Why Do Dead Poets Sell More Books Than Live Ones?

From Powells.com :

Top Ten: Thursday, May 15.

• Pocket Poets #04: Howl: And Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
  
• Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
  
• Red Bird: Poems by Mary Oliver
  
• Love: Ten Poems by Pablo Neruda
  
• Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins
  
• A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver
  
• Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
  
• Another World Instead: The Early Poems of William Stafford, 1937-1947 by William Stafford
  
• The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
  
• Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America) by Walt Whitman
  

For the poets on this list not with us anymore, I understand that that their works have endured long after their deaths for a reason—because they're damn good. But casual readers stick to what they know: dead poets. And there are so many wonderful, talented writers out there if readers would take the time to look for them.

Am I wrong here?

What I’m Reading Now

Boston Erin suggested The Practical Writer from Poets & Writers for me to read, so I wanted to recommend it to you.

The Practical Writer: From Inspiration to Publication by Therese Eiben and Mary Gannon (Editors)

Here's a description.

Poets & Writers Magazine presents the one book that every writer needs on the journey from the writing studio to publication. An essential volume from an organization renowned for providing reliable advice, The Practical Writer is filled with valuable information that will help emerging writers make intelligent choices and professional decisions at every stage of their careers. Filled with the insights and expertise of authors and other publishing insiders, it covers a range of topics: revising a manuscript, choosing a title, applying for grants, conducting research, evaluating an agent, understanding contracts, working with an editor, finding a literary community, promoting a book, and much more. With The Practical Writer, writers will know how to make the most of every aspect of their journey.

I can’t wait to dive into this one. Thanks E!

Confession Tuesday

Happy Confession Tuesday!

Confession Tuesday needs its own holiday. Be sure to drop a note to me or Carolee and fess up!

First of all, I should have Happy Mother’s Day to my mom! During the past year, she has been reading my blog. And while I did speak with her yesterday, I’m officially saying hello via the blog!

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Mother’s day was sunny and brisk in New England—perfect weather to take the family to Fenway Park and walk around the field (see photos below). The Fenway trip was quite the contrast from how I usually like to spend Mother’s Day—alone! And if the park hadn’t been open, the bulk of the day would have been spent (sans kids) shopping and writing. But I’m learning that these occasions are more important for my kids than for me.

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Told Tim I didn’t want a present this year, just new Red Sox shirts for the kids. But what he gave me was the best gift ever. He gave me a card and wrote that he would take me out to dinner wherever I wanted to go, including dancing!

Dancing is one of my favorite things but we never go. You know what I mean ladies—if it wasn’t for the occasional wedding we’d never step out on the dance floor. So I have my feelers out for a place to go dancing in Boston that’s not a scary, 20-something meat market. An 80s dance night will do.

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I’m enjoying not writing poems, but I’m getting the urge again. In the meantime, I’m
revising my April pieces. I’m quite pleased with my work but I can already see pieces I will probably cut for one reason or another. Hope to send out to five publications later this week.

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Lately, I’ve been asked to participate in a lot of poetry-related activities, such as hosting the Super Hoot. I’ve also been asked to read at a few venues around greater Boston. Very cool.

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I was reading Steve Fellner’s post for the NY Times on his first book collection and found myself hit with the cold water of reality:

“A few weeks ago, when I received my first royalty check of $27.08, I received the news: 138 copies. My first book of poems, Blind Date with Cavafy, sold a total of 138 copies.”

What a sad but all-too-true reality for poets. My deepest fear, and I know this will happen, is that one day I’ll find my book in some bookstore in the $0.99 clearance bin. Now that’s a true confession.

Poet Mom at Friendly Fenway

I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day than this--spending the day with my family at Fenway Park in Boston. While the team is away this week, the ownership opened the park so families could experience a little of that Fenway magic.

I'm just thankful Ella did not run across the field.

Give a Hoot!

Is it more enjoyable to go to a large reading with a full audience or be a part of a small, intimate gathering of poets? Today I was privy to the latter as host of the Super Hoot, an annual event sponsored by the Frost Foundation.

The Super Hoot showcases the poetry of the winners and honorable mentions of The Eagle Tribune’s Spring Poetry Contest. An open mike and reception was also part of the festivities. Last year, I was one of the contest winners.

While this year’s Hoot was not well publicized, the audience was a generous one. I was deeply honored to host, and just downright lucky to hear the work of this year’s winners firsthand.

Whenever I hear talk of poetry as a dying art, events like this prove that assumption wrong. Poetry lives among everyday people who just enjoy the sheer act of reading and writing a poem. Today was a celebration of some of this year’s best poetry north of Boston.

Super Hoot!

If you find yourself out and about in the Lawrence, MA area, join me at the Super Hoot!

The Second Annual Super Hoot
Featuring Winners of the Eagle-Tribune/Robert Frost Poetry Contest
Saturday, May 10
12:30 p.m.
Lawrence Library, Frost Room, 3rd Floor,

Come celebrate The Second Annual Super Hoot featuring winners of the Eagle-Tribune/Robert Frost Poetry Contest, hosted by January O'Neil. Open mike following the event.

What Is Your Favorite Line from a Poem?

"Do what you are going to do, and I will tell about it."

~Sharon Olds, from I Go Back to May 1937

Now, what's your favorite line from a poem?

Confession Tuesday

Hola! Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you are confessing this week, drop me or Carolee a note and let us know what you have to say.


I spend time this past weekend reading the poems I wrote in April, as well as combining poems I hadn’t revised since last March, which included NaPo ’07 poems. Now I have a healthy batch ready to be pulled apart and put back together again. Not all will make the cut for a new manuscript, but if two-thirds make it I’ll be thrilled.

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Sunday, I went to a poetry reading in Boston at Forest Hills featuring Danielle Legros Georges, Lainie Senechal, Afaa M. Weaver, and Sam Cornish, Boston’s first poet laureate. It was a rainy afternoon, and I was accompanied by local poet Colleen Michaels. The reading was held in a chapel on the grounds—surprisingly, the audience was a lively one. I always think readings in chapels will be solemn affairs, but I give credit to the audience for really responding to the works of four talented poets.

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After the reading, we chatted with the poets and met poet and organizer Harris Gardner, who sets up this reading and others in the Boston area through an organization he founded called Tapestry of Voices. As strongly as I feel about poets having a community, it's nice to see someone organize writers to read in venues all over Boston.

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Because I was out of the house, I missed the Boston Celtics and Red Sox play crucial games! Fortunately, both teams won and all was right in the world.

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Much of the weekend was spent keeping up with the kids. It was a rainy weekend but we managed to get the out of the house and have some fun.

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Since today (Monday) is Cinco de Mayo, Tim and I celebrated by making guacamole from scratch and margaritas. Yum!

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I probably won’t post much but I hope to read and post on other blogs this week.