My first book of poems was complied at age 8, for my parent's anniversary. It was illustrated in brightly colored marker and drew inspiration from fairies and flowers. Since then, I have been writing poems steadily. My subject matter has expanded and I've learned to tap rhythms of speech. And at age 25, I've discovered I want a wider audience than that first book garnered.
The idea for this blog came about when paging through a book tellingly entitled "Putting Your Passion into Print." A fat book and an amusing read, the index nonetheless revealed that there was just one little depressing paragraph devoted to poetry. It started: "Unless you're a Pulitzer Prize winner or a pop icon like Jewel, you stand basically no chance of making any money off of your gem of a poetry book."
This statement touched a previously unknown nerve of poet's pride. I had not thought of my work in monetary terms before. But suddenly I thought, why not? I submit that my poetry is solid, incisive, meaty stuff, fully capable of earning its keep.
Hence this blog, a Poet's Journal. I'll use it as a forum to take my secluded notebook of poems, previously shown only to one or two close friends, to the public and to print. Along the way, I'll learn as much as possible about the world of poetry: old masters, contemporary coffee-house readings, and the intricacies of the publishing business. As a matter of settling peeked pride, I will work to see that somewhere along the line, my poems bring in the money. But the crux of the blog is the hope that all this will be fuel for more poems, as always.