Slick Says

So Slick tells me that Lyn Hejinian's book My Life outsells Bukowski, Jewel, and Billy Collins. Here's what he told me when I said I'd never heard of the book:

I'm surprised you haven't heard of "My Life" before. It's the book most often used to represent so-called "Language" poetry in conventional programs, circles. And it's often the book mainstream poets talk about as the one "good" book of Language poetry. And, it also defies the claims of mainstream poets and critics that "experimental" or Language or post-language poetry (or whatever you want to call poetry that doesn't fit the poetic conventions of the mainstream poetry world) is marginal (or academic) and should therefore be ignored--as of a few years ago, it had outsold all the big names in mainstream poetry. In it she explores the language of self-revelation, autobiography, the domestic. It's not my personal favorite. In fact, I find it a bit boring. I have this feeling, in fact, that, because the experimental poetry scene is so active, and active OUTSIDE the academy, that the biggest names in experimental poetry, publishing in small presses, probably sell fairly well. Of course, just like Black Flag, Husker Du, the Minutemen, etc., for every underground band that earned or made a national reputation, there were hundreds that fadedinto obscurity. Anyhow, I'm just rambling now. I see potential for the blog, but you need to get lots of people involved. For years, there's been a Poetics listserv hosted at Buffalo that served as, I don't know, a national bulletin board and discussion forum for experimental poetry. This certainly has helped unify and publicize non-mainstream poetry and probably helped grow its audience over the last couple decades. Despite the huge number of outlets for mainstr eam poetry--magazines, journals, prizes, etc., there doesn't seem to be a central clearinghouse for discussion or information. In fact, all the established journals are established enough to limit discussion, except in the terms they set, even as they try to maintain territory, readership. If you get enough people involved in the blog, (and I'm not thinking hundreds, I'm thinking ten or twenty), you might get some discussion going, some promotion for yourself and others. (By the way, all the above musing about mainstream poetry outlets is just me thinking as I type--though I suspect I might be, I don't know if any of it is correct.) Anyhow, I'm all for it. Definitely try to get your old MFA-mates involved, and what about your Arizona mentors? slick

I replied: I'm intrigued by this My Life book. Here's what it says on Amazon: "Upon its first Sun & Moon publication in 1987, the book began (and continues to be) taught in hundreds of college and university courses." Which might be the reason it outsold (if it did indeed outsell) Billy Collins, Charles Bukowski, and Jewel. Who are not sanctioned by the academy, I can assure you. Books by independent presses do not sell well. Because you can't buy them without going way out of your way. I've tried to buy several books of poetry at the local bookstores and from Albiris and Powells and couldn't. They are simply not distributed. Unless a poet gets major press (Billy Collins) or is a rock star (David Berman) then I don't see how they sell anything. Unless they're a fluke beat or someone like Hetijian whom the academy requires thousands of kids to buy for their classes.

I've already broken my promise of short posts.

A survey: Had you heard of "My Life?"
Have you bought any poetry in the last year? What was it and how did you find out about it? I get a lot of my music news from the internet--is there any source you like for poetry news?
Remember: I'm all for anonymous posts if you'd rather.
Thanks.