blueprints

268 | toolkit: sandpaper, wallpaper, and paint
E. Go high tech—use Facebook and Twitter.
F. Go low tech—use bulletin boards and flyer cubbies at local coffee
shops and music stores, grocery stores, and colleges and universities.
G. Use your networks of college and high school teachers.
H. Give interviews when asked.
1. Be well prepared.
2. Take a schedule, a program description, bios of the poets and
lists of their publications, copies of a few poems, and notes, and
be prepared to leave these with the reporter or interviewer.
3. For in-person interviews, dress neatly.
4. For television interviews, dress carefully, as yourself, with these
provisos:
a. Avoid showing too much skin.
b. Make sure you can walk, stand, and sit comfortably without
revealing more than you mean to.
c. Use a light touch with makeup.
d. Remember, the focus is the program, not you.
5. If you’re inexperienced, get friends to do practice interviews
with you. Trust them.
THE THING ITSELF
Now that negotiations and scheduling are out of the way, you will begin
planning the actual logistics of the event. Toolkit member Elizabeth Allen
rightly points out that by this time, if you’ve done your planning well, all
you need to do is show up and open the door.
She’s kidding, of course. You also want to be a competent, friendly, and
charming host. And you will need to troubleshoot, constantly.
Arrival
When you arrive at the venue, check in with your hosts so they know
you’re there and ready to help if needed. If the poet arrives with you—or
whenever he does arrive—introduce him to key people (another good reason
to leave a little slack in the schedule). These would include your generous
hosts, whoever is introducing the poet if this person isn’t you, key
people from your organization, your bookseller, anyone from cosponsoring
or supporting organizations, and, if there’s still time and you’re dining after
the event, the people with whom the poet will be eating. Make sure there