To: Poets with business-oriented poems

Dec. 21, 2004

You may recall that my Sept. 21 magazine column confessed my passion for writing rhymes with reason. Your reaction to my poem "Life's True Beauty" was so gratifying, so genuine, and so positive that it created a large lump in my throat, a jarring jump in my pulse, and a tantalizing thump in my brain. That column also revealed my plan to compile an anthology of my poetry. What it didn't reveal, however, is that the collection will be unique in that it will be comprised entirely of poems with a business orientation. It also will be spiced with management maxims that have guided me during my business career. The anthology will be titled Business Rhymes & Reason. Now let me tell you exactly how the large lump, the jarring jump, and the tantalizing thump created by your e-mail, faxes, and letters changed my publishing plans. The new idea: Instead of publishing an anthology of my business-oriented poetry, I now want to publish an anthology of our business-oriented poetry. Here are the pertinent details of the plan:

  • Deadline for submissions -- Dec. 31, 1998
  • Publication -- early 1999
  • Contents -- 100 poems (50 of my best and 50 of your best).
  • All poems selected for publication will be identified with the names, titles, and company affiliations of their authors.
  • I will be the sole judge of which poems will be published.
  • I also will accept management maxims that have worked for you. These also will be attributed to their authors by name, title, and company affiliation.
  • Each contribution must be accompanied by a statement authorizing me to publish your entry (if selected) and guaranteeing that you are the author.
What do I mean by a business orientation? Here is one example taken from my collection:
I Am the Company I am the company. I am the rank and file, The big people and the little ones. All work is done through me. You are the people, the workers, the thinkers, and the doers. I am your judge and your jury. I am also your teacher. I supply the resources that help you learn, experience, grow, and succeed. Business cycles swirl around me. But I stand firm in falling and rising markets. The best of me is sometimes the worst of me. I growl, rant, and rave, and sometimes I shake, rattle, or divest. The worst of me is sometimes the best of me. I praise, compliment, and promote, and sometimes I buy, sell, or invest. I'll do anything to survive. Mostly I create, develop, and conspire. I also empower, counsel, and inspire. I am the company. The people love me or hate me. They are my strengths and my weaknesses. I am the company. I need them. They need me. And that's the way it should be.
This anthology will be published by me, at my expense, thus assuring that your contributions will be seen and read. There you have it. So, if you would like to contribute your poetry or your management maxims, I'll be happy to hear from you. Please send your contributions to me. E-mail: [email protected]. Regular mail: 14600 Detroit Ave., Suite 430, Lakewood, OH 44107. Fax: 216/228-9640. Sooner is better than later. Sal F. Marino is chairman emeritus of Penton Media Inc. and an IW contributing editor. His e-mail address is[email protected].

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