a final word on the madness

(thanks dancinggirlpressrocks!)

Perhaps foolishly, I think the best response to cyberstalking is to let every single person within shouting distance hear about it rather than suffer in silence and refuse to engage the bully (like all the advice says). I think for far too long the person in question has been bullying people into getting what he wants and terrorizing the poetry scene. Since I do not agree that he has dominion over all things "Chicago Poetry,I have absolutely no plans to give into his demands to change the calendar's rather generic name--despite his harassment, his threats, his obvious anger issues. His response has been to bring my physical appearance under attack (not at all even remotely related to the issue at hand as well as being rather mysoginistic), and when called on it, insist that my calling him "crazy" was somehow a criticism of the metally ill, a bullshit indignancy routine if I've seen one, an endeavor that launched not one, but TWO hate pages.

Perhaps this is only adding fuel to the fire (and sadly perhaps bringing it down to his level, but maybe there is no where else to meet him that he understands). However, I refuse to be manipulated and bullied and people really need to know what's going on. He can call me fat, pick on my sister, bash my friends, my work, tell everyone how awful I am, and, gee I am still NOT backing down. In the end, he can say anything he likes about me. People know what's true and what isn't. In my 12 years in Chicago, I have pretty much only ever had a conflict with 1 person. In that same time, I have seen this same person have a conflict with over 20. Sorta makes you wonder.