Friday, March 20, 2009

Mission Statement

This is about poetry and poets. However, let's first drop the phrase "mission statement".   It's too military sounding, too stringent in its connotation.  What is "connotation"?  Look it up and you'll be executing the mission I am trying to refer to.  While you're at it, look up "denotation" too.  The two words are important to the poet, as important as I intend this blog to be.  So, to the mission statement:


My mission is to give you all the information, wisdom, knowledge, resources I can for your career as a poet.  I especially mean coaching, instruction, tips-- all the things I have learned in workshops and by way of study and teaching.  And it's all free.  The reason for this is simple:


 


1.  It's unlikely that I or anyone will make a good deal of money writing poetry or writing about poetry


2.  One of the sad things I've encountered is that workshops are attended by those who can afford them and the good ones are expensive and so many, many good people and potentially good poets miss out on them


3.  Most workshops available at any price are a lot of balderdash anyway


4.  I cling to the belief that art ought not to be for sale


5.  I get gassed by helping others to write more than promoting myself


 


In light of the above how can I justify monetizing this blog?  Simple-- I need help if I'm going to do this for free.


 


There will be one cost to you:


     I want and need every one who reads this to send links to their entire address book and plead, beg, request, kick, threaten and cajole all their contacts to do the same until millions and millions of people are clicking the links and hopefully this will become a way of generating income.  I'd call that a cheap price for all I will give.


 


But why should you trust me?  The answer in the next blog.


So long for now.