• by Mitch Oscar , Op-Ed Contributor, June 1, 2010

Last week, for my TV Board column I submitted a 31-worded poem by Charles Simic, one of our poet laureates, that he had written about a tree, its leaves and fear. I thought it was applicable to our upfront process. MediaPost editor in chief Joe Mandese suggested that I provide an introduction for contextual purposes. I acquiesced. Moments later the upfront market inexorably moved forward.

An upfront poem by Charles Simic:

Fear passes from man to man
Unknowing,
As one leaf passes its shudder
To another.

All at once the whole tree is trembling
And there is no sign of the wind.