[New-Poetry] A public plea to Jonathan Galassi

[Suzanne Burns]

*Hic*

Cheers,

Suzanne Who Cannot Type Worth Shit



On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 9:40 PM, Suzanne Burns <atelierjewelweed at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Ya know what this reminds me of just a little?  Jane Siberry.
>
> For those who don't know her, she is an indy musician who has a phenomenal
> following.  I believe Wim Wenders used her music in his films, etc.
>
> Well, a few years ago, she abruptly changed her name to "Issa", sold
> verything she owned, and offered up all of her music for free or for a
> donation on her personal website (that to which she still owned the
> copyright anyway, which alas does not include her groundbreaking album "When
> I Was a Boy" which includes the song "Calling All Angels"-- that album is
> owned by a Very Big Company which now calls all the shots).
>
> Her relationship to The Industry is very complicated, and although many
> would kill to be handled by such a big company, she prefers to handle her
> own work.
>
> Here is the big irony: if you go to her website, you can download all of
> her music for free ("a gift from Issa") or make a donation if you want-- she
> has made more money from donations this way than she ever had any hope to
> make through the "Big Studios".  He goal was simply to make her music
> available and accessible to all (the industry will often buy the rights to
> music and then not release it-- which means that it never reaches its
> audience and the musician can;t do an damned thing about it, a situation
> which *may* be comparable to Knott's situation if they are in fact
> remaindering his book and yet withholding rights) and to simply own her own
> work.  She didn't expect "payback"-- now however she is getting it.
>
> There is something to be said for this.  The world is different now and
> maybe a "Big Publisher" isn't all it is cracked up to be. There are people
> out there who are representing themselves and doing a hell of lot better in
> the long run.
>
> I hope this doesn't sound all rambly-- I just had a big glass of wine and
> am feating in the first harvest of organic lettuce in my garden, so I am
> feeling all Yay, go Bill!
>
> Suzanne
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 9:04 PM, <AlMaginnes at aol.com> wrote:
>
>>  Didn't Knott work as a professor of creative writing for a time? I know
>> he's had a difficult life and made some difficult choices, but his claims of
>> " have no family or friends, no home, no job, no position or title, no
>> money, no prospects, no health or future," strikes me as a tad melodramatic.
>> Not to mention the fact that many poets (although I'm not sure I'm one of
>> them) would kill to have FSG as a publisher.
>>
>>
>>
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>
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