Wikipedia talk:Articles for deletion/Postbeat Poets

Dear deleting editors,

My name is Jim Cohn. I am the author of the "Postbeat Poets" essay that was published at Wikipedia on Jan. 8, 2008. I am also the author of "Sutras & Bardos: Essays & Interviews on Allen Ginsberg, The Kerouac School, Anne Waldman, Postbeat Poets & The New Demotics." I wanted to say simply that the characterization of my book does not give "passing" reference to the term "Postbeat," as one editor suggests. I give at least 100 pages of critical historical scholarship portraying the poets, the poetry, and the times from which the "postbeat" arose. I do respect the policy that underlies your determination that the term itself is perhaps neologistic, not mainstream, but considering that poetry itself is hardly mainstream, especially contemporary poetry, I would say the article "Postbeat Poets" (which I expanded for my book above) points out that the term "post-beat" has been in use on the web to describe mainstream artists such as Bob Dylan since the 1960s, so when you say the word, be it "post-beat" or "postbeat", is essentially a neologism, I would invite you to reconsider. The "Postbeat Poets" page existed for nearly 3 years and could have been better linked to other Wikipedia pages from which it bears cultural and aesthetic and social ties, but that never happened because no one made those connections. Still, your decision does wipe out a movement of poets and poetry after the Beat Generation and as much as I respect your expertise on such determinations I did want to posit with you that perhaps you acted prematurely. "Postbeat" or "post-beat" does not refer to 20 year old poets trying to pull a neologistic fast one, a hoax, over you or the Wikipedia audience. The poets engaged in this movement are well into their 50s and 60s and have both a sense of community and extensive bibliographies, as well as direct ties to previous literary movements, including the Beats. A brief google search of the word "postbeat" or "post-beat" shows that there are numerous references to the word(s), despite your own determinations that there are not references in general enough to be post-neologistic. All this said, much more could be written about the Postbeat era, the Postbeat Poets and the Post-beat poets, than has occured in the nearly 3 years the essay has been online with Wikipedia. I could not agree with you more on that determination. I respectfully submit these findings for your consideration. Sincerely, Jim Cohn