Feedback forms seem to be a hot topic in the Canadian poetry community currently, and yes, around April Fools Day we put out our own feedback form as a little joke. But jokes, Isabella truly believes from her own lived experiences, hold in them pockets of truths. Sometimes they stem from uncomfortable topics or conversations that need to be had. So let's dissect the "humour" surrounding whatever parodies can be weaved around the infamous feedback form. 
To ask for and receive feedback, there implies a relationship between someone offering a response, and someone who listens. The person asking for feedback is saying, "here are a list of things I want to know, I'd like you to tell me what you think." The person responding is taking their time to answer something they feel is worthwhile answering, knowing feedback will be received; ideally listened to or absorbed. There is a space created, an invitation. There is time spent in offering, in trust. Feedback forms, the way that many operates nowadays, absconds from this relationality. Those asking for feedback are behind a fourth wall. Those offering a response have no way of knowing if there is anyone listening; how their words are valued or interpreted. 

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PSA: Announcing the World's Smallest INTERNATIONAL prize for a Single book of Poetry
The Phoenix Poetry Prize - an independent poetry prize with no other affiliations - is one of the world’s poorest poetry awards. Celebrating the arrival of its 2-day anniversary having risen from the ashes and survived, it is announcing its largest, but still miniscule award to date.

The Phoenix Poetry Prize will be COMBINING all of its existing prizes into one exciting major prize awarded to a poet somewhere on the face of the globe. One winner will take home the top $250 prize, the gift cards from the Mother-in-Law and Foster Mom's choice awards, and ALL the fan-mail letters from the Super Honorable Mentions category regardless of who the intended recipients of those letters are. This makes it the world’s most pathetic international prize for a poetry book written in English or French. The other shortlisted poets will each receive a Phoenix Poetry Prize sticker for participation.

Due to the now international nature of this dazzling award, we will say that while we are operating on unceded and unsurrendered lands that Canada violently stole and continues to steal from Indigenous peoples, we cannot guarantee that Canadian poets will be awarded this prize. That said, if a Canadian poet were to move out of the country and change their nationality, and become say, Swedish, that would improve their odds of getting recognized by this award significantly.

Here is what founder Isabella has to say about her decision to go international, without consultation from any of the Phoenix's board members:
"Poetry is a lot of potatoes, and every culture and country has a different way of enjoying potatoes. If we only support Canadian potatoes, we will eventually be sick of poutine."

Happy April Fools, and thanks for supporting Phoenix Poetry Prize's humble beginnings.

Okay, y'all. Be prepared. These blogs are gonna be filled with my stream of consciousness and I'm determined to just say things and not worry about things like editing and making it perfect. I do that way too much in my writing life and part of what I'm trying to show with this prize is the actual expenditure of time, labour, financial costs on all ends. So cutting the bureaucracy and the "gloss" of making things perfect, I'm going to dedicate my time to what matters, which is the community and the poets themselves. Meanwhile you can sit back and get a sense of the relatively unfiltered stuff that comes out of Isabella's head as I type.

Picking a winner, I've thought a lot about how to do this for the top prize winner and also the winner of the Graffin--an outstanding book of poetry published in French. By now I've sat on quite a few juries for poetry book prizes and literary organizations, so okay on one end this is Isabella starting this random prize because 1) I'm bored though I don't have time; 2) I can and I love this thing called free-will; 3) I am curious of the directions a prize like this can go. What does it mean to break existing frameworks and set new precedents? Hit obstacles and figure it out along the way? To experiment? That said--I do know a bit of what I'm doing okay, from the experience of being on past juries. Having reflected on these experiences, I'm going to share some of the obstacles I see myself facing with this prize, and well, propose some ways to do this and you can tell me what you think.​