Oh No, Not Again

Editor Gerald So made the announcement this morning that he’s “probably” going to shutter his fine crime poetry blog, The Fifty-Two, as a result of policy changes by his online management system:

Blogger is updating its content policy effective December 16, 2026. Updates include prohibition of criminal acts and, while I don’t think poetry about crime equals crime, The Five-Two’s goal is to look unflinchingly at crime. The only way to do that is to mention crime fairly directly, perhaps too directly for a Blogger blog.

As editor, I’ve always tried to keep the poetry on the figurative, non-explicit side, but Blogger’s content reviewers may disagree with my standards. In fourteen years, I’ve received one notice of a post being put behind a sensitive-content warning, but I was unable to determine which post. I don’t want to run into this problem with future posts.

I’m not seeking a less restrictive platform. I’ve had my editorial say on all manner of crimes, and I don’t feel the need to continue for my own gratification. That’s why Blogger’s policy change may be the best time to end.

Thanks to everyone who’s contributed to the site in any way. I need to accept five new submissions to make it to Monday, December 14. Send ’em. Let's go out with a bang.

In the fall of 2023, So first discontinued updating The Fifty-Two, only to reverse course about a year and a half later. Let’s hope he has a similar change of heart about this latest termination of effort.