[New-Poetry] Big Bucks in Poetics

[Skip Fox]

Maya Angelou made $4,000,000 one year. When she was named "Hallmark Poet," I
announced to a class that it was "official at last." 

 

(I'm quite happy with teaching.).

 

-----Original Message-----
From: new-poetry-bounces at wiz.cath.vt.edu
[mailto:new-poetry-bounces at wiz.cath.vt.edu] On Behalf Of David Graham
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 6:54 PM
To: NewPoetry: Contemporary Poetry News &Views
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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