Hello Writers!
I had a chance to participate in Robert Bly’s Memorial Service October 22, 2022. Among all the renowned artistic voices in that service, I was reminded of Bly’s life and how different it is today to establish a literary or creative life. Bly ran his magazine The Fifties, and later the Sixties, the Seventies, etc. He and others established Poets Against the Vietnam War, which gave poetry readings around the country, often to audiences of thousands. Later, of course, he moved on to Iron John and the mythopoetic men’s movement.
What struck me was how, in mid-Twentieth Century America, a dedicated man on a farm in western Minnesota could actually get his arms around the “poetry scene” in America. Bly lambasted many poets, celebrated others, and sometimes found some on both sides of the coin. But his little magazine was influential because the scene was relatively small. Not like today when there seem to be millions of published poets thanks to social media, Amazon self-publishing, and the overall “democratization” of poetry and art. Is it a good thing? I don’t wish to pass that judgment here. But the environment was different.
As you and I go into the world of manifesting our creative writing dreams, this different environment matters. We should take stock. Social media, Medium.com, Substack, Twitter, GoodReads, and so much more are changing the way you find an audience for your work. It has to be more than an occasional printed magazine from a far corner of American culture. But what I learned from Bly’s life story was this—dedication to the work comes first, and you do it with whatever resources are available at that particular point in time.
So, for us, in our time, it means leveraging not just print like Bly did, but also the platforms I just mentioned. I am certain Bly would have used those if they had existed. To serve my work and to provide an example, I am expanding my online publishing footprint with new newsletters, and also setting up a space for writers up north. Here’s where you can get some things you might be interested in.
First, I am starting a new poetry newsletter on Substack. Please subscribe to it for free here. All my poetry will go there, and a free subscription gets you a poem every time I publish. Substack allows me to provide an audio version of each poem, as well, and I will include that with each one.
Second, I am opening subscriptions to Arguments with Books. For me, reading is a wrestling match with ideas, and Arguments with Books is the place I publish my matches. I invite readers to read along and participate in a conversation, or just enjoy the insights and perspective.
Finally, if you are a writer and need time away to write, consider Lake Owen Pines. It’s my AirBNB in the Cable, WI area, and right now, rentals are as low as $65 a night. You can get the details here.
If you are interested in getting started on Substack or Medium, please let me know. I’d like to organize a discussion group for best practices, Q&A, and strategy sharing. Just drop me an email at sigwrite@gmail.com if interested.
Friends, keep writing. The world needs our imagination and our open hearts.
Write On!
Anthony
About Arguments with Books
About Soul Food: Poetry by Anthony
About Intertwine: Living Better In a Worsening World
Please share this newsletter with anyone you think might be interested.