E·RATIO SMEARED


Letter of 2/11/05:

Dear Editor of Eratio Postmodern Poetry,

Recently, you made an effort to have one of our editors thrown out of his college program at BC for a writing negative critique of your journal on Portal Del Sol. If you had come to us and requested a "taming" of the review so that your name was not compromised, we would have listened and worked with you.

As a rule, we do not censor our editors. They are free to work as they please and are not micromanaged. Be that as it may, we will work with you to remove direct references to your name in the review if you will cease and desist all retaliatory efforts against the editor in question, Tim M, and also remove your blog posting with his name and address in it.

If you must repost a note on your blog knocking WDS for the negative review, that is your right, of course, and we consider that fair play.

Rest assured, we would never attempt to disrupt your career path in NYC by contacting any of your clients. Such behavior is really unconscionable, and as you must know, actionable, i.e., if real harm is done to the plaintiff.

How could you do such a thing, really?

Regardless, I hope you consider our offer.

Sincerely,

The Editor [Michael Neff]



St. Thomasino responds:

Just for the record: Tim McGrath and Michael Neff have runaway imaginations. It would appear that Tim McGrath, in his extremities (a case of "instant karma"), told Michael Neff a whopper of a lie (this "asseveration" that I "made an effort to have one of our editors thrown out of his college program at BC for a writing negative critique of your journal on Portal Del Sol"). But a close reading of these letters shows that, well, one lies and the other swears to it. Here is Tim McGrath in his own words in one of his e-mails to me:

"I write these fucking reviews as a favor to Mike Neff, Web del Sol's editor. And I write them in the style he wants."

I believe you, Tim. And so I am not posting your letters on this blog. But still, I guess you have to have compromised ethics to write for Michael Neff. Certainly, you have to have compromised ethics to dehumanize people.

It's interesting to note that Tim McGrath did have his name removed from the Portal Del Sol masthead. And that "Stephanie" had her last name removed. (Don't worry, "Steph," we already took note of your name. And of your brazenness!) And that "Bodega Babe" is hiding behind an alias. (Talk about your "pseudonymously guarded." At Web del Sol, it's "in house.")

It would appear Web del Sol have the luxury of a ridiculous attitude. (And how they scurry to protect themselves! That Neff, what tooth and claw!)

Hey guys, remember your initial e-mails? You know, the ones you sent prior to the ones I've decided not to exhibit on this blog? You know, the really ballsy, nasty ones? I do. And I still got 'em! Well, you should have figured it out for yourselves: I do not reply to e-mails sent by cranks or by punks. (Ask that other crank -- you know him, Neff, he's an ally of yours -- he'll tell you.) It's just not my MO.