Poets: Consider yourself very lucky if you come upon a poet—they are an endangered species! Poets can be divided into two types: those over fifty years of age, and those under thirty-two. There are no poets in between thirty-two and fifty because they have gone out and gotten jobs.
Poet or Memoirist?
Poets of the first type tend to be disheveled—they might be wearing one or more articles of clothing inside out. They will probably be carrying a satchel and drinking green tea from a thermos. Do not try to wash the thermos for them. The smell provides great comfort.
Poets of the second type are almost exclusively male. Because of their fondness for flannel outerwear, they are often mistaken for lumberjacks. Poets are not lumberjacks! Poets signal a willingness to mate by donning spectator shoes on their feet—this is true for both male and female poets. If they do not want to mate, or have already mated, they will be wearing hiking shoes. Poets require a significant amount of alcohol and/or beer at all times.
From the Tin House blog, “A Field Guide to AWP.”
