Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer - Advice

How much money does a poet make?

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:15:03 GMT

Since I'm the editor of Writer's Market and Poet's Market, writers send in questions all the time with questions about craft, publishing, marketing, etc. One of the questions I always hate to answer the most is something along the lines of, "I've been writing poems a long time now, and I think I'm ready to commit to it full time. How much money can I expect to make for my poetry?"

The reason I hate this question is that I feel like I either have to crush someone's dreams or lie. And I'm no good at lying. So, I end up saying (in as much of a non-dreamcrusher manner as I can muster) something along the lines of, "Well...umm...not much, if anything."

There are prizes, fellowships, etc., that are bestowed upon poets. But even if you win a $1,000 book prize every month (which isn't going to happen), you still won't be able to quit your day job--because you'll have to pay for postage, paper, and entry fees for all these contests, fellowships, etc.

Many journals pay in contributor copies (and some don't even do that). The few that can afford to pay in actual money usually offer less than $100 for a poem. And publishing a book isn't going to rake in the cash either. Don't believe me? Go to your local bookstore and find the poetry section (if you don't already know where it's at, it may take you a while). Look at the small offering of poets. Few of them are probably still alive. Fewer still probably don't fall into one of these categories:

Celebrity poet. Billy Corgan, Jewel, etc.
National Poet Laureate. Ted Kooser, Billy Collins, Robert Pinsky, etc.

So, bottom line: There's no money in poetry.

But is that such a bad thing? I think the lack of money in poetry helps take the pressure off the art form. It's really all about a great line, a wonderful image, something that sticks with the reader.

Sure, we all still want to get published and share our thoughts and words with the world; and sure, we'd all love it if someone paid us just to sit around and write poetry all day; but, we know that even if we don't have that situation (even if we're not getting published or getting paid) that we'll still put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) and crank out poems from time to time. Just for the love of it.

*****

Looking for more poetry-related information?

For poetic forms, CLICK HERE
For interviews with poets, CLICK HERE
For the free monthly Poet’s Market newsletter, CLICK HERE
For discounted poetry references, CLICK HERE
For poetry listings on WritersMarket.com, CLICK HERE

Get Your Poetry Published!

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:44:38 GMT

On May 29, I'll be leading an online seminar on how to go about publishing your poetry. After all, it's one thing to write great poetry, but getting it published? That's an entirely different hurdle.

Topics I plan on covering include:

How to identify appropriate markets for your poetry.
How to avoid many common submission mistakes.
How to handle your cover letters, including the tricky bio (even if you have no previous publication credits to mention).
How to manage your submissions (and avoid upsetting editors).

And I'm sure I'll cover more. The seminar will begin at 1 p.m. (EST) and will last one hour. You can learn more details and register at https://writersonlineworkshops.webex.com/writersonlineworkshops/j.php?J=683166157.

Poetry FAQs: How do you make time to write?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:32:03 GMT

Seems like many writers often lament they don't have enough time to write. Some of these writers ask me how I do it, or wonder aloud how writers like Joyce Carol Oates or Stephen King publish so much so often. I can't speak for other writers, but I can give my own take on the topic of making time to write: I've almost always got time.

That's not to say I'm not busy-busy-busy. As anyone who knows me in real life can attest, I'm tremendously busy and productive all the time--from cooking and cleaning at home to editing books and coding databases for work (which also just happens to take place at home). I say I've almost always got time, because I make time for my writing. And I improvise.

For instance, this past Saturday, I spent a delightful afternoon in Atlanta with my wife, son, and mother (who was visiting from Ohio) by eating at The Varsity, strolling past the Fox Theatre, and walking around Stone Mountain. Ideas and images flooded my brain, but I had neither pen nor paper. In fact, many of the no-time writers mentioned above would say I had no time either. Quite a predicament!

Here's how I improvised: I still had a cell phone, so I started typing a text message to myself of the lines rolling around in my head. When I finished, I saved the text to my drafts (I could've also sent them to my email address). Since the day was an inspiring one, I did this a few times on Saturday--all while enjoying the day with my wife, son, and mother.

Other ways I've written through the years have included (but are not limited to) writing on napkins, receipts, placemats, business cards, flyers, menus, Post-It notes, etc. If there's the tiniest bit of white space (and you have a writing utensil--even a crayon will do), then you can write.

Since I usually like to carry a pen and paper (folded in my pocket), I've written in several locations and situations, including conferences, meetings, nature trails, family reunions, theaters, restaurants, playgrounds (with my boys), sporting events, etc. And while I don't encourage others to do this--because it's extremely dangerous (for yourself and others)--I write when I'm driving. Basically, I write almost anywhere and everywhere. No excuses about time or location.

If you really want to write, I'm sure you're always ready and able to do the same.

Poets Helping Poets: What comes first? Poem or collection?

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:41:03 GMT

I've received differing answers from poets over the past year about what comes first when putting a collection together. Do they settle on a theme and write poems to fit the theme? Or do they write individual poems and then try to fit them together? Some poets say they do it one way; some the other; some do both (also known as the By-Any-Means-Necessary Method).

Anyway, I asked the Poetic Asides group on Facebook, and once again, so many great answers piled in that I couldn't use them all.

*****

I worry about the book element after the poems are written. Assembling poems for a collection means trying to get a thread running through them that helps them to connect to each other, or lean on other for meaning and content.

Of course, it's easier if you have sequences of poems: their running order is easier to organise, because they have a cohering quality that allows them to stand alone. But you still have the problem of what you put beforehand and what comes afterwards - because the outside poems have to be able to stand up to those sequences: not be overshadowed by the strength of the coherance of that sequence.

Barbara Smith

*****

I have done both. Generally I just write and then something evolves.

David Fraser

*****

Ordering the Storm is a collection of essays by respectable poets on that very topic. I recommend people check it out. Everyone tells you to front load and back load to wow the judges in contests and that's what I did with my first book. When I learned the book was invited to be in the VQR Poetry Series and no longer needed to pass the screen test, I reorganized the first half drastically. Now the poems form a progression and, I'd like to believe, the voice and narrative thread each together collectively.

Allen Braden

*****

My first collection, You Beckon, was put together from the poems written over an extended period of time. So the poems dictated the collection. It was amazing how once the process began it seemed to take on a life all its own and every poem seemed to find its exact perfect spot.

Peggy Eldridge-Love

*****

Charles Olson once told Ed Dorn something like, “If you study one thing deeply, you will learn everything.” Some of the premises being that everything is connected and that extreme concentration will enable you to think as the subject thinks. Dorn followed Olson’s advice and ended up with the great collection of poems called Gunslinger.

I learned about studying one thing before I knew of Olson telling that to Dorn. After I read what Olson told Dorn, I followed the advice more passionately. But for me it’s a bit different. Yes, I can see the interconnectedness of things, and the focus of studying one thing presents an amazing clarity of a sustained thinking process. But for me, as I said, it’s a bit different. For me, it’s about sustaining energy and imagination.

I’ve seven collections of poetry, three of which are published and one is forthcoming. They are all tightly themed. And that is because I stuck to the topic. The topic, for me, creates the energy to write. The topic continually stimulates my imagination. The topic is the muse. And I chase the muse whenever and wherever I can until I’m tired. In this last book, it was about 80 poems over a year until I was tired. I imagine I will pick it up again, because the content does seem endless.

But here’s the point: the theme/topic is the sustenance of my writing. And once it is gone, so is the writing.

Plus, I’m stubborn. While composing this most recent book, I wouldn’t write any poems that didn’t relate to the topic. The same is true of the other books. I wouldn’t veer. One book revolved around cosmology and particle physics and took about four or five years to write. One book fed off the energies of a Lorca poem for about five years. One book fed off a self-created writing assignment for about a month, and then revisions. One lasted for about a half year as I created a world where time moves backwards. One lasted about three or four years as I created a new mythology. One lasted about a year as I was proclaiming love. And this last one lasted about year, though really nineteen or twenty, and I still think there is another five years in it.

So, yeah. I compose by theme. Theme motivates, focuses, and stimulates me. Theme creates visions. Theme is the thing that let’s me confront the big issues, like love, death, and time, but indirectly, which is the only way one can confront those big topics today.

Theme gives me purpose.

Tom Holmes

*****

For me, the idea of a collection comes from a small selection of poems already written -- poems which, when looking back on them (ie to find places to submit them to etc) have a similar voice or touch on complementary themes. My poetry play, "Dreams of May," very much developed from the realization that I had created a character via my poems. But now, I am working on a collection that is more theme driven, and although it is starting from some previously written and published poems, it is continuing with new ones I am writing with that theme in mind. Otherwise, I suppose the answer to your question is "yes, all of the above"

Sue Guiney

*****

I have a chapbook (published) and two full size manuscripts. I put them all together with poems I had written already. It's the following my passion approach.

I'm keeping this email short. I don't know how people decide what they are going to write about and then create a book. Lots of poets do this, but I have to write what comes and then after I have a few hundred poems see what it looks like and begin to put it together. As I send out my current manuscripts I revise and continually rework poems. I am now getting edit feedback, new eyes to look at my two full size manuscripts in process, to see if I can edit them to a better book. I'd like my next publication to be a full size, but I also have chapbook sizes circulating. One chapbook was recently a finalist but didn't quite make it.

Julene Tripp Weaver

*****

Generally I write poems one at a time and later see how I can arrange them. But in all honesty, I find assembling a collection much harder than writing a poem, primarily because I feel there’s a contradiction between something being a "collection" and expecting to find in it a necessary sequence. This need for sequence or cohesion seems to be a variation on the insistence for narrative, which I don't really have an interest in. So I find myself torn between a cohesion so obvious it borders on monotony and a cohesion so subtle I can't imagine anyone else perceiving it. At this point I tend to throw up my hands and say, they are related because they all came from the same mind, it's inescapable. They're like a series of stepping stones; their relationship is simply that they all happen to be in the same river.

Two poets come to mind pondering this topic: Richard Wilbur and Louise Gluck. I remember Wilbur being asked how he assembled his collections and he said, essentially, that he didn't give it much thought. It was a collection. I envied his insouciance, since now, it seems, publishers expect thematic progression in poetry collections. To that end, Louise Gluck's collection, "Wild Iris," which won the Pulitzer, always struck me as great in its thematic cohesion, in its progressive development, but weak in its individual poems. I remember thinking after reading it, I would rather my individual poems be great though my collection lacked thematic cohesion.

Michael T. Young

*****

I've had two collections - one pamphlet and one full. In both cases I arranged the poems after they had been written. I didn't have an idea of how the final collections would look as I didn't know that they would be published. I'm still writing about whatever presents itself.

Maggie Sawkins

*****

I do both really. I have a couple of themes I like to write about, but I also write one-offs that have nothing to do with anything!

Paul De La Plante

*****

I do it both ways. That's the short answer.

Pris Campbell

*****

Ever since I began to really consciously develop my own poetics I have written with the design of the complete book in mind. Perhaps this is a Mallarme influence. For Mallarme, there is only one cosmic book, and each book is merely a reading or commentary on "the one true text"... and which, I imagine, is written in an ideal language (something like Benjamin's Messianic language perhaps, and hence, ultimately a language we no longer understand). I wrote a book length poem over a period of ten years, and then for the past ten years have written books usually composed of two or more long hybrid sequences.

Eric Selland

*****

It really does depend on the muse I think. For example, I'm currently finishing one manuscript and editing two that were done all at once on the same theme. As one thought led into the next so did each poem BUT I'm also editing four other manuscripts that are collections on a theme scattered across years (up to a decade). If the theme is one, I'm more inclined to I obviously write more of it than any other and will do that one in succession more readily (and the same goes for if the theme is a certain format ie sonnet, free verse, prose, etc).

Ronda Wicks Eller

*****

It is quite difficult to explain. I work mostly from a feeling, almost never from an idea. I say that I am always writing the same and endless poem. I meet the poems once written. What prevails is the intuition. There are exceptions: I once worked as a title or subject, with some success or not. I remember a book from the letters of Rimbaud in Africa. This project survived two or three poems that I included in a book.

Carlos Barbarito

*****

Both. Sometimes one way, sometimes the other, and sometimes both at the same time. Right now I'm working in a fully conceptualized project, but the last one had a coherent section that took up about a third of the book, with the rest taken from work done over the same two years.

Christopher Flynn

*****

I make collections after I've written the poems. To start out with an idea about a collection would shape my creative process differently than allowing myself to write each day with whatever is in front of me that prompts a poetic response (and I do write every morning, so this is not a discipline question). This way, I find that threads in my work that surprise me and keep me interested. This is not to say that I would be opposed to trying it the other way around in the future.

Kathleen Cassen Mickelson

*****

I do it both ways, depending on how the poems come to me. I am but the slave of the muse!

Jeffrey Spahr-Summers

*****

I've only done one chap/collection called Book of Aliases. I wanted to get readership on my old poems so I went through my blog archives and picked what I thought were some of the best and strongest. I had a huge amount of them and they were all over the place in terms of themes. As I was trying to sort them into piles I realized that one of the interesting things I had been considering in my writing was the idea that we all are constantly shifting from one presentation of ourselves to another -- something similar to having several aliases. Once I had that as a concept for a collection, I was able to pick 57 of my older poems that could be grouped under that theme and the book became easy to assemble.

Russell Ragsdale

*****

Most of the poetry I write tends to be the quirky, offbeat, humorous kind. After a number of my pieces were published in journals, I started working with an idea about how I'd like to organize them and finally did it in my first poetry book (and first book, too) Mugging for the Camera. I found it was a lot easier to work with a central theme of an idea, even if it was kind of loosely based.

RJ Clarken

*****

I look to see what I've been writing for the last 2 years, decide whether it's a subject or a tone or what, and then include and exclude to make a unified whole.

Then I throw all the poems on the floor, arrange them into three piles or sections, and arrange the poems within the sections. I have never written a poem FOR a collection, but I know many fine poets who do.

I'm talking about collections of individual poems, of course. My three book-length verse narratives have stories to organize them.

Penelope Scambly Schott

Poets Helping Poets: Breaking through a writing slump

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:51:22 GMT

Last Friday, I tossed out a question to the members of the Poetic Asides group on Facebook: How do you break through a writing slump?

Whether it's been days, weeks, months, or even years, we've all been through dry spots. Well, as I learned from the response, most of us have anyway.

In my own case, I find that reading new (to me) voices is what helps the most. Though listening to the news or going for a run, both usually work as well.

The response was so massive that I had to be selective with the answers, but here's what some of the poets wrote:

*****

For some reason, I find if I have a few even modest successes, sometimes that spooks me and makes it hard for me to believe I'll ever write anything worthwhile again. After a number of false starts, I find myself going back to some old reliable pump primers, as I've come to think of them.

Actually, someone on the Poetic Asides site led me to the Poet's Companion, by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux, and I've found the exercises in there invaluable. I also love Natalie Goldberg's, Writing Down the Bones and this year she released The Essential Writer's Notebook--another gem of inspirational prompts to kick my rear-end.

For me, your prompts are also a great source of creative energy--a way for me to know I'm committed to writing poetry at least once a week, without having to dream up a topic.

And last, but not least, I try to take at least one writing course a year, just to make my mind travel along different tracks.

S.E. Ingraham

*****

Here are two strategies that work for me:

1. Go to a reading--any kind of reading, poetry or prose. The minute a reading begins, I feel that I'm being drawn "into the zone," into a community of writers that helps me reconnect with my own creativity. It's as if my writer's mind steps into line, comes into focus, re-invents and re-establishes itself.

2. Go for a long hike--in a natural setting, away from the house, the computer, the daily grind. As I walk, and gradually relax, the rhythm of unrestricted movement enables me to reconnect with the natural cadence of my poetic sensibility.

Ruth Nolan

*****

It works for me when I have people around me. Therefore, I am longing for the spring so that I can go out and sit in a nice park, with trees and flowers and hear people walking by.

Staffan in Sweden

*****

I used to believe in writing slumps and writer's blocks. But I don't anymore, because if you can challenge yourself to the simple task of writing something every day, say at least 500-600 characters (but more is better) or 125-175 words minimum (again, more is better). You could further challenge and commit yourself to either send it to a friend or friends every day for a minimum of 3 months, no matter how bad or terrible you think it is. A little exercise like this will prove that you CAN write whenever you like, and that on some level you are choosing not to. It's an important thing to realize that your talents and skills are yours and not on loan or borrowed or given to you by something else--there is no fickle muse that comes to or abandons you.

J.P. Dancing Bear

*****

I write book reviews for various online and print mags, so finding time to write my own stuff is hard. When I try to balance reviewing, family, my money jobs and my own pieces, I find that writer's block doesn't exist for me anymore. Because the reviews are on a deadline and I want to continue to be paid, I have to force myself to be a professional and write even when I don't feel like writing. Normally, when I am 5-10 minutes into the piece it starts to flow.

The reviewing and journalism has put my own writing in perspective and has made me realize, that if you're a writer, you write. Because my time is limited, I take the time that I'm given to work on my own stuff as a gift. If I have an hour or so, I apply Cory Doctorow's 20-minute method. For example, I know realistically that I do not have large chunks of time to write my novel. I give myself 25-30 minutes to write a chunk. I literally set my PDA alarm to go off in 20 minutes. The time goes by so fast, and when the alarm goes off I am usually in a white hot writing frenzy and I stop in the middle and I cannot wait to go back to it the next day.

I apply this technique to all my writing: play-writing, short stories, and even poetry. When you have finite time to write, you learn to inspire yourself. The book reviewing also teaches me to have more perspective about my own stuff. I discover quickly what works and what does not work.

My advice: Write like there is no tomorrow, because there isn't. Don't worry too much about revision or research, that's later. Get that intial draft down and write your butt off.

Lee Gooden

*****

I generally make it a practice to write some random line on a blank page. Even something that may be picked up from the newspaper lying beside me or an ad.

Then I just write around that line. Something fitting or even something equally random...

Poddar Kushal

*****

1) If it's a long slump, I remind myself, "This is input time." I actually believe this to be true, as I have noticed that's the way of it. You think nothing's happening, but when writing does return, it's made some kind of quantum leap to a new level. In a long slump, I usually have to wait for it to return spontaneously in its own good time.

2) It's strange, but (in a briefer slump) what works for me is to start playing with form, rather than seeking ideas.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade

*****

My top tip: Just write for ten minutes without pausing, editing, crossing-out. Write 'I don't know what to write' and keep writing... Write 'I feel stuck' and keep writing. After ten minutes stop and circle five random words in your piece of writing--or even better, ask someone to circle them for you. Take these words and use them to begin writing for five minutes. Then circle four words and write, then three... and so on.. until you have just one word...

Very often it is our focus on the product of writing--Is it good enough? What will it be like as a finished piece?--that stops us from writing. By learning to enjoy writing as a process, you can keep writing and writing.

Sophie Nicholls

*****

I have a job that can be pretty high-pressure and involve long hours. During these busy cycles at work, I find myself feeling completely drained during my non-work times, which I usually reserve for writing. I feel like I have nothing left over; that all of the emotion, imagination and passion has been sapped out of me. In short, I feel like a walking drone. Last summer, I went on "real vacation" for the first time in years, and I came back incredibly stimulated, refreshed and inspired. But I can't do that very often. So I've developed some ways to help keep me going during the down times, when there is no vacation in sight:

1. I wait to write until I know I have several hours at a stretch to sit down and sink into "the zone." This helps keep the pressure off. I simply give myself permission not to start something new on weeknights, after I've worked a ten or twelve hour day. If I do anything, I just do minor revisions on works in progress. Or, I just crash in front of the TV and forget about it. I've actually gotten incredible inspiration from little snippets of things I've seen while zoned out in front of the tube. Vampire squids, for example.

2. During my several-hour writing stretch, I take a journal and I "speed-write" one poem on each page. I give myself permission to be absolutely awful in every way. I heap on the cliches. I write whatever comes into my head. I don't revise. I number the poems and consider them complete. Then I go back through in an hour or two and "mine" for a line, a thought, an idea, or image that I want to work with, and I begin writing the "real poem" from that. I choose one or two at time to work on and give myself a week to complete each one. The completion timeline keeps me accountable and helps make me feel like I'm being productive.

3. I have also started trying to practice what I call, "Poets' Eyes." This is a way of going through my day in an observant, open manner. It's almost like bringing a veil down over my "normal" eyes in order to open up more awareness. As much as possible, I try listening to everything and see everything as a potential poem; it's a way of being open; of being willing to extract beauty or meaning from the banal, the annoying, the stressful, the just plain stupid. If I can even do this for five minutes at a time a few times a day, I can usually find something interesting to add to my "treasure box" of ideas I want to work with.

Kristen McHenry

*****

When I can't write, I read, read, read, and read some more; sometimes I reread novels or short stories. Sometimes I read song lyrics hoping one word or phrase will spark something.

Melissa McEwen

*****

I really do feel a daily exercise loosens my brains, and if I get five poems out of thirty that can be worked into something interesting, I'll be pleased.

Shann Palmer

*****

I'm much more conscientious about my writing when I'm NOT writing than when I am, so I usually try to shift my focus away from that internal, absent impetus into something different, enjoyable, or productive. This usually means a new haircut, delightfully awful genre fiction, and editing. If that doesn't work, I create projects for myself, like painting, developing a mix tape, or creating a little Great(ness) anthology of my favorite poems from my favorite poets. When you're stuck in a writing slump, it's easy to focus on that missing creativity energy within you without realizing it's an entirely false paradigm. It's more likely that energy’s still in you, it's just moved somewhere else in you. Find it again and reign it in, or just go with it for a while, it might be leading you somewhere unexpected.

Todd Dillard

*****

I go for a walk out in nature to unblock when stumped on a scene or dried up. Walking along a trail means no noises other than those of the birds, nothing to cloud the mind. That quiet lends to thinking and all I have to do is let the scene play through my mind while walking. Usually, I get better ideas than the ones I already had.

The unfortunate part is that frequently I don't remember when I get home! As a help, I started carrying a pen and some folded papers in a pocket then would stop to jot things down. Oddly, the more I jotted down, the more it flowed in my head.

Not only does walking help with the writing, it feeds more oxygen to the brain. Good no matter what...

Lynn Steen

*****

I recently accompanied my husband to a doctor's appointment, where I picked up National Geographic to scan so I could avoid watching Regis & Kelly. I normally don't read that magazine, but I found a totally huge amount of inspiration in the pages. I wrote notes for an hour and came away with probably 10-15 poem ideas from that experience alone. I was so excited. In the past, I've told my writing group to do that (pick up a magazine or art book you normally wouldn't look at), but I guess I should have been taking my own advice.

Kimberlee Titus Gerstmann

*****

Keep a small stack of poetry books in the bathroom, then when you are in there giving the kids a bath (or doing other things!), you can read, and be filled with inspiration to write as soon as they are in bed.

Caili Wilk

*****

It's hard to believe I used to write two or three poems a day. Now it's more like a dozen a year. Perhaps I've grown more discriminating. I'm sure a lot of those earlier poems suck!

A couple of ideas for breaking through. You've got to read a lot, broad and deep. Find a poet you enjoy and let them inspire you.

If you are absolutely stuck, try a copy change poem. Take a poem you love and put the idea into your own words.

Or try a found poem. Take lines from the paper, magazine, or lines you've overheard, and make a poem out of them. It's a start. Sometimes the result is damn good!

David Blaine

*****

Whenever I find myself in a slump with my writing, I do three things: read, ponder, riff. It's really that simple. The hard part to know is that a writer must, when shaking off that dust, read only the very kinds of literature that made him or her want to write in the first place. There are certain "go to" writers I use that will always create new work for me. But I have to read that which causes a visceral jolt in my psyche. And enjoy that reading. It's only through the enjoyment and experiencing of that reading that I start to feel my love for literature eat through the layers of despondency or boredom or responsibility. Sometimes, I'll read work by them that's new to me and read until I hit a particularly evocative line or idea, drop the book, and go write a poem or story.

When I write, then, I don't stay in the fear envelope; I give myself complete permission to write over and past it. I once heard a girl in a creative writing workshop make a comment about a piece of someone's work that had to do with whether it could be assessed as "good enough" to be canon--my response: Bullshit! That fear and expectation has to go. Writing is a muscle best kept warm. You don't have to write every piece with the idea (lofty, over-extending) that you want your every penned effort to be canon-worthy. You write because you love it, often because you have to, and because it lights you up, your brain, your idealism, your goals or agendas regarding humanity. So, that's my solution. Read, ponder, riff. It's a lucky charm. For me, it works every time.

Heather Fowler

*****

Play.

Amy Cunningham

*****

If you have your own ideas on this subject, please share them in the comments below.

Interview With Poet Jericho Brown

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:55:10 GMT

Jericho Brown worked as the speechwriter for the Mayor of New Orleans before receiving his Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston. He also holds an M.F.A. from the University of New Orleans and a B.A. from Dillard University, and he has served as poetry editor at Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts. His poems have appeared in Callaloo, The Iowa Review, jubilat, New England Review, and Prairie Schooner. The recipient of the Bunting Fellowship at Harvard University, a Cave Canem Fellowship, and two travel fellowships to the Krakow Poetry Seminar in Poland, Brown is currently an Assistant Professor of English at the University of San Diego where he teaches creative writing. Western Michigan University's New Issues Poetry & Prose published his first book, Please.

Brown's name has been flying around quite a bit recently--with multiple poets either praising his collection Please (New Issues) or e-mailing me directly to ask if I'd interview him. That's not typical. So, I hunted him down, and he took some time out of his busy schedule to let me interview him.

His collection Please was a great read from the very beginning. He even names the first section Repeat, which is funny, because I felt like repeating the experience of reading the beginning once I finished the end. But I'll let his words do the talking--this being one of my favorite pieces in the collection:

Why I Cannot Leave You

You bring home the food. I'm your hungry man,
Captive damsel dragged by the hair from her favorite
Streetlight to the trap of your tower, hollow icebox,
No magnets with things-to-do. No rules. It wouldn't
Be fair--you bring home the food--you can't read
Or write. I pace, check the window for my hunter. You
Bring home food and toss it onto the card table.
My teeth barely miss my fingertips--I rip
Into the bag. You like to kiss me, my mouth
Packed with the faintest franchise you could find, animal
Blood at each lip. Say carnivore, and I kiss back. I eat
My meat rare. You bare your sharpest grin. Bum
I say I love, you're my place to stay. We're against the law.
No one keeps me big as you. Fatten me, sweet ogre.
Get me some meat. Bring home food. Feed.

*****

What are you currently up to?

I'm trying to get a hold of any footage I can that shows news anchors Max Robinson and Jessica Savitch in action. I'm working on a few poems about and in the voices of the two of them as well as poems based on scriptures from the Bible. The second book is tentatively titled The New Testament, and I just learned that I got a Bunting Fellowship which should give me plenty of time for writing.

I'm grateful that I've been traveling a lot in order to give readings. I now get to meet really interesting people from all over the nation who love good poetry. Also, I try to make sure I have enough reading material to keep me busy on planes.

Other than that, I go to the gym a lot. I eat a lot. I talk with friends over the phone a lot. I teach a lot and read a lot in preparation for teaching. I usually go clubbing when I get the chance because I like flirting and dancing.

Please is your debut collection of poems. How long did you go about getting them together and published?

The oldest drafts of some poems in Please were written in 2000, and I wrote them when I first attended the Cave Canem workshop/retreat for African American poets. Some poems were first drafted 2007, the same year New Issues asked to publish the book.

But seven years seems dishonest when I think of how I'm prone to reading and thinking more than to writing. In the last eight years of my life, there were times I couldn't stop writing. Over a short period of weeks, I'd have many drafts of very different things and begin to think I may be quite literally possessed. Once, I actually had a car accident trying to get some scribbling done while driving. These periods were thrilling for me, but during them, I felt vulnerable in a way I have a hard time characterizing.

At other times, for periods as long as two years within the last eight, I didn't write at all. I couldn't even think to revise. This is, of course, painful and scary in a very different way. Today, I think I managed to get through these silences because I was much more interested in figuring how to write poems than I was in how to write a book. I had no goal other than the poem itself and could almost satisfy my yearnings to write by reading and discovering other poets.

The voices are strong in Please. Is there a type of sound or voice (or both) you go for in your writing?

I think of writing, first, as a process of listening and, second, as a process of embodying. I don't know that I "go for" anything in particular because I try and leave as much as I can to instinct, intuition, and reflex—even in the final stages of revision.

For me, poems usually begin with a line from which I do some vocal repeating and pushing in order to generate other lines. The lines that follow the first one often mimic the sound or make what seems to me some sort of counter-sound based on the first one. Then, because I'm so interested in both music and voice, I find myself trying to figure the personality of the sounds as I am composing. At some point in the writing of a first draft, I start to take on the characteristics of the voice that is asking to be channeled. An example of this might be something as simple as punching the computer if the voice is pissed to the point of violence.

You have a very nice website. Did you put it together, or did your publisher? Also, how helpful do you think having a website is in spreading the word about your writing?

Thanks, Robert. Jerichobrown.com is the brainchild of Nick Walker, one of my undergraduate students at the University of San Diego. He's an amazing poet, and he writes wonderful fiction too. Nick and I argued for more than a semester. He insisted that the website would be necessary, and I kept reassuring him that I had enough to do without thinking about ways to publicize my book and spending mounds of money to do it.

At any rate, Nick started making moves without me being aware of it, and the next thing I knew he had come in contact with Arlene Valdes, a very talented web designer who was looking to build a portfolio for her business. The portfolio would include a few clients for whom she'd create sites for one-tenth of what I imagine she charges now. Nick and Arlene made all the decisions and did all the work. My only job was to provide them with what I had already gathered for New Issues: a bio, the blurbs, the dates for readings, and of course, a few poems.

I don't think having a website hurts, but Buddha never had one, and the word spread pretty decently about things he had to say.

Your bio mentions that you previously worked as a speechwriter for the Mayor of New Orleans. What was that job like? And did your experience as a speechwriter help with your poetry?

I served the City of New Orleans for four years working for Mayor Marc H. Morial, who is now President and CEO of the National Urban League. He's an amazing leader who made his love for that city absolutely contagious. He is also a major role model for me as my fraternity brother and the man willing to take a chance on me and give me my first job right out of college. (The word "give" is supremely important here, considering the desperate shape I was in.)

A speechwriter goes into each speech knowing the message and figuring the best way to communicate the message as he goes. A poet figures ways of communicating and wonders if he has a message. I prefer the latter because it gives me a chance to question beliefs that I myself hold dear. There is no room for such questions when working to drive a message home.

While researching you online, I noticed people commenting positively on your readings. Do you have any special reading tips for other poets?

Slow down.

Who are you currently reading?

Today, I read Versed by Rae Armantrout, some Gwendolyn Brooks, a few poems online by Rodney Jack and Wayne Johns, some George Oppen, some C.S. Lewis, a little bit from Barbara Walters'memoir Audition, and the Bible.

If you could pass on only one piece of advice to other poets, what would it be?

Make love.

*****

To learn more about Jericho, go to www.jerichobrown.com.

To learn more about his publisher, go to www.wmich.edu/~newissue/.

Poetry FAQs: When is a long response too long?

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:33:31 GMT

I received the following question via e-mail from a poet who wishes to remain anonymous:

I recently received a letter from a well-respected poetry print publication after my query regarding my submission which was held longer then their guidelines stated. The reply I received was that my work was still under consideration. Was this good news or just nothing?

How long should I expect to wait. Their reading of submissions ends shortly. Do I query again? Can I assume this is dead in the water, and rather then just sending me a rejection they sent this letter stating my work was still under consideration? They state in the letter it could take up to 5 months for their editors to respond to submissions, but it's been much longer than 5 months when I sent the query to begin with.

Believe me, editors (especially of well-respected publications) are not afraid to send rejection notes. So, it's not good news yet (because your work hasn't been accepted), but it's not bad news either. Unless you don't like waiting around for responses.

If you're tired of waiting and the well-respected publication doesn't allow simultaneous submissions, then you can always respectfully pull your work from their consideration. Or you can move on as if it was rejected.

Many editors go over their stated guidelines, especially when they are drowning in submissions from eager writers. Often, response estimates are given by editors who are overly optimistic about how quick they'll get through everything.

One way to avoid this problem, of course, is to only submit to publications that accept simultaneous submissions. While I'm not a simultaneous submitter myself, many well-published poets are. If you go down that road, just make sure you have a good submission tracking system in place--so that you can notify journals when specific poems have been accepted for publication.

*****

Click here to check out other Poetry FAQs from Poetic Asides: http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/CategoryView,category,Poetry%20FAQs.aspx.

*****

If you wish to submit a question, e-mail me at robert.brewer@fwmedia.com with the subject line: "Poetry Question".

Revision Tips: Avoiding IT and THAT

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:59:50 GMT

After teaching a couple poetry courses over at WOW, I've decided to start sharing revision tips, since this seems--even to me--to be a very mysterious part of the poetry writing process. Writing is tough, but revision asks writers to look at their work and admit that it's not as good as it seemed at the time.

The best way to handle revision is to make sure it doesn't get personal. Go into a first draft expecting to need edits. (If you somehow don't need any, you're either very lucky--or you're being too easy on yourself.) Revision is what often sets good writers apart from the rest of the pack.

I dug into the Poetic Asides archives to share two revision techniques I employ quite frequently.

The first one is to Put THAT Thing Away! In this post, I discuss how unnecessary the word "that" is to most sentences and lines of poetry. You can cut "that" out of most statements where it's included.

The second one is to Cut IT Out! This post discusses the word "it" and how many poems can be improved by finding ways to cut "it" out of the poem by any means necessary.

I plan to share other revision tips as we go along, but these are always my first two steps when looking to revise my own poems.

Five Poet Survival Tips

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:42:38 GMT

Tammy and I have been busy preparing for Baby Will (due between now and 12/19--Tammy's scheduled C-section date). In addition, I've been putting in overtime on www.WritersMarket.com related stuff, teaching poetry courses at www.WritersOnlineWorkshops.com, and even helping out with some poetry-related issues on www.WritersDigest.com. While things have definitely been hectic, I've still been finding time to write and even made a new submission over the weekend. After all, poets don't make excuses; they write, right?

Anyway, I've talked with many writers over the years who say they don't "have time" to write. Or they're stuck on a line and can't seem to move ahead. Of course, they've often not written down that line that's got them blocked, which is a problem in and of itself.

So, here are some of my poet survival tips:

1. Always carry two pens. Pens are to poets as six-shooters are to cowboys. You need them to survive. Why two? Because if you're using your pens, one is sure to run out of ink at some point, which is when you pull out the back up writing utensil.

2. Always carry paper. I fold up one or two pieces of paper to carry with me at all times. Paper fits easily in pockets when folded. By following rules #1 and #2, you should be ready to write regardless of when inspiration strikes. If you can only carry pens or paper, always carry the pens.

3. Keep receipts--if you're without paper. While I almost never forget my pens, I do sometimes forget the paper. And receipts come in handy for overcoming my forgetfulness. I've actually written whole first drafts of poems on the back of receipts from the grocery, fast food, etc. Of course, a poet always has to be resourceful in this area--other surfaces that work are paper placemats, napkins, flyers, and, of course, even your own body.

4. Text yourself. If all else fails, you can always use your cell phone (if you have one with texting capabilities) to send lines to your e-mail account. Or you can save as drafts on your actual phone, though you'll want to make sure you have plenty of memory on your phone before doing this.

5. Keep paper pads or Post-It notes at your desk. Preferably, you'll have both. Whenever images or lines hit me, I scrawl them onto Post-Its. At lunch (or over the weekend), I can then look the lines and images over and see if I have the makings of a poem.

Bonus (and maybe most important) Tip:

Take it one line (or image) at a time. When an idea hits you, don't hold onto it and wait for more to arrive before getting it down on paper. Record that line or image immediately. If there's more on the verge of coming, it will come then. If not, you've just freed your mind to think of new related or un-related images and lines. If you want to get into the habit of always writing, this is the most sure fire way to get there.

Poets Helping Poets: What Makes a Great Chapbook?

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:34:51 GMT

In anticipation of the November PAD Challenge (which starts Saturday!), I threw out the above question to members of the Poetic Asides group on FaceBook: What makes a great chapbook?

Here's what some of them had to say:

An interesting mix of poems on the same theme, not always by the same writer but with visable threads which tie each piece together or take the reader on a journey, turning the page again and again.

Sue Forde

*****

I think that a great chapbook is written around a theme and its variations. That theme might be the subject, the place, the people in the poem, a primary metaphor.

The variations might even involve different forms, different rhythms--a different sense of momentum.

And the whole chapbook builds on an emotional arc (it may even build along a narrative arc, if that fits the theme).

Granted, neither of my chapbooks reflects that thinking, although parts of them do. But this is the way I'm writing and developing chapbooks now.

Joannie Stangeland

*****

A chapbook is a universe, and the poet is the solar designer. The planets and moons, no matter how far out, need to follow their own laws of gravity. From the quark to the gravitational force, it needs to make sense to the poet or editor, even if it remains a mystery for the audience.

Jesse Loren

*****

Consistency of vision: a motiff, a strong extended metaphor. Kinda like making a kick ass mix tape.

Scott Whitaker

*****

Here are some thoughts:

1.) Excellent writing, whether for poetry or prose; 2.) a good editor who knows how to place individual pieces together which work in harmony and add cohesiveness to the project; 3.) having an understanding the audience of the chapbook and knowing whether the intent is to entertain, inform, enlighten and/or give some cause for pause.

It helps to have a nice cover too, to initially attract an audience, but the work has to stand on its own once the cover is opened.

Rj Clarken

*****

A great chapbook: when the poems taken as a whole allow the book to function as the final poem of the collection. I think I'm plagarizing Robert Frost here.

Charlie Cote

*****

I think with a chapbook you should either go the route of trying for as much variety as possible, to show your full range. The danger with this can be the tendency towards being uneven.

The other option is to go the total opposite and have a unifying theme, build it so it is more like a concept album with each poem exploring facets of a larger idea. This runs the risk of going in the total opposite and having everything too samey.

I think sort the framework out and then kind of forget about it and just concentrate on the individual poems.

Paul Grimsley

*****

After having read dozens of chapbooks, and sent out numerous versions of chapbook manuscripts, some as sort of a variety pack, and some ordered so that there was a definitive narrative arc, I have determined that what works best and what most editors (and readers) seem to be looking for are collections that focus on a single theme.

Because they're small, they are easily read in one sitting, so a series of linked poems -- sonnets that explore the complicated relationship with the body, an abecedarian where each poem interrogates a single letter, a series of ekphrastic poems -- is a great way to go.

My chapbook Small Fruit Songs is a series of poems written on a single theme in a single form: fruit-related prose poems. Once I had the concept in place, I wrote the whole thing in under a week, and the first publisher I sent it to accepted it within just a couple of days.

Cati Porter

*****

A chapbook is an opportunity to focus, and every good chapbook I've read had a clear theme or stance, typically with an arc of development. As a small press publisher, I find that thematic development and careful arrangement is what makes a manuscript submission rise above, as opposed to the seemingly random compilation of a selection of one's poems.

In journalism, feature articles (as opposed to hard news) often hang on a "news peg," or something that connects the feature to current events in everyday life. It's a hook, and functions just like the musical hook in a pop song. As long as it remains intelligent and avoids excess gimmickry, I think the concept of chapbook should do the same.

Nancy Pagh won the 2008 Floating Bridge Press chapbook contest with her collection After, with each poem being written "after" a particular poet. Each spread starts with the epigraph on a left-hand page, with the poem on the right, so the idea is abundantly clear. That's the hook, the concept. In a way, it's like an invented bucket (or drawer) that readers can categorize the book into, thus making the book more accessible. The real substance is deeper, of course, and in Nancy's case it's the emotional sway that underpins the poems in their darkness and fearless grit.

The art of chapbooks, of course, is the limitless pursuit of different ways to create an original theme, a hook, a stance, finding the right balance between intrigue and challenge while avoiding facile or cliched gimmickry. A good chapbook not only has solid poems, but often has an idea behind their assembly that makes me wonder "Why didn't I think of that!"

Michael Dylan Welch

*****

A great chapbook excerpts the general aesthetic of the author, while allowing a little leeway for them to explore either something new, like style or form, or topical that might not fill a book. I would argue it's not a "teaser" or a "taste," rather, a chapbook is a complete and individual, shorter work that may appear, in whole or in parts, in a larger body of work later.

Todd Dillard

*****

I've just become Co-director of Flarestack Poets, a new incarnation of Flarestack Publishing which has a reputation for producing some of the best chapbooks (or pamphlets as we tend to call them in the UK) in Britain. Here's the statement we put together that explains what we think makes a great chapbook:

We're looking for poetry that dares outside current trends, even against the grain... collections that aren't bus queues or greatest hits albums from poets who are forging their own linguistic connections with the root-ball of experience.

Jacqui Rowe

*****

Content (especially poems or prose pieces that work together to form a whole) coupled with design. A chapbook should feel good in the palm of your hand, should look good sitting on the edge of your desk.

Corey Mesler

*****

This is an interesting question since I will soon be judging a chapbook contest for Rosemetal Press. I'm interested in reading your summary post to get some insights.

The challenge I faced in putting together my own chapbook manuscript (I Call This Flirting, Flume Press 04) was fighting against the brevity of the form. My first stabs at ordering the short-shorts (it's flash fiction, not poetry) made the book read like running water. You just zipped right through with no stopping points. In this way, the early drafts seemed neutral as a whole. I was trying too hard to make it "flow." It didn't work.

I decided to break it up into sections--putting in resting points as it were. The section break pages each quote a made-up fortune cookie fortune... The sections are thematic but not obviously so. After I did this, the chapbook seemed longer and fuller. I also frontloaded it with the most powerful work (in my opinion, of course) leading the chapbook.

Unlike a novel or a full-length collection of poetry or stories, I think with a chapbook you have less time to build momentum. So your challenge is to artificially create the kind of depth a reader experiences with a longer work. A chapbook invites an all-in-one-sitting reading so I guess that ups the reader expectation in a way...

When I love a chapbook, there's a kind of resonance and completion when I hit the last page. It makes me want to look the whole little book over again, amazed that it's so short but seems long. I want to think about it, and then pick and choose favorites as I reread--not in order--the second time.

Sherrie Flick

*****

A great chapbook, to me, connects in some kind of way. It doesn't have to be a theme, but something weaves them together. Maybe it can be a chapbook about, say, a relative, and all the poems mention that relative and it can be titled after that relative. Also, chapbooks should be short (like 10-20 pages) and consist of the BEST poems, no fillers. Not poems that can't stand on their own.

Melissa McEwen

*****

Stature: If it has the stature of a book, it is a great chapbook.

Sally Evans

Poets Helping Poets: Self-publishing and poetry?

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:23:25 GMT

Recently, I asked members of my Poetic Asides group on Facebook to give me their take on the relationship of self-publishing and poetry. The response was so overwhelming that I couldn't include everything (and I apologize if your take was not included--or had to be edited), but I did get a lot.

If you feel like adding your own voice to the discussion, just leave a comment below.

Here's some of the great feedback:

As long as a person understands the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and understands the pros and the cons, ie, the additional work involved for the poet, the responsiblity for self-promoting which needs to accompany the self-publishing, and choses the press with care, I believe there is nothing wrong with self-publishing. There is a history in literature of great poets having things to say and yet not having a publisher recognize them until after their death. For example, Emily Dickinson remained largely unpublished for the duration her life, yet still took the time to create booklets of her own poems, gathering them into groups, and hand sewing them together. If a writer feels that there is validity in their work and is willing to stand by it there is nothing wrong with chosing to self-publish even if it is only to feel a sense of completion so they may move on, to the next project.

Julia Ann Unruh

*****

Didn't Robert Creeley self-pub 10 chapbooks before he'd made any name for himself? It's a good idea, I think. If anything, the good ones serve as a sort of calling card, and it's a cheap enough route one could break even on sales well before selling out of a run.

Scott DeKatch

*****

With so few publishing houses and extended waiting periods, I think self-publishing might be a good option for many. Getting a good editor before publishing, however, might be a good idea. I'm all for it!

Helen Zisimatos

*****

Next to targeted non-fiction, I think poetry is the most logical work for self-publishing, especially for those who actively pursue readings, whether featured, open mics or poetry slams. The market for poetry in bookstores is miniscule, and the majority of presses aren't going to print more than 1,000 copies -- more likely 500 -- and have little wherewithal to actually promote them, so a self-published poet is going to have to do all of the legwork any way. Why not take on the easily calculated risks of production -- small initial print run + POD = minimal upfront cash layout -- and keep 100% of any profits made on hard-earned sales?

More thoughts on marketing here: http://loudpoet.com/2008/07/11/thrillerfest-buzz-your-book/

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

*****

It all depends on what you want to do with your work and where you are as a writer. If you're just starting out and want something to sell/give away at readings and open mics, then make you own chapbook. If you want to be published by other people, self-publishing can be problematic, as many places won't accept previously published work.

The best route is to publish yourself within the context of publishing other people: ie, feature your work in the first issue of a journal or chapbook press, but then focus on other people.

Hugh Behm-Steinberg

*****

With Print-on-Demand so easy, relatively, self-publishing makes sense in some situations, outside the academic world. My husband and I spent a summer taking photographs of Langston Hughes sites in Lawrence and researching his boyhood years 1902-1915 in our hometown. We did not assume this to be a definitive scholarly book, but rather a chance to document information before it was lost. We self published the book, and to our deliglht, some scholars have made use of it. If we had rewritten it and worked with an academic press, it would have take 3-5 years!

I encourage writers of poetry to work within their communities, and when their work begins to overflow their town and region, then submit works to national markets. Self-published anthologies of regional work can be self published to good purpose.

Denise Low, Poet Laureate of Kansas (2007-2009)

*****

I've been hosting poetry in Las Vegas since 1999 and am fairly well-published in various journals, magazines, etc. Many of my friends have pressured me to produce a chapbook, but I have an odd stubborness about it. I feel as though if I self-publish, it's not legitimate; it's vain. Others would argue differently, but I don't think my work is valid unless someone else recognizes its publish-worthiness.

Danna Jae Nordin

*****

It seems there's a double standard out there among various media when it comes to self-publishing. For instance, why is it acceptable--and laudable, even--for bands to release their own albums and filmmakers to release their own films, but it's looked down upon for a writer to release their own work? This is especially the case in academic circles.

Some of my favorite reads were self-published: Al Burian's "Burn Collector," Aaron Cometbus's "Cometbus," among others. While there is a stigma attached to self-publishing outside of the underground, that doesn't inherently make the work good or bad, because the content is what counts.

Jason Jordan

*****

There is only one commercially legitimate way to self-publish your work and that is to learn the Book Arts (Binding, Macrotypography, etc.) and bind the books yourself. If you self-publish using one of the many 'services' for that purpose your work will still hold no water with publishers whatsoever. If you start your own small press, learn the trade, and establish an actual record of sales in differing demographics, then publishers will look at you in a legitamized light.

Drew Wiberg

*****

If there is no other way to get your stuff out, I don't see anything wrong with it. It might just be a way to be recognized as, after all, a lot of publishers don't seem to read. And even if they do, they want quick money, not quality.

Monique Caddy

*****

I teach undergraduates and at near the end of the course they have to memorize a poem and make a bookmark, broadside or chapbook of the poet they studied during the semester. They come up with the most beautiful and innovative broadsides I've ever seen using materials anyone can buy cheaply or scrounge up from around the house. I bring in examples from prior classes to show them how inexpensive it can be to get a poem out into the world. These aren't their own poems, but clearly that could be the next step.

With the economy closing in on us, poetry, an already marginalized, under-represented market (because there is not now and never was a big market for poetry books) will see a drop in sales. Barnes and Noble has already removed all poetry books from their shelves in an effort to cut back. They will re-order, but only titles that sell extremely well--Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds, and major award winners. This leaves little room for the little guy or gal. So, in my mind, self-publishing, as well as self-distribution, may just be the wave of the future for poetry.

Small Presses may also find themselves going under during these tough economic times which means fewer contests, fewer venues for publication. Even poetry journals will surely stumble under the weight of the inflated dollar. As a result, we may see a surge in online publications. It's so cheap to make a broadside, a chapbook or even a full-length collection on computer. Something to note, even the Pushcart Prize is now accepting online publications for their yearly prize, and so these journals are becoming more accepted as legitimate. I think self-publication, as a result, is also finding and will continue to acquire more legitimacy.

This doesn't mean that there will be more good poetry out there. That's one of the legitimate gripes about self-publication. Just as anyone who fiddles with car engines and then decides to put up a sign and open shop is not necessarily a good mechanic. Just as there are good doctors and not so good doctors. The same holds true for those who write, maybe more so. But hey, there's already a glut of bad poetry on the market, legitimate prize-winning poetry.

The rush to publication is a problem with American poets who tend to view product above process, who seek recognition at the expense of excellence, who are self-satisfied rather than self-critical, and the worst, who spend more time writing and trying to get published than they spend reading and studying great poetry.

So, my advice, is to find people who are both strong advocates AND strong critics of your work and ask them: Am I ready to publish? Rule of thumb: You should have been working seriously at your craft for at least 10 years before you consider book publication. You should have at least 20 or 30 good magazine publications under your belt, along with a wealth of rejections. You should attend workshops, conferences, programs if money allows to garner feedback on your work. All the same holds true for self-publication. If you decide to self-publish, the rules haven't changed, just the venue.

We all know Walt Whitman believed enough in his work to self-publish and we're glad he did. He also rewrote and revised furiously. With self-publication--the time and expense of it--maybe more poets will think twice before flinging their poems out into the wine-dark sea.

Dorianne Laux

*****

I have never self-published but I did have contracts with two subsidy publishers...against both of whom I wound up in class action lawsuits. One publisher and her husband went to jail for cheating authors out of their money and not delivering on their promises. Those associations left a decidedly bad taste in my mouth and my pocketbook minus thousands of dollars.

That said, the first publisher did print thousands of my books (not the 10K as contracted though). I was able to parlay those books into a good career for myself (primarily on the web). Now, 60 small-press published books later, I can look back at that time as a learning experience. It taught me patience and humility. I have also tried to counsel newbie authors but I've found that's generally a waste of time. They are going to do what they are going to do and if what you suggest doesn't mesh with what they've decided to believe, you are wasting breath and effort. Some people can't be helped. They have to learn the hard way.

Would I self-publish? No, I don't believe I would. I would try every e-book route available first and use self-publishing as an absolute last resort. Would I subsidy publish again, suggest other writers do it? HELL, NO! The reason why is simple: at least with self-publishing you have some say in how and when and why you spend your money. With subsidy/vanity, you do not. You are at the mercy of just how honest that publisher is or isn't. There are too many reputable e-publishers out here who will look at your work and if it isn't good enough for them, chances are it won't be good enough for readers to buy. If even the poorest e-pub won't contract your work, it just might not be as great as you believe it to be. If you publish anyway and then place it before reviewers, be prepared to have a new one reamed for you.

Then there is the monetary to consider. For every $1.00 I make on my print books, I make $100.00 on downloads. The reason is simple: distribution via the internet. There is less overhead for the publisher and the royalty percentages are far greater than trying to get the books into brick and mortar stores. Your book never goes out of print and a reader can get it in the middle of the night during a snow storm while sitting in their jammies. That's a good incentive for some buyers. Most small pubs have very low prices on downloads but the NY boys are getting into the market with the inception of the Kindle et al and the prices are being traditionally hiked up to what the cost of a mass market paperback would be. That's highway robbery but hey! Anything the traffic will allow, eh?

As for poetry: I have been in a couple of anthologies and as a rule they just don't sell. I love poetry. I read poetry but I don't buy books of poetry. I can't see self-published poetry books fairing much better than those put out by publishers. In this day and age, people are moving away from the calmer, gentler forms of entertainment. We are not producing new generations of readers but rather generations of Xbox clones. That's a shame for there is so much solace in a well-crafted poem.

Charlee Compo

*****

On principle I'm against self-publishing, because it means skipping an important phase of a writer's work, i.e. submitting it to the appreciation of professional and expert readers. But there's the other side of the medal: most readers aren't interested in poetry, poetry books don't sell, and publishers generally don't invest their money in producing books without a financial return, so it's difficult for a poet to get published by a third part. The best way to work as a poet is, as we know well, submitting to specialized reviews or taking part in literary competitions.

This said, getting published rather than self-publishing doesn't mean more readers. If you're lucky, 100 will read what you write, maybe 15 will like it, and 5 will understand it.

Is self-publishing a good thing? Ezra Pound self-published his first book, and many great Italian poets did the same. Probably they had no other choice, but time is the best judge.

Valeria Di Clemente

Pescara, Italy

*****

There was a time when I would have said that self-publishing was a relatively harmless route. Now I would discourage any serious poet who asked me. My reasons? Glad you asked.

A. The ease with which it can now be done has really diminished the currency for all poets. I suppose vanity presses have always existed but now anybody can go to KINKOS and publish their own chapbook quickly and inexpensively. So in effect, being published proves next to nothing. Anyone can call themselves a poet and anyone can be published.

B. I regret having self-published some chapbooks because, despite the sense of self- accomplishment, and actually BECAUSE of it, I suspect I was less motivated to perfect my skills and hone my craft, instead of waiting till I was good enough to earn acceptance from an objective third part. I suppose a possible exception would be that if you'd been trying for a long time, and published in a lot of fairly prestigious journals, and a couple of TRUTHFUL, OBJECTIVE writers validated the value of your work, self-publishing might be OK.

C. A surprising number of presses holding first book and chapbook contests have made it clear that those who self-publish are not eligible. So according to those standards, you could create a chapbook and give 10 copies to friends at Christmas and they would not want you to enter.

Seems REALLY harsh but there it is. You would know even if they didn't.

Christopher Soden

*****

I would never self-publish a regular book of any kind (as opposed to a chapbook). Even if you opt for one of the companies that charges for set-up, then prints on demand, the expense is significant and the price you have to charge buyers for each book is much larger than if someone else with a press publishes it. A ibig issue, too, is marketing. Even poets who read regularly have a difficult time selling any quantiy of books. Poetry books, especially, are a difficult sell, unless the publisher has an agreement to sell to libraries, certain bookstores, or colleges.

I would self-publish a chapbook since I have a program that prints in book form. With a laser printer that goes on forever, the cost would be minimal. I say that I WOULD, but haven't done so. I've been fortunate enough to have offers for my first three chaps.

Pris Campbell

*****

One thing to consider is that some publications will not even consider running a review of anything that could be considered self-published. I heard from a man this week who had published a book of fiction, but (he says) the publishers put little effort into publicizing his book. He said he had decent sales without publicitiy, so he bought back the rights to the book and the remaining copies. He was then told that doing so, technically, made his a self-published book now, therefore ineligible for "serious attention."

My experience in publishing poetry is slim, but I would think one should pursue all the avenues for publishing first.

Nancy Posey

*****

I think small chaps are a great thing, when you have enough to sacrifice some. This is mainly a poet-to-poet world, so small inexpensive bait is a good thing. The quality and originality still has to be high, since this is a "showcase". The small chaps I really like have quirks and thoughts unique to that poet, so I try to do that also. It's a souvenir. A size mailable in a #10 envelope and a token price (free, or send back stamps in a bag?) is fun.

Jim Knowles

*****

Self-publishing is like a very large business card or portfolio. It's self-promotion which is personal-scale. You can participate in the gift economy to exchange small print-run (or photocopier-run) works without a big cost out lay. If you go thru a print on demand company, the overhead is still low.

One of the drawbacks is that if it is only you promoting you, the distribution networks and the onus to spread the material is all on your shoulders. If you work cooperatively with a group, channels can be shared. There's more credibility if a group says you are good than if you alone say you are worth the time to read. If you are published in magazines and thru other people's networks you are less in control of what goes to print but your works can be accessed by more people.

The other main drawback is that by self-publishing you may set the bar too low. You may (or might now) rush to publish before the work is polished enough. An editor or more experience or more time sitting with the work could give room for improvement. The gating of going through someone else can hold you in a purgatory that is useful for more refining time.

Pearl Pirie

*****

I, and several other poets I know, have self-published chapbooks. I think that self-publishing works perfectly for chapbook-sized collections. It allows the poet to gather his/her work in one place, or follow one theme without the need to fill 90 or so pages. It allows the writer also to dip his/her foot into the world of "merchandising" your art--seeing what it feels like to have a larger number of readers looking specifically at your work--without having to submit to the intricacies of having someone else publish you.

And, don't underestimate the psychological value of having a collection of work "published"--ie in book form, bound, ready to hand out or sell to anyone who will have it. It all helps you to take yourself and your work more seriously. So I believe it is a great first step on the road to publication.

Of course, it is not a substitute for being published by an outside publisher, someone who doesn't already love you. That not only has even greater psychological implications, but also catapults you into a community of writers who have also been published by that publisher.

I have found this to be one of the greatest results of all of being published by bluechrome over here in the UK. But self-publishing, especially for poets, is a great first step.

Sue Guiney

Poetry FAQs: Having what it takes to be a poet

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:11:41 GMT

Earlier this week, I received a long e-mail from an anonymous Poetic Asides reader who asked important questions I'm sure all poets have asked themselves at some point or another in their poetic development. Here's some of the e-mail:

"I want to put together a book of poetry. I have the subject already in mind. Here's the thing. I am a fly-by-night poet. I have a hard question for you. Do you think I have what it takes to make it as a poet from having read some of my work?

"I sent in six poems to a local competition this year and didn't make it even as an honorable mention. I also sent in five or six to the Writer's Digest competition in December. I haven't heard anything, so am assuming that I didn't make the cut. Now we are talking 100 poets who made it, and I didn't get there.

"Anyway, I turn to you in a moment of despair. I am feeling low and just want a crumb to pull me out of this mist. However, honesty is what I need."

And my honesty is what this poet will get.

First, I don't advise poets to try thinking about putting together books of poetry until they've published some individual poems. It's not that a poet can't do this, but by entering competitions, I'm assuming that a poet wants some kind of recognition, and publication is a great form of recognition.

Second, contests are great, but they are competitions, which means there are several other poets battling it out for the top poem(s). If Writer's Digest recognizes 100 poets, for instance, then they must receive thousands of entries for the competition. Keep in mind that most competitions produce a minority of winners and a majority of losers.

Third, I'd suggest spending less time entering competitions and instead submitting to online and print publications that publish poetry that fits your style. Yes, this means you should devote time to reading online and print journals to see what fits. (Note: This is also a great way to learn from what works and doesn't work in other poets' poems.)

Fourth, it sounds like you need involvement with other poets, whether online or in person. I would suggest trying to get a small critique group together, either by contacting other poets online or trying to do so locally--either through your local library or bookstore. You'd be surprised how many poets are all around us.

Finally, only you can say if you have what it takes to be a poet. Do you feel compelled to write poems even facing the possibility that no one will ever read your work? If so, you are and will always be a poet. Poetry is not a form of writing that will earn you much fortune and glory, so using recognition as your "poet worth" gauge is probably not the best idea.

However, recognition can be a powerful fuel for the poetic motor. So get involved with some other poets; read and submit to publications; and keep writing. The rest will take care of itself.

Poets Helping Poets: Software for Poets?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:05:36 GMT

Recently, I asked for some feedback on possible software for poets at the request of a poet friend of mine. Personally, I still write poems out with a pen on paper before copying them over into Composition Notebooks. It's super lo-tech, but it's a system that works for me.

Here's what other poets had to say on the subject of software:

"I have used verseperfect in the past. Find it here http://www.bryantmcgill.co>m/Free_Rhyming_Dictionary/."

--John Nixon

*****

"Are poets not writers? Assuming your reader was referring to WD's software article in the Jul/Aug issue, there were several programs mentioned of use to poets, including Word Menu and Bullfighter (probably best for performace poets!), plus any of the submission tracking programs. Poets could presumably even make creative use of the programs focused on plot and character development, and the voice recognition software might be helpful for the overly page-bound scribes out there.

"http://www.writersdigest.c>om/article/the-2008-wd-gui>de-to-software-for-writers>/

"If they're looking for software that will actually help them write a good poem, though, there thankfully is no such beast. Imagine the books of celebrity poetry flooding the shelves if there were?"

--Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

*****

"In response, this here is a fun bit of web-related poetry writing software:

"http://www.gpeters.com/aut>o/autotype.php

"'tis a google poetry machine/robot/thing and can produce amusing, even occasionally helpful results."

--Nathan Hamilton

*****

"Well, there's RACTER - the poem-writing program Christian Bok describes in his essay 'The Piecemeal Bard Is Deconstructed,' which you can find here: http://www.ubu.com/papers/>object/03_bok.pdf

"Don't know that it's commercially available, though, I must say."

--John Moore Williams

*****

"Though they're not specifically aimed at poets per se, it strikes me that the hypertext possibilities of Storyspace and HTML accord much more closely with poetry's nonlinear, allusive impulses than with narrative.

"You might also check out http://epc.buffalo.edu/e-p>oetry/.

"Also, Fashionable Noise: On Digital Poetics by Brian Kim Stefans discusses software he developed to generate random text with a poetry-like texture; an example of a long poem thus produced is included."

--Theo Hussein Hummer

*****

"I've used rhyming software before that poet Andrew Hudgins passed down to me. My computer crashed, though, and so I no longer have that software, but I'm sure there are plenty of good versions."

--Heather Kirn

*****

"I've been wanting to create a post about this, and I probably still will--but in the meantime, here's what I use: OneNote. It's part of Microsoft Office (and it's included in the Student and Teacher edition) which sounds like marketing--but then, I worked on the initial help for the very first version, so of course I'm biased.

"Why is OneNote cool? Because of the way it's organized. You set up Notebooks, Sections, and Pages. For poetry, I'll either start a section for a project (especially in the early phases, when I'm just capturing as many ideas and images as I can) or I'll set up a section for an individual poem. Then, I create a separate page for each draft. That way, if I cut everything out and decide I need it back, I just click one of the page tabs. I also have a section for free writes, and a general section where I might keep lists of places to send to or ideas for future poems.

"OneNote has fantastic Search, so if I remember some odd phrase that I typed six months ago, I can find it. The built-in flags are another way to save snippets for later. And there are possibilities I haven't explored yet, like using the Send to Word command to get poems ready for submitting or tracking contest deadlines in OneNote and using the task integration in Outlook to send myself reminders.

"This isn't software to help me become a better writer--it won't suggest verbs or slash adjectives (although it does have dictionary and thesaurus tools). But it's an organizational tool so that I can spend less time hunting and more time creating."

--Joannie Stangeland

Poets Helping Poets: On Handling Bio Notes

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:22:52 GMT

Over on Facebook, I have a personal account with a bunch of poetry friends, as well as a Poetic Asides group with a lot of members. So yesterday I asked the published poets who are members to share a little bit of advice on writing those tricky little bio notes that poets are often asked to include with their poetry submissions to poetry journals and magazines.

The response was overwhelming. I'm just now digging out of all the great advice. Here's what some of them had to share:

*****

I generally strive for a 50- to 75-word bio, featuring only the most recent and relevant info about my writing life. I list the three publications of which I'm proudest first, then two or three accolades (awards, residencies, honors). If appropriate, I tailor the bio for the publication in which it will appear. For example, if it has a regional focus, I'm likely to mention my previous publications in that region. If there's room, I'll also reference my graduate degree in poetry and the poetry-related community service I do. As my career evolves, I revisit and update my bio regularly so that it represents the best of my writing life each time it appears.

Sage Cohen

*****

The length of a bio can walk a very fine line. As a reader of journals I'm not too interested in work where the bio is only "so and so lives in Atlanta ". I want to know a little something about the poet but at the same time I don't want to be lulled to boredom by reading an overly verbose bio with dozens of credits listed. I use the same approach, mentioning my background very briefly (maybe a word about my novels) and mentioning a few journals where my work has appeared if I mention any at all.

David LaBounty

*****

Typically in my bio I give the title of my book and then list only three journals, or four at the most, where my poems have been published. When I read a bio that lists a whole string of journals, regardless of whether there are other credits included, it makes me suspect that the poet is feeling insecure--in the same way that a poet who writes past the ending of a poem doesn't trust the reader. I prefer a bio that is selective. This is the time to put your best out there, not every little indication that someone likes your work.

Susan Meyers

*****

I do exactly what the editor asks. If he asks for three sentences, I send three sentences. I do not send six and suggest that the editor edit as he likes. Chances are he won't like that at all! If the request for a bio is vague, I check the journal for examples. I never send an exceedingly long bio as I'm turned off by them, especially when they're very braggy. I include usually no more than three journals where my work has appeared. I never use numbers. I find it a complete turn-off when I read a bio that says something like, "So and so has published 502 poems in 138 journals." Bean counting is unattractive and amateurish. I never include information about pets, one, because I don't have any, and two, because I never am interested in pet information in other people's bios. I include my book titles, some journals, what I do for work, maybe where I live, any significant prizes. And those are the things I'm interested in when I read other poets' bios.

Diane Lockward

*****

The formula: [academic accomplishments (MFA/PhD, Grants/Awards)] + [3 or less previous publishing credits (if this bothers you, tack "and elsewhere" on the end)] + [books published or to be published and/or writerly positions, such as "Nonfiction Editor"] = satisfactory bio.

Todd Dillard

*****

Sometimes the obvious must be stated: follow the press or publication's guidelines if they are available, and select information that may be of particular interest to the publisher, such as work in journals with compatible styles or thematic interest. Beyond that, select the information that is most likely to make the reader stop and give your manuscript a close look rather than skim through. A small number of relevant items suggests the tip of the iceberg, while including too much sounds desperate. If you do feel it necessary to include a large number of items, invite the editor to select those that are most relevant for contributors' notes rather than expect everything to be included.

J.D. Smith

*****

Remember that bios are not written in first person, and create a few single sentence and a short paragraph bios to keep on file, making sure to match the tone of the bio with the publication. If your collection of poems about death makes it into a serious anthology, don't use phrases like "loves the feeling of mud squishing between his toes" or "spends her free time singing karaoke on free beer night".

If it's a lighter-hearted publication, have a little fun with your bio without losing focus of what a bio is for - to let the reader know a little bit about who you are, what you do, and why you are significant enough to need a bio.

Lisa Abeyta

*****

Less is more. A bio note is not a resume.

Aaron Fagan

*****

If the editor of the magazine does not provide guidelines, I usually keep it to three sentences, including one that illustrates whether I have been published previously and where. I usually begin the bio with my name, where I am from, and a bit about my educational background. The second sentence is usually something quirky about myself, and the final sentence is where I have been published.

Serena M. Agusto-Cox

*****

First of all, it's important see what guidelines the journal may set on length and/or type of content and follow those precisely. I always mix my bio with some (and the operative word is 'some') of my publishing credits as well as personal comments. It's important to show that you've published, if you have, and yet let the editor know a little of your human side, as well. It should go without saying that you should check your bio for spelling and punctuation before sending it.

Pris Campbell

*****

Keep it short and definitely within any word or character limit (for example, keep it much shorter than this paragraph). Mention only the publications in which your work has appeared most recently (unless you've previously published in the publication for which you're submitting the bio; then, it's nice to acknowledge that). If you've published books or worked on projects that are important to you, put those near the beginning. Keep personal details to a minimum.

Okay, now here are the caveats: Some people write extremely clever and very personal off-the-wall bios. They are entertaining if written well. Try to see what other bios people have written for that publication to determine whether that's a good direction. And if you don't think you can write that kind of a bio well (I don't think I can), consider sticking with the more plain Jane variety.

Joannie Stangeland

*****

In my experience, you have to know your audience. For example, for some journals, I use the opening "Brian Spears is not related to the singer, but he does have a teenaged daughter named Brittany . He hopes she will forgive him one day." storySouth used that bit, but I didn't include it when I was published in The Southern Review. I sent it to Measure, and the editors cut it, but I sent it to them because I knew them from grad school, and I figured I could get away with it.

My basic structure includes this information: recent publications, awards, and what I'm doing now. I expand it depending on the journal I'm sending to, and how adventurous I perceive them to be. Hope that helps.

Brian Spears

*****

There has to be something interesting; a hook in that bio that grabs them as much as what you have written would. Think of your bio as yet more branding for what you are trying to sell. It has to be interesting.

Natalie Williams

*****

Do not under any circumstances tally up your publications and give a total. I have read bio notes stating that the poet has published over 200 poems in over 50 magazines, or over 1000 poems, or whatever. I once read a bio note stating that the poet had only 360 poems to go before hitting 5000 poems published. Seriously. Don't do that.

Jessy Randall

*****

My advice is mostly from working as copy editor for Alaska Quarterly Review for three years. I was sometimes assigned the task of cutting author bios down to the size and content we were looking for; I think it does depend from journal to journal. We did not publish information about where a person worked, as a rule. We did publish awards and previous publications. It usually read like this, "So and so's collection X is forthcoming from such and such press, and her poems have appeared in X', Y, and Z. Her poem Y' won the Pushcart Prize in 1998." If there were more than a few sentences' worth of publications, we might trim it down, choosing the highest-profile accomplishments, so yes, short and sweet is good. If you've been published in 50 journals, best to say, "So and so has been published in more than 49 literary journals, including X, Y, and Z." If someone hadn't been published before, we wrote, "This is so and so's first appearance in a national literary journal."

Erin Wilcox

*****

Always best to look at a recent back issue of the journal to see what sort of tone the editors like (cutesy or serious). As an editor, I really don't like overlong bios (and why give me extra work to do? Edit yer own bio!) -- fifty words is fine. Think of the bio as an opportunity for other people to connect to you: places where they can find you or your work. Never lie.

That said, I like adding an element of subtle perversity, like only listing journals that have a number in their title, or are one word or syllable long.

Hugh Behm-Steinberg

*****

I have a standard bio that includes a couple major publishing credits, my editing work, and what I do to earn a living. I then add information relevant to the specific poems: if I'm sending poems about Japan , for instance, I will mention the time I spent living in Japan .

Elizabeth Kate Switaj

*****

Pick only the most important two or three accomplishments and mention those. Also, try to tailor your bio to fit the audience of the journal or mag in which your work appears. Try to write it in such a way that you highlight what you have in common with that audience or that you establish yourself as unique among the voices there.

Allen Taylor

*****

There's nothing I hate more than a bio that looks like all the other bios. The way some of them read, I imagine there's no person behind it -- only a walking mound of awards and journals, held together by the stickiness of critical acclaim.

The bio itself can be poetry. Be creative. Use a metaphor, or at very least a bit of symbolism.

Jason Mashak

Reader Comments: Parody, slams, getting started, and more

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:19:55 GMT

One of the things I value about this blog is the community that's built up around it. As a result, my posts are often just a springboard to more helpful information and poetic discussion. So, when it seems appropriate, I'm going to collect comments that readers have made to posts that could benefit the whole group.

Enjoy!

*****

From Laughing with or at?: The simple joy of parody poems

So the rest of you won't have to work as hard as I did to find the poem We Real White, try the URL below.It goes directly to the poem rather than to the poet list. The poet was Matthais Peterson Brandt.

http://japicx.com/coereview/backissues/cr_35.pdf#Page=30

Now, this would be a great pre-Wednesday prompt, giving us time to figure out how to do one of these ourselves. Maybe you could do a two-for-one Wednesday if you had another idea in mind

I had always considered a parody as making fun of something, but this is simply writing a poem using the original as a template. Thanks for the idea, your poem, and the reference to the We Real White poem. It is fun.

Sheryl Kay Oder |SkoderAT NOSPAMaol dot com

(P.S. I found another great parody poem this weekend from a back issue of Rattle called “T.S. Eliot’s Lost Hip Hop Poem,” by Jeremy Richards.)

*****

From Poetry FAQs: Making Your Mark

I would add, keep the poems you write organized and accessible in some way.

Like you, Robert, I wrote poetry for years before really attempting to publish it. Alas, I was not organized about it, wrote it into various notebooks, etc.

Finally, I wrote one I wanted to keep, so being a person involved with more than one computer, I looked around for a way to make them accessible to all of them and ended up putting them up first in yahoo briefcase and later in google documents.

With google documents, I can go back and see (and retrieve, if I need to) prior revisions. I can go back easily and revise old poems. They are handy to submit.

Having my poems organized and accessible was a real turning point for me. I think it was about a year or two after I started keeping track of them that I was reading an ezine and noticed that I had a poem that fit into the parameters for their current contest. It was a finalist, and this finally got me off my ass, joined a critique group, started reading and writing more poetry, submitting, etc.

Margaret |infoAT NOSPAMmargaretfieland dot com

Start your own critique group. That's what I did and we've been going about a month now. I emailed a few people from the challenge asking if they would be interested. We got the guidelines from Alessa Leming's critique group. Unfortunately, I don't have the website information handy. Alessa, if you're out there, please help this person!!!

Basically, for a small group, one person submits material each week on Sunday, the others send helpful comments by Wednesday, the person revises and sends to others by Sunday. A new week begins, a new person submits material, and it starts all over again. I had never been in a critique group before, let alone online, but I can tell you it is really worth it. Post a notice in the forum for people who are interested and give it a try.

Good luck.

Linda H. |LNSHOFKEAT NOSPAMyahoo dot com

To riff on Margaret's excellent comments re: organization:

I always write by hand - but then I key all work in and edit on my Mac. I have a folder on my desktop: Amy Writings.

Within that, there are folders: Prose, Poetry, The Book (don't get me started on that behemoth).

Within Poetry, there are some folders:

Poems

How to Get Stuff Published

Submissions

Rejections - Building Blocks

Sites to Avoid

Good Sites

You can easily copy a file into a folder and move it around. I always retitle when submitting, for ex: "A Cup Of Coffee," Pedestal 6-08

Can't you tell I used to be an admin. asst.? ha ha good night and good luck, Peace,

Amy Barlow Liberatore |poetmomskasAT NOSPAMrochester dot rr dot com

*****

From Self-publishing and slamming: an interview with poet Bill Abbott

I'm sure there's a slam in Buffalo. Try the slam finder at:

http://www.poetryslam.com/index.php?option=com_sobi2&Itemid=75

The founder of slam, Marc Smith, named it that as a connection to baseball, where a grand slam is a huge success.

Good luck with the 60-day challenge.

Bill Abbott |slamguyAT NOSPAMwoh dot rr dot com

Poetry FAQs: Editing Your Poetry

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:47:05 GMT

TanyaB--one of my friends on Facebook--recently sent me some poetry-related Q's she'd like addressed on the blog. One series (of three) had to do with editing. So, I'm going to list the questions below and try to answer them the best I can. Any blog readers who have a different take are more than welcome to contribute their thoughts in the comments (even if you completely contradict my advice, I'm always open to the possibility of being wrong). :)

Btw, these questions have to do with editing your work.

How do you get started with the editing process?

As far as I'm concerned, the editing process is sometimes going on as early as the actual first draft when I'm deciding what to write. But that said, I often try to just write and let ideas and images come out. When I do this I can sometimes start editing as soon as I finish the draft, but more likely I'll have to let the draft sit for some period of time before revisiting. That period of time could be anywhere from half-an-hour to several weeks (or longer). That's why I copy all my poems down into notebooks--so that I can always revisit old ideas and develop into new pieces if the mood strikes.

There are many things I look for when I revise, but those are based off comments I've received over the years about things I tend to do with my writing. For instance, I try to eliminate the word "it"--unless I can justify its existence. And I prefer active verbs over passive verbs, etc. Also, I read over the poem for rhythm and examine the poem to see if I can give it structure without sacrificing the meaning or flow. And there are many other things--someday I may write a book on them all.

How do you know when it's finished?

A poet friend of mine likes to say that a poem is never finished, and I tend to agree. I mean, look at Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman--it went through the revision process until there was a "deathbed edition." There's no perfect poem; therefore, you can always play around with them. When you can't find anything new to do to the poem, though, it's usually a good time to try submitting it. If it's accepted, great. If it's rejected, the time apart from the poem may give you new ideas on ways to play with it.

Should you hire an editor or just go with your gut?

I think poets need to develop their guts; I also think poets should never hire an editor. In addition, poets are served well by developing relationships with other poets who can help critique their work. And the critiquing should go both ways. The process of thinking about what works and doesn't work in another's poems can be very beneficial if you then look for similar flaws in your own work. And the feedback you receive from other poets will give you the opportunity to defend your poetic decisions or admit that improvements could be made. No matter what, you should thank anyone who volunteers their time to give you feedback--even if it's not an easy pill to swallow.

Hope that was helpful. And if you have additional comments, please share them with everyone in the comments section below--so the whole group can benefit from your insight.

If you happen to have questions of your own you would like to see addressed on the blog, feel free to send 'em my way with "Poetry FAQs" in the subject line to robert.brewer@fwpubs.com. I can't promise I'll answer them all, but I will try to do what I can.

Sample Cover Letters for Poetry Submissions

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:12:48 GMT

After more than 12 years of writing, I finally felt confident enough to start submitting my poetry around for publication in January of 2006. Since then, I've had around 20 poems published in print and online journals--quickly growing more as both a writer and a submitter of poems.

Writing the poems is the natural part of submitting. I love writing poems, and I've been teaching myself to be harder and harder on what is ready for submission and what is not. But the less natural, though technically easier, part is preparing the submission.

First off, you should always follow the submission guidelines of the journal or magazine to the T. If a publication states they only accept submissions by traditional mail, then only submit by traditional mail. If an editor says no attachments on email submissions, then don't think you will be the one exception that doesn't get deleted without being read.

Secondly, there is the cover letter. It used to intimidate me to no end. I felt I needed to crazy creative, impressive, and fun to be around--all in one brieft letter that accompanied my poems. Actually, all the cover letter really does is prep the editor for the submission. Cover letters do not get poems accepted, but they can get them rejected by knocking an editor off balance before reading them.

So I thought I'd share samples of my cover letters for the poets who don't have much experience with them. Feel free to take what I've written and personalize it with your own information. Over time, as with writing poems, you will find that you develop your own style and voice with these simple little letters.

Traditional Mail Cover Letter Sample

Dear Poetry Editor.

Please consider the enclosed poems--"Watching the Ice Melt," "My Father," and "Relevant"--for possible inclusion in a future edition of Dayton Quarterly. After reading several sample poems online and the most recent print edition (especially work by emerging poet J. Alfred Prufrock), I feel like my work may be a fit with your publication.

I'm the editor of Writer's Market and co-founder/sole contributor to the Poetic Asides blog at http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides. My poems have been published in several print and online publications, including MEAT, Words Dance, Otoliths, and MiPOesias (Cafe Cafe Edition).

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Robert Lee Brewer

Email Cover Letter Without Attachments

Dear Poetry Editor.

Please consider the following poems (included within the the email message as requested in your guidelines)--"Watching the Ice Melt," "My Father," and "Relevant"--for possible inclusion in a future edition of Dayton Quarterly. After reading and enjoying several poems online (especially work by emerging poet J. Alfred Prufrock), I feel like my work may be a fit with your publication.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Robert Lee Brewer

Email Cover Letter With Attachment

Dear Poetry Editor.

Please consider the attached poems--"Watching the Ice Melt," "My Father," and "Relevant"--for possible inclusion in a future edition of Dayton Quarterly. After reading and enjoying several poems online (especially work by emerging poet J. Alfred Prufrock), I feel like my work may be a fit with your publication.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Robert Lee Brewer

*****

As you can see the basic language does not need to change drastically from one cover letter to the next. However, you do want to make sure you actually study each publication before submitting. It takes hard work, but just blasting out submissions without no thought is a waste of time, paper and postage (or digital space if you're submitting online).

More publications are beginning to accept submissions only through online submission forms. The same rules of cover letter writing apply with these as well. And don't worry about your bio paragraph: Just keep it honest and not overly long. For instance, I could've just as easily used this as my bio paragraph when I was in college:

I'm a full-time student and part-time ice cream scooper with a passion for reading poetry. Currently, my favorite poets are Bob Hicok, J.D. McClatchy, and Louise Gluck, though I'm also fond of Dr. Seuss.

Bios matter most to the poets who write them. Editors care about the poems. So just remember that when writing your cover letters, and you'll be A-OK.

E-mail Shenanigans

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:42:04 GMT

The hot weather must be driving all the crazies inside and into their e-mail accounts. I received a plethora of weird e-mail messages today, but I'm not going to focus on the weird here; instead, I'm going to share two e-mails that I thought might be relevant to poets. If I've harped on these practices before, I apologize in advance, but...

*****

The first e-mail opened with a line that always makes me cringe: "Dear Sirs."

For the record, never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever open your correspondence with "Dear Sirs"--or "Dear Gentlemen," for that matter. If you don't know the editors name, just open with "Dear Editor."

The actual e-mail message itself is not as important or as memorable as this opening faux pas. If you do this in a cover letter, you could totally shoot your submission in the foot before the editor even gets a chance to make a call on your actual poetry.

*****

The second e-mail started off with a bad opening, too, in "To Whom It May Concern." Again, if you don't know, just use "Dear Editor." But the opening was not the bad part of this e-mail, because hidden within was the following question: "How can I go about making money off my poems without losing my rights and ownership of my writing?"

There are multiple parts to that question. First, there's the whole making money off poetry thing. That's just not how poetry works. Sure, there are places that pay for poems and contests with monetary awards, but poetry is not a type of writing that is self-sustaining for most poets. So it's always silly to talk about poetry in terms of money; if you want to make money writing, write nonfiction.

Second, there's the whole losing rights and ownership of writing thing. While submitting your poetry to a publication can often give that publication the first publication rights to your poem, you retain all other rights unless you actively sign them away (something I would never advise any poet doing under any circumstances).

*****

So poets can rest easy about losing rights and ownership of their work, and they can quit deluding themselves into thinking major money is just a submission away. And if you're not sure who to address your cover letter when submitting poems, remember to keep it simple at "Dear Editor"--or even "Dear Poetry Editor."

Rejection IS better than nothing

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:41:19 GMT

Was talking to another editor yesterday about Novel & Short Story Writer's Market--which is my current top priority project at work--when she, a fiction writer, mentioned that she had received two rejections in the past week. Suddenly, I felt envious--she was, at least, receiving rejections. She, at least, was submitting her work. I have not been submitting at all.

There's no excuse. I can say I've been busy with work; I can say I've been busy writing; I can say I've been blah-blah-blah; but the simple fact is that I've just not been submitting. I haven't been taking care of that part of my creative side. And it's an important part.

After all, there are more benefits to submitting your work than just receiving an acceptance, publication, and--rarely, though I hear it does happen--payment for your poetry. In fact, I've found acceptance is sometimes disappointing, because as my girlfriend likes to say, "I've lost that poem and can't submit it anywhere else."

Here are the benefits of submitting:

* Acceptance. This is always the goal of submitting: to be accepted and for people to read your work.

* Feedback. A few times, I've had poems rejected, but received a little feedback on the poem and/or some words of encouragement, such as, "This one nearly made the cut," or, "We really liked this one, but it didn't fit." While this is not an acceptance, it can definitely fire you up to get that poem (or poems) back in the mail (or email) to another publication.

* Rejection. It sounds silly to think that receiving a form rejection could be a benefit. After all, not only are you being told you didn't make the cut, but there are no indications that you were even in the running. Total. Complete. Bummer. Right? Not exactly. If you approach rejection from the correct angle, it's validation that someone read your work. It's also a testament to your hard work ethic and effort in trying to get published. It's also a challenge to look over your poem(s) again--should it have been rejected? Are there ways to improve? If yes, then do it. And re-submit. If no, then re-submit and show that you're the tough (and professional) kind of poet who will persevere through rejection.

The worst is when you receive nothing--especially when the reason you receive nothing is that you haven't been submitting. That's akin to saying, "I don't care." Which is fine if you just write for yourself, but if you want to reach out to others and give them one more voice to consider, if you want to touch at least one other person and let them know--hey, I've been there, too--then please do yourself a favor and submit your work. There's really no excuse not to.

And now, I'll get off my soapbox and start practicing what I preach. After all, how am I going to add to my credit list if I don't have any submissions out making the rounds? Geez!

On Handling Criticism and Critique Groups

Tue, 27 May 2008 16:44:53 GMT

Over the weekend, I was asked by a poet for tips on how to handle criticism as he tried thinking out whether he should join a writing critique group. With his work, he was afraid of a few things:

He wouldn't be able to handle the critiques. That is, he was afraid too much negativity would lead him to give up writing.
He wouldn't find the right readers to give critiques. He'd written a massive blank verse poem, and he's afraid the wrong group won't appreciate his words.
He won't appreciate the written words of his peers. He seemed to have a particular view of other contemporary writers--thinking much of today's writing is kinda like spam.

Now, I'm not going to get into a debate of his stance on contemporary poetry, which I personally think has very good vital signs. However, as a former participant of several online critique groups and a student that logged more than 60 credit hours in writing courses at the University of Cincinnati, I will speak a little on the value of critique groups.

So there, I've already tipped my hand: I think critique groups are valuable, even if you don't agree with the critiques. And here's why:

First, the only way to gauge if something is actually working for your readers is to solicit feedback. Sure, you know what you're trying to do, but you don't know if anyone else is picking up on it unless you hear it from your readers. After all, you can't go around explaining your intentions to every reader--unless you actually want a very small audience.

Second, bad feedback is still valuable, because it forces you to look hard at your work and try to justify exactly why a particular line or image is fine as it is. And you need to be honest with yourself. If you can't honestly defend your work, then you may have an area that needs revision.

Third, there's nothing better than good feedback. After taking in all the praise though, be sure to develop a certain sense of paranoia. Is everything really okay? Can I change a line here or there? I've found that when I receive absolutely no negative feedback that I'm usually more self-critical of my work. After all, there's no such thing as a perfect poem.

Fourth, critique groups give you the ability to talk out problems you're having. If you know something's not working, you can ask the group to pay attention to x or y and give specific feedback.

Fifth, critique groups provide camaraderie with other poets. And that's often hard to do, especially if you don't live in a major city--but even there, poets are a bit hermetic and love to fly solo.

So there are some reasons why critique groups--as well as workshops, conferences and creative writing programs--are a good thing (in my opinion).

*****

As far as handling the criticism, as mentioned above, you should always be prepared to defend and scrutinize your work. It's a crazy tightrope act, but one that poets need to perform to get the most out of their lines.

Personally, I always bring a new poem to my critique group hoping for the best and expecting the worst. Usually, I find my words are somewhere in the middle.

Currently, I'm not a part of a critique group, but I still have some trusted readers for poems that I feel are close to getting where I want them to be. These are the readers I trust to let me know if my writing is hitting the mark or falling short. I know they'll let me know, because we've built up a level of trust over the years--both in giving and receiving criticism. Hopefully, if you haven't already, you will be able to find such a group of trusted readers.

Poetry Publishing Basics

Fri, 16 May 2008 17:10:58 GMT

Many new poets have become readers of Poetic Asides since when it began more than 10 months ago. And with close to 300 total posts, it's not a good idea for me to expect you to dig around looking for helpful publishing information. So, I'm going to give a real quick Poetry Publishing 101. (If you find it helpful, I suggest bookmarking this post.)

*****

Before you attempt any publishing, you need to read a lot of poetry and write a lot of poetry. I put reading a lot poetry first--and by reading poetry I mean reading poetry by contemporary poets--because this is truly the best way to learn how to write effective poems. Successful poets pay attention to what they like in poems and spin it around in a new direction. Of course, you should also write--daily, or at the very least, weekly. If you frequently go longer than a week without writing, you might want to try setting up a writing routine or even reading more poetry (because reading poetry often sparks new poetry).

Avoid rushing into publishing before you've worked on your craft for a while. For instance, I worked on my poetry for more than 12 years and wrote thousands of poems before I felt comfortable enough to try getting published. Even after that lengthy apprenticeship, I've still had more than my share of rejection slips. The competition is fierce, so to spare your ego (of rejection) and your bank account (of postage expenses), I recommend you exercise a little bit of patience in your pursuit of becoming a world famous poet.

*****

When you think you're ready to get published, start off by submitting to magazines and journals that accept poetry. Too many poets come to me asking how they can get their whole collection of poetry published when they haven't even published a single poem. (Of course, it should be noted that this is a natural way to think if you don't know the business of poetry publishing--so don't feel bad if I'm describing you.)

If you're not sure where to find magazines or journals that accept poetry, then I suggest checking out the most recent copy of Poet's Market. (Full Disclosure: I work on Writer's Market and recently have been going over pages of Poet's Market--and I edit the resurrected Poet's Market newsletter. So, yes, I'm a little biased to which reference I direct you.) You can pick up a copy at your local library or bookstore--or you can order online at http://www.fwbookstore.com/product/1538/23.

In this guide, you'll get more than 1,600 listings for magazines and journals, presses, contests, workshops, etc. But even more important for the poet new to publishing, it is loaded with practical articles and interviews that show you how to properly submit your poems.

*****

If you've already been published in several journals and think you have enough poems to put together a collection, the best way to get that collection published nowadays is through poetry book and chapbook competitions. Chapbook competitions tend to be for collections of less than 48 pages (usually 24-40 pages is the norm), while full book length collections trend over this 48-page threshold. Neither type of competition is easier or harder to win--so don't enter the chapbook competitions thinking it'll be a cakewalk because the size of the manuscripts are smaller.

*****

Of course, more and more poets are bypassing the traditional means of publication and doing it themselves. This tradition dates back as far as any poet can remember. Even America's great poet, Walt Whitman, was a self-publisher. But if you decide to go this route, make sure you can look yourself in the mirror and say that you're self-publishing for the right reasons. Don't do it just because it's the easy (or lazy) way of getting published if you actually want to build a readership over time. While saying you've got a book published can feel fulfilling, it loses its luster if the only people who own a copy of your poems are you, your mom, and your garage.

*****

Finally, I'm not gonna get into the whole can of beans with those FREE poetry contests you can find in the backs of magazines and online. Not in this post. Instead, here's my account of my first publishing experience before I decided to get patient (that's right I was full of ambition at 16--and learned a valuable lesson as a result): http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/Im+Coming+Out+Of+The+Closet.aspx.

Poets Have Mothers, Too!

Sat, 10 May 2008 23:32:16 GMT

And if you're looking for a brilliant, cost effective, creative and last minute gift for Mother's Day, do what I plan on doing for my mother: Write her a poem.

Actually, I'm going to go a few steps beyond that. First, I've written the poem. Second, I will get one of those two-picture frames tomorrow. Third, I will insert the poem into one half of the frame. Fourth, I'll insert a picture of my two brothers and I in the other half.

Wow! Super easy. Super cheap. Super creative. And super last minute. But I guarantee you my mom will be knocked off her feet and overcome with emotion.

(Note: While this kind of gift usually works with moms, it's sometimes frowned upon by the dads. Better to stick to your usual gameplan of a tie and a Father's Day card that farts or burps.)

Thank You IRS!

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:58:13 GMT

While I'm not sure how much this stimulus/rebate thing-a-ma-bob is actually going to help the economy (just as I was skeptical of the earlier stimulus check that apparently didn't help out), I'm more than happy to have received a bounce in my checking account this morning. Yay!

I know not everyone who reads this blog is from the United States. So I'm sorry you don't get the crazy cash influx, but for those poets who are expecting (or have already received) a rebate check, let me give you an idea of how you might invest some of this money.

Subscribe to a literary journal or three. Not only is it good reading, but you'll be learning what poems each journal wants. Plus, you'll be supporting the poetry community, which helps everyone from the poets to the publishers.
Buy some Forever stamps. Check with your local post office to verify, but these stamps can apparently be used forever--despite any increases in First-Class stamp rates. So, you could stock up now on the stamps you can use to mail your poetry submissions forever.
Purchase poetry supplies. Go ahead and buy surplus amounts of your favorite pens, pencils, pads of paper, erasers, etc. Heck, get a huge dry erase board that you can turn into a brainstorming or draft board for your poems (or a great place to doodle while you're thinking of a poem).
Attend a writing conference or workshop. Why slowly save for a conference or workshop experience when the government is sending you enough money to cover the expenses of most events now? This could be your once in a lifetime chance to really connect with other writers.
Build a Web site. Personally, I've thought about using some of my rebate check to finally create my own site to highlight my achievements (or lack of achievements). Web sites are great, because it allows you to give people a destination to find out more about you, your publishing efforts, and more.

Of course, another option is to use the rebate to pay for the skyrocketing prices of gas and food. Yesterday morning, I was dumbstruck by the price of regular unleaded: $3.79 per gallon. Say what?!?

The Copyright Symbol and Your Submissions

Sun, 04 May 2008 12:42:59 GMT

During the PAD Challenge, I noticed quite a few poets including either the word Copyright or the copyright symbol--a C inside a circle. While I understand the fear of someone stealing your work and may have even done that with my own fiction and poetry earlier on as a writer, I want you to know you don't need to include those markings, especially when you're submitting your poetry to journals and magazines to be published.

Reason #1: People don't tend to steal other people's poems. It's just not profitable AND if someone were so inclined, they would steal the poem whether you include the symbol or not. Once you set your writing down in fixed form, it is protected by copyright. But after more than 8 years working on Writer's Market, I have yet to hear of a case where an unknown poet has to take his or her poetry copyright case to court. (Of course, saying that, I do realize that there's a first for everything. For more info on copyright, go to http://www.copyright.gov/).

Reason #2: Adding the copyright symbol does not increase your chances of getting published. There is no editor who sees the copyright symbol attached and thinks, "Yay! We've got a copyright symbol; let's get this issue out now!" In fact, it often hurts your chances, because...

Reason #3: Adding the copyright symbol to your submission marks you as an amateur and as a poet who is paranoid that the editor will steal your work. While an editor would still accept exceptional work from a poet who includes the word Copyright or the copyright symbol, be aware that those markings will distract most editors from reading your work--even if just the tiniest bit.

So that's my practical advice about including the copyright symbol and/or the word Copyright. It doesn't decrease your chances of having your work stolen, but it does increase the chance your work won't be accepted. So, why do it?

April PAD Challenge: Day 4

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:36:03 GMT

Sorry for the late post today. It's been a doozy of a morning. First, the power was knocked out by some intense storms early this morning, so my alarm did not wake me up this morning. Luckily, my girlfriend called--giving me just enough time to rush over and make my oil change appointment (in a very disoriented state of mind). Once at the dealership, I was told the average oil change wait time is 30-45 minutes. "Good, good," I thought, "that'll give me just enough time to get a start on my poem for today." So anyway, I guess I should've been trying to get a start on my Great American Novel, because 105 minutes later I'm politely asking if maybe they called my name and I didn't hear them. "Actually, no," they said--also politely, "The car in line before you had problems getting off THE RACK." So yeah, I'm not one to make a big fuss, so I said, "Cool," and sat back down worried about posting for y'all (because I'm always thinking of my wonderful blog readers) and just attributed it to some weird Friday bad luck. Anyway, 2 hours after arriving, they finally had me set to go. I pull out my wallet and find out that all I have to do is sign my name and leave. The service guy didn't even bother telling me it was on the house, and--as mentioned earlier--I'm not one of those people who pushes for that kind of stuff. So, yeah, nice ending to a weird morning. I'm thankful for the way they treated me without forcing me to be a jerk--and without making a big "to do" about how they were giving me excellent customer service by putting it on the house. It's the little things really. Anyway, that was a huge ramble. And now, on to the prompt!

*****

Actually, that ramble kind of perfectly fits in with today's prompt, which is to write a thankful poem (at the time, I was thinking TGIF=thankful poem?). Another option is to write a tribute poem. The thankful/tribute poem can be dedicated to a person, an inanimate object, an idea, a day of the week, etc.

For my part, I used this prompt to write a poem on a subject that I've just never been able to tackle: my mother. She's one of those people who is so perfect that every poem I've ever tried writing about her has been kind of blah. But you know what, who cares? So here goes:

"My Mother"

She began working in a car factory at 18,
got married, had 3 boys, and thought
of eventually doing something other
than working in a car factory. But she believed
in providing. Even after the divorce, she
worked and worked and did not let it
keep her from shuttling 3 boys between
practices and events; she did not let
it keep her from attending those events
and getting to know the boys' friends; and
she never once complained "it's not fair."
She was the only parent to be so involved
who also gave her children the freedom
to grow up at indie rock shows and staying out
late at night. "Just wake me when you get in,"
she'd say, "so I don't wake up worried."
She worked and cared for 3 sons, who
went on to become 3 successes--who
had 1 parent to thank for everything.

This poem is sappy and personal and the kind of poem many serious poets would attack as not poetry. I would seriously dispute any such claim. I agree that this is not "publishable poetry," but it is still poetry. Just because a poem is not meant for The New Yorker or The Atlantic, it doesn't mean that it's not a poem--or even that it's not a good poem. For instance, this poem really helped remind me just how thankful I am for my mother and how much she means to me. And when I read it to her tonight, I know she'll realize just how much she means to me as well. So even though this poem is only intended for an audience of 2--it scores a 100% for those two. Don't value your poetry solely off your publication credits and rejection slips; by writing and sharing your writing, you are doing something great. For real.

I'm sorry; I'm totally rambly and sentimental this morning/early afternoon. :)

*****

Some quick notes: First, I'm going to be visiting my grandmother in the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, area this weekend. She doesn't have a computer; and I've never tried locating the Internet down there--so my posts this weekend may be a bit on the inconsistent side. I'm going to try and keep them coming in the mornings though.

Second, due to popular request, I'm going to randomly provide posts with poems that I've particularly liked from each day's prompt--probably grouping a few prompts together. So on Monday, I'll see if I can get that first batch together.

Third, I'm very thankful to all of you who've been participating in this challenge with me. Your responses have totally overwhelmed me (in a fantastic way). Let's keep at it!

April PAD Challenge: Day 3

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:52:26 GMT

As with many programs, getting through the 3rd day is usually the toughest. So I'm going to try and make Day 3 a little easier to help everyone complete the first 10% of our challenge. The way I look at it 3 days should equal 3 lines; in other words, today we'll be writing a haiku.

The official Day 3 prompt: write a haiku.

Now, you ask: What constitutes a haiku? (Very good question, by the way.)

Here are some previous posts I've made about this form:

* Haiku: Easy or Hard?

* Haiku Revisited

* Haiku on September 11 (posted by Nancy Breen)

If you're not big on researching the haiku, here's a quick primer on what constitutes a haiku:

1. It's a 3-line poem.

2. While many think the lines should be 5-7-5 syllables, that's actually not true. It's 5-7-5 "sounds" if you're writing in Japanese. For English purposes, it tends to be a shorter 1st and 3rd line--with a slightly longer 2nd line.

3. The haiku describes nature--with an emphasis on description. Haiku do not rhyme or use metaphors and/or similes.

4. Haiku includes a word to indicate season. For instance, the word "frog" might indicate spring; the word "snow" might indicate winter.

5. There's also usually a juxtaposition of two sensory images. For instance, the most famous haiku involves a frog jumping into a pond as the first sensory image--the water's sound as the second. When put together, the sensory images turn a very simple moment into a profound poem.

There are more rules--if you want to do the research--but this gives a good enough outline of what makes a haiku. For writing your own, it's best to just observe the world around you, make notes, and see if you can spot connections that help you understand nature and the world around you better.

Here's my attempt:

Plastic bag
caught in the tree branches;
birds build their nests.

Now get haiku-ing!

Exclusive Interview With Poet Dorianne Laux

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:53:49 GMT

As I’ve mentioned on this blog previously, I have a Facebook account under my full name (Robert Lee Brewer). And as I’ve mentioned previously, I’m all about playing online Scrabble at that account as well. And one of my more consistent opponents is none other than poet Dorianne Laux, who’s authored several collections of poetry and co-authored an instructional text (mentioned below) with Kim Addonizio.

Dorianne will be the first of what I hope will be many poet interviews conducted for this blog. I will categorize all these interviews under the totally misleading title “Poet Interviews.” ;)

So, let’s get started!

What are you currently up to? Any thing new coming up in the near future?

When I’m not playing Scrabble with you on Facebook, I’m packing to move to North Carolina where I’ve accepted a job at NC State. We’re also trying to sell our modest little Cape Cod style house in Eugene so we can buy a modest little Cape Cod style house in Raleigh . In the midst of all this I’m still teaching at UO ( Oregon ) until the end of the winter term and at the Pacific University Low Residency Program, so, there’s little time for new projects. I am lucky in that I have two new books out.

My first book, Awake, was reprinted in January by Eastern Washington University Press. They did a beautiful job and I like knowing it will have a second life. http://www.ewu.edu/ewupress/poetry/awake.htm

And Red Dragonfly Press just put out Superman: The Chapbook, a gorgeous letterpress edition that contains six new poems. http://www.reddragonflypress.org/

I have a jumble of new work I can’t wait to get to and revise. This summer my husband and I are going to spend 5 fabulous weeks in May at VCCA, The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, where we hope to write new poems, the Muse willing. I’m going to be culling and reviewing the last few years of poems and see if I can’t cobble together a working manuscript.

Joe and I will both be teaching a workshop this August at Truro Center for the Arts near Provincetown . It’s a beautiful spot and there are a bunch of wonderful classes and teachers there including Mark Doty and Paul Lisicky, Tony Hoagland, Eleanor Lerman and Martin Espada. http://www.castlehill.org/workshops_writing.html

I’ll also travel to Guatemala in the beginning of July where I’ll join Joyce Maynard and Ann Hood to teach a poetry workshop. Joyce has a home in San Marcos on Lake Atitlan and has begun to invite a poet and a fiction writer to join her there for a mini-lit fest. I’ve never been to Guatelmala and am aching to go. http://www.joycemaynard.com/writing-workshops/lake-atitlan.shtml

I’m collecting tennis shoes and writing materials to give to the children. It’s a place where paper and pencils are luxuries. I hope to bring poems back from the 10 days there.

Right this minute, I’m working on a series of poetry columns for Writer’s Digest, short essays with model poems and an exercise, much like what’s in The Poet’s Companion. The first one should be out this June.

In The Poet’s Companion, which you wrote with Kim Addonizio, you mention that poets should write what they know. Could you explain this concept a little and why you feel this way?

As I get older, I become more and more sure that I know absolutely nothing. I thought I knew about love, about death, about motherhood, men. I know nothing. I can only guess how much less I’ll know 10 years from now. But, I do know my backyard, my street, the way light bounces off a car windshield in summer, how frost glazes the roses when they are fooled into bud in February. I don’t know who we humans are or why we’re here or where we’re going, but I want to. I think those eternal questions continue to be asked, in spite of their mystery, because of their mystery. I explore those questions by looking deeply into the things I do know, the visible, touchable world. So often young poets try to speak to those mysteries directly, and unless they happen to be Rilke, they more often fail. It seems to me that the world is a pathway, a conduit, to the invisible, the unknowable, and helps us translate what we feel through the bodies we touch and that touch us.

In a review of Facts About the Moon, Robert Pinsky singles out the poem “Little Magnolia” and points to how the tree and man in the poem can be rooted and homeless at the same time. I’m often struck by how your poems are very accessible on one level, but have a lot going on beneath the surface. Do you think poems should try to be both accessible and layered?

I love that Pinsky chose that poem. It’s a small poem, one that could easily get lost in a book of longer, flashier poems. It’s a quiet piece, but yes, there’s more there if you take the time, slow down, look closely. I remember going to one of my teachers to ask about a poem I wasn’t sure I fully understood. She said, “Slow down.” I said, “You mean read it more slowly or slow down in my life?” And she said, “Yes.” Any good poem is asking you simply to slow down and, as Stanley Kunitz said so beautifully, to live in the layers. Do you know that poem? The final lines are:

In my darkest night,

when the moon was covered

and I roamed through wreckage,

a nimbus-clouded voice

directed me:

"Live in the layers,

not on the litter."

Though I lack the art

to decipher it,

no doubt the next chapter

in my book of transformations

is already written.

I am not done with my changes.

“Though I lack the art to decipher it.” That’s an important line. He’s not sure what it all means, but he trusts the voice speaking to him. I don’t think we can bend a poem to our will, or that layers can be consciously engineered. Poems that try to do this usually come off as tedious and self-conscious, overwrought, but we can be fully present while writing it and hope that the complexities fold themselves into the words, that the passion we feel for our subject engenders a natural layering. It’s simply not a conscious process and so it’s hard to take credit for it. That said, yes, I want my poems to be accessed by everyone, anyone, as many as possible given the limitations of poetry. I grew up in a neighborhood of military brats, kids who didn’t give a damn if you could read the back of a cereal box let alone a book. I think I often write to those kids, the ones I never fit in with because I wasn’t quite tough enough. I write to the girls with ratted hair and denim skirts, the boys with butch cuts and torn T-shirts. I want to reach them. I also want to give them something beautiful and complex, something they can read again and again. It’s what I want as a reader.

For me, the best poems are the poems I can read and understand. On the other hand, if I understand everything in the first sitting, it’s merely information. I think of a line I love from Li-Young Lee’s poem “One Heart.” He says: “Look at the birds, Even flying is born out of nothing.” That’s a simple line anyone can comprehend on first reading, and yet each time you read it or say the line aloud, the more you think about it, the more it dissolves into mystery.

Do you have any pet peeves with poetry?

The only thing I can’t abide is dishonesty. I don’t care if you’re smart or stupid as long as you tell the truth. That’s all I want to hear. It’s what we all long to hear.

You are married to poet Joseph Millar. So, I’m wondering what it’s like being married to another poet? Do you steal each other’s ideas? Do you share early drafts of poems? Did poetry play a role in bringing you together?

Oh we steal from one another all the time. It’s impossible not to. But then we steal from every great poet we know. It’s all a pastiche. We do share our drafts, though we’ve learned over the years to hold off as long as possible for fear of boring the other to tears with draft after draft. We met in a poetry workshop. I was teaching night classes for adults at an independent bookstore in Mill Valley . He was a student, though it was more like a group of us who got together to share our work. We knew each other for a couple of years before we began a relationship.

So yes, poetry brought us together, and it has played a role in keeping us together. We find that when we can’t agree on anything, or are pissed off at each other for one reason or another, one of us will bring up poetry. He’ll say, “Hey, did you read that poem in APR by Tony Hoagland,” or I'll say, “Do you want to hear a new Lucia Perillo poem,” and that’s the white flag, the common ground, the fight is over and we can talk again.

You’ve put together 4 collections up to this point (Facts About the Moon; Smoke; What We Carry; and Awake). Do you think about how collections might come together as you’re writing single poems? Or do you work solely on a poem-by-poem basis? Or is it some combination?

I simply write poems. If I was good at the long view I’d be a novelist and make much more money and have a shot at the movies. Not that I care so much about the movies. I think I do, sometimes, but when I go deep, I realize that I am most happy when I’m writing a poem, or revising a poem, or putting a book of poems together. I may be frustrated, but it’s a fruitful, soul-making frustration. At my poetic best, I’m asking a question I have no hope of answering and making something that has little chance of being read by more than a handful of people. And that’s fine with me. I prefer it even. I'm at my best when I’m at my most anonymous, when I am one grain of sand hidden among the many, making my single pearl.

My books have always found their own way into being, poem by poem. When the time comes that I have too many to keep in a binder--an irritation--I know it’s time to make a book. I take them out and spread them on the floor to see what I have. Each time, I’ve found a thread that holds them together. We humans do this. It’s in our nature to make connections. But it’s also a frame of mind. Each of us has a question that haunts us and we pull our poems up over and over, like buckets of water, out of that dark well. The poems may seem on the surface to be a jumble of our days, but they all spring from the same source.

If you could share just one piece of advice with other poets, what would that be?

I once had a dream in which the poet Jack Gilbert came to me in a white room and sat down in a white chair at a white table. We made soup together and his had blueberries in it. I asked him if he had any advice for me as a young poet and he said, “Yes. Don’t write sissy poems. And don’t be in collusion with your own poems.” It’s still the best advice I ever got.

*****

Note to publishers and poets, if you'd like to set up an interview for the Poetic Asides blog, feel free to check out the interview guidelines available here: http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/Call+For+Poets.aspx

Sample Cover Letter From Pebble Lake Review

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:56:12 GMT

The editors at Pebble Lake Review offer a sample cover letter. This specific example is for fiction, but it's easy to see how it could be modified for poetry.

http://www.pebblelakereview.com/samplecoverletter.htm

A word of advice: Any time editors go out of their way to give you specific tips or samples of ways to prepare your submission, you should pay attention and follow their guidance. Trying to get overly "cute" or "creative" can get you an auto rejection slip.

Are You Planning Ahead for a Big Hit in Poetry?

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:17:10 GMT

I received a couple questions over the weekend as part of my Writer's Market thing I do. And I thought they both would work well as things to ponder here. In fact, I'm opening myself up to poetry specific questions at my work email (robert.brewer@fwpubs.com) if you put "Poetic Asides Poetry Question" in your subject line AND if you refrain from asking me to critique your poetry (while I'd be honored, I just don't have the time to critique everyone's work).

If I get enough good questions, I'll try and answer some here from time to time.

*****

Question 1 had to do with planning ahead. The writer was ashamed she didn't know where to start with writing and getting published. This is a common problem, and the answer is very simple: Start by writing and not worrying about the other stuff.

Too many writers, including poets, worry about making money and finding fame before they've actually finished their manuscripts. Don't trouble yourself over all the riches and awards your writing is sure to earn you. Just write and enjoy the writing process.

As you're writing, you can (and should) read as many literary journals as you can. This is where you will be trying to place your poetry, so you should be studying these journals to have a good idea which journals match up well with what you're writing.

After you've got a lot of great material, read up on the do's and don't's of submitting your poetry. Then, read the specific guidelines of where you're submitting. As soon as you pull the trigger on submitting, don't wait around for a response: Get your butt back in your chair and craft some more poems.

*****

Tied to that 1st question I received this email (name omitted for privacy): "I am a very accomplished author and writer and I have written eleven poetry books to date now in a series. But I cannot seem to be able to land a good agent to represent me with my poetry books. They keep saying that they don't do poetry. I know that there is a big market for good poetry books. My newest two-book set of 600 poems is going to be a hit. Please help!"

Okay, so that's not really a question. It's a call for help.

The problem here is that this "very accomplished author" has an unrealistic view of the poetry market. Most bookstores reserve very little room for poetry. And then, the space in that rare shelf space is dominated by "the classics" and major award winning poets. So, there's usually no room for "good poetry books" by other poets--whether they are accomplished or not (in non-poetry fields).

Poetry is not a "get rich quick" method of writing. And literary agents are usually going to have no interest in representing poetry, because agents make 10-15% of what their authors make. And no agent is interested in working for 15% of 2 free contributor copies or even $50 (for those poets who do hit it big).

*****

So the message of this post (I really should try to have a message, shouldn't I?) is that you shouldn't get caught up in wondering what's going to happen to your poetry after you write it; you should just write it.

Busy, busy week...

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:43:34 GMT

I've just had one of those weeks where I feel like I'm slighting the word "busy" by saying that I was busy. Actually, it was a bit beyond that. In fact, at one moment last night, I sat down at the kitchen table and felt like I was still moving. Very weird. And luckily, I don't feel like that every week.

Somehow, I still found the time to write several pages of first draft material for poems. Writing poetry has become such a part of my life that I don't wait for the "opportunity to write" to come to me--I just insist on filling in the writing whenever I can on a daily basis.

I scribble random lines and ideas on Post-It notes, write while I wait for the car engine to heat up (and while I'm stuck at traffic lights--and sometimes, even when I'm driving, not that I'd recommend that to anyone and would appreciate it if you don't tell my insurance agent), write late at night, write early in the morning, and I think you get the idea.

I think sometimes writers (and poets) get stuck on having "the time to write" when they should just be "writing whenever they can." Don't worry about the quality of what you write in these drafts--just write. You're going to have to revise anyway. That way, when you do have "the time to write" you can spend it polishing something you've already started writing.

On Blogging

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:29:28 GMT

Several poets blog. So thought I'd share some interesting pieces on blogging that some of my co-workers have been throwing online:

"20 Tips for Good Blogging," by Maria Schneider from The Writer's Perspective

"Best Blog Software for Writers," also by Maria

"What is a blog?," by Brian A. Klems from Questions and Quandaries

These articles should be of use to poets, whether you've thought about blogging or want to improve upon what you're already doing.

A very good instructional book for poets

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:42:34 GMT

While I don't want to promise that I'll be doing a lot of poetry reviews and critiques and such, I think it makes sense for me to share good things when I happen upon them. The current "good thing" I just finished reading is Ted Kooser's The Poetry Home Repair Manual (Bison Books).

Without getting into metrics or poetic forms, Kooser gives poets a lot of practical instruction on how to write good poetry that will appeal to an audience. In fact, one of Kooser's stronger points is that every poem should be written written with an audience in mind, whether you're writing a poem for dog owners or people who appreciate jazz.

In this book, he also doesn't waste time giving his thoughts on what poetry is and should be: "Poetry is communication, and every word I've written here subscribes to that belief. Poetry's purpose is to reach other people and to touch their hearts. If a poem doesn't make sense to anybody but its author, nobody but its author will care a whit about it. That doesn't mean that your poems can't be cryptic, or elusive, or ambiguous if that's how you want to write, as long as you keep in mind that there's somebody on the other end of the communication."

For poets looking to get published, that's a very important quote, since publication forces the poet to write for three audiences at once. First, poets should always write to satisfy themselves on some level. Second, poets have to write for an editor or team of editors to get their approval. Third, poets have to write for the readers of the publication in question, because editors can love a poem but still not think it fits with their audience (it does happen). Many poets who struggle to get published early in their careers are only writing for that first audience: themselves (myself included).

Anyway, I can't get to all the great instruction Kooser provides in this slim volume that is a quick and delightful read, but here are some highlights:

The best explanation of when, why and how to use metaphors and similes I've ever come across
Advice on submitting to publications
How to deal with line breaks
The effects of nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
And a lot more

A spoof, a poet, and plenty of jargon

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:20:36 GMT

"Three cheers for the epic poetry of jargon," by Jonathan Guthrie from the Financial Times, applauds the clever use of jargon by businesses to discourage further correspondence with clients. While this kind of "poetry" is great for businesses, it should be stated that poets will likely have the same effect on their readers if their poems are filled with an obscure personal jargon: Effectively, writers will cut off further correspondence with their readers. While business jargon could add a bit of authenticity to a poem, use with caution.

*****

"Report Reveals All Poetry is Rubbish," by Amateur Writer from Spoof.com, is a spoof on the importance of poetry reporting on a "1500 page report titled Poetry: Really, what is the Point?" If you're easily offended by poet or poetry put-downs, I would not recommend reading this "fake" report. But if you need a good laugh on a Thursday morning, you've probably already clicked on the link.

*****

"A poet forged in heartbreak," by Don Aucoin from The Boston Globe, profiles poet Afaa Michael Weaver, a former factory worker, who is now hitting his stride on the national scene, including a cover spot on this month's Poets & Writers. Interesting read, for sure.

*****

Check out other Poetry News.

Good poets vote!

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:27:16 GMT

Actually, I'm not sure if there is any truth to that statement. I don't have any official statistics on award winning poets and their voting record. However, I think most good poets are actively engaged in the world around them. And what better way for poets living in the United States to engage in the world around them today than to vote?

That's right. Today is Election Day in the United States. There isn't the glamour of voting for President or even members of Congress, but the local concerns that affect you more directly are still going to be voted on today. So make your voice count and vote today.

And for people who say that it doesn't matter because the things you vote for are going to lose anyway, consider this: There are few things better than knowing you were right when you were in the minority and that you stood up for what you believed even when you were in the minority.

Anyway, I don't care what your political views are. Just get out there and cast your ballot.

Anagrammatic Poetry: Emphasizing Letters

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:45:00 GMT

Still reading The Best American Poetry 2007, and it's been slowing up some, because all these different styles of poems always get me trying new things out. For instance, Christian Bok's poem "Vowels," in particular, got my experimental brain think-think-thinking.

You can read "Vowels" here.

In his comments about the poem in BAP 2007, Bok writes, "'Vowels' is an anagrammatic text, permuting the fixed array of letters found only in the title. 'Vowels' appears in my book Eunoia, a lipogrammatic suite of stories, in which each vowel appears by itself in its own chapter."

Since reading this, I've been very interested in trying to write my own poem using only the letters within the title word. During lunch today, this is what I came up with:

"Spread"

Red dresses drape spare dressers,
pass dreaded pear parades...

Spears reads radar passes,
spares dapper dad seeds...

Dear are dead are dads
are ads pressed deep sea dares...

Dear papa pared raps,
spread seeds, snapped red era apps...

*****

The real challenge with this kind of poem was first picking a word that had at least a couple vowels and a good mix of consonants. Then, I brainstormed all the words I could think of using only those letters (as many times as you wish, of course). Creating that word list really gave me a new appreciation of the importance and diversity one extra letter can bring to the table.

After creating a word list, it's just a matter of playing around with different word combinations. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a better "Spread" poem lurking out there since I crammed all these steps in during my lunch break, but it does help illustrate the possibilities and limitations of writing this kind of poetry.

*****

Check out other Poetic Forms.

Does Self-Publishing Wreck Poetry Careers?

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:57:40 GMT

Received this question via e-mail from poet Liesl Garner:

"Last year I performed a poetry show at our local Fringe Festival. I got wonderful reviews, and I am performing a Repeat Performance in October of this year. The Fringe Festival is every Spring, and I plan to participate each year. After my first show, I was asked if I had my poetry printed in a chapbook for sale. I didn't, but for the Repeat Performance I want to have that available for audience members. I'm actually thinking of doing a chapbook for each year's performance. Is it bad for my hopes and dreams of someday becoming a published poet to be doing my own publishing of chapbooks?

"Currently, I just don't have the time to be submitting with the numbers I would have to in order to get noticed by a publisher. However, on my local scene, I have a large fan base that wants to see my work in print.

"Thanks, Liesl Garner"

Before I get into my ramble, you should probably read Nancy's Published Is Published post about what self-publishing will do to those poems that are self-published in the eyes of editors. Then, come back here to read what I have to say.

(Tapping on desk as Liesl reads Nancy's post. Ba-ba-ba. Humming to self.)

Back?

Okay then.

So you now know that self-publishing any of your poems will have editors considering those specific poems already published, right? That doesn't mean your career is over, it just means these specific poems are now only available as reprints. This fact can hurt when submitting to poetry journals and magazines or even chapbook contests. But the publication of some of your poems does not affect what you do with other poems that are not self-published.

If you decide that for the current crop of poems you wish to self-publish that it is okay if they risk being only available in your self-published chapbook format, then you should go for it. More and more poets are doing this. However, if you wish to see any of these specific poems in some journal or future chapbook competition winning collection, you may not want to include in your self-publishing effort.

As far as actually self-publishing, I advise you to either go with a local printer that you can work with directly--or there are some online POD companies that allow you to print and publish only one book at a time, which dramatically lowers the investment you have to make in your self-publishing venture. I'm sure some very nice poets (hint, hint) could even give suggestions in the blog comments below. Even if not, that's why God created Google; just type "POD Publishers" into Google, and you will receive plenty of online resources of how and who to proceed with.

On another note, there's no shame in self-publishing. Through the ages, poets have been especially prone to self-publication. And that trend only seems to be expanding even more with online and POD technologies now available to poets.

Just remember: Self-publishing does equal publishing. So those specific poems that are self-published could pay the price with publishers in the short term. Of course, most poets would agree that you're not risking much financially by self-publishing over traditional publication. For many, the main goal is to just reach an engaged audience.

Best,

Robert

My Submission Process

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:54:08 GMT

Today, I received a nice rejection on some poems I submitted to Thieves Jargon. I also sent out a group of poems to Burnside Review. Since I went through the process of marking a submission and rejection on the same day, I got to thinking about how I submit poems, including how I keep everything organized. It's extremely lo-tech.

*****

This is how I organize my poems: I copy them by hand into those black & white marble composition notebooks. I number each page to help with referencing where each poem is.

I reserve around 10 pages of room at the end of each notebook to make submission notes for the entire book. Basically, I make four columns: Date of submission; where the submission went (for instance, Burnside Review today); which poems (I include poem titles and page number in the composition notebook); and the result (whether poems were accepted or rejected and the date of response).

*****

When I make a submission of poems, I mark the columns with the appropriate information in the back. But to ensure that I don't accidentally send the same poem out to several publications, I also create columns beside each poem that I cross-reference with the information in the back: Name of publication; date of submission; date of acceptance; and date of rejection.

If a poem has no response or has been accepted, then I know not to submit it elsewhere. If a poem's current status is rejected, then I know it's available to submit. If it's been rejected several times, I know there's a possibility it should be revised or abandoned.

*****

So, that's how I do it. Submitting multiple poems to multiple publications can be confusing. However, with this system, I've had no problems keeping on top of where my poems are.

Pantoum: Long Distance Runners and Poetry

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:59:31 GMT

The pantoum is a poetic form originating in Malay where poets write quatrains (4-line stanzas) with an abab rhyme scheme and repeat lines 2 and 4 in the previous stanza as lines 1 and 3 in the next stanza.

Poets differ on how to treat the final quatrain: Some poets repeat lines 1 and 3 of the original quatrain as lines 2 and 4 in the final quatrain; other poets invert lines 1 and 3 so that the beginning line of the poem is also the final line of the poem (what I've done in the very basic example below).

"Long Distance Runners"

They don't like running in the heat,
because only so many layers can come off
as their shoes bounce along the street
and the city's exhaust makes them cough.

Because only so many layers can come off,
unlike the adding of shirts in winter,
and the city's exhaust makes them cough
they sometimes wish they were sprinters.

Unlike the adding of shirts in winter,
they prefer long distances in fall.
They sometimes wish they were sprinters,
though their talent in speed is small.

They prefer long distances in fall,
though spring is also nice.
Though their talent in speed is small,
long distance runners pay the price.

Though spring is also nice
as their shoes bounce along the street,
long distance runners pay the price.
They don't like running in the heat.

As you can see, it's a very basic pattern for keeping the poem going. Of course, one trick is to always have an idea of how a line might be able to repeat in the next quatrain. Very fun brain teaser type of poem, for sure.

(Also, the pantoum can be as long or as short as you wish it to be, though mathematically it does require at least 4 lines.)

*****

Check out other Poetic Forms.

Haiku Revisited

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:19:19 GMT

Michael Dylan Welch, who wrote on haiku for the 2005 Poet's Market, stopped by and offered some great advice in the comments to my "Haiku: Easy or Hard?" post from earlier this week. While it's probably best to read the comments first-hand, I figured I'd make it easy on people since the advice is very useful.

Some highlights:

"My sense of things is that practically no current literary haiku writers believe the 5-7-5 pattern of syllables is applicable in English (in Japanese they count sounds, not syllables, which is why a one-syllable word like 'scarf,' in English, is counted as FOUR sounds when said in Japan, something like 'su-ka-ar-fu'), so I'm not sure I'd call 5-7-5 a 'traditional' viewpoint in English. More like a traditional misunderstanding."
"Rather, what matters most in the tradition of haiku is kigo (season word) and kireji (cutting word), as well as objective sensory imagery (thus one wouldn't say that rain 'stampedes' the mud, because, as interesting as that is, it shows your interpretation and lacks the objectivity that lets readers have their own reaction to a carefully crafted image)."
"At any rate, I always like to quote philosopher Roland Barthes on haiku. He said that 'The haiku has this rather fantasmagorical property: that we always suppose we ourselves can write such things easily.' Paradoxically, haiku is both easy and hard."

Welch also provided to links to check out:

His essay "Becoming a Haiku Poet" at http://www.haikuworld.org/begin/mdwelch.apr2003.html
Keiko Imaoka's essay "Forms in English Haiku" at http://asgp.org/agd-poems/keiko-essay.html

I would like to thank Welch, who is an expert in his field, for sharing so much great information with everyone. This is what having a community of poets is all about as far as I'm concerned.

Poetry Games & When Poetry Becomes a Business

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:02:59 GMT

"Kakanipoetry.com Launches Innovative Poetry Game" from daijiworld.com, reports on an interesting and "easy-to-play" poetry game for poets who can read Kakani.

*****

"When writing poetry becomes a 'business'" from The Hindu, looks at Kurdu poets struggling with writing for an audience (or market), instead of for themselves (or for the art).

As a follow-up to this article, I would suggest reading my post on the importance of setting poetry goals. An argument could be made that poets should not complain about audiences scorning high art over more simplistic forms of poetry. If a poet wants art over pleasing a crowd, then nothing is sacrificed. The problem that may arise, of course, is when poets want to please crowds and attain high art. It's hard to get everything you want.

*****

Check out other Poetry News!

Mom Jokes & Insult Poetry

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:18:04 GMT

Back in the days of track & field and cross country, the guys and I would be running for literally miles and miles with little to occupy our minds but the joys of breathing and muscle fatigue. Maybe joy isn't the proper word.

Anyway, we would distract ourselves by talking on most of our longer runs. We'd make small talk, sing songs we knew, and often joke around. And a common way to joke around was through making silly "mom" jokes. (If mothers are reading this, these "mom" jokes weren't really directed at the mothers; when you're running 12 miles, you just get desperate for ways to pass the time.)

I didn't know it at the time, but mom jokes are relevant to poetry through a format called the insult poem. There are no hard and fast rules to the insult poem, but it's usually done in a joking (all in good fun) fashion as opposed to seriously trying to annoy anyone.

Many insult poems also have a repetitive form or recurring method of delivering the insults. The insult poem is a good way to show just how clever you are (or think you are). But beware writing them! Once you attack someone (even in jest), you are suddenly fair game to receive an insult poem retaliation.

And now, mothers everywhere will be able to retaliate to me. Oh gosh, here goes my attempt at an insult poem about yo' mamma.

"Your Mom"

Runs like a squirrel with her hands always leading;
has eyes in the back of her head, but she can't see
anything; smells like boiled cabbage or, on bad days,
the dumpster behind Burger King on a triple
digit summer day; tells children her favorite
day is everyone that includes the Golden
Girls, as if children know who any golden girl
is--besides her; belches when she thinks no one listens;
farts in public; picks her nose; clips her toe nails in
front of company; sells bad news to anyone
who'll listen, whether by their own will or not; sends
me Christmas cards confessing her love for midgets
and that she was drunk when she wrote the freaking thing.

I guess I could go on about "Your Mom," but this kind of gets the point across. This piece incorporates a repetitive method of using the the verb directly following "Your Mom" to start each insult, but also varies the length and depth of each insult. Just to keep things interesting.

So now that you're aware of the insult poem, I encourage you to strike out and insult your parents, siblings, milkman, political candidates, pets, friends, etc. Just don't insult me, because that would hurt my feelings. ;)

*****

Click here to see more Poetic Forms.

The Importance of Setting Poetry Goals

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:28:25 GMT

This is probably a long overdue follow-up to Nancy's "Published is Published" post from 6/27/07, but late is better than never, right?

The whole issue of whether it's right or wrong for editors to consider poems posted on a blog or forum as published shouldn't be an issue. Editors have their personal opinions on the issue and will stick by them. What's more important is for poets to undertand what they want to achieve with their poetry and set forth on a course that will get them from point A to point B.

For instance, if you decide that your main goal as a poet is to just share your poems freely with as many people as will read them, then you'll want to get a blog, join forums, go crazy on social networking sites and whatever else you can do to spread your poetic gospel. If that's what you want, then good for you; the whole published is published debate doesn't have an effect on how you act online.

If you decide you want to get published in literary journals and print publications, then you may need to tread more lightly and consider how and where you post drafts of your poems. Because the editors of such publications often do care whether your poems have appeared online or print previously. Whether you agree with this or not, that's just how it is.

On the other hand, if your goal is to make millions of dollars writing poetry and use it as a platform to launch your own rock band--like Robert Lee Brewer & the Poets of Discontent--then you just might need to be pinched, because you're obviously dreaming. Poets don't make much money off publishing poetry, no matter where they're published.

So here's the bottom line: Consider what you want to accomplish as a poet. Then, make sure your online and print habits align with your long-term goals.

If you haven't already, you can check out Nancy's "Published is Published" post here.

Best,

Robert

Two Early Morning Submissions

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:06:53 GMT

So I got up bright and early this morning to prepare a couple submissions (to The Journal and Black Warrior Review), which I sent out on my way in to work. My submission routine broke apart around the end of February this year, but I've been getting back into a rhythm here in July.

The difficult part about submitting poetry this time of year is that you have to pay extra close attention to the reading periods of some publications and journals. Many college journals, for instance, don't read submissions between May and September, because students are out for summer break. It's important you keep that in mind as you submit during the summer months.

Of course, college journals aren't the only publications to have reading periods. You are served well to always go to a publication's Web site (if one exists) to double-check current guidelines and make sure there is no specific reading period or hold put on submissions. Doing so will help you avoid getting rejected on a technicality.

Cut IT Out!

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 21:17:21 GMT

If you found "Put THAT Thing Away!" helpful at all, or at least interesting, then you should know another one of my pet peeves is the use of the word "it" in poems. I only became a stickler for "it" in the past few years, and I think my writing has benefitted from "it"--or the lack of "it," that is.

Let me show with an example. (Again, these examples I use are not meant to win any awards. They serve as a way to see how playing around can produce different results.)

Version 1:

"Listening"

It's easier said than done.
It's so easy to let it all
fall apart whenever it makes
sense, like when somebody
wants to dominate it
all the time. I mean, is it
so hard to practice it once
in a while?

Ugh. That's some pretty "it"-plagued poetry going on there. And while I might be able to tell that the first "it" might refer to the title "Listening," I get totally confused after that. Here's a 2nd version after cutting some of the "it" clutter out.

Version 2:

"Listening"

Is easier said than done.
It's so easy to let conversations
crumble whenever somebody
wants to dominate the talking
time. I mean, is it so hard
to practice listening once in a while?

Ridding this poem of "it"s resulted in some language changes and 2 less lines. Concise is always nice in poetry. But there's still room to remove "it" completely.

Version 3:

"Listening"

Is easier said than done;
conversations crumble
when someone wants to hog
the talking time. I mean,
is listening so difficult?

So yeah, this won't win any awards, but the piece is even more specific and more concise as a result of cutting "it" out of the poem. Imagine if you had a really good poem with a couple "it"s lurking in the shadows: You could turn that really good poem into a great one.

"It" takes a little work and patience, but "it"'s totally worth "it."

Best,

Robert

Literary Agents for Poets; National Book Festival; and a Report on Poetry in 2007

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:55:52 GMT

"Literary Agents for Poets," by Victoria Strauss from the Writer Beware blog, breaks down why "reputable" literary agents are never interested in "unknown" poets. This post also includes many links to other information of interest to poets as well.

***

Poets Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Prufer, Jon Stallworth, Anne Stevenson, and Diane Thiel will be reading at the 2007 National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on September 29.

Source: Library of Congress

***

"A report on poetry in 2007," by Todd Swift from Eyewear, looks at the current state of poetry in the United Kingdom from Swift's 20 years of experience as a writer, editor, etc. Swift also hypothesizes on why poetry is where it is.

Put THAT Thing Away!

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:03:09 GMT

Be careful; it's easy to do. That is, it's easy to write in a way that overuses that word "that." Or in other words, it's easy to overuse the word "that."

Look: I used to be a major offender myself. Of all places, a techincal writing course helped me improve my "that" problem across the board, not to mention turn me into a list consistency freak.

Here's a sample of how "that" can slow down a poem in a bad way:

The man ran miles and miles
for that woman that could've
done so much for him so that
he wasn't sure what he'd do
now that he spent his nights
alone listening to that same
old Louis Armstrong record
playing that "Mack the Knife"
song.

It's funny how once you get started on "that" word "that," it's often hard to stop. In line 2, "that" even took the place of what should be a "who." "That" is a very typical "that" problem, in fact. With a little cleaning, this could read as:

The man ran miles and miles
for the woman who could've
done so much for him he
wasn't sure what he'd do
now that he spent his nights
alone listening to the same
old Louis Armstrong record
playing "Mack the Knife."

This little piece went from 6 uses of "that" to 1 through some simple clean up. While this piece is just an example and not meant to win any awards for great writing, it is definitely tighter for doing a "that" scan.

So be on the lookout for "that," because it could improve your writing just like "that." (Oh jeez, I'm coming up with some horrible "that" jokes, eh?)

Best,

Robert

Is reading in public "publishing" your poem?

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:11:57 GMT

In the lively discussion regarding Published is Published, the subject of public readings came up. I mentioned in comments (here and on Reb Livingston's Homeschooled by a Cackling Jackel) that recently I'd heard that a lawyer had advised a poetry group that public readings constituted putting work "out there" in the same manner as publication. It was news to me, too, and rather alarming. Commenter Elissa Malcohn provided the following valuable information:

Unless I'm misinterpreting, open readings do not constitute publication unless they are recorded for public consumption, i.e., placed in fixed form and thereby copyrighted. In its "Copyright Office Basics" (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html) the U.S. Copyright Office quotes the 1976 Copyright Act definition of "Publication" as follows:

"'Publication' is the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending. The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication."

Obviously the media cited in the definition need to be updated, but I believe that the operative term here (used elsewhere in the circular) is "fixed form." I would argue that the term applies to Internet postings, which can be downloaded and printed easily enough. Radio programs are usually recorded. But given the above, saying that a non-recorded public reading constitutes "publication" is like saying that having a table at a public reading festival where I've displayed an anthology in which my poem has appeared is equivalent to having that poem "republished."

Thank you to Elissa for her insights!

--Nancy

I'm Coming Out of the Closet...

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:28:24 GMT

...on how I first got published. Let me know if you've heard this one before.

Around the age of 16, I noticed an ad in the paper for a FREE poetry contest that offered $500 to the winner. About a year into writing abstract and angst-filled song lyrics that I called poetry, I decided that I could probably win this contest--not that I was sure of myself or anything.

So I entered the contest. Unfortunately, I did not win the $500 prize. Fortunately, I was the lucky winner of an Honorable Mention certificate, and the company decided to accept the poem for publication in an anthology they were putting together. It only cost like $60. So, of course, I jumped in and bought the anthology and even a coffee cup (pictured below).

However, things started going south once I received the anthology and realized that the poetry in it was not exceptionally good. And when I looked at my poem surrounded by these other poems, I realized my poem probably wasn't particularly gifted either.

Suddenly, I was getting offers to enter another FREE contest. So I sent them my absolute worst poem. It was also an award winner that merited publication. Of course, of course. I felt like such a sucker.

Over the years, this company would send me notifications of contests, gifts I could buy to commemorate my great achievements, offers to spend thousands of dollars attending their prize ceremonies, where I could also win big money.

They were unrelenting, and for over a decade it has been a dark secret hidden in my past. Something I've been ashamed to admit. But no more. I want others who've fallen into this trap to know they're not alone; I want others who could fall into this trap to know what I did not know as a junior in high school: stay away. There's nothing illegal going on, but ethics are thrown out the window, for sure.

If you've had a similar experience or have a "friend" who's gone through this, I definitely encourage you to share.

Best,

Robert

Yes, I bought the coffee cup. What was I thinking?!? ;)

Published is Published!

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:24:13 GMT

A couple of weeks ago I participated in an editor's panel at the National Federation of State Poetry Societies Convention in Oklahoma City. My fellow panelists were Madelyn Eastlund (former NFSPS president and editor of Harp-Strings Poetry Journal) and Sandra Soli (a very experienced poetry editor and widely published poet). The three of us looked as if we were auditioning for a community theatre production of Evita, our arms waving wildly as our voices rose addressing one publishing point or another.

The discussion became most lively when the topic of "What is published?" came up. We each took a turn explaining that ANY poem that is offered for public consumption, whether on the printed page, on the Internet, or in an open reading, is basically "published." The exception is a private forum where the poet needs a password to participate in a discussion and to read what's posted. Poems posted in such forums are not considered published. However, if the forum can be read by anyone accessing the Internet, then the poem is considered published.

"Published is published!" Sandy exclaimed. And still the questions came.

"But what if I print a poem in my church bulletin?"

"What if my poem appears in my club's quarterly journal?"

"What if I read my poem on a radio program?"

"Published is published!" Sandy and Madelyn shouted over and over again.

I mention this because 1) it's a really important point all poets need to keep in mind; and, 2) it's a point I need to address as it relates to comments on this blog.

Please be aware that if you post a poem in the comments here, it is now published. It's not a legitimate publishing credit that you can use; however, where the poem is concerned, you've just blown its "unpublished" status. That means you can't submit it to journals that don't consider published material, and you can't submit it to contests for unpublished poetry only.

So, please don't post your poetry in the comments section unless you know what you're sacrificing by doing so. It doesn't matter whether you print a copyright notice or not--if the poem appears in the comments, it's published. Published is published!

(As an added note, let me say that when I've judged contests recently that were for unpublished poetry only, I did Google key lines from the poems I'd selected as winners to make sure they didn't already appear on the Web. In a couple of cases, I had to disqualify poems I'd deemed for serious prize consideration because they violated the "unpublished" criteria. What's more, taking down a post--or a blog entry, for that matter--accomplishes nothing. Once something is on the Internet, it's on there forever. Ever see the stuff that Google has cached that doesn't appear on the actual website when you do a search? It's not nice to fool Mother Nature, but it's just about IMPOSSIBLE to fool the Internet!)

--Nancy

UPDATE: Reb Livingston at Home-Schooled By a Cackling Jackel has a spirited discussion going on at her blog about this topic. Definitely take a look (and be sure to click through on her links to "My Stance" and related responses). I stand by the above opinion as basic need-to-know information, especially if you're new to publishing. But there are some important issues related to the published vs. unpublished topic that concerned poets should examine as well.

UPDATE 2: This post provides further discussion of the "is reading my poetry in public the same as publishing" question that came up during Q&A at the NFSPS panel.

Already a Bit of Serendipity

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:43:06 GMT

The post office decided to help me out with this blog by delivering a package including Issue 53 (March 2007) of remark.--this issue actually guest-edited by C. Allen Rearick. This very well could be the last acceptance I can point to this year, and I'm not ashamed to admit that my poem "buried alive" is by far the shortest piece in the issue measuring in at only 4 lines. For me, it's not the size that matters, but what you do with that size.

I could just say, "Go me," and call it a blog, but I really want this to develop into a community. So I'm going to include one of my TOP SECRET poetry submission tips: When you submit batches of poems, whether 2 or 10, vary the length of your pieces.

Putting on my editor's cap, I have to make editorial decisions based off many criteria. Space is one criterion that comes up often. If an editor has 30 lines to fill and 2 poets with 20-line poems, then it's simple mathematics that only 1 poet will make it in the issue. That gives you a 50% chance of being accepted. If you happened to include a killer poem of 10 lines or less, then your chances increase.

Of course, the shorter poem still has to be very good and fit within the editorial scheme the editor has planned for that issue, but editors constantly are forced to make difficult decisions between poems and poets they love equally. If you have quality poems of different lengths, it makes perfect math sense to bundle different sized poems.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with this. Let's continue to build our community together.

Best,

Robert