And two steps back. I hesitate to write this essay since I am a publisher of a "competing" publication, but I'll do it anyway - as an unhappy member of an organization. I received my copy of the Winter 2003 Journal of the American Bonsai Society a couple of days ago. I am more and more pleased with the appearance of the Journal, as they add more color and improve the quality of the photographs. I know that this adds expense to the production of the magazine, but it is a vast improvement over the previous incarnation of this publication. Bravo!

Even so, I read in this issue of the publication, produced by my country's national organization (supposedly the national organization), an article about grafting. This article, supposedly aimed at beginners, illustrates grafting techniques that are all virtually irrelevant to bonsai! What the hell is going on at ABS?

Yes, the grafting techniques that are illustrated are useful grafting techniques - if you are a fruit farmer or work in a landscape nursery production operation. But bonsai is an aesthetic, artistic endeavor and almost none of the illustrated techniques can be useful in bonsai because they produce ugly results. Of the 7 methods illustrated, only one should even be considered for bonsai - and only if extrapolated for a different situation than illustrated.

The real problem with all of this is that here we have ABS teaching members, in this case beginners, bad bonsai technique. Our national organization can't go doing that. I have pointed out before that ABS is seemingly uninterested in addressing the fullness of bonsai - as a hobby, a profession and as a fine art, yet they are supposed to be the national organization for bonsai in North America (?). Here we have yet another example of their completely hobby-oriented approach to supporting the endeavor. True, hobbyists don't necessarily need to be concerned with excellent aesthetics, but to obviate aesthetics in an instructional article for beginners is irresponsible.

Failing to adequately represent the fullness of the endeavor they hope to lead is one thing. However, the American Bonsai Society is harming the bonsai endeavor with their wholly casual approach to disseminating information here. I am a member of ABS and rather an unhappy one today.

Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas

Andy

I had similar reaction to that article. I rarely read any bonsai mags these days as there is hardly anything of interest in them to me. However, I still peruse them to see what's in them. When I came to that article, my reaction was "What the hell is this doing here?" I paid attention because I have a grafting article in the works for my website, mostly just awaiting photos before publication. I'm biased of course, but my article will be a quantum leap better in usefulness for bonsai.

I too, am a member and supporter of ABS, but many of the articles are rather embarrassing to me and anyone who has the least bit of horticultural sophistication. Some time ago there was talk (on the IBC) of mild peer review for the mag articles, but it really went nowhere. I think the main problem is that it is so difficult to get articles, ANY articles, for publication. The editors and others involved are simply afraid of alienating the few authors they have. This is unfortunate, because I think it has a chilling effect on some people who would offer better material. I know that I have lost interest in submitting articles, but then I have my own forum now.

Brent

Andy, your comments are always interesting, but shouldn't your remarks have a larger frame of reference? Doesn't the state of this publication reflect the larger state of American Bonsai rather than a local anomaly there at the offices of ABS?

I've never liked this magazine very much and every year that I renew my subscription I find myself asking myself, "Why am I doing this?". At some deep, subconscious level, I find this magazine to be an entirely cold and scratchy experience which alienates me from bonsai rather than reinforcing my ties to it. Yet it does seem to accurately reflect the state of bonsai in America.

I keep coming back to the discussion of wabi/sabi that you layed on me during my attempt to present the case for simplifying our approach to bonsai. Boy! If a publication ever presented the antithesis to the spirit of this bonsai ideal, it's gotta be this magazine.

I mentioned awhile back that a new bonsai shop has opened in our area. Once again, BOY! After 3 or 4 trips to it, each of which left me more dissapointed than the one before it, I stopped going to it. It was just such a downer! Whatever it is that inspires a love of bonsai in me, the store owner of this place just doesn't get it.

I'm not going to say that the oners and publicist of ABS don't get the spirit of Bonsai. I will say that I would NEVER show a copy of this magazine (as I do with "Bonsai Today") to friends who visit my home and ask me what I'm up to in the back yard.

Fred

Fred,

There is a reason that ABS reflects the overall state of bonsai in the U.S (to a degree) - because they (ABS) are the leader organization for bonsai in the U.S.!! This is a point that I have tried to communicate to ABS and to enthusiasts. I have criticized ABS for not representing the fullness of the endeavor and have received criticisms myself for having done so - saying that I should not be targetting ABS. Well why the heck not? ABS sets the standard for the bonsai endeavor in North America. They are supposed to have a responsibility to represent the fullness of the American bonsai endeavor - yet they do not. That they don't realize their mistake is laughable. They simply refuse to be a leader and are bent on merely existing in order to exist, it seems (to the detriment of the endeavor they claim to represent).

Yes, I'm laying it on thick and for good reason: I'm a concerned and enthusiastic member of their organization and the endeavor they are concerned with. It's not as if ABS is a local or state organization; they're supposed to be the leader in the U.S.A. Leaders must insist on a high standard and must not shrink from it. ABS ought to have the must-read magazine (as good or better than BT), they ought to host the must-attend national exhibit event(s), they ought to have bigger and better programs than a measly state organization like GSBF has - but they do not and seem unconcerned!

I don't want to tear down ABS. I do, however, insist that they do a good job and exemplify excellence. They do not and people ought to say so until they do.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas

I think the grafting article and some of the other embarassing things that show up there from time to time are probably there because of desperation. They're the only thing the editors have to fill the space.

No excuse for a sloppy magazine, but understandable for one whose staff is basically working for little or nothing in a bad market for magazines in general. Working in the publishing biz myself, I've seen some of the stuff that is submitted for publication. Unfortunately, some magazines haven't the budget to contract "real" writers, so they make do with really badly written stuff, or stuff that is marginal at best.

To bad you feel that way about ABS Fred. It can, and has, provided many groundbreaking and interesting articles on collected material. Its articles a few yars ago on Bald Cypress, for instance, was pretty good, as was the articles on Live oaks, although that package of articles had one of those "non-sequiturs" on Gary Oaks. That article only concerned the species' growth and habits, and didn't contain any "bonsai" info.

Brent,

Well, I'm glad I'm not alone in my response to this article (and to the general standard represented in ABS Journal). I can understand why publishers and editors are fearful of having high standards, but I insist that there is no good reason to tolerate poor standards.

I receive my share of poor articles for BTO Journal and when I communicate to the author that it does not meet with our standard, I don't shoot myself in the foot! Rather, I ensure that poor articles don't get published and the good ones do. Publications are not harmed by a practice of warning off poor writers and poor photographers. In fact, the opposite is true.

The bottom line is that most bonsai publications are not produced by professional publishers and editors. Instead, they're produced by enthusiastic bonsai enthusiasts who have the time and inclination to work on a publication. Non-professionals bring a host of irrelevant and less-than-excellent elements to their work. That is a simple truth and while there is no reason to criticize people for not being trained professionals, there is every reason to criticize poor results. The results are the only thing that matter (to consumers of a product).

In the end, I can understand having to, by necessity, publish a less-than-excellent article now and then. BUT, that is not the same as publishing a harmful and/or irrelevant one. Articles that teach nonsense or which run counter to advisable methods are harmful and have no business in any publication. I hope that ABS soon learns to recognize this distinction.

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas

Andy,

Sorry, that article will go unread by me as I dropped that subscription because of, among other reasons, the poor and slanted content.

I could see the benefit of an article on grafting if it were a collaboration, putting standard techniques into the context of our specific application. Too much trouble I suppose.

Jim Stone

ABS Journal?

..never heard of it.

Attila

Andy,
make up your mind. Are they leader or are they not?!

Regards,
(just fooling around with your quotes)

Attila

Attila,

Yes, it is confusing for most of us in the U.S.

Kind regards,
Andy