[New-Poetry] Big Bucks in Poetics

[jforjames at aol.com]

David, 
You're right, I believe. There are few poets surviving solely?in the?marketplace. Those who have,
generally speaking, are successful in another realm, like the novel or pop-music. Think Jim Harrison or 
Leonard Cohen. 

If we totaled the college/university reading?fees and private foundation grants/awards given to 
Merwin, I think we'd see a poet beholden to the academy and the?charitable sector. Also, where would
Merwin be without the teaching poets teaching his work?

I'm a Merwin fan from way back, I might mention.
Finnegan


-----Original Message-----
From: David Graham <grahamd at ripon.edu>
Bcc: jforjames at aol.com
Sent: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 7:54 pm
Subject: [New-Poetry] Big Bucks in Poetics


I'm not sure where in the Constitution it covers the position of Poet Laureate, but as I've noted before when this subject crops up, the position is not funded with tax dollars. ?It's a private endowment, administered by the Librarian of Congress. ? 



I would guess that virtually no poet lives on royalties. ?Even Merwin has over the years brought in a lot of his cash via readings, translations, and such. ?I'd be surprised if he actually lives on book sales per se, but I could be wrong.




If you count readings, conference appearances, contest judging, editorial work, and other ancillary activities, not simply book sales, I would further wager that quite a few American poets could live quite well off their art without tenured teaching gigs. ?Donald Hall has been doing it for decades, to cite one such instance, and so has Robert Bly. ?











========================================

David Graham

grahamd at ripon.edu




Home Page:

http://web.mac.com/drjazz/iWeb/Site/About%20Me.html




Poetry Library:

http://web.mac.com/drjazz/iWeb/Site/DGPoLibrary.html

==========================================








On Dec 17, 2007, at 5:49 PM, R Dillon wrote:






This fact may have been posted already but there is one poet only who not only

lives off of his book sales and royalties but has always done so, plus, he is not

a member of any academic faculty or has any job other than being a poet.




I know that this is the case because this fact was disclosed in his presence and

he made no move to contradict or clarify it.? And, he has a real agent who handles

the business.




Also, he seems to me to be one of the few that is utterly qualified to be U.S. poet

laureate from a Constitutional perspective.? Perhaps, because he has succeeded in the free marketplace on his own terms without compromise, he would not be a reliable advocate for those who don't look at things this way. ?




Merwin




It did make wonder how many poets are able to live off their royalties, or?

have royalties enough coming in that loss of some portion of those monies?

means the difference between getting the roof fixed or having to put a bucket in?

attic? Re: Can't Cope With Copyright Infringement (JforJames at aol.com)




R.D.






= 


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