Don't you wish poetry were more like the music business? I do. I wish a poet who put out a first book that was amazing or even just pretty good would automatically have a follow-up expected, and a contract for x number of books over y number of years. Sure, some would disappoint with their second effort, while others would stay the course, neither better or worse than their debut. But there would also be those rare few who would make you swear that you like the new one even more than their first, even though you never imagined them topping the first one - ever.
I could ask my friends when the next Richard Siken book is coming out, just like I ask them if they know when the new Sunset Rubdown CD is coming out (June 23rd), and they would tell me, or say something like, "I heard it's all done but the release date got pushed back from October to November because of artwork rights or something."
I wish I could go to the poetry store every tuesday like I go to the music store and check out what came out that day, see what little-known poet from Montreal or Raleigh or the UK is being called the next big thing. Who would be the Radiohead of poetry? The Modest Mouse? The Kanye West?
1 comment:
If the poetry had an industry, so to speak, your label would front the bill for printing your first book, in exchange for 15 points or so. Your agent would take another 5, and so on down the line. Now these are all before cost, so all of those poetry roadies, and the merch costs are coming out of your end. It's a heartbreaking state of affairs, and you'd only end up having rars of your poetry stuck up on Rapidshare.
Oh sure, you have your indie bands, but they don't even want to be part of an indie band. Just look deep into Justin Vernon's eyes. There's a glimmer of the jumping guitar split, Eddie Lee Roth style.
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