In Praise of YDD

[twelveoone]

You caught me twice - dead on - almost scared me, how does he know?
Twice, ok, I disagree.
What I would give for another 50, just to see the words of the greatest of all reviewers.
YDD - I miss you - and thank you once again.

 

[Angeline]

You caught me twice - dead on - almost scared me, how does he know?
Twice, ok, I disagree.
What I would give for another 50, just to see the words of the greatest of all reviewers.
YDD - I miss you - and thank you once again.

Well you're a brave boy, aren't you?

And I'm with you--YDD, love or hate my poems, gave thoughtful excellent feedback, and I appreciate it and would love to hear more from him. I really would.

 

[tarablackwood22]

You caught me twice - dead on - almost scared me, how does he know?
Twice, ok, I disagree.
What I would give for another 50, just to see the words of the greatest of all reviewers.
YDD - I miss you - and thank you once again.

YDD's absence is a great loss to this poetry community.

For those of you who did not notice, he commented on ONE poem today. Let's all hope that is the beginning of a reappearance.

I know I miss his objectivity and scholarship immensely.

 

[Shadowsandflames]

I have not been posting poems much lately and had no idea that YDD was gone. I submitted some poems that have not been posted yet and I hope to hear from YDD. He commented on a few of my first poems and could somehow make even the criticisms encouraging. One poem that I was very proud of got only one comment and it was from YDD. He payed me the greatest compliment I have ever been given about my writing. Anyway, YDD please review anything I write.

ShadowsandFlames

P.S. Anyone else's reviews are greatly appreciated too

 

[echoes_s]

same thing here, reviews good or bad, whether you agree or disagree on anything, the fact he would give his opinion, and open about it.

psst, YDD, i find something you need to check your spelling when reviewing

come on back please

 

[SeattleRain]

um....

I am sorry



<-----had him locked with me in basement

(as doesn't know I can squeeze through the cat door shhhh)

we were playing Parchisi

I will go let him out

btw he cannot fit through the cat door, well not all of him at least

 

[echoes_s]

bring the computer over and keep the better half

 

[twelveoone]

um....

I am sorry



<-----had him locked with me in basement

(as doesn't know I can squeeze through the cat door shhhh)

we were playing Parchisi

I will go let him out

btw he cannot fit through the cat door, well not all of him at least

Damn you SR, couldn't you have grabbed somebody a little more expendable?

like me

Tara, I glad to hear he is back

 

[lipsticksunset1984]

Tara, I glad to hear he is back

He probably shouldn't be considered BACK until he does a complete day of reviews like he used to -- every single poem.

He only reviewed one poem yesterday.

And with the quality of feedback he gave, and the enormous time he put in, there should already be 50 answers on this thread.

Who else would be willing to do that, and have something valuable to say with every comment? He is missed.


reverence -new poem.

 

[fawnie]

steps up to the plate

i've already been rather opinionated about ydd
ydd is a critic..a good one maybe but even good critics have critics as well. i have had way too many comments from others in regards to things i've been told by ydd not to listen to the reviews ydd gives, even if they leave me feeling like i'm way out of my league hanging with all you wonderful poetry batters.
despite my not so tongue tamed comments regarding ydd
i miss the reviews, they certainly helped me clean up my poetry... to quit being a lazy writer, because i wouldn't even use spell check among other things.
i still think ydd is from england, they don't mince words over there! not like us (let me tickle your ears) americans, but make no mistake about it ydd..i appreciated your efforts, even if i couldn't always bite my lip about the way you came across!

with high regards,

 

[lipsticksunset1984]

Re: steps up to the plate

i've already been rather opinionated about ydd
ydd is a critic..a good one maybe but even good critics have critics as well. i have had way too many comments from others in regards to things i've been told by ydd not to listen to the reviews ydd gives, even if they leave me feeling like i'm way out of my league hanging with all you wonderful poetry batters.
despite my not so tongue tamed comments regarding ydd
i miss the reviews, they certainly helped me clean up my poetry... to quit being a lazy writer, because i wouldn't even use spell check among other things.
i still think ydd is from england, they don't mince words over there! not like us (let me tickle your ears) americans, but make no mistake about it ydd..i appreciated your efforts, even if i couldn't always bite my lip about the way you came across!

with high regards,

Fawnie -- the attitude you show in these words explains why the quality of your poetry has improved so quickly and so dramatically!

The job of a critic ( a good one) is not to pat people on the back to make them feel good! How does that help or spur improvement?

A good critic points out faults, suggests remedies, and above all, tells the TRUTH as they see it. What more could a writer ask for?

And that is exactly what YDD did -- every day -- on every poem!


reverence -new poem.

 

[Angeline]

Re: steps up to the plate

i've already been rather opinionated about ydd
ydd is a critic..a good one maybe but even good critics have critics as well. i have had way too many comments from others in regards to things i've been told by ydd not to listen to the reviews ydd gives, even if they leave me feeling like i'm way out of my league hanging with all you wonderful poetry batters.
despite my not so tongue tamed comments regarding ydd
i miss the reviews, they certainly helped me clean up my poetry... to quit being a lazy writer, because i wouldn't even use spell check among other things.
i still think ydd is from england, they don't mince words over there! not like us (let me tickle your ears) americans, but make no mistake about it ydd..i appreciated your efforts, even if i couldn't always bite my lip about the way you came across!

with high regards,

I couldn't agree with you more. The best feedback pushes us as writers and makes us better. Praise is wonderful (heaven knows I love it), but the greatest gift is feedback that makes you see something a new way, makes you learn. This is what YDD has given so many of us freely.

 

[annaswirls]

Re: Re: steps up to the plate

I couldn't agree with you more. The best feedback pushes us as writers and makes us better. Praise is wonderful (heaven knows I love it), but the greatest gift is feedback that makes you see something a new way, makes you learn. This is what YDD has given so many of us freely.

Free? Damn, he has been charging me!

 

[Reltne]

Odd Man Out

Not like others, I am not greatly impressed by YDD's comments that I have read. I don't think he (or she - Does anyone know?) respects anything he does not understand and has to attack it and find fault, even if it's only with typos or such.
The one thing he said that I agree on is to focus on the poem not on the poet. (Which he said too many on Literotica do)
I wonder if YDD is frustrated because of a lack of original thoughts himself, or because he is suffering from bad health or other personal problems. He implicated as much in the only email I got from him.
If YDD is sick or has problems I hope he gets better, but if he stays a picky grouch, I hope he stays away or bothers someone else.
Reltne

 

[Angeline]

Re: Odd Man Out

Not like others, I am not greatly impressed by YDD's comments that I have read. I don't think he (or she - Does anyone know?) respects anything he does not understand and has to attack it and find fault, even if it's only with typos or such.
The one thing he said that I agree on is to focus on the poem not on the poet. (Which he said too many on Literotica do)
I wonder if YDD is frustrated because of a lack of original thoughts himself, or because he is suffering from bad health or other personal problems. He implicated as much in the only email I got from him.
If YDD is sick or has problems I hope he gets better, but if he stays a picky grouvh I hope he stays away or bothers someone else.
Reltne

I'm sure he won't review your poems if you don't want him to. I don't get any negativity from him at all--just a desire to help us improve. He doesn't handle us with kid gloves, but why should he? I know some people here don't agree with this, but I feel very strongly that if you post a poem (or story, artwork, whatever) publically, you have to expect that not everyone will say nice things or couch everything in a way to make you feel good. If anything I think people--YDD included--are much kinder here in their criticism than many in other places I've posted poems.

And hey, it's just an opinion--no one has to agree with it, right?

 

[Angeline]

Re: Re: Re: steps up to the plate

Free? Damn, he has been charging me!

How much?

I want his job if he's getting paid to read poems and give opinions. I got a truckload of em.

 

[echoes_s]

Re: Odd Man Out

Not like others, I am not greatly impressed by YDD's comments that I have read. I don't think he (or she - Does anyone know?) respects anything he does not understand and has to attack it and find fault, even if it's only with typos or such.
The one thing he said that I agree on is to focus on the poem not on the poet. (Which he said too many on Literotica do)
I wonder if YDD is frustrated because of a lack of original thoughts himself, or because he is suffering from bad health or other personal problems. He implicated as much in the only email I got from him.
If YDD is sick or has problems I hope he gets better, but if he stays a picky grouvh I hope he stays away or bothers someone else.
Reltne

Ah, but just think, he is posting his opinion, not anyone else's, not even yours, nor mine.

i have been giving some very nice reviews from him, some i disagreed with also or am quite unsure just what he is saying, something i am missing perhaps...

there is one poem he said something, but i don't see this at all,

it would be great to hear another opinion so i might make this poem work or see if it is just how he read it or even the mood he was in, perhaps he knows you can do better and wants to push for something more...

 

[Maria2394]

although he rarely commented on my poems, I miss him too. I learn a great deal from reading the comments that he has left on other people's poems. I wrote him, but no response, I hope he doing okay, and you know? I wish he had cool AV so we could "see" him, can he get an honorary just for all the posts in pC's? that would be nice, well, if he actually wanted one

 

[echoes_s]

although he rarely commented on my poems, I miss him too. I learn a great deal from reading the comments that he has left on other people's poems. I wrote him, but no response, I hope he doing okay, and you know? I wish he had cool AV so we could "see" him, can he get an honorary just for all the posts in pC's? that would be nice, well, if he actually wanted one

awesome idea Maria, wonder if he would go for that

 

[The_Fool]

Damn,

I still have to write a poem he told me to write. Actually he pulled a title out of one of my poems and told me to go write it. Hmmmm.... Guess I'll have to start writing poetry again to do that.....

Foooooooool

 

[lipsticksunset1984]

Re: Re: Re: steps up to the plate

Free? Damn, he has been charging me!

Damn, Anna -- your AV's are getting more vicious by the hour!

You'll be holding a chain saw in you hands next!!!



reverence - new poem.

 

[echoes_s]

Fool!!! come back please....

that is exactly how i came up with icecream, he pulled this out of another poem...he never did comment

maybe it was not what he wanted or was looking for...

 

[fawnie]

one more ramble...

this thing with ydd has reminded me of my freshman year in college. my comp 1 instructer after a few weeks into class kept calling on me in regards to questions about the reading material from the previous night..i of course had not been reading, was far too busy playing to think about the real reason was there.

this went on for quite some time..i obviously wasn't catching on.
finially, pissed off, thinking the guy liked making me look like an ass, i stayed after class one day to ask him what his deal was.

what followed was 30 minutes of him telling me i had the makings to be a real writer, that i was gifted..captured my audience with the stuff i wrote..blah blah blah!

he even managed to bitch at me for being a lazy writer, never editing for grammer and spelling, it turned my easy A's into B's from points lost due to stupid shit.

can i say that from that point on..i read my material, i was prepared for his questions and i learned, mostly because i understood that his hard nose attitude was all to make me a better student, a better writer, and to get me to take my talents seriously.

i absolutely hate how shrewed ydd comes across sometimes, and have even barked back..hell there are ways to tell people things, and ways not needed.

i make money marketing my cheezy no good crap that ydd would just assume burn in a bomb fire(1 word or 2? or hyphen??)
i dont sell it because it's poetry perfected, i sell it because it touches hearts..people relate to the words they themselves have trouble expressing. poetry they can give to a lover, a friend, a mother, a daughter and so on.

i don't need ydd to tell me i'm no edgar allen poe (thank f-ing god)
i don't need to be. my words accomplish much in the hearts of many, now..put that together with actually learning true forms and techniques, i might actually get somewhere with it 1 day.

yes i think ydd has way too much starch in his/her boxers but that's just an opinion, and ydd..you think people ought to either respect your critiques or toss'em..well my advice is for you do do the same with the critiques people give you as a critic.

if people insult you..ignore it, nothing less then what you expect from the poets you review. there obviously are many people here who feel you are a great asset, so come do your thing and forget about the people who can't take the heat.

with all due respect,
ramble complete..carry on!

 

[lostandfounder]

I always liked hearing from YDD. He/she/they allways seemed to call 'em like he saw 'em. Sometimes that meant saying a crappy line was a crappy line. A good critic must be honest. But, poetry can be such a personal thing that I can understand he might have stepped on a few toes along the way.

If he was commenting on every poem every day....wow....quite frankly I'm surprised he didn't burn out sooner. ABCB over and over would drive anybody to tears.

I appreciate all the work and time it took and hope that he didn't recieve too much flack from some people.

 

[twelveoone]

Re: one more ramble...

....

can i say that from that point on..i read my material, i was prepared for his questions and i learned, mostly because i understood that his hard nose attitude was all to make me a better student, a better writer, and to get me to take my talents seriously.

i absolutely hate how shrewed ydd comes across sometimes, and have even barked back..hell there are ways to tell people things, and ways not needed. ....


yes i think ydd has way too much starch in his/her boxers but that's just an opinion, and ydd..you think people ought to either respect your critiques or toss'em..well my advice is for you do do the same with the critiques people give you as a critic.

if people insult you..ignore it, nothing less then what you expect from the poets you review. there obviously are many people here who feel you are a great asset, so come do your thing and forget about the people who can't take the heat.

with all due respect,
ramble complete..carry on!

With all due respects (yeah, I know its a ramble), I see some logic disconnects here, first you say how the instructor got you to improve, then you slide into hatred for the shrewedness of YDD. Is he not doing the same thing?
As far as respect goes:
May be
06/23/04 by YDD
I don't see the paradox
or
are you computer not
Zen

What am I missing
is
This is a comment that YDD left on one of my submissions. It was writtem in 5 minutes, I was unconscious (or nearly so) when I wrote it. It was, however, written deliberately circular, disjointed,
and relied on both an obscure movie and concept. His comment told me that he tried to see it from my perspective. How clever of me to write something for an audience of one - hey I was unconscious. A well deserved 50.
My appreciation of YDD's effort, (already high) shot up 100 fold.
my ramble over