What do you think?
Rate this book
Live for a Living
"Tender, jarring and deeply human, Live For A Living is a book of poetry that is pulsing with the same electricity and honesty found in Buddy's live performances."
- Andrea Gibson; International Poet-Activist
- Andrea Gibson; International Poet-Activist
- GenresPoetry21st Century
140 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
13 people are currently reading
1290 people want to read
About the author
Buddy Wakefield
14 books167 followersBUDDY WAKEFIELD is the two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion featured on NPR, the BBC, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, and most recently signed to Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. In 2004 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Finals thanks to the support of anthropologist and producer Norman Lear then successfully defended that title at the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands against the national champions of seven European countries with works translated into Dutch.
In 2005 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship again and has gone on to share the stage with nearly every notable performance poet in the world in hundreds of venues internationally from The Great Lawn in Central Park and Scotland’s Oran Mor to San Quentin State Penitentiary, House of Blues New Orleans and First Avenue.
In the spring of 2001 Buddy left his position as the executive assistant at a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, WA, sold or gave away everything he owned, moved to the small town of Honda Civic and set out to live for a living, touring North American poetry venues through 2003. He still tours full time and considers annual Revival tours with Derrick Brown and Anis Mojgani, as well as separate tours with Ani DiFranco, to be the highlight of his career thus far.
Born in Shreveport, LA, mostly raised in Baytown, TX, now claiming Seattle, WA as home, Buddy has been a busker in Amsterdam, a lumberjack in Norway, a street vendor in Spain, a team leader in Singapore, a re-delivery boy, a candy maker, a street sweeper, a bartender, a maid, a construction worker, a bull rider, a triathlete and a sucker for anything unfolding. And for peanut butter. And hygiene. Wakefield is a writer, the elated son of a guitar repair woman, wingman of Giant Saint Everything, and remembers Kirkwood, NY. Sanborn too.
Buddy, a Board of Directors member with Youth Speaks Seattle, is honored to be published internationally in dozens of books with work used to win multiple national collegiate debate and forensics competitions. An author of Write Bloody Publishing, Wakefield is known for delivering raw, rounded, high vibration performances of humor and heart.
In 2005 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship again and has gone on to share the stage with nearly every notable performance poet in the world in hundreds of venues internationally from The Great Lawn in Central Park and Scotland’s Oran Mor to San Quentin State Penitentiary, House of Blues New Orleans and First Avenue.
In the spring of 2001 Buddy left his position as the executive assistant at a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, WA, sold or gave away everything he owned, moved to the small town of Honda Civic and set out to live for a living, touring North American poetry venues through 2003. He still tours full time and considers annual Revival tours with Derrick Brown and Anis Mojgani, as well as separate tours with Ani DiFranco, to be the highlight of his career thus far.
Born in Shreveport, LA, mostly raised in Baytown, TX, now claiming Seattle, WA as home, Buddy has been a busker in Amsterdam, a lumberjack in Norway, a street vendor in Spain, a team leader in Singapore, a re-delivery boy, a candy maker, a street sweeper, a bartender, a maid, a construction worker, a bull rider, a triathlete and a sucker for anything unfolding. And for peanut butter. And hygiene. Wakefield is a writer, the elated son of a guitar repair woman, wingman of Giant Saint Everything, and remembers Kirkwood, NY. Sanborn too.
Buddy, a Board of Directors member with Youth Speaks Seattle, is honored to be published internationally in dozens of books with work used to win multiple national collegiate debate and forensics competitions. An author of Write Bloody Publishing, Wakefield is known for delivering raw, rounded, high vibration performances of humor and heart.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 18, 2010
An unconventional, raw, and powerful collection from one of my favorite modern poets. For being primarily a performance poet (memorizes his work, reads theatrically), his poems work surprisingly well on the page. He uses rather obscure language a lot of the time, a lot of combined metaphors and even words, which yield to close reading. "Gospelstitch" and "Human The Death Dance" (as well as it's follow up, "The Art of Die Smilingly") are probably my favorites of his. The book is also laced with journal entries, which really balance out the tone by letting you into his non-poetic mind and showing him to be a genuine, funny, and engaging person. Both the journal entires and the poems have this common theme of the search for healing, of trying to start again, and of helping others back from the brink of their own despair, things that take a lot of skill to put across in an artful, non-melodramatic way. Buddy does it like beathing, and for that I can only commend and love him as a poet and a person, even though I've never met him. Please, punch his name into YouTube and watch the above-mentioned poems performed by him; he takes them to a whole different level.
December 4, 2013
Enjoyable read with some great insight to Buddy's own life and though process between poems. Although I enjoyed it, I really do believe his poetry comes off more powerful when performed. This is the case with most "performance" poets, I find. Not to detract from the words found here. You're just missing that extra dimension when you read it.
January 21, 2018
Wakefield's other book of poetry, Gentleman Practice, is a better poetry book. Most of this book was diary entries, rather than poetry. These are clearly performance pieces and lose a little on the page, especially the group pieces.
My appraisal stands on the second reading, but as an added note, I re-read it because I got a copy of the book from my daughter's boyfriend for Christmas last year. What it showed me is that there are outer-textual elements that can strongly impact a reading of a book. He recommended the book to me as the most influential poetry book from his recently completed college years. Given just that information, I realized that in many ways this is a young man's book with the Buddhist philosophy and phrasing. Even my first read was well into my dotage, so probably why I missed the whole Siddhartha-ean subtext, since as you get older even the Buddhist monks can make you jaded.
My appraisal stands on the second reading, but as an added note, I re-read it because I got a copy of the book from my daughter's boyfriend for Christmas last year. What it showed me is that there are outer-textual elements that can strongly impact a reading of a book. He recommended the book to me as the most influential poetry book from his recently completed college years. Given just that information, I realized that in many ways this is a young man's book with the Buddhist philosophy and phrasing. Even my first read was well into my dotage, so probably why I missed the whole Siddhartha-ean subtext, since as you get older even the Buddhist monks can make you jaded.
February 24, 2010
“One of my heroes, Buddy Wakefield.”
- Ani DiFranco, punk folk legend
“Monster of energy, Keeper of Hope...”
- Benjamin Morse, EasyReader
“I could not have enjoyed his work more.”
-Norman Lear, Producer (Princess Bride, Stand
By Me, The Jefferson’s)
“Tender, jarring and deeply human, Live For A Living
is a book of poetry that is pulsing with the same
electricity and honesty found in Buddy’s live
performances.”
- Andrea Gibson; International Poet-Activist
“If you’ve never been rocked back by the
presence of purpose, then these poems, too
soon for you.”
August 21, 2017
Performance poetry that does nothing on paper. I've never seen Buddy perform anything, so the poems might not even be good regardless of their medium.
April 22, 2024
“And when the words break too much glass inside me I run when I pray.
I run when I pray on trails watching the branches blur to the sun’s Holy Sanskrit.
I carry your forests in my heart.
Your fields are on my back.
I have not fit your ocean into my chest
yet
but I have fit its sound.
Like trees,
like lightning,
our prayers come from the ground up.”
- Gospelstitch
I saw Buddy Wakefield with Ani Difranco almost 20 years ago and his poetry still hits the soft places in my soul. He makes me brainchuckle and heartsob all at once.
I run when I pray on trails watching the branches blur to the sun’s Holy Sanskrit.
I carry your forests in my heart.
Your fields are on my back.
I have not fit your ocean into my chest
yet
but I have fit its sound.
Like trees,
like lightning,
our prayers come from the ground up.”
- Gospelstitch
I saw Buddy Wakefield with Ani Difranco almost 20 years ago and his poetry still hits the soft places in my soul. He makes me brainchuckle and heartsob all at once.
October 22, 2019
I loved this book. I already loved some of these poems in it for many years, since hearing them performed. Reading this book strung them together like pearls on a beautiful necklace. Thank you for your work, your writing, your life, Buddy Wakefield.
PS I think the journal entries help hold the intensity and ferocity of these spoken word pieces. Structure, Brilliant :)
PS I think the journal entries help hold the intensity and ferocity of these spoken word pieces. Structure, Brilliant :)
August 6, 2019
Poems are really great, journal entries are ok. It's the first poetry book I have ever read, was an amazing experience. Not sure if this is the best book to get into poetry, but I recommend to anyone who is interested in serious poetry.
September 1, 2018
‘The hard-working lovers of life / will hang your sign from the deepest edge / of the Grandest Canyon / where you will wait until dawn / for stillness/ and the low / down / fog.’
October 29, 2019
Wonderful!
August 7, 2023
surprisingly charming and thought-provoking poetry
Want to read
June 5, 2025Cutting is for Gandhi’s Autobiography
By Buddy Wakefield
Another cutting is for My Town
By Buddy Wakefield
By Buddy Wakefield
Another cutting is for My Town
By Buddy Wakefield
April 14, 2010
This is an excellent collection of Buddy Wakefield's poems and his thought processes that lead into his poetic work. My favorite poem is "Gandhi's Autobiography." He prefaces this poem with an anecdote from his life and the sentiment of feeling like the work a writer does is never good enough. But you can't sit down and expect to create a masterpiece every time. The idea is you are writing, and eventually that will lead you to something great. Action is better than inaction. Plus, regardless of its importance or greatness, it is expression. That is priceless. The poem itself is about humility. It is about recognizing your imperfections, your demand for other people. We can't all be Gandhi, but it is a source for inspiration even if you never get there. The truth is, recognizing that you are imperfect is what creates the best, most honest works of art.
Wakefield also has an excellent love poem in this book: "Giant Saint Everything." Again this poem is about imperfections. We say forever, but can we ever really promise that? We never know what is coming next. We never want to hurt each other, but pain is an inevitable part of love and life. The important message here about love: We may not always have each other, but we will always have our memories. No one can take those away.
My other favorite poem is "The Art of Die Smilingly." I see this poem as a commentary on the human desire to be remembered, and if you haven't done anything to be remembered by, then die with a big bang. But there is something more important than this selfish desire for fame, the love that is pulling you back to earth, the love of your family. He presents these images beautifully with a flashy neon sign and a rocketing jet pack on death day. With this line he changes the poem from a show, to a feeling: "willing to bet that if you just cool your jets long enough to drop the rocket act maybe you'll feel the glory in why everything keeps pulling on you relentless, towing you all the way back home." While you are up on your high horse, looking for glory and fame and escape from responsibilities, something always brings you back. There is something to be said of the simple glory of being an important person in your loved one's life. You will always be that to them if you are true to yourself and don't become blinded by selfish endeavors. There is beauty in the little things. People appreciate more that you helped them to cook dinner than bought them a personal chef. Love is about the little things. Love is about humility and recognizing that you will never be good enough, you will never be perfect, but the people who really love you will love you anyway.
Wakefield also has an excellent love poem in this book: "Giant Saint Everything." Again this poem is about imperfections. We say forever, but can we ever really promise that? We never know what is coming next. We never want to hurt each other, but pain is an inevitable part of love and life. The important message here about love: We may not always have each other, but we will always have our memories. No one can take those away.
My other favorite poem is "The Art of Die Smilingly." I see this poem as a commentary on the human desire to be remembered, and if you haven't done anything to be remembered by, then die with a big bang. But there is something more important than this selfish desire for fame, the love that is pulling you back to earth, the love of your family. He presents these images beautifully with a flashy neon sign and a rocketing jet pack on death day. With this line he changes the poem from a show, to a feeling: "willing to bet that if you just cool your jets long enough to drop the rocket act maybe you'll feel the glory in why everything keeps pulling on you relentless, towing you all the way back home." While you are up on your high horse, looking for glory and fame and escape from responsibilities, something always brings you back. There is something to be said of the simple glory of being an important person in your loved one's life. You will always be that to them if you are true to yourself and don't become blinded by selfish endeavors. There is beauty in the little things. People appreciate more that you helped them to cook dinner than bought them a personal chef. Love is about the little things. Love is about humility and recognizing that you will never be good enough, you will never be perfect, but the people who really love you will love you anyway.
May 27, 2015
Some nuances may have been lost by reading this rather than listening to Buddy Wakefield perform the poems. He has a way of growling at the right moments, of stepping back from the words when they need space, of improvising some humor when the words get too heavy for the room to hold. But either way, the poems still resonate on a personal level. Buddy speaks directly to each person reading and listening in such a way that you might feel a part of the poems. If all you want is to feel that personal connection with the poems, this book is worth it.
But if you want more, he even includes unadulterated journal entries. These at some points illuminate poems by giving context and Buddy's disposition around the time he wrote some poems. His storytelling style is so casual he might as well be sitting on your couch.
But sometimes, the journal entries--despite him saying that he wants to avoid it--sound like a grocery list of things that happened throughout his day. At these moments, the sentences becomes elementary in the most literal sense, and the information is anecdotal at best. These are the minorities of the journal entries, though, so don't take this criticism as a reason to not buy Live for a Living.
But if you want more, he even includes unadulterated journal entries. These at some points illuminate poems by giving context and Buddy's disposition around the time he wrote some poems. His storytelling style is so casual he might as well be sitting on your couch.
But sometimes, the journal entries--despite him saying that he wants to avoid it--sound like a grocery list of things that happened throughout his day. At these moments, the sentences becomes elementary in the most literal sense, and the information is anecdotal at best. These are the minorities of the journal entries, though, so don't take this criticism as a reason to not buy Live for a Living.
October 6, 2015
Buddy Wakefield has fast become my favourite writer. He has a turn of phrase that's both witty and profound, and a way of exploring painful or awkward topics that finds beauty in the ugliness.
'Live For A Living' is a blend of poetry and personal stories, a way to explore the poetry and the worlds in which the poems were created. For those with vivid memories of the boredom of poetry class, this is not your traditional poetry. This is poetry with bite; it's all the things that poetry should be, and a lot of the things we never get a chance to see in school. Buddy Wakefield should be the go-to poet for anyone who dislikes the art form. If he can't make you rethink your poetry prejudice, nothing will.
Wakefield is a spoken word poet, which means that it's easy enough to find audio of the works on YouTube. I'd suggest buying the albums, though, because they're glorious.
'Live For A Living' is a blend of poetry and personal stories, a way to explore the poetry and the worlds in which the poems were created. For those with vivid memories of the boredom of poetry class, this is not your traditional poetry. This is poetry with bite; it's all the things that poetry should be, and a lot of the things we never get a chance to see in school. Buddy Wakefield should be the go-to poet for anyone who dislikes the art form. If he can't make you rethink your poetry prejudice, nothing will.
Wakefield is a spoken word poet, which means that it's easy enough to find audio of the works on YouTube. I'd suggest buying the albums, though, because they're glorious.
January 20, 2015
My favourite poem in this book is When The Train Came.
I can't stop reading it, and like the caption before you read the book;
"It doesn't speak or move or invade or deny or convince. It just is, like air. Exactly like air."
I needed this book. It helped me breathe and I will forever keep it with me. To ease my pain, and breathe.
The best parts in the previously mentioned poem in my opinion is following;
''They say laughter is the best medicine
so I wrapped my arms up in swing set chains
just to see if I still have funny bones
I do.
They are aching now
like a foot
lost to a trap.
I've paid for these legs with my mother.
And though it is good to be here with you tonight
I'm still running.''
I can't stop reading it, and like the caption before you read the book;
"It doesn't speak or move or invade or deny or convince. It just is, like air. Exactly like air."
I needed this book. It helped me breathe and I will forever keep it with me. To ease my pain, and breathe.
The best parts in the previously mentioned poem in my opinion is following;
''They say laughter is the best medicine
so I wrapped my arms up in swing set chains
just to see if I still have funny bones
I do.
They are aching now
like a foot
lost to a trap.
I've paid for these legs with my mother.
And though it is good to be here with you tonight
I'm still running.''
December 26, 2014
I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 only because I am reviewing it after having read Wakefield's newest book, "Gentlemen Practice." Don't let that dissuade you from checking this one out. It is filled with Wakefield's ever inventive voice, and the poems virtually force you to read them out loud for friends. Many of my favorite performance pieces appear in this book, and they stand up as well on page as they do on stage. "Live for a Living" is an exciting move from Wakefield, leaps and bounds better than his first collection. It establishes, once and for all, that Wakefield is more than a wide-eyed bard. He's a poet, and a damn fine one at that.
July 28, 2011
I meet Buddy Wakefield October 2011, crossing him off my "Top People I need to Meet in my Lifetime List". What he does with words is so incredibly complex that I read and listen to his words over and over just to feel alive with him. Living for A Living is so brilliant. He is a true poet with all the courage of the world to spill his heart on the page and walk away stronger. "Sometimes I miss you so badly, I beg for the plane to crash for just enough time in the free fall to call out your name."
May 18, 2013
I have read this over & over again & I fall in love with it more each time. Buddy is my favorite poet and is someone I admire as a writer & poet. I would recommend this collection to anyone and everyone because it is something I feel everyone should read at least once. Some of my absolute favorite poems are from this collection. My favorite poem is "The Information Man". & im very fond of "Healing Herman Hesse". Other favorites that I would recommend are "My Town", "Giant Saint Everything", " When The Train Came", "Human The Death Dance", & "The Art of Die Smilingly". Read this book.
April 10, 2008
amazingamazingamazing!
i saw buddy wakefield read (or, recite rather) and couldn't get him out of my head for days, which in turn sparked a poem that i've been working on for about a month...
anyways--i would reccomend this book to anyone, just keep in mind that it's spoken word poetry...
wakefield is a genius, the kind you have to see for yourself...ummmmm
my favorite poem from this book would have to be "Gandhi's Autobiography"--it's subliminal...
yep.
i saw buddy wakefield read (or, recite rather) and couldn't get him out of my head for days, which in turn sparked a poem that i've been working on for about a month...
anyways--i would reccomend this book to anyone, just keep in mind that it's spoken word poetry...
wakefield is a genius, the kind you have to see for yourself...ummmmm
my favorite poem from this book would have to be "Gandhi's Autobiography"--it's subliminal...
yep.
July 18, 2016
There is no substitute for seeing Buddy Wakefield perform live. However, the book is still excellent because it includes journal entries and a few explanations about his poems. I'm pretty sure this is one I'll read again and again.
If you ever get a chance to see him live I highly recommend it.
If you ever get a chance to see him live I highly recommend it.
August 21, 2013
This is brutally beautiful.
So are we.
This is endless.
So are we.
We can heal this.
See me for who I am. We got work to do.
This is a wonderful collection of poems and journal entries from my personal favorite poet. His words can strike a chord with anyone. I highly recommend. It's a pretty quick read but it will reverberate with you for long after you read it.
So are we.
This is endless.
So are we.
We can heal this.
See me for who I am. We got work to do.
This is a wonderful collection of poems and journal entries from my personal favorite poet. His words can strike a chord with anyone. I highly recommend. It's a pretty quick read but it will reverberate with you for long after you read it.
December 24, 2008
Buddy Wakefield's poetry constantly blows my mind with its honesty. Buddy strikes me as a guy who is always on the watch, always looking for those scraps of meaning. As someone who also does this, I appreciate and love Buddy.
February 19, 2010
I found Buddy on youtube looking up clips of spoken word poetry and ended up buying this book in a bundle with his newest CD, Live at the Typer Cannon Grand. His writing's every bit as lovely on the page, just honest and beautiful.
March 1, 2012
Buddy Wakefield has the most powerful presence of any poet touring the great us of a. this translates beautifully to the page. you will be shook, slapped and revived all in one stanza. an absolutely essential read for anyone. buddy is of my top five poets.
July 10, 2014
Buddy Wakefield's poetry is a hollered "Amen!" without the hellfire fear. He writes two-fistedly, if fists were made of hearts. He's an EMT for language, wielding his shock paddles in love "this'll hurt us more than it'll hurt either of us, but we'll be ok. Hang on."
July 31, 2014
Powerful full of intrigue & comfort. I carry this book in my bag & find moments where I need to be brought back.... I sit & center myself & read.
I saw Buddy perform live & it was what I needed, his spoken word... Phenomenal
I saw Buddy perform live & it was what I needed, his spoken word... Phenomenal
June 17, 2008
Buddy Wakefield is a phenomenal performance poet with many International Individual Poetry awards to his name. This book captures the energy and feel behind his work as you would expect.
November 14, 2008
I find myself carrying this book around with me, reading the poems over and over. Buddy's poems are very earthy, funny, real and entertaining. Buddy's writing really resonates with me.
December 19, 2010
why are you reading this review instead of buying this book?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews