Eileen Tabios's thoughts on poetry marketing. her views from one formerly outside the 'Poetry World' are refreshing and useful. the Poetry World's modalities are pretty wretched, a big effing struggle. Poetry's economy is just plain stupid and inefficient. if you failed Networking 101 like Henry Gould obviously did (moi aussi) then you either disappear or try some different method (as Henry seems to be doing). what I caught of the Boston Poetry Massacre last summer, there was some good poetry (of course) but also an oppressive stasis evident, as if the need to maintain the pal structure precluded critical risk. as much as I like blogging, the poetry blog world depends too heartily on pats on the back. even praise seems superficial, as in, how many poetry readings out there are described as 'rocking'? Moby Grape doing 'Omaha' at the psychedelic speed limit is, to me, rocking. poetry readings need and deserve a few more words to express the energy involved than a flunking 'rocking'. I guess I'm just griping. self publishing is real publishing, as is publishing on line. no need to overvalue the cultural cred of mags and books. I went some 15 or more years without really having any writer friends to talk with. I don't recommend such a sitch but it did force me to find my own path. publish or die is a lot of crap. I should stop my blather, and simply look forward to further thoughts from Eileen, who is clearheaded.