Not only did her relatives respond with increased attention, so did the literary world. Dove, whose poetry books have received extremely favorable reviews, was amazed at the press reaction her book of short stories generated. For the first time, we were getting letters from reviewers requesting review copies, and lots of mail from readers. Frank MacShane thinks that the general public simply doesn't read verse. Most readings are held on campuses.
Poetry is in the ivory tower.
Fiction, on the other hand, is out in the world. The pull of fiction and its potential audiences is strong for poets. I had published two volumes of poetry to critical acclaim, and received recognition and awards, but it was clear to me that poetry was not the language of the land. Even writers with more modest ambitions may turn to fiction because they want to reach a wider audience . There are too many poets, and the poetry world is too obscure and regional.