russel, you are so right about book agents and publishers these days who seem to gravitate towards the lowest class denominators and fail to discern and welcome the works of class or least reject them as applying only to those who have good taste. Memories certainly seem as you describe in the second poem. Reticence as a young person due to lack of self-confidence and latter flowering as a mature adult is a widespread affliction. As always, you poems are filled with wisdom. Reply
Arthur Russell May 30, 2025 I enjoyed these poems, particularly the first and last, the first for its Popian wit, and the third for its patience with a nuanced matter of life, confidence, experience. Thanks. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi May 30, 2025 Book agents and commercial publishers today are only concerned with two things: whether a submitted manuscript promises a massive profit (not a small profit or even a moderate one), and whether the material toes the line in terms of adherence to current politically correct opinions. In addition, the work of reading manuscripts and making preliminary selections for further consideration is now largely left to Gen Z or Millennial graduates with a very limited knowledge of literature, and whose only criteria for judging a text are whatever is buzzing on social media. Reply
Russel Winick May 30, 2025 Thanks. What do you think are the chances of a publisher of formal poetry books coming into being? Reply
Joseph S. Salemi May 30, 2025 As my father-in-law used to say, “There are two chances — slim and none.” Many unknown poets go to small job printers to publish a limited run (maybe 100 copies) of their book. This is at their own expense, and there is no publicity at all other than word-of-mouth among your friends and acquaintances. The poets might sell a few copies at readings, or give the books away to fellow poets and some family members. Only big-name poets get published by major publishers, and even in those cases the publishers print such books at a financial loss. They are only printed as a “prestige” statement — i.e. “Look at us, we’re big and rich and sophisticated enough to publish poetry that practically no one buys.” That’s the crucial issue. There really isn’t any commercially viable market for published books of new poetry, except among the captive market of students who can be compelled to buy a book because it is assigned in a modern literature class that they’re taking. Are there a few small presses that will take your manuscript and publish it? Yeah, sure. But usually you have to be friends with somebody at the press, or be a favorite of the editor, or do a lot of networking and sucking up. If you have been published widely in many magazines and websites, your chances are of course better.
Russel Winick May 30, 2025 Thank you for the education, Dr. Salemi. It’s too bad that more people don’t get exposed to good poetry. I can’t count the number of people who have told me that they “hate poetry,” but then when I show them work by various folks that’s been posted on SCP, they say, with surprised voices, that they “like THAT poetry!” Reply
Joseph S. Salemi May 31, 2025 I follow the rule of Aristotle on poetry. People like poetry that is pleasurable and entertaining, and that satisfies their expectations of intelligibility and coherent order. They are generally turned off by poetry that is preachy, didactic, hortatory, moralizing, boring, or arrogantly impenetrable and shapeless. That’s why so many people today say that they “hate poetry.” Who can blame them? Reply
Margaret Coats June 5, 2025 Russel, there was a short-lived scandal now some years back, because high-prestige Oxford University Press fired editors to employ marketers. The quality of any published text is up to the author–unless he hires an editor at his own expense, or relies on collaborating authors who have a stake in the book. This is usual for authors who native language is not English. Should anyone employed by the publisher read a book before publication, that person’s expertise will be in business. Except for popular books bought by bookshops that need wares to display, no copies will be printed from the digitized version, until payment is received and processed. It does save paper and storage space! Reply
