Vonnegut and Poetry

Writing is an act that you do not have to do well. You do not have to ever do anything with it and it is an worthwhile thing to do. Doing something that uses your imagination keeps you growing as a person.

Kurt Vonnegut

I love this quote. Write to write. Write for yourself.

I host a spoken word night. The poets that often attend just want to read their poems. Which means they do not promote themselves and spread the word on their writing.

So I encouraged people to give their socials and any publications. I wanted to create a sense of community and for people to know each other and yes gain some followers on Instagram.

Near the end, a reader said that she really doesn’t have any publications to promote. She actually participates in theater productions.

I realized my error and corrected it.

I should have asked people to share something they want to share about themselves.

Because poets that never publish are just as much a poet as Robert Frost.

I described poets I have known that have never shared their poetry beyond reading them at the writers club. Their life as a poet still had an incredibly positive impact on others.

And what more could you ask for?

I like to put the tag Poet Laureate of Oshkosh Thomas Cannon in query letters and on social media. I am proud of the title and try to honor it. But in the big scheme of things, my impact is no greater than people that get up and read at open mics or share their poems on pieces of paper or write a poem and never share it. The title has not changed my life.

Other than it is the reason I have engaged in things that are result of that role. My life has benefited from reading other poems, getting to meet other poets, and reading my poem aloud. And that stems from trying to keep my imagination alive.