I'm a poet, and yes, I want people to read my poetry, but I don't use Twitter as a means to shove my writing down people's throats and clog their stream of otherwise meaningful and productive conversations. Twitter, and other social networks for that matter, are about building a "network," communicating, and making connections with others who share your passions.
I read lots of things from my Twitter stream from people who I've connected with, who offer me valuable or positive information, and who I've taken a genuine interest in. Make friends then share poetry, and not always just your own.
Sorry for the rant today. I will end by sharing a few lines from Wendell Berry's "How to be a Poet:"
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.
In my opinion Twitter is just plain silly and useless. In general, I can't stand social networking, but I recognize that it is very helpful, though, in many cases, it is overdone as a personal form of communication.
ReplyDeleteTwitter has been great for me in terms of finding a "community" of fellow poets and writers although some (not all) tend to only communicate with you for the sake of promoting their blogs or poetry.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your poetry! Are you following Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides blog? I highly recommend. :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your feedback.
I think Twitter is pointless, but I understand that it has value for others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for warm wishes. I appreciate it. I am not following his blog, but I will most certainly check it out. Thank you for the suggestion!
You are more than welcome. I look forward to reading more of what you write!