On Friday, August 5th 2011 after the markets closed Standard and Pours announced that It was downgrading the US credit rating from AAA+ to AAA. Over the weekend everybody was nervous, including me, about how the markets would react. As many of you know I built what reputation I have by physically "going everywhere"In the Los Angles,CA poetry scene and over the last 8 years expanding on that from Rochester,NY. While through the magic of the Internet I've gotten to know people in Punjab, India, Madrid, Spain and Shanghai, China I'm still basically a US poet and if the economy tanks that badly I'm out of business!
I gotta to tell you I let out a huge cheer when the market closed ONLY 635 points down on Monday! I was expecting it to be a 1200-3,000 point drop myself! What a difference a few days makes ! Today as I write this blog the Dow is up 200 points and treasury securities are selling like hot cakes. This might even make up
for some of the losses and allow the US government to actually pay its bills for a day without needing to borrow money.
Why should poets care about all this ?
Well , having spent the last 18 years in the buissnes, I can tell you that yes YOU CAN make a living in poetry! You may not become a millionaire, but you can pay your bills, create books/CD's, put food on the table and gas in the car. Now more than ever poets need to mark the changes in the world . Even if you don't want to make a living at it. Poetry has carried the message of the times for eons and should continue to do this. Even if you just use what I've shared in this blog you should have material for a few poems anyway!
So go to your local readings and support your local poets
Now more than ever we need to
keep writing and performing! Thank you for listening and letting me get this off my chest!
Here's one or two things you might want to check out:
1. Mondays at the Tango Cafe: 389 Gregory St, Rochester NY. Poetry, Comedy , music and whatever. 8-11P.M. EDT. See you there.
2.I just got a Challenged to write an all purpose birthday card ! You write something too!
Lastly , In the event of the fact that you cannot find some other poet to support by buying thier books here are the links to mine. ( hint hint hint!) :
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000187234
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