WORRY PUT TO REST
from philo at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it :

I was just talking to an old friend and came across this among my old
memories...do you still recall this incident? (I think I might have changed a few
things but what the hell). Years ago there was a fine ...poetry publication called "The Exquisite Corpse." It was published by (the world famous) Andrei Codrescu.
Year after year...I'd submit my poetry...but it always got rejected.
He did not send a rejection slip...he merely published the names of the
rejected poets in a column entitled "The Body Bag." It was rather humiliating seeing quite of few of my friends as published poets... and all my friends (and the entire world) seeing my corpse of poetry in the body bag. Then one day I had an evil and most deviant plan. On stage...just for a bit of light humor...I'd often read a very short piece that usually got a little laugh. I'd (as is the custom) first recite the title of the piece...then the poem itself. so here is how my stage presentation went:
(walks up to center stage)
(ignores the microphone)
(looks directly at audience)
(recites)
(title) Minimalist Shopping List
(pause)
(the poem itself) Bananas
(small titter of laughter from audience)
(moves on to next piece)
So of course you may know my evil plan.
To the Exquisite Corpse I submitted my poem as simply my name ....Philo T.
Ogden then I signed my letter as Mr. Minimalist Shopping List Bananas Jr.
Mailed out my submission and grinned with evil delight for the next several
months.and I mean..."grinned evilly" My rejected poem would *have* to be published in the body bag!!!! Then...months later...right when I expected to receive a copy of my
subscribed, "Exquisite Corpse"...instead ...in the mailbox was a letter from Andrei Codrescu himself. He stated that he created his publication because he enjoyed doing so...
but now he was no longer having fun. Publication was now stopped.
I had recently paid for a subscription and was to never receive one copy....
for I had in-fact killed....."the corpse".

Ed. Note: And then we found Bill Lavender, miracle-worker

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