In Kerala, globalisation and its market chemistry has begun to play havoc with periodicals publishing poetry. Until now, they fared well on the strength of their aesthetic flourishes or ideological largesse. Poetry was placed on the highest pedestal. Now it seems that these periodicals can survive only if they are market savvy. Interestingly, the market has a crush on woman, but not on poetry.
Poetry has no takers any more.
As a result, the old custom of regularly publishing poetry in these journals fell into disuse. Nobody was inclined to read poems any more, except the works of some iconic poet or other. Publishers were therefore in a dilemma over whether to publish poetry or not. Then came a brilliant idea. Seeing the photos of the poetesses, readers went back to their old habit of reading verse.