What will be your legacy?

The sad news of the passing of US country legend Dolly Parton has caused many to reflect on their own lives. She left a huge legacy, not only of songs, music, movies and concerts, but also of love. Her philanthropic efforts to place books in the hands of millions of children will live on into history.

I have often wondered, as I get older, what my own legacy will be for those who live on once I'm gone? Like many, I have children and grandchildren. Some of them will live to see the turn of the next century. As a poet and writer, I wonder what I will leave behind for them that is of any consequence... Well, here are a few thoughts...

Firstly, I imagine my books will live on. There are several volumes of published work, both academic and poetry, that are already in the hands of readers out there somewhere in the world. I have found it gratifying to walk into a bookshop somewhere in the world, and see my books gracing the shelves. Just how much of my writings will be read in future years is unknown. But the books will be there as a legacy of my thinking and creativity.

Secondly, there is my social media footprint. As with anyone who has ventured onto social media of any kind, a presence is always left. There are the YouTube videos, the Facebook and Twitter posts and other artefacts such as photographs on Flickr and Instagram for example. Many of these are more or less permanent. Again, just how many people will visit and view is an unknown variable. 

Thirdly, I hope my music will live on. There are various recordings of my songs on vinyl, tape, CD and in digital format, either performed by me or by a number of other musicians. The lyrics of my songs are stored at the Performing Right Society as a permanent record. This is another legacy of my creativity.

Finally, and arguably most importantly, the impression I have made on others will live on in some people's memories. If I have acted in kindness to someone, they may remember, and may tell the story to others. If I have sponsored a child, they will grow up knowing that it was me from whom they received their funds. If I have donated to a charity that has benefited someone, that will live on, although the beneficiaries will probably never know if was me who provided their aid.

Whatever our legacies, may we all act and live in a way that is productive, creative and beneficial to those we encounter along the way. May our poetry, music, words and deeds be remembered by people who have a cause to celebrate us. 

Steve Wheeler

Photo from Wikimedia Commons 

Poetry and Social Media

Oh how the times have changed! Books seem to have lost the overwhelming popularity they once had…. not to mention magazines and newspapers. The library was once a magical place! Yet many of the younger generation asks… who needs a library when you have social media?! 

Social media is not as much of a literary enemy as old school writers may think… especially in the world of poetry. It seems poetry is on a bit of an upswing lately on platforms familiar to many as Tic Toc, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook to name a few of the biggies.

According to a recent article in Forbes, the #poetry hashtag has more than 48 billion views on Tic Toc. This sensitive app has managed to bring a lot of attention to a number of authors through spoken word poetry. The possibilities of creating videos with a large variety of editing tools makes it a fun place to share work and possibly gain noteritey. 

However, notoriety and fame do not necessarily equate to selling poetry books. Tic Toc is good for writing communities though, especially “BookToc”, a growing crowd of book lovers that talk about nothing but books, primarily fiction related works.

Instagram has been a marvel for poets like Rupi Kaur and Morgan Harper Nichols. Their short form poetry, known for its confessional clean stylings, has brought them millions of followers. This form of poetry has been termed “Instapoetry”, and has garnered a controversial reputation of not being poetry due to its succinct structuring and fast pace. Yet, it seems social media is changing those rules. Kaur has more than 4 million Instagram followers, and has sold over 11 million copies of her books, which have been translated into 43 languages.

Jen Benka, the President and Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets, has stated “So many of the critiques of poetry on social media are about how poetry shouldn’t be performative, or how social media has made poetry too simple”. Is it poetry? Like all art, it’s in the eye of the beholder.

A downturn writers experience on these apps  continues to be simple plagiarism. Poems taken from some authors, then posted to names with a broader appeal and following base, leave the original poets out in the cold. Social media can indeed be what a close colleague once cleverly referred to as “a dark art”. 

Facebook has a blanket presence with a plethora of groups to choose from that all have their own personalities and purposes. I am of course, smitten with Invisible Poets and Wheelsong Poetry. This is not only because of the Wheelsong mission statement of promoting unknown talent. It is really about it’s first priority of giving back with charitable donations, such as the ongoing Wheelsong Anthology series. That incredible direction matches my personal writing motivations and then some!

As a rule of thumb. being active in social media requires a lot of posting, commenting, and interaction. I’ve also noticed that a touch of personal charisma becomes one’s individual brand. It also helps to promote attention by always maintaining a professional posture and positive attitude.

Social media is here to stay, and poets of every age and variety have to accept it. Learning which platforms are best for you for what you are trying to achieve is only possible by engaging in the activity and determining if a group or particular app is right for you.

Matt Elmore

Resources:

https://www.insidehook.com/article/internet/social-media-poetry

https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/03/01/bite-sized-tiktok-poetry-blows-up-along-with-growing-claims-of-plagiarism/?sh=5df4cb7c6873

https://gooduniversenextdoor.com/2023/01/19/poetry-on-tiktok/

https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/should-writers-use-social-media

Image from: Unsplash