I attribute this, to a great degree, to the competitive stance that has arisen in the field. The institutionalization of genre has evolved largely in this century. This split may stem from genuine differences in motive and focus. However, institutional factors must be examined. Libraries and book stores classify poetry and fiction separately and ignore alternatives.
Literary magazines employ discrete poetry and fiction reviewers and editors.
The National Endowment for the Arts bestows grants in fiction or poetry. Institutions of higher learning allot a jealously guarded number of poetry and fiction teaching appointments and graduate student positions. Due to job scarcity, tenure track specialities have become rife with survival tactics. One such tactic is to define the area of study and fix it, or, rigidify it. The feminist spirit of cooperation and collaboration is strong and has pervaded every field.