Michael Derrick Hudson
The poetry world was shocked to learn earlier this week that Michael Derrick Hudson was published in an influential anthology under an Asian pseudonym. The poet said he used the name “Yi-Fen Chou” as a “strategy” to increase his chances of getting his poems published in The Best American Poetry 2015.
On Monday, Sherman Alexie, the anthology's guest editor, defended his decision to publish the poem even after learning the true identity of Yi-Fen Chou. Alexie stated that he paid attention to Hudson’s poetry because of who he thought the poet was.
“I’m a brown-skinned poet who gave a better chance to another supposed brown-skinned poet because of our brownness,” he said in a blog post.
After the revelation, many poets voiced concerns over the decision.
On Tuesday, Alexie emailed the other poets in the anthology, apologizing for the "Pseudonym Bullshit."
BuzzFeed News has reached out to the series editor for comment.
Read the full email, obtained by BuzzFeed News, below:
Dear Best American Poets,
I am sorry to send this as a group message but I wanted to reach you all at the same time.
I am sorry that this Pseudonym Bullshit has taken so much attention away from all of your great poems. I have been re-reading the anthology all day and I have been transported, again and again, to that wonderful moment when I first read each of them.
I still believe—I know—this year's Best American Poetry is a revolutionary celebration of poetic talent and diversity. And I hope this controversy soon fades and your poems will rise and be as celebrated as they should be.
And, yes, I respect those of you who might disagree with my decision to keep the poem in the anthology. And I understand why you might want to disassociate yourself from the anthology and from me.
I will continue to be a fan of all of you wonderful poets regardless of how you feel about this damn mess. And I will continue to be your fan regardless of any public or private opinions you need to express.
It comes to this: I love your poems—all of them—and I am honored to share this anthology with you.
Sincerely,
Sherman Alexie
LINK: White Writer Makes “Best Poetry” — With An Asian Pen Name
