| Ninety-five percent of all books of poetry are sold at | | | | some random ideas that will illustrate the kind of thing |
| poetry readings, and that is where you will sell most | | | | that I am talking about. These fit my personality. |
| of yours. For a poet, self-published or otherwise, | | | | Others will occur to you that fit yours. |
| readings are not only desirable, they are essential. | | | | - Kick things off in a light vein, establishing a tone of |
| Readings are -- or should be -- fullâEUR'scale, | | | | fun and relaxed interplay for the evening. You might |
| carefully planned performances at which you and | | | | try something like a humorous introduction to the |
| your work are the stars. Unfortunately, these | | | | kinds of silence that universally befall writers at their |
| powerful marketing events are often poorly planned | | | | readings. Then you may suggest what you think can |
| or not planned at all, and that is a great waste. | | | | be done about it and lead the audience in practicing |
| At a reading, you have everything going for you. The | | | | boos and cheers and in using their noisemakers. |
| audience is always friendly and well-disposed toward | | | | - Read surefire zingers from other writers-parts of |
| you. They have, after all, chosen to come to this | | | | Whitman's Song of Myself, for instance. Such poetry |
| place to meet you and listen to you read your own | | | | can be fairly shouted out at an audience and ought |
| work. Some are writers themselves, some are lovers | | | | to be greeted with shouts of approval and choruses |
| of writing, and some are friends who have come | | | | of "RightâEUR'on's." Lead the cheers yourself. |
| along to show their support for you. All are positive | | | | Also include some dismal stuff that you can all hiss |
| listeners. They are here because they want to talk | | | | and boo and generally carry on |
| books, hear about books, meet at least one | | | | - Ask questions of your audience. Point at them. |
| successful poet (you), and exchange ideas about the | | | | Jump up and down and yell at them if necessary, but |
| craft of writing. | | | | get them involved. |
| Your audience deserves a good show and you, as | | | | - Develop your own patter. |
| author of the work being read, certainly deserve one. | | | | A stand-up performer continually talks to the |
| More than that, you need it. But unless you take | | | | audience, whetting its appetite, building its interest, |
| charge and make it happen, neither you nor your | | | | heightening its reaction to the next part of the act. |
| audience is likely to enjoy the occasion. For the sad | | | | When I was a boy I loved to go down to the "stage |
| fact is that readings can be deadly dull. This is quite a | | | | shows" that they used to put on at the old Bijou |
| paradox. A writer uses language to achieve the most | | | | theatre in downtown Savannah. My favorites were |
| intense communication possible, and yet most | | | | the performances of the sleight-of-hand magicians. |
| readings are all too often devoid of any life at all, let | | | | These old-time troupers would stand alone on the |
| alone passion. | | | | stage, perhaps with the help of a single assistant, |
| The challenge is to make your own readings | | | | sometimes with no help at all. They would surround |
| something different, something above and beyond | | | | the act of magic with constant talk. They would tell |
| the ordinary. Think of a favorite play. When | | | | in all seriousness how they discovered the next |
| inexperienced people sit around in a circle and read | | | | marvel in the mysterious east. They would make us |
| the text in lowâEUR'key voices, the sparks do | | | | keenly aware of the difficulties of accomplishing a |
| not fly, the tinder does not catch, and the fire does | | | | particularly complicated feat, so that we appreciated |
| not begin to burn. But let experienced actors utter | | | | it all the more when it actually happened. They would |
| those same words in the context of a production | | | | entertain and amuse us with anecdotes and stories |
| and the heart begins to race. Something important is | | | | as the evening wore on. A writer is a magician, too-a |
| happening, and the spectators are caught up in it. | | | | magician of words-and effective patter is just as |
| You need to convert your readings, insofar as you | | | | necessary to his own act as to any other. What kind |
| can, into a performance that will catch your listeners | | | | of patter? You will discover bits and pieces of it as |
| up in the same way. Your writing is art. But your | | | | you gain experience. For instance: |
| reading of it is -- must be -- showbiz. | | | | - Introduce each reading fully. |
| The psychologists talk about "mindset." They use | | | | - Tell stories that let the audience see you as a |
| these words to refer to the mental and emotional | | | | human being struggling to find expression for a |
| expectation in individuals and groups that predisposes | | | | feeling, emotion, idea, or experience that is |
| them to react to what they see and hear in a | | | | particularly important to you. |
| particular way. This is one of the great secrets of | | | | - Tell them about the problems you encountered and |
| show business. A typical rock music concert provides | | | | how you solved them. |
| a wonderful example. What is the reality of it? | | | | - You may find it useful to provide copies of any |
| Rather unattractive young performers stalk about | | | | difficult pieces you are going to read or of any that |
| the stage with unpleasant expressions on their faces, | | | | you are going to use as examples in your talk. |
| shouting bad lyrics to worse music. The music itself is | | | | - Understand that when you skip this patter and |
| performed by musicians of more energy than talent. | | | | proceed to read your material without the necessary |
| Yet thousands of spectators stand, cheer, and | | | | introduction the reading is over before the audience |
| generally carry on as though in utter ecstasy of | | | | has even begun to focus its attention on the piece |
| artistic enjoyment. They are experiencing what they | | | | you are reading. You lose the audience before you |
| expect to experience. | | | | begin. The reading of a lyric poem or a paragraph or |
| If you want your audience to listen to you and to | | | | two of prose is a little like the Kentucky Derby. The |
| react enthusiastically to your verse (and buy your | | | | race itself is over in a matter of minutes. It's the |
| book), you've got to work to create an environment | | | | preliminaries that make the Derby the event that it is. |
| that encourages them to do so. | | | | - Sprinkle your presentation with talk of other poets |
| Most people don't know what to do at, say, a | | | | that you know and their own challenges and |
| poetry reading-including the poet. At a basketball | | | | triumphs. |
| game, when a player makes an unbelievably deft | | | | - Tell humorous-or otherwise-stories of how you got |
| move and scores a key basket, you stand up and | | | | started and how you first got published. |
| cheer. But when a poet turns out a near perfect line | | | | The more personal and direct your patter, the more |
| or passes through one of those "sudden rightnesses" | | | | warmly involved your listeners become and the more |
| that great poetry is made of, what's to do? Shout | | | | effective your reading will be. |
| "Yeah!" as they do at jazz concerts? Exactly. That is | | | | As you do more and more readings, your patter will |
| precisely the kind of reaction one should encourage. | | | | become more and more effective. Try new things, |
| Yet the atmosphere of most readings is more like | | | | keep the ones that work best and discard the |
| that of afternoon tea at the Ladies' Missionary | | | | others. |
| Society. Any show of real emotion seems out of | | | | Everything I say in this entry, all the techniques I |
| place. The atmosphere is not one of freedom but of | | | | recommend, will work. I know this because I have |
| inhibition. | | | | used them all. Most important, however, is the |
| You've got to change all that. It may be a tall order, | | | | principal of the thing: a literary reading must be |
| but you can do it. As you do more and more | | | | treated as a performance. |
| readings-of your own poetry and perhaps even the | | | | Whatever you do, your fame and name will spread, |
| poetry of others-you will get better and better at it | | | | and, if you work persistently to schedule readings |
| and have more and more fun. Those who come will | | | | and then do them with drama and flair, you will begin |
| truly enjoy themselves, and will foster a reputation | | | | a gratifying career of writing, publishing and selling |
| and positive public visibility for you that will be an | | | | your books. And-wonder of wonders-you may even |
| asset for years to come. When you watch a live | | | | begin to make money. The fact that you treat your |
| show on television-a comedy show like the Tonight | | | | readings as performances will put you in a class apart. |
| Show or even a quiz show-the host always walks | | | | During the reading, you will have created a spirited |
| out to thunderous applause as the show begins. How, | | | | and pleased group of new friends. When the |
| you may ask, could a cold audience reach such a | | | | performance is over, many of them will gather |
| pitch of enthusiasm in so short a time? The answer is | | | | around the "back of the room" table where you have |
| that the audience is not cold at all. For an hour or | | | | spread out your books to continue the fun and |
| more it has been warmed up, carefully primed for | | | | stretch the evening as much as possible. |
| the moment you have just witnessed. | | | | Now it's time to sell some books. |
| How can you warm your audience up? Here are | | | | |