I Read Only Some Chapters of Jane Friedman’s Book, The Business of Being A Writer:

 

I was sort of reading Friedman's book and wondering if there was anything helpful for poets? And the answer is "not much." I found myself skipping over most of the chapters, and I started wondering why I was not taught about the "business of writing" in my graduate program. We didn't even discuss how to get published. on agents. There was a lot of crying and compliments and hugging and perhaps some posing, but no practical information about the business of being a poet.

I do like how Friedman criticizes literary publishers. In response to the concern that the demand for literature is disappearing, Friedman asserts that demand is still there but publishers need to realize the "distribution and discovery" is no longer dependent on publishers--due to social media we can all find that great writer. But what poets are being published and awarded with prizes and those elitist jobs in academia where you can teach one or two classes and spend time writing and traveling?

It feels like a popularity contest where the good-looking and funny ones get it all.

For a brief time I was motivated to build a platform, to draw in readers (fans), but I lost interest. I am now grading essays (yes, I am teaching two composition classes this summer--in addition to the five writing classes I teach every semester), reading John Warner's book, Why They Can't Write, and working here and there on a memoir I have been trying to write for about three years now.