Ezra Pound Society Bulletin no. 5, May 11, 2014
Dear friends,
Since I took over the running of this society of ours last year, I
have been talking to you about the desirability of a website and a
newsletter for our society.
At some point I realized that the best thing would be to launch them
together. They are ready now and the time has come to show you what I
have been working on for the past few months.
I must confess that I?ve been rather ambitious for our society ? other
literary organisations have websites, but none, so far as I know, is
interactive, like ours.
All the other societies have newsletters, but none so far as I know,
is multimedia. In fact, the quality of contributions I received for
the first issue have prompted me to change its status to ?little
magazine?. If you care to register on the site to read the little mag,
I think you will agree with me. It is called Make It New.
The magazine, as well as my proposals for society projects are closed
to the wider public and open just to members. You will see that the
table of contents of the little mag is open access. But in order to
actually read it, you?ll have to register.
At this point this website is our society home. It is a house with a
lot of empty rooms waiting for your contributions and improvements. I
have provided just the minimum content, or a few placeholders. Ideally
it should become a place where we are comfortable to return ? to adorn
and enrich it as every loving homeowner does.
The society is now initiating another way of gaining and cultivating
membership. In the past, members were the subscribers to Paideuma, a
model common to other literary societies as well.
While we would certainly urge Pound scholars to maintain their
subscriptions to the journal, I think that another model, with a
low-cost subscription would be an incentive for more people to become
members. The society financial goals are as ever, to have a money
foundation for the awards. Then, if there is anything left, the
society could initiate and carry out a number of projects, which are
described on the website. It could also ideally offer some help to
deserving postgraduate students (a modest subvention of conference
travel costs comes to mind in that respect).
Finally
Like anything that is new, the website might not always perform
smoothly or be the same for everyone in every circumstance. We are now
testing, experimenting. You have to make allowances for my new role as
web designer/ administrator. If you have problems or suggestions,
don?t shoot, just drop me an email or simply offer your help, it will
be welcome.
As to the magazine ? when you see the pilot issue, you will have a
better idea of what it can do for us. Justin Kishbaugh will run it as
a managing editor and Barry Ahearn and I will be in the wings to look
kindly over his shoulder. We plan to do more reviewing, especially the
publications of the last two years. If you?d rather start smaller and
provide a chapter or article summary, this is welcome too. Just get in
touch.
This is a cordial invitation to you all to become members of a changed
Ezra Pound Society ? with new presence and visibility, improved means
of communication, and a unique chance for us to work together.
Just go to http://www.ezrapoundsociety.org
With all my best,
Roxana
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The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
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