Location, Location, Location

If you're going to work outside the proverbial box, and be brave enough to give a poetry reading at a women's clothing retail shop, with a 35% off the merchandise incentive, as Aretha would say, "Don't fight the feeling."  Take my advice: no amount of mini-candy on the poetry table will suffice.  No book arrangement in the shape of a horseshoe will suffice.  No floral display in a lovely, large glass carafe will garner any attention.  Heed this: position your poet-table at the cash register counter. Hawk your wares from that position.  Advantages: avid audience, finally single-minded in purpose; no yelling over the piped-in store music; no competing with the hanger-swishing noises across the racks and racks of clothing.  Did I mention the now-finally avid audience?  Other upside: already have the candy for Halloween handouts!