Category Archives: personal

As a teen, I published my first book. It was a book of the most painfully bad and emotional poetry that, thankfully, few have (or will ever have) seen. Yet, having re-discovered a copy recently, I realize how important it was to my path. That the seed of selling my writing — that one really could do such — was planted. That, even if not perfect (or even really that good), people who want to support you, your work, your further development, are out there. They are paying as much for the poetry now as the poetry they know could come.

I love good poetry. I, thankfully, live in a city where poetry is respected. Thanks to an active sidewalk poetry program, I encounter it unexpectedly and often walking the streets. I encounter it at bookstores and stenciled on walls. I sometimes see it on bus stop posters. I even spot the occasional and unintentional haiku in a sign or flyer.

Though I write poetry much less these days, and share it even less than that, I still find that it often stops me in my tracks. When very good or, especially, when unexpected it has the power to change me. To change my notions about the world or even those I know. To stop me in my tracks and shift my direction. Any good writing can do this, yes. But a good poem can get to places inside you no other words can.

I don’t do a whole lot of self-promotion here. Largely because I think there are more interesting things to talk about than “me,me,me, sell, sell, sell” all the time. But a recent post about buying the books of your favorite bloggers by Seth Godin really resonated with me. Particularly this:

There are authors and actors who only show up when they have something to sell, who hit the road to briefly entertain us, pitch us and then leave. If you love their work, then by all means, buy it! But the frequent blogger is here for another reason. He or she has something to share and is relentlessly showing up to teach and lead and connect.

If you want that to happen more, if you’re getting something out of it, buy the book.

The majority of my income comes from my writing. My books are a key source of that. Purchasing my books is a direct way to support and insure the work I do here.

Toward that goal, I have recently cleaned up the book page and added all four of the books I have written to date. Please take a look

Perhaps you have purchased one or two but have not purchased the others. First of all, thank you so much. Secondly, please consider buying another if the subject interests you or you wish to simply support the work I do here. If you enjoy the work I do here (almost) daily, I’m sure you will find the value your receive from any of them is at least equal to the amount you give.

But, regardless of whether you buy my books or not, I can tell you there are a lot of great writers posting to their blogs regularly that would benefit from the same kind of support. If they have a book for sale, buy it.