| What are the Traveling Copies? |
Poetry is at an all-time readership low in the USA. This is due to a number of factors, one of which is that poetry
takes time and concentration to reap any sort of effect. Our society is one that instills in its members a harried
pace as to make the best use of every second, and poetry, where every piece tastes better with each subsequent
chewing, is far from an efficient ingestion of sustenance despite its potent ingredients.
Another factor in the general apathy towards poetry deals with the disassociation average readers feel when they
actually do pick up a collection. Academics have isolated would-be readers via an almost incestuous
introspection of technique, becoming too cryptic or too distant to foster any sense of sympathy. Simultaneously,
performance poets more often than not engage through CDs rather than the page, denying readers their due.
So in a society that preaches passive entertainment, the mindless swallowing of mass-produced sitcoms,
blockbuster action movies, and watered-down fiction, is it any wonder that people don't want to waste what little
time and spending cash they have on something they probably won't like? Of course not. And that's why the
market for poetry is an ingrown toenail at this point. There is no profit in it; publishers will only accommodate
poets of academic prowess, because those books will at least sell to academics and their students.
takes time and concentration to reap any sort of effect. Our society is one that instills in its members a harried
pace as to make the best use of every second, and poetry, where every piece tastes better with each subsequent
chewing, is far from an efficient ingestion of sustenance despite its potent ingredients.
Another factor in the general apathy towards poetry deals with the disassociation average readers feel when they
actually do pick up a collection. Academics have isolated would-be readers via an almost incestuous
introspection of technique, becoming too cryptic or too distant to foster any sense of sympathy. Simultaneously,
performance poets more often than not engage through CDs rather than the page, denying readers their due.
So in a society that preaches passive entertainment, the mindless swallowing of mass-produced sitcoms,
blockbuster action movies, and watered-down fiction, is it any wonder that people don't want to waste what little
time and spending cash they have on something they probably won't like? Of course not. And that's why the
market for poetry is an ingrown toenail at this point. There is no profit in it; publishers will only accommodate
poets of academic prowess, because those books will at least sell to academics and their students.
What many don't realize, however, is that there is a wealth of talented poets
writing for the old-fashioned fun of doing so and in an accessible way.
That's where the Traveling Copies come in. Being one of those poets who
write for the fun of it and academically (without the talent, but with a
damn-near primal drive), I wanted to give people a chance to check out
some accessible, middle-of-the-road poetry that may or may not rub them
the right way at absolutely no expense.
The Traveling Copies are 6 books that have been given out for free to as
many people in the hopes that they will read them. However, there is one
catch: each person who receives a Traveling Copy of "Miserable with
Fire" cannot keep it. Instead, they are asked to write a short review (their
opinion, be it personal or academic) in an email to me or on any of the
book's online retail nests and then send their copy on to someone else who
might enjoy or need it.
In this way, I hope people will pass poetry around to those who never
expected it, that those people will do the same, and that my poetry can help
make a comeback for poetry in general one personal interaction at a time.
It's not about creating a market. It's not about money. It's about finding out
what we have in common despite pretense.
writing for the old-fashioned fun of doing so and in an accessible way.
That's where the Traveling Copies come in. Being one of those poets who
write for the fun of it and academically (without the talent, but with a
damn-near primal drive), I wanted to give people a chance to check out
some accessible, middle-of-the-road poetry that may or may not rub them
the right way at absolutely no expense.
The Traveling Copies are 6 books that have been given out for free to as
many people in the hopes that they will read them. However, there is one
catch: each person who receives a Traveling Copy of "Miserable with
Fire" cannot keep it. Instead, they are asked to write a short review (their
opinion, be it personal or academic) in an email to me or on any of the
book's online retail nests and then send their copy on to someone else who
might enjoy or need it.
In this way, I hope people will pass poetry around to those who never
expected it, that those people will do the same, and that my poetry can help
make a comeback for poetry in general one personal interaction at a time.
It's not about creating a market. It's not about money. It's about finding out
what we have in common despite pretense.
The Preface
The Rub
| Find out what people have said: Traveling Copy Reviews |
| Back to: Miserable with Fire Main Page |