Dave Brinks about UNO’s decision to fire Bill Lavender and put UNO press on hiatus:
Dear Friends,
Today the news from the New Orleans poetry community is very, very bad.
Poet BILL LAVENDER, director of University of New Orleans Press has been SACKED by the administrators at University of New Orleans.
Bill Lavender not only resurrected UNO Press, but under Bill’s stewardship these past four years, UNO press has published an astounding 80+ excellent books nationally and internationally; and the press is by no means strapped for funding. UNO Press is currently regarded as one of the most prestigious and financially self-sustainable university presses in all of the United States.
Be assured, this so-called “elimination” is purely POLITICALLY motivated, not otherwise.
Dean Susan Krantz of the University of New Orleans informed Bill Lavender of his “elimination” recently via email while Bill was still in Scotland fulfilling his duties as Director of UNO’s Abroad Program.
IN THE NAME OF POETRY, please…
Stand with US!
SPEAK out!
Let them hear your VOICE loud and clear!
Pressure is mounting from all sectors near and far to EXPOSE the corruption and unethical conduct at the University of New Orleans at the very highest levels!
Bill Lavender’s so-called “ELIMINATION” is a devastating blow which will be felt deeply by poetry communities everywhere– from New Orleans to New York to California to Brazil to Zimbabwe–and everywhere in between!
Let higher ed charlatans know you DETEST of their actions!
INFORM fatcat administrators that their professed soulessness toward POETRY is indeed a high act of treason to the art we LOVE!
They must answer for this singular INJUSTICE to POETRY and to poet Bill Lavender!
We need every nano of LOVE and SUPPORT you can give!
YOUR voice will be LEGION!
TURNABOUT!
Love, Strength & Peace Through Poetry Always!
Sincerest Regards,
Dave Brinks
* * * * * * * *
Please send a personal letter of objection to ALL email addresses listed:
University of New Orleans Provost Louis Paradise: lparadis@uno.edu
University of New Orleans President Peter Fos: pfos@uno.edu
University of New Orleans, College of Liberal Arts, Dean Susan Krantz: skrantz@uno.edu
University of New Orleans, Director of Creative fbarton@uno.edu* * * * * * * *
Sign Petition site, here.* * * * * * * *
Links to media reports covering this outrageous act (please post your personal comments to articles):
Inside Higher Education story, here.
NOLA.com story, here.
Poetry Foundation story, here.
Publisher’s Weekly story, here.
Times-Picayune story, here.
The CHRONICLE of Higher Education story, here.
Another story from Publisher’s Weekly, here.
Another story from Inside Higher Education, here.
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