With the market plunging, here’s two encouraging items to consider as a poet:

1) “The state’s jobless rate began the year at 4.9 percent and has steadily increased since then. It stood at 6.6 percent in July.” Link The unemployment rate in N.C. is presently 7 percent.

DO NOT try to make a living writing poetry. Keep your day job (and your night job, too).

2) In the Asheville area, almost $400,000 was donated to political campaigns.

NONE of that money was spent on your livelihood as a poet, buying your poetry books, or purchasing coffee and other goodies at your public poetry readings.