Ethics? What are Those?

I guess it's true when they say that there is always a first time for everything. While on the quest to launch this project off the ground, I decided to seek out help from one of my favorite professors and role model. Ellefson is his name, and he's the Poet-In-Residence at Champlain College, and also has help manage/run the Vermont Young Writers Conference for  several years now. I figured with someone of his expertise, he would have connections all over the place, so why not see what he thought about the whole idea?

I walked strolled into his office like usual, given as how we are on familiar terms, and proposed the idea of introducing the Twentyx3 project during his Intro to Poetry and creative writing classes. He loved the idea. That is, until he discovered that the general public would be voting writer's off the list-sort of like a Survivor-vote-them-off-the-island kind of deal. When he heard this, he told me to get out.

I told him I didn't like the idea of ranking writers over another anymore than he did, but it was what needed to be done for this project to accomplish it's goals. He just sat there and stared at me for a handful of moments. Then he looked me directly in the eyes and asked me if I was scared of my professor. He told me I wasn't afraid of anyone. Yes, that's true. Except in one case. He then put up his fists in a fighting stance and told me to imitate him. He told me conforming to an idea was not my style. This goes back to a long history: on the first day of Intro to Creative Writing class, I walked into the classroom and told him that I wrote my own way, so don't expect anything different. Naturally, at first, he was stunned, but then he accepted the idea. From then on, I've been known as Trouble and fearless is my own writing. After glaring at me, he tossed me out of his office.

Ellefson has never spoken a harsh word to me. Ever. I was stunned. What did I do wrong? Was he right? Was I compromising my own morals and ethics for sake of a project and to please someone else?  Just how far was I willing to go to compromise myself and my belief in writing for this project? Was it worth it?

What do you think, all? Is this a question of ethics? Should a writer compromise themselves and own sets of standards for the sake of the "greater" good or a future?


-Tee-