For his second career, he built poetry festival
Miles Coon’s six-day literary fest in Delray is in its 12th year, and bigger than ever.
After a career in law and business, Miles Coon did not measure out his retired life in coffee spoons or 9-irons: He created a poetry festival.
Now in its 12th year, the Palm Beach Poetry Festival on Jan. 18-23 will feature luminaries including former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass.
Coon, 77, proudly calls it a “worldclass, life-enriching series of events for our listening audiences.”
Hass gives a gala reading Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. at Delray Beach’s Crest Theatre. For tickets and information, visit palmbeachpoetryfestival.org or call 561-243-7922, Ext. 1.
Scheduled events during the six days include a talk affixing an analytical beam on a classic Wallace Stevens poem, “The Emperor of Ice Cream.” Stevens, an insurance executive for The Hartford, stood astride the realms of business and poetry himself.
Coon spent many years helping oversee a family business called Red Wing Products, involving the manufacture of plastic garment hangers.
These days his energies are devoted to the festival. He says it attracts participants from 26 states, Canada and Ireland and has “grown to become one of the finest and largest all-poetry events in America.” feature 14 poets, nine who will teach workshops; a special guest poet who will be interviewed and will give a reading; two performance poets who will perform at the festival’s closing night as well as at four high schools during festival week; and three additional poets who provide individual conferences for workshop participants. The festival has grown to become one of the finest and largest all-poetry events in America; workshop participants will come from 26 states, Canada and Ireland to study with the faculty.
First paying job and what you learned from it: My first paying job was working as a “page” in the public library where I returned books to the shelves. I learned the Dewey Decimal System; how books about everything under the sun had been written and how happy and excited people were to read them; and I learned how much work it took to put a little extra money in my pocket when I was in junior high school.
First break in the business: The festival got its first break when Billy Collins, Thomas Lux, Sharon Olds and Patricia Smith, four of America’s greatest poets, agreed to appear at the first festival. Without their having taken a chance on us, the festival wouldn’t have gotten off the ground.
Best business book you ever read: “Testing Sentences that Sell,” by Elmer Wheeler.
Best piece of business advice you ever received: From Wheeler’s book: “Don’t sell the steak — sell the sizzle.” It’s one of the fifirst things a new marketer or copywriter learns. Sell benefifits and deeper benefifits. Your prospect couldn’t care less about the product.
What you tell young people about your business: I began as a lawyer, fifirst with the government as a trial lawyer, then as a partner in a small fifirm. After that I went into business with my father where I worked for 30 years. And then, after going back to school in my 60s, I started the festival. Whether as a lawyer, a businessman, or as a manager of a nonprofifit company, I would say of any “business,” deliver what you promise and never promise what you cannot deliver. I would say that goes for the business of life as well.
What you see ahead for Palm Beach County: Many challenges, such
Where we can fifind you when you are not at the offiffice: I have a home offiffice, so you can fifind me at home.
Favorite smartphone app: The Writers’ Almanac
The most important trait you look for when hiring: A fast learner, who is a team player and is well-spoken.