  ( Excerpt from an actual email response. the names have been changed to protect the innocent. no I'm NOT giving out the un rated version)  [  indicate parts that have been erased.
 Though i'm not in the louder arts collective I'm one of the people whose been encouraged and helped alot by the people in it.  Just because we have benefited from being part of that " chosen few"  does not mean that the practices used to get into the collective are fair.  Until recently,  the collective was just a social group,
 so no biggie right?  Who CARES?  Recently it's been making the move towards being a non profit organization. If you want to play the name game,  I shall.  Take for example,
 last year's semi's.  . now i'm not here to single out people ( I will it I'm asked to )  but the process unto itself.  The way it's set up is unfair.
 The fact that there is no set criteria or rules and regs sets it up for corruption.  I have never really tried in particular to be in the collective,  but i've on many occaisions ( Especially when guy left) been turned down when i offered to help out.  I know [
you]  ( members of the collective)  work hard [ but don't let your defensiveness steer you away from the point.  I'm not trying to attack [
anyone]  either implicitly or explicitly.  Critiquing something should not be seen as a personal attack however if people don't want to discuss this like mature adults then I will attack you personally,  especially if you try and attack me that we. let's keep all hands ON deck. I believe that someone who offers something into the collective should be in it and show's commitment to it's ideals should be in it,
 however I think that collectives need to exist outside of the ego's of it's members and that we as artists should strive to create something bigger then we are.  I'm not trying to hate on anyone( in particular) I have nothing to gain from this and nothing to lose,  I'm being objective and adhering to my own concious.  [
 So [ 13 folks] let me ask you something [  What about the people who don't?  Should THEY be there?  If we call for our artistic work to go deeper,
 question harder,  inspire more consistently than our critques of situations must be rigorous as well.  We must exercise much more than our egos,  we must excercise the art of critical analysis.  Can we bring this to a real level?  Ask pertinent and sometimes scary questions?
 Give honest answers?  Let's be real here folks,  no beating around the bush.  This isn't JUST about favoritism.  In fact the question isn't about favoritism at all. It's about fairness.
unlike two years ago,  there are alot more opportunities in the poetry game. if you go to nationals,  you place well,  make connections,  you GET jobs,
 offers to be on def poetry. would mayda del valle be on Def poetry jam broadway if she HADN'T one the indie title AND been on the nuyo team. Sure,  if she slaved for a couple years making contacts and doing every which feature she could get for free until SOMEONE decided to pay her?  Or,  if her poetry's REALLY any good then she should be winning slams?
 ( Uh lest we forget that 13 produces ALOT of good writers but WHERE did 13 place last year?  Face it folks the slam isn't just about the poetry cuz if it was it would be dedicated to promoting new work.  It's about alot more than that. It not being about JUST poetry is FINE,  there's nothing wrong with that,
 but don't front like it is.  Sure you can get those things other ways,  but not really.  Take for example [  He started touring at like 18 and had a WEALTH of work ( poetry and plays)
 by the time he got to 13.  HE didn't get no one's respect till he made a winning Team.  And you know what?  I HATED HIM!  ( that still ain't no reason to hate on someone)
 THat's just hypocritical and moreover wrong.  At the same time,  while I had my own personal shit going with him at the time ( and I appreciate everyone who stood by me)  i know for a fact HE wasn't accepted.  Artistically,
 socially,  politically,  we are all looking for something new. I don't think it just has to be new,  it's got to be bigger. bigger then just two for 1 drinks on mondays,
 and definately BIGGER then our egos.  I'd want to be in a collective that asks me to step OUTSIDE of myself and give someone I don't even particularly like a chance. because there is a mutual commitment to the advancement of an art. a commitment to brining social and political isssues into the public sphere.  Something that asks me to stop being rude and be more open to new work instead of reinscribing elitist,  condescending,
 sometimes noirist attitudes that can sometimes be plain old childish.  It's mean,  its wrong. that's what everyone's fronting to be about but all i see is hurt asses while y'all sit on the fence.  You need to check your self before you wreck yourself 
