IV.
Poetry Groups
1. Hiring
A Local Professor
2. Creating
Your Own Workshops
3. Poet
Groupies?????
4. Pop
Poets...The Emperor's New Clothes
5. The
Poetry Marathon
1. Hiring
A Local Professor
Sadly,
most college instructors do not get rich from teaching
Creative Writing. Many augment their salaries by moonlighting
in their favorite pastimes... teaching and poetry. Your
group of poet friends can get private instruction for
reasonable amounts of money and your local prof can
make a few bucks in the process.
The formula is simple:
- 1.
Set a workshop schedule
2. Determine if it is a one-shot deal or a 4-6-8-10
week program
3. Set an hourly fee for the instructor
4. Determine how much salary will be given per course
5. Divide the full amount by the number of participants
6. Make the deal
For
example, ten poets want a 4 week workshop of two hours
duration per week. The instructor receives $20 per hour
or $160 total. Divide $160 by 10 = $16 per student.
All you need to do is provide a place... large dining
room will do, agree to the dates and times, and you
are in business. You can raise or lower the fees according
to the economics in your area. Everyone wins!
2. Creating
Your Own Workshops
We
believe that almost anyone can be a "teacher"
-- not necessarily a great one nor a dreadful one --
just a teacher. You can teach yourself and you can teach
others. In your local library, you will find books that
illustrate form and style. You will find books and magazine
articles that will show you techniques for getting people
to write. If there are twenty of you or only you, you
can design a poetry workshop that will stimulate thinking
and writing. Draw up a list of poets in your area, send
out an invitation to join you for cookies, iced tea,
and sharing. That is how The Comstock Writers' Group
began over a decade ago.
3. Poet
Groupies?????
After
attending several conferences and workshops (the biggies),
one of our colleagues remarked that there are, indeed,
"poetry groupies" who follow the "stars"
from place to place, readings to workshops. Young would-be's
sit at the proverbial feet of their heroes and are in
awe, enamored, and in luck, apparently. Because scholarships
are found for them, doors are opened, and introductions
are made.
4. Pop
Poets... The Emperor's New Clothes
Do
some of these outrageously prolific poets give you pause?
When we see very slight poems proliferating in scores
of magazines and watch a "name" being built
by virtue of volume not depth, we hope that not only
the poet, but also others tempted to get onto the merry-go-round
of submissions think about the ramifications.
Perhaps it sounds ludicrous to knock success. However,
pop poets will come and go... a legend in their own
minds. We'd like to see these folks spend some time
on their craft and not on their "career" so
they can live in books that will be reprinted in perpetuity.
5. The
Poetry Marathon
We
have done this for our community and you might like
to organize one for your community.
Poets love to be with poets.
Poets love to share poetry.
Poets love to listen to poetry.
Poets love to read their poetry.
This is how to run a Poetry Marathon in your city:
- 1.
Select a site that is accessible, has good parking
and can be found with minimal effort by out-of-towners.
2. Print out the addresses of all the poets in a two-hour
travel radius from the location selected.
3. Write a letter inviting poets to read from their
own work for a specific amount of time. (In our case,
dozens of poets read for five minutes over a five
hour period)
-
- 4.
Enclose a stamped reply envelope to see who plans
to attend. Expect 70% of positive respondents to actually
be there (poets, you know)
-
- 5.
Make some good eats, coffee and punch.
6. Let your wonderful poets create a day for each
other.
7. Repeat yearly.
How
much will this cost? Get a site donated (museum, library,
school)... make your own goodies... ask each poet to
contribute a few stamps for next year... do a cover
charge only if you must.
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