For Free
I decided to stop
giving it away for free
when the bar manager
made it clear my free
wasn’t bringing enough
in drink sales
drink that cost more
than I could afford
because I was giving it away for free
every poet
was expected to give it away for free
that’s how it was done
our opportunity
to give it away for free
was paid for in what the bar earned
we were worth our weight in foam
which is ultimately worthless
because what given away for free
became valueless not priceless
when I decided to stop
giving it away for free
it was as if
I priced myself out of the market
a market that went on
without me
giving it away for free
let me forced me
to devalue myself
because people may be grateful
for free
but they only respect
what they pay for
and I deserve at least
as much respect
as your next drink
I’ve been asked a few times why I stopped doing spoken word shows or even open stages. I told them that I was tried of seeing bartenders make more in tips than the features were getting. It wasn’t an even playing field with poets struggling to pay printing costs while others were struggling to get grant money. Struggling to be heard at the mic over the chatter of the next features friends didn’t seem worth the effort to me.
When I told one series (now defunct) organizers that I wanted to be paid I was told that so&so, who won such&such prize, featured there for free. It was as if I had an ego problem to be expected remuneration. I declined the honour. I know one performer who declined a ‘show’ where they was expected to give a % of any chapbooks sold to the organizers, after all they made it possible for them to even sell chapbooks.
There are worse horror stories of poets, singers who are expected to be grateful to perform without getting paid, or even getting a cut of the door, while being expected to do all the pr work for the event.
The only open stage I perform on regularly is Hot Damn! It’s A Queer Slam mainly to make sure old white cismale queers get some representation 🙂 I turned down Pride as the person asking was sure the ‘exposure’ was enough for me – I said ‘Honey try getting Lavern Cox to appear just for exposure.’ I haven’t been approached since 🙂 I am as supportive of the ‘community’ as it is of me.
Hey! Now you can give me $$$ to defray blog fees & buy coffee in Washington at 2019’s capfireslam.org – sweet,eh? paypal.me/TOpoet
