questions without answers

I have sat through many Q & A’s after poetry readings and have always been bored. I am against Q & A’s; I believe the poetry audience should be allowed to sit with the feelings and imaginings evoked by the poetry itself, should go home with them, and let them nourish their dream life.

—Doug Anderson, essay “In Praise of Aporia,” published in Plume #164 April 2025 plumepoetry.com

reading is the event

Young poet, reading poetry is more important than poetry readings.

get what you pay for

Most poetry events are free, so organizers can’t give a money-back guaranty.

keep coming back

At AA meetings they have a mantra used to challenge each other: Keep coming back. At poetry readings the same mantra should be thrown out to the group: Keep coming back.

ping pong poet

Another career-track poet careening from reading gigs to writers conferences.

just two more

In [American] football games they have a two-minute warning. At readings the poet will often give the audience the ‘just two more’ warning.

gray crowd

If MFA programs are attracting so many eager young poets, why is it that the audience at so many poetry readings is filled with graying elders?

hometown crowd

Poets in New York City read to each other all the time.