ForecastingPS. My attitude about poetry as a business itself worsens every day. I just wanted to say that. Poets should never feel superior to anyone in any other market. It's all show-biz after all.
The numbers look occluded for the month
the Sales VP reports to anyone
expecting weather forecasts for a living.
A cold front from the Federal Reserve
depressed the market. Rain in Phoenix killed
the all-new redesigned next generation.
A man in San Francisco stubbed his toe
and caused a heart attack outside Chicago.
But if you really wish reality,
the larger planets realigned their floor plans
leaving Venus half-a-shelf while macro-
economics of the earth saw sea change
—Arctic flows are taking market share.
This world is liquidating laissez faire.
THERE AND GONE ….
-
Here is an autumn hokku kindly shared by a reader in Japan: In a moment,It
no longer is —The rainbow. When we look at English poetry, it is common to
ask t...
3 weeks ago
6 comments:
what do you mean -- poetry as a business?
Thanks
Jilly
Was 'Whether' intentional in the title?
I don't think poetry is a business anymore, actually. I think of the few good things about today's general contempt (or is it just ignorance) of poetry is that there's no incentives for the poet who doesn't truly have his or her heart into it. Because a poet who was into poetry to make money simply wouldn't. Unless you're Maya Angelou.
Jilly, first I'll tell you what I don't mean. I don't mean someone who graciously puts up her chapbook on-line for all to view and suggesting that if they like they could buy it. I think that's beautiful. But Andrew, I think you're looking at the sole compensation in busiiness as the dollar. That's not necessarily true. I think the business of poetry works with a different monetary system. I guess that would be teaching posts, publications, and other awards, fellowships, etc. The whole thing is ripe with politics, who you know, etc. I think it results in some common denominators. I hesitate to say lowest, because of course there's incredible talent inviolved too. But it does create a consensus of sorts. Of course, if I weren't so anti-social, I'd probably feel different about the whole scene.
Oh I wasn't offended by that. Just wondering what you meant.
Yeah, politics. That's why I plan on keeping my day job after I get my MFA. Grants, teaching, etc, A LOT of the book "contests" are so political. The poetry world is so incestuous. :( I'd rather not play for that team.
Maya Angelou charges $30,000 per reading.
All the politics. I suppose you're right, after all; I hadn't thought about it from that perspective.
I guess because I haven't gotten even close to that world myself, I don't think about it too much and even forget that it exists sometimes. Part of me never wants to get involved with it. But then there's that other part that desperately seeks recognition.
Ah well, that's life in all its beauty.
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