Reinstate Kim Bridgford as WCU Poetry Center Director
132 Comments
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LALITA NORONHA, Ph.D.
11 years ago
I don't personally know Dr. Bridgford, but I have heard of her and her work. In any event, dismissal without due process is unacceptable in our free society. Please reconsider reinstating Dr. Bridgford or disclose the reasons for her dismissal. Thank you.
P
Patricia Callan
11 years ago
Massachusetts
P
Patricia Callan
11 years ago
Massachusetts
C
Carolee Noury
11 years ago
To cancel a poetry conference is a huge loss for the creative community. Even more so, the loss of a director devoted to diversity in art.
D
Dr. Jan Bowman
11 years ago
I am a writer and a teacher. I am concerned that the board of directors has this action.
F
F.J. Bergmann
11 years ago
I'd always hoped to attend this prestigious conference and admire what Dr. Bridgford has done for it. The secretive nature of this change is especially disturbing.
A
Anonymous
11 years ago
Virginia
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Liz Ahl
11 years ago
I was hoping to return to the conference, after years away (I attended/presented in the mid-90s), thanks entirely to the presence, work, and ethos of Kim Bridgford. This conference is unique and important, and I am dismayed at the University's seemingly cavalier actions. Kim Bridgford is admired and respected as the Poetry Center and Conference director, and I urge you to reverse your decision, reinstate her, and let her continue this important and wonderful work.
K
katharine gilbert
11 years ago
Pennsylvania
M
Marcia Menter
11 years ago
Featured
The cancellation of the 2015 conference is, as X.J. Kennedy puts it, catastrophic. Whatever its underlying cause, the administration of the College of Arts and Sciences has communicated poorly with the community of poets who have made this conference as good as it is. Or was.
R
Rebecca Foust
11 years ago
The two conferences I attended in 2013 and 2011 were terrific.
T
Tamam Kahn
11 years ago
Kim changed the conference so much for the better! Those who love metric poetry join me in great disappointment that she is no longer in charge of the conference!
D
David Sanders
11 years ago
If there are problems with the running of the WC Poetry Conference that need attention, fine, but dismissing Dr. Bridgford as Director is both an overreaction and an oversimplification. It smacks of unstated motives and agendas.
R
rachel hadas
11 years ago
Echoing Alicia here. This is murky and bewildering; at the very least, some clear statement of the thinking behind this move needs to be made.
J
Janet Kenny
11 years ago
I live in Queensland Australia but my book would have been accepted for inclusion in the West Chester conference had I been able to make the journey. I have benefited in many intangible ways from the conference even though I had no hope of attending. I appreciate the sensitive and dedicated work of Kim Bridgford and am sad to see her present embarrassment.
P
Peter Krok
11 years ago
This is a travesty and has been handled very poorly. Unfortunately this i a, so to speak, black eye for WCU. It is my suspecision, also, that this will affect Kim's tenure possiblity too.
I don't personally know Dr. Bridgford, but I have heard of her and her work. In any event, dismissal without due process is unacceptable in our free society. Please reconsider reinstating Dr. Bridgford or disclose the reasons for her dismissal. Thank you.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
To cancel a poetry conference is a huge loss for the creative community. Even more so, the loss of a director devoted to diversity in art.
I am a writer and a teacher. I am concerned that the board of directors has this action.
I'd always hoped to attend this prestigious conference and admire what Dr. Bridgford has done for it. The secretive nature of this change is especially disturbing.
Virginia
I was hoping to return to the conference, after years away (I attended/presented in the mid-90s), thanks entirely to the presence, work, and ethos of Kim Bridgford. This conference is unique and important, and I am dismayed at the University's seemingly cavalier actions. Kim Bridgford is admired and respected as the Poetry Center and Conference director, and I urge you to reverse your decision, reinstate her, and let her continue this important and wonderful work.
Pennsylvania
The cancellation of the 2015 conference is, as X.J. Kennedy puts it, catastrophic. Whatever its underlying cause, the administration of the College of Arts and Sciences has communicated poorly with the community of poets who have made this conference as good as it is. Or was.
The two conferences I attended in 2013 and 2011 were terrific.
Kim changed the conference so much for the better! Those who love metric poetry join me in great disappointment that she is no longer in charge of the conference!
If there are problems with the running of the WC Poetry Conference that need attention, fine, but dismissing Dr. Bridgford as Director is both an overreaction and an oversimplification. It smacks of unstated motives and agendas.
Echoing Alicia here. This is murky and bewildering; at the very least, some clear statement of the thinking behind this move needs to be made.
I live in Queensland Australia but my book would have been accepted for inclusion in the West Chester conference had I been able to make the journey. I have benefited in many intangible ways from the conference even though I had no hope of attending. I appreciate the sensitive and dedicated work of Kim Bridgford and am sad to see her present embarrassment.
This is a travesty and has been handled very poorly. Unfortunately this i a, so to speak, black eye for WCU. It is my suspecision, also, that this will affect Kim's tenure possiblity too.
Do the right thing!!!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reinstate-kim-bridgford-as-wcu-poetry-center?utm_medium=email&utm_source=system&utm_campaign=Send%2Bto%2BFriend
as a WCU alumni, and a participant in thei
This is extremely important; by supporting Kim, we are supporting inclusion on all levels