Culture: 4 Signs A Poet Is Being A Jerk At A Poetry Reading

A Poetry Reading Isn't A Crucifixion

By Christine Sloan Stoddard

We should go to poetry readings to enjoy poetry, celebrate living poets, and support those poets by buying books when we are interested (and financially able.) But some poets make this hard. Very hard. Thus, we, fellow poets and/or the poor audience members, suffer. We didn't sign up for an hour or two of torture, but that's what we get.

​Here are four signs a poet is being a jerk at a reading:

​1. Insisting that the MC read a long-ass bio. Try to submit a bio that is short and sweet. If you're pressed for time and just copying and pasting something from an old lit mag into an email, invite the MC to shorten it. Nobody needs to know the title of every magazine, blog, and newsletter that's published your poetry since you were five years old. Your kindergarten lit mag can probably stay off the list. If you do submit a long bio, don't get pissed if the MC shortens it. The exception to the rule: It's obvious that your bio was unfairly curtailed; then think carefully about how you wish to approach the MC about this matter after the event. It's possible that you were given less space because you are a woman and/or person of color. That's a whole other situation that deserves attention. But the general takeaway here is this: Appreciate people's time. It's about respect.

​2. Doing an extra-long intro for every poem. Limit your backstory. Not every poem needs an explanation. For poems that do, consider the beauty of brevity. People came to the event to hear poetry. Other topics may be interesting but not particularly relevant to the event. Save it for your podcast.

3. Going way over time. Your curator, MC, or other contact will probably give you some sense of the reading's time constraints. Please honor your time limit. The venue has other events or obligations, like having to close for the night so employees can go home. And if it's a group reading? It's not all about you and your poetry! Check your ego!

4. Reading totally inside baseball poems. Are you reading poems that are totally niche? Totally inside jokes? Totally "you had to be there" stories? Know the reading's theme (if there is one) and the audience in advance (just ask the reading's organizer.) Read the room when you arrive. People come to a poetry reading for a literary experience, not a night of rolling their eyes or feeling excluded.

If you're guilty of any of these things, think twice—don't inflict pain on your audience! Be kind. You'll be doing the poetry world a service.