Here’s the thing. I’ve recently been invited to speak at a couple of different places; I’ve accepted one invitation and I’ve turned down the other. On the positive tip, the invitation I’ve accepted is to speak at UCSB in an Asian American Studies class, in which 200+ students are anticipated to enroll for Spring Quarter. They will be required to read my book. 200+ guaranteed booksales in one pop is always a strong determining factor for my accepting an invitation.
The professor has invited me to either guest lecture or participate in an interview or dialogue with her during lecture. She has also invited me to participate in more informal discussions with professors and students in smaller settings. She’s also made sure to tell me they would be covering my travel and accommodations, as well as offering me an honorarium. These are also strong determining factors. Time off work and travel are expensive. And all this guest lecturing in academic institutions is Work.
Another invitation I recently accepted for this season was to read at UCSC. Once again, the organizer has stressed that the campus bookstore will be selling my book at the event, that a professor (Mackey!) has recently taught my work in the English Department, that I will be reading with a couple of Flip poets I greatly respect (Ancheta, Tagami). That our reading will be highly publicized for both the Creative Writing Department’s Living Writers Series and a Filipino American student organized conference. That gas money, food, and accommodations will be covered, that honorarium will be given.
All this to say, I am sticking fast to my standards. I’ve blogged about this before here and here, regarding artists and free labor:
A local API poet/educator invited me to speak in his Asian American literature class a while back, and he and I had a good conversation about being paid. One thing this poet/educator told me, as he spoke from experience, is that there is this interesting expectation, from community groups, from various institutions, that artists shoulder the burden of being educational and artistic institutions’ unpaid labor. That is, we are generally expected to be unconditionally philanthropic, to donate our talents. Alternately, there are institutions who believe their “payment” back to us will be publicity opportunities or opportunities to sell books, chapbooks, or other product. Then there are the softer reasons for non-payment, reasons of “good karma,” and for the “good of the community.”
This oftentimes does not take into account transportation expenses/gas money, time off work for many of us have day jobs not related to poetry, travel time, and then the work itself of public speaking and performance.
So I think it’s worth revisiting this theme as needed.
Useful post. That e-mail about Momotombo is forthcoming. I haven’t forgotten!
This is a great post. I’m all for exploring (and vocalizing the existence of) the whole sector of artists and writers who are not permanently (or not at all) at universities, yet carving out a full or partial career out of their creative work. There really is all the nitty-gritty of the arts and poetry that poets aren’t that public about, like reporting your expenses on your Schedule C of your income tax returns, what the market will bear in your area for honoraria, etc., marketing your books/publications without seeming totally narcissistic, the business with publishers, etc., etc. How many poets declare that they are poets to the IRS, I wonder. This is the tax attorney side of me coming out…
Thanks folks. You know I am glad that the above mentioned API writer (whom I consider one of my mentors) and I had that conversation. Too often I do feel guilty when I know I really can’t keep doing literary and community work for free. That said, there are local orgs for whom I willingly volunteer my time and work and I do not believe in being pressured to volunteer.
I really do believe that not every poet must work within that academic system, and that said, having a full time “day job” poses certain time limitations, as much as paying a Bay Area mortgage poses certain financial limitations.
In terms of taxes, yeah, I report poet income (though since it isn’t my primary income or even a significant percentage of my income, I do not report my occupation as poet), depending upon who sends me 1099′s and the amount of each respective honorarium, stipend, grant, and/or fellowship.
Authors have a tough time getting gigs, even when it’s free. Here is one that’s not only free, but for a good cause and still it’s hard.
THE BEATITUDES NETWORK – REBUILDING THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES OF NEW ORLEANS http://www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com
*Lyn LeJeune is helping rebuild New Orleans, specifically the public libraries. She is donating ALL OF THE ROYALTIES from the sale of her novel, THE BEATITUDES, directly to the New Orleans Public Library Foundation; that’s three years of hard work You can help us, The Beatitudes Network, help New Orleans. Simply buy the book for yourself and anyone you know who wants to see New Orleans come back as one of our great American cities. THE BEATITUDES is a great crime novel set in New Orleans. Go to Amazon.com and see 5 star reviews!
Come to The Beatitudes blog http://www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com and read excerpts from The Beatitudes, by Lyn LeJeune, now available at all book distributors around the world and amazon.com, of course. If you like what you read on our blog, please order the book, enjoy, and help NEW ORLEANS and the world. Again, the blog is http://www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com- come and join The Beatitudes Network – Rebuilding the Public Libraries of New Orleans.
“BUY A BOOK, BUILD A LIBRARY,” AS QUOTED AT FREAKONOMICS, NEW YORK TIMES, 8/14/07.
One click of your mouse helps NOLA.
Merci mille fois- thanks a million.
Nita Cowart, Publicist for The Beatitudes Network at lynlejeune@cox.net
PS: if you have an organization or are an author, please contact me and we will be happy to list you on our blog as a supporter of The Beatitudes Network.
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