Weirdo Poetry

Share this post

Thinking about genre

weirdopoetry.substack.com

Thinking about genre

And how to break the rules

Jason McBride
Nov 28, 2022
6
5
Share this post

Thinking about genre

weirdopoetry.substack.com

Hi Friends!

Not every poem is a memoir—but every line has a tiny piece of my soul.

When I published my first haiku book, Pirate Haiku, I was surprised to realize that many booksellers wouldn’t allow me to list it in a fiction category and in the poetry category.

Their reasoning was poetry is a non-fiction category and a book cannot be both fiction and non-fiction.

This is obviously untrue. Lynda Barry’s beautiful and brilliant autobiofictionalography, One! Hundred! Demons! is one such book.

In the west, we tend to treat poetry as a form of memoir-and often it is. But often, it isn’t.

Genres and labels are a way for booksellers and libraries to organize things. Organization makes it easier to match the right book with the right patron.

However, I’m a deviant. I love to lurk in the dark places between categories. This tendency does make it harder for my work to be discoverable—however, it’s worth the trouble.

Not every poem is a memoir—but every line has a tiny piece of my soul.

Weirdo Poetry is a reader-supported publication. It only exists because of the generosity of readers like you! Your $5 allows me to create more comics, write more poetry, and publish more work!

Be the weird you want to see in the world!

Cheers,

Jason

5
Share this post

Thinking about genre

weirdopoetry.substack.com
5 Comments
E.R. Flynn
Writes Escape from Clowntown | Comics …
Nov 28, 2022Liked by Jason McBride

That's flabbergasting that you couldn't be listed in two categories. Have these book sellers never heard for Shel Silverstein, E.E. Cummings or Charles Bukowski???? Furthermore, these booksellers obviously aren't too savvy in marketing if they don't know that a multi-category listing has a higher chance of making a sale. Keep on truckin' Jason and you'll eventually find the right marketer.

Expand full comment
ReplyGift a subscriptionCollapse
1 reply by Jason McBride
Amie McGraham
Writes Cook & Tell
Nov 28, 2022Liked by Jason McBride

How odd, I never really thought about poetry as fiction or NF until now.

That opening (and closing) line is a poem in itself.

Expand full comment
ReplyGift a subscriptionCollapse
2 replies by Jason McBride and others
3 more comments…
TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Jason McBride
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing