POETRY REMINDS -- IT CAN BE BOUGHT!

No surprise: poetry sales plummeted in 2008 and continue to fall -- certainly based on the results of Meritage Press whose tax-related stuff I'm in the midst of preparing.

At the same time, submission queries rose to the press. Ach, Poetry -- ye paradox!

I hope peeps are actually BUY-ing books at AWP. The last time I was there, I was helping to manage Marsh Hawk Press' table at its Bookfair. On the last day, the guy across the aisle from me motioned me over. I guess he'd been watching me schmooze and ooze during the event (and I earlier had bought a couple of books from his press) and gleaned my very sincere love for poetry (very sincere!). So, he motioned me over, spread his arms like wings benefacting over his still laden table, and offered, "You can have it all if you want."

I wanted -- I took ALL of the books from his table and took them back all to poetry book heaven.

As for the rest of youse: Now look -- you still have the rest of the month to avail yourself of the Release Special of Housecat Kung Fu by Geoffrey Gatza. Just look forward to the holidays or birthdays of some child you know. There is no better present! Just this morning, someone who had the prescience to order a copy emailed: "it is an instant love affair...and i don't fall in love so easily. i reached for it first thing this morning and now this old lion is smiling..."

And, I try to do my bit but....sigh. Anyway, here's my own latest list of books I bought recently by poets:

LENINGRAD: AMERICAN WRITERS IN THE SOVIET UNION, memoir by Ron Silliman, Bruce Watten, Michael Davidson and Lyn Hejinian

THE NIGHT SKY: WRITINGS ON THE POETICS OF EXPERIENCE by Ann Lauterbach

SOULS OF WIND, novel by John Olson

NOTA BENE EISWEIN by Moi (bought my own newly-released book from Ahadada Books, Tokyo & Toronto, soon available at SPD -- go gO GO!)

THE BLIND CHATELAINE'S KEYS (Am I the biggest customer of my own books? Well, wait -- that's hardly unusual in poetry, is it? she notes mischievously...and soon available at SPD -- go gO GO!)

So. That was exhausting....


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