When Jessica Piazza came to discuss poetry at a talk for Tabula Poetica, she told her audience that she would be discussing the (commercial) value of poetry, something which I had not heard discussed at any length by any professor or poet before. Piazza's project, Poetry Has Value, is a year-long practice of submitting to journals, magazines, and reviews that pay for poetry, as opposed to publications that offer "exposure" to people who offer their creative work in exchange for their living.
The project itself is an interesting introspection into the life of a poet and the way poetry is treated in the literary world. With her project mere days from completion, I found myself completely agreeing with Piazza, the system is broken, and something needs ti be fixed.
If you've got even a couple minutes to read, I highly recommend the blog. Piazza has provided lists of paying publications and month to month updates of her progress in getting published, or rejected, by these publications, as well as a tally of costs and earnings.
One thing she discussed during her talk that I loved was (and I don't remember if this was quite how she referred to it, but...) Literary Citizenship. This phrase here refers to the process of engaging in and contributing to the communities from which you seek literary works of art. For instance, you go to a bookstore and buy a novel - that is an act of your literary citizenship. But if you seek out poetry online for reading, do you pay for those poems? How are you contributing to these communities who provide this art? If you don't pay or subscribe, it makes it really difficult for them to provide the artists with compensation for their work.
Piazza offered several solutions. One was to subscribe to journals, magazines, reviews, etc. that provide art you consume. My favorite solution, was her suggestion to buy poetry for people you know. She mentioned giving a book of her poems to her aunt, I believe, and how in doing so she made her aunt realize that she actually enjoys poetry. One of my favorite poets has published several books now, one collection and two illustrated books of one poem each, one of which is still in preorder. Since I heard this suggestion, I realized that I can be gifting loved ones with poetry that means a lot to me. I've got 3 people who will be getting books of poems in the next 4 to 18 months, and the idea of sharing these poems - at a time I think is meaningful, a stage in their lives when they need to read them - is wonderful, kind of like that warm feeling you get when someone lends you a jacket or blanket they've been using. I love sharing poetry with those I am close with, but never once had I considered giving a collection to someone else. But now, I will.
And that is a wonderful form of literary citizenship, continuing the cycle of discovering a love for poetry by passing poems on in a way that supports the writers - giving them "exposure" AND compensating them for the beautiful work they do.
I think it's something we should all try to do more.
The project itself is an interesting introspection into the life of a poet and the way poetry is treated in the literary world. With her project mere days from completion, I found myself completely agreeing with Piazza, the system is broken, and something needs ti be fixed.
If you've got even a couple minutes to read, I highly recommend the blog. Piazza has provided lists of paying publications and month to month updates of her progress in getting published, or rejected, by these publications, as well as a tally of costs and earnings.
One thing she discussed during her talk that I loved was (and I don't remember if this was quite how she referred to it, but...) Literary Citizenship. This phrase here refers to the process of engaging in and contributing to the communities from which you seek literary works of art. For instance, you go to a bookstore and buy a novel - that is an act of your literary citizenship. But if you seek out poetry online for reading, do you pay for those poems? How are you contributing to these communities who provide this art? If you don't pay or subscribe, it makes it really difficult for them to provide the artists with compensation for their work.
Piazza offered several solutions. One was to subscribe to journals, magazines, reviews, etc. that provide art you consume. My favorite solution, was her suggestion to buy poetry for people you know. She mentioned giving a book of her poems to her aunt, I believe, and how in doing so she made her aunt realize that she actually enjoys poetry. One of my favorite poets has published several books now, one collection and two illustrated books of one poem each, one of which is still in preorder. Since I heard this suggestion, I realized that I can be gifting loved ones with poetry that means a lot to me. I've got 3 people who will be getting books of poems in the next 4 to 18 months, and the idea of sharing these poems - at a time I think is meaningful, a stage in their lives when they need to read them - is wonderful, kind of like that warm feeling you get when someone lends you a jacket or blanket they've been using. I love sharing poetry with those I am close with, but never once had I considered giving a collection to someone else. But now, I will.
And that is a wonderful form of literary citizenship, continuing the cycle of discovering a love for poetry by passing poems on in a way that supports the writers - giving them "exposure" AND compensating them for the beautiful work they do.
I think it's something we should all try to do more.
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