The Nomad Poet
Showcase Interviews Ken Waldman
Otherwise known as “Alaska’s Fiddling Poet,” novelist/poet/fiddler Ken Waldman has made a career of creative pursuits, whether performing at musical festivals, giving readings, or appearing as a visiting artist at over 250 schools in 35 states and leading workshops from Alaska to California to Maine. We asked him recently what he does – and how.
Showcase: How do you create and structure a traveling show?
Waldman: In my case, every show has different variables. Am I appearing solo, with one or two accompanists, or a whole band or troupe? What I’ll do varies not only with who I have joining me, but with the community and the venue. But what’s consistent is I’ll combine the Appalachian-style string-band music with the original poetry and storytelling. Some places the emphasis will be more on the music. In others, it’s the poetry, or the Alaska material. My aim is always to keep it fun, inspirational, and surprising.
Showcase: If someone wanted to try this, where might they go for funding?
Waldman: There’s an organization, Poets & Writers, which funds literary events in every California county, www. pw.org/funding/funding_readingsworkshops. Because I combine disciplines, I often work through performing arts organizations. There’s an organization, WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation), which offers more substantial grants. Because I do all kinds of things, I’ve also done ticketed events where I receive a percentage of what comes in at the door.
Showcase: What do you do to ensure publicity in advance and along the way?
Waldman: I do what I can and sometimes jokingly call myself 20th century man. In other words, I’ll reach out to local media, whether newspapers or radio. But I also put information on my website, and will reach out as I can to people and organizations that I think ought to be interested in an event.
Showcase: What about contacts? Where would someone look or go to find them?
Waldman: I not only do research to look up who at a newspaper, or radio station, or college, or library I ought to reach out to, but then I research to learn more about these particular contacts which makes it easier to reach out since I have something specific to say.
Showcase: You survived a serious plane crash. You’ve performed for indigenous children in Alaska who had simply never learned to pay attention to people they hadn’t already met. What did you learn from these experiences?
Waldman: I re-learned what I already knew: a writer’s job is to pay attention. While every experience may lead to a story, these experiences demanded I pay even closer attention in order to do justice to the storytelling. I have a friend who told me, “Ken’s plane crash? Good career move.” What he meant was I always had a story to tell (but I had the responsibility to tell it smartly, and deeply–which is how we’re supposed to tell any good story).
Showcase: Anything we’ve left out?
Waldman: I think we’re good. But there’s www.kenwaldman.com for lots more.