The Poets and I

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Zine
Title: The Poets and I
Publisher: Merry Men Press
Editor(s): Robin Hood
Date(s): April 1986
Medium: fanfic, fanpoetry in a print zine
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
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The Poets and I is a slash 101-page Star Trek: TOS anthology of K/S poetry.

front cover
back cover

The covers of this zine were used again in 1991 as the front and back covers of First Time #29.

An ad in Datazine #43 says: "Kleenex not included!"

Contents

  • art by Vel Jaeger, Christine Myers, Caren Parnes, Carol Pierce, Pat Friedman, Caro Hedge, Tina, Chris Soto, and Shellie Whild.
  • poems by Alexis Fegan Black, Natasha Solten, Pierce, A.T. Bush, Alta, Lisa Joas, Thacher, Vera Barga, Ann Carver, Susan Catlin, Greta Foulard, Vivian Gates, Robin Hood, Indra, Katie Johns, Lyon, Flora Poste, Wendy Rathbone, Kathy Resch, Tere Ann Roderick, Emily Ross, Jean Schuweller [?], Pam Smith, Chris Waken, Donna Rose Vanderlaan.

From the Editorial

Because poetry doesn't titilate [sic] like stories do, I'd appreciate you showing this zine to friends, frelatives, acquaintances, bosses, people you hate and Joe Blow on the street. If word doesn't get around, I'll be on a diet of paper. While I'm certain my waistline would do well, my sweet, charming, adorable temperment [sic] (shut up, Janet!!) might suffer.

Okay. I've driveled enough.

This zine, while not blatant, does contain explicit homosexual material. (If you don't find it, then you've just read the classic definition of K/S burnout.)

I do not intend to insult or infringe on anyone's rights by publishing this zine, but I've just about accepted the fact that I'll probably do just that. I've learned to live with it, can you?

Reactions and Reviews

[covers by Caren Parnes]: These covers are lovely. They are Caren Parnes' usual "photographic" style, but the backgrounds are black which I don't think is unusual for her. The front shows a young version of our lovers; the back, an older version. I prefer the back as Kirk really looks quite handsome in this one. These are the same covers as on THE POETS AND I. They deserve repeating." [1]

[covers by Caren Parnes]: I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your thunderous words of praise for 'The Poets'. I realized that I begged (threatened) for recognition for both myself and the authors but the overwhelming reaction from the few diehard poetry buffs is incredible! Of course Caren Parnes's heart-stopping covers might just have a little to do with that! (now an opportunity to redeam myself!!) Caren received no recognition (beaucoup money when she sold them at ICID Con though!!) for her wonderful work in 'The Poets'. The explanation is as follows: The zine was at the printers 2 weeks before I received the covers. She knows, (I'm going broke sending on the loc's!!) how much we like her work and I'll tell you ahead of time, that she is doing the covers for FIRST TIME 7 — the contest zine. So get ready!! (Remember what I said when you see the 'hooded Spock!!) [2]

[zine]: The poetry in THE POETS AND I is a variety of every kind of poetry written, including good and bad. There examples of what I consider REAL, honest poetry by Wendy Rathbone, Alexis Fegan Black, Tere Ann Roderick, Dovya Blacque, and [Kathy Resch]. These poets know the essence of a poem, know structure and the art of poetry and so their poems standout. THAT LOOK and TO THE REAL HERO by Wendy Rathbone; DREAMS OF SPRING by Alexis Fegan Black; I AM THE MOSS and STAY by Tere Ann Roderick; UNCAGES, THE HUNGER and A CROSSABLE DISTANCE by Dovya Blacque; and the, literally, epic poem KOLINAHR by [Kathy Resch] are, in my opinion, the best poems in the entire zine. Still very good poetry but of a more prosaic and prose-like nature are IN CONCLUSION by Vivian Gates; ONCE I KILLED YOU and WHAT ELSE COULD I SAY? by Donna Rose Vanderlaan; ONE WORD POEM by Lyon; STONE HEART by Natasha Solten; A PROGRESSION by Jean Schnedler; THE LAST WORD by Susan Catlin. The rest of the more than one hundred poems in this zine vary between competent, moving, cute, disturbing and plain, old bad. But, seeing that poetry is such a subjective thing, there's something in the zine for everyone and what I may consider the best someone else may consider the worst and vice versa. But, anyway you look at it, this zine is the ultimate representation of K/S poetry and poets today. Along with the poetry is art of varying degrees. The Caren Parnes covers are very stunning, black and white reproductions of full color painting. The front is of Kirk, Spock and the ENTERPRISE from the series while the back is of Kirk, Spock and the ENTERPRISE from THE WRATH OF KAHN. If you like Caren Parnes, you'll love these covers as they are some of her best work. I feel I have to separate the interior art into two categories; full illustration and border or incidental illustration. The best of the full illustrations are Chris Solo's illos to MERCY! by Jean Schnedler and THE LAST WORD by Susan Catlin and Vel Jaeger's illos to TO THE REAL HERO by Wendy Rathbone, A FATHER'S WORDS by Dovya Blacque and CASTAWAY by Wendy Rathbone and UNCAGED by Dovya Blacque. The best border or incidental art would have to be Caro Hedges eight borders for [Kathy Resch's] epic KOLINAHR. Also of note are Shellie Whild's borders to THIRST by Pam Smith, SEA HEART by Susan Catlin and Caro Hedge's border for A CROSSABLE DISTANCE by Dovya Blacque. This is an interesting, unique zine. A definite conversation piece! [3]

Inside Sample

References

  1. ^ from The LOC Connection #43
  2. ^ from Robin Hood in the editorial of First Time #6
  3. ^ from Datazine #43