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 Saturday, October 17, 2009
2009 November PAD Chapbook Challenge
Posted by Robert
That's right! We're still getting April sorted out, but the 2nd annual November PAD Chapbook Challenge is just around the corner. Every day in November, I'll post a prompt and poem. If you want, you can join in the fun, too.
At the end of November, each poet should have 30 (or more) poem rough drafts. During the month of December, you can edit, revise and organize a manuscript of 10-20 pages of poetry (no more than one poem per page) that you'll submit by January 2, 2010.
Then, Tammy and I will go through the manuscripts and select a winner, which will be announced on February 2--along with a handful of honorable mentions.
I'm not sure what the prizes involved with the challenge may or may not be, but it's more about the challenge of writing a poem a day in November and getting a chapbook manuscript together. I know I'm getting excited thinking about it.
More details will be on the way, but I just want everyone to start preparing and getting psyched up for the challenge now!
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Prompts | November PAD Chapbook Challenge 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009 12:05:39 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
2009 April PAD Challenge Update!
Posted by Robert
As we get ever closer to announcing the completionists and Top 50 poems of the 2009 April PAD Challenge, I wanted to at least share some great news about one honor that's been officially decided: Marie-Elizabeth Mali has been named the 2009 Poetic Asides Poet Laureate!
Not only did Marie-Elizabeth help screen poems for two days of the challenge (and volunteered to do even more), but she also made the first cut of many other screening judges. So, she's not only a great friend and help to the poetry community, but she also has excellent writing skills.
This year's challenge produced some truly amazing work. As my wife Tammy can verify, there were days where I had to cut 20 or more great poems down to five. And these are early drafts--so the talent of this group just continually amazes me!
More April PAD Challenge updates are coming soonish, but in the meantime, please congratulate Marie-Elizabeth on her wonderful accomplishment.
I'm not going to share her poems just yet on the blog--just to try and keep her poems anonymous for any guest judges who read this blog, but you can hunt for some on the blog by viewing the Poetry Challenge 2009 category posts.
*****
In the meantime, do you have any nominations for other award categories, including who you think is most deserving of the award?
Personal Updates | Poetry Challenge 2009 | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 5:02:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 05, 2009
Poetry Tuesdays on Twitter!
Posted by Robert
Let's start assembling on Tuesdays at Twitter to discuss poetry. I'll probably roll onto the site around 10 or so in the morning ATL time, but y'all can get started before or after that.
If you're not a follower on Twitter, find me at @robertleebrewer.
If you don't have a Twitter account, it's free and only takes a minute or so.
We'll use the hashtag, #poettues on all of our Tweets. That means, you can use the search box on the right-hand side of the page to search on "poettues" to see the conversation as it's happening.
I figure we'll try this out throughout October. If it catches on, we'll continue doing Poetry Tuesdays every week into infinity. If it doesn't, we'll always have October of 2009.
*****
Looking for more poetry-related information?
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets | Poets Helping Poets
Monday, October 05, 2009 9:36:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 059
Posted by Robert
(Sorry for the late prompt today. The day job has required a lot of my immediate attention--like 14 hours yesterday and another 9 already today--so I'll go out on a limb and predict that the Poetry Workshop will not happen tomorrow and possibly not even next week. However, I do have some great news: We received copies of Tammy's 2nd chapbook today, No Glass Allowed, published by Amanda Oaks at verve bath press.)
For today's poem, I want you to write a mistake poem. That is, I want you to write a poem about a mistake you've made, someone else has made, or even what can happen (or has happened) as a result of a mistake. How do mistakes affect people? The environment? Etc.? There are a lot of ways you can attack this prompt.
Here's my attempt for the day:
"Albuquerque"
He should've taken a left he tells her,
and she smiles. She didn't expect to find
him or this coffee shop today. "I was
just following my feet," she says, "and they
led me here." "Where are they headed next,"
he asks. "That's a pretty personal question,
mister," she says. "I had a destination,"
he says, "but it's not important now. I'm
sure my friends will understand." She
smiles, he thinks, like a model. "Anyway,
I have no plans the rest of the day."
She says, "I guess that makes two of us."
*****
Looking for more poetry-related information?
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Prompts | Poets
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:47:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Promoting Poetry-Related Stuff
Posted by Robert
While I love being able to offer all the free and valuable content on Poetic Asides, I'm also not ashamed of the fact that I have to sell stuff to keep working as an editor. I've been working for nearly 10 years on Writer's Market and other writing titles, and I jumped at the opportunity to edit Poet's Market last year. After months of hard work, the 2010 Poet's Market is now ready for consumption.
It includes all the listings for magazines, book publishers, contests, conferences, and more that you'd expect from Poet's Market, but I'm also proud of the amazing articles in this edition. From well-known slam poet Taylor Mali giving poetry reading advice to an article on poetry translations, I really feel the 2010 Poet's Market has significantly raised the bar as far as editorial content. (In fact, I've got my work cut out for me to figure out how I can top myself for 2011.)
Oh yeah, each copy of the 2010 Poet's Market also includes an activation code that provides access to the poetry listings on WritersMarket.com for a full year (from when you sign up).
Anyway, the book is now available at a great discounted price on our WritersDigestShop.com site. With a cover price of $29.99, you can get it off the site for only $19.79. And it's brand-spanking-new. Can't beat that.
Check it out at: http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/2010-poets-market/
Since I don't communicate with the promotions people too often, I'm not sure if that price is permanent or temporary--so it's probably best to order as soon as you can before they come up with some new pricing strategy.
*****
And earlier this year, I led a very successful online seminar for poets titled: Get Your Poetry Published. Many people asked if we'd be offering up a recorded version of the seminar, and I'm happy to say that we're offering that now as well.
In this seminar, I explain how to identify appropriate markets; avoid mistakes many poets make when they submit their writing that can garner an immediate rejection (before the editor even reads any of the poems); write good cover letters; and I give tips on how to track your submissions.
If you're interested in learning more about this recorded seminar (or even if you just want to see a staff headshot taken of me from earlier this year), go to: http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/get-your-poetry-published-download/
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poet's Market updates
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 5:55:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Interview with poet Kathryn Stripling Byer
Posted by Robert
Kathryn Stripling Byer is the former poet laureate of North Carolina. She has published five poetry collections, most recently Coming to Rest (Louisiana State University Press). She's also one of those rare poets who have a business card.
Coming to Rest is a great collection--even has two Halloween poems. Here's one of my favorites:
Coastal Plain
The only clouds
forming are crow clouds,
the only shade, oaks
bound together in a tangle of oak
limbs that signal the wind
coming, if there is any wind
stroking the flat
fields, the flat
swatch of corn.
Far as anyone's eye can see, corn's
dying under the sky
that repeats itself either as sky
or as water
that won't remain water
for long on the highway: its shimmer
is merely the shimmer
of one more illusion that yields
to our crossing as we ourselves yield
to our lives, to the roots
of our landscape. Pull up the roots
and what do we see but the night
soil of dream, the night
soil of what we call
home. Home that calls
and calls
and calls.
*****
What are you up to?
Just now I've been reading online Eavan Boland's essay in the May issue of Poetry, finding her description of the two contradictory ways of being a poet extremely helpful. With my term as North Carolina's first woman Poet Laureate coming to a close, I've felt the pull of the private grow stronger and stronger, even as I never doubted the importance of the position I held as Laureate. It's rejuvenating to find an essay giving voice to what's been milling around inside my own head, giving it context, both literary and historical, so that I can say, "Yes, I understand the lay of the land a lot better now." The two seemingly antithetical "types" exist in most of us, I think, and I know they do inside me. One minute, get me out of here, then the next, what can I do to bring more North Carolina poets to public notice?
Having finished Boland's essay, I'm now worrying about the tomato plants in our garden. Two of them aren't thriving and one of the heirlooms is being nibbled by something. Rabbit? Raccoon? This afternoon I will hope to get back to some of my own work, print it out, scribble on the pages for a while. I've a new manuscript I'm hoping to place, Descent, which takes me back to the landscape of the deep South from which I came. And what must be dozens of notebooks scattered all over the house containing drafts of poems, essays and stories--I have to track them down! I'm hopelessly disorganized.
You were the poet laureate of North Carolina from 2003 to 2009. What were your responsibilities as North Carolina's poet laureate?
I was told at the outset that I could write my own job description. Well, with Fred Chappell as your predecessor, that's not going to be easy. Fred set quite a high standard, and I knew I was going to have to work hard to meet it. Mostly I wanted to help make poetry accessible in as many ways I could, whether to other poets (we have so many in our state!) or to readers, students, teachers, anyone at all who cared to listen to me on my soapbox.
Right away the Literature Director of the NC Arts Council, Debbie McGill, and I began a web page on the Council site devoted to NC writers, with a poet of the week, new books section, and news. Finally we had to give up the week by week poet; it was a lot of work to keep that going. We moved to a Poets of the Month, and finally to a quarterly web page. I decided to set up my own laureate blog to facilitate what the Council was trying to do, especially now with the budget freeze in place.
So, what else did I do? I wrote occasional poems for libraries, events, really, all sorts of requests. One, even, for someone's 60th birthday! I visited classrooms, gave a lot of readings, answered a lot of e-mails, and wrote a lot of blurbs. I'd say my job description was "always available." I was always trying to track down new voices to share with an audience. Although the council can't afford to search for and select a new laureate till state finances improve, they've asked me to continue the blog, which I'm happy to do. Working on it gives me a lot of satisfaction.
How important do you feel community is for poets?
So many of us, of a certain generation anyway, have embedded in our imaginations the image of the solitary poet, the Romantic standing alone on the summit, brooding over the world below and its connection with the world inside. At the same time, we know that poets need each other, just as they always have, maybe now more than ever, and they need to feel that they are part of their own communities, where they become involved in the cultural and political life of that community. I've tried myself to become involved in various issues important to me locally—the new library, for instance, writing a poem for the groundbreaking, letters to the paper and so forth. The moratorium on new development in our county drew me into writing guest editorials as well as poems.
We are lucky to have a local weekly that cares about such things. The larger newspapers are turning away from their literary pages, even their guest editorials. I know the internet is picking up a lot of the slack. Blogs. Facebook. Twitter. I've just joined Facebook after keeping my distance for a good while. I was warned by a friend, "You will be falling into a black hole." So far I'm still ok, and I'm discovering that I can post news there about my latest laureate features and other literary matters of interest to me. The definition of "community" is changing, no doubt about that, and I still prefer face to face community, but I'll use what I can to make the case for poetry.
North Carolina may be the best state in which to live if you are a writer. The NC Writers Network was begun nearly 30 years ago, and it has worked hard to bring real literary community to the state, a state that for so long had its regions strictly marked—mountain (where writers got little notice), Piedmont (Mecca, as we used to call it) and eastern/coastal, as isolated as the mountains. Now, thanks to NCWN and umbrella organizations like Netwest, among others, I can say that the whole state is Mecca. It didn't happen overnight. It took years of ground-breaking by good people, like Debbie McGill of the Arts Council, Marsha Warren and her stalwarts at NCWN, and all the local folks who came together to form their own literary organizations. Writers need each other and they need to feel a connection with their readers and future readers. It's fine to stand on a mountain-top and brood—I've done that myself--but we have to come back down again and live in our communities. Let our voices be heard.
In Coming to Rest, location factors into several poems. How important do you feel location is to a poet?
I firmly believe a poet has to feel located somewhere, in some physical place where light falls on the ground, the earth grumbles and sings, the leaves fall, the sewage stinks, and so forth. "You have to be from somewhere before you can write about anywhere else," as Fred Chappell, our resident genius, once said. Or as Flannery O'Conner said, "Our limitations are our gateways to reality." My gateway literally squeaked, rusty and old, there was pig-stink all around, my people were hard-scrabble farmers, but it was a way into my first poems. And from there, I could go anywhere. Anywhere!
You work in relationships with your daughter and husband in first person narrative poems. Where do you draw the line between reality and fiction?
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to draw the line. I let the poem itself guide me. The poems drawing in daughter and husband in Coming to Rest were different in that personal inclusion. So many of my earlier poems had been "persona poems," where I could work out any inner narratives through a fictional character--the mountain woman named Alma, for example, or the aging Evelyn. James Dickey's famous statement, "Poetry lies in order to tell the truth," seems apt here, as does Richard Hugo's, "You owe reality nothing, your emotions everything." What I mean is, you fictionalize, you improvise when you come up against what you can't or can't yet say or may never want to say outright. Yes, let's don't forget Dickinson's, "Tell the truth but tell it slant." There are ways of getting around reality into a poetic reality. The poem itself has seemed to draw the line for me when I am paying adequate attention to language and craft. The reality in a poem is, finally, language and how it is used.
How do you handle the submissions process?
Right now I'm not submitting much at all, though I'm happy to oblige if an editor asks me to submit some work. Otherwise I'm dealing with the day-to-day business of being wife, mother, daughter, laureate, friend, and as you see, at the bottom of the list, poet. But can't poet be intertwined with all of the above?
I used to be diligent about the submissions process, keeping records, reading Poets & Writers faithfully, but I came to find the process taking up so much energy—what to send where and when, then the irritation (that's putting it mildly) of rejections, the envy of seeing friends with poems in magazines that had rejected my work, and so on. It began to be tiresome. I'm ready to try again, though, with the new work I've done over the past few months. I've been in P0-biz for 40 years. I still get a thrill from having poems accepted, and I still get pretty testy when they are rejected. I don't want to think of myself as over and done with. I simply won't, and that's all there is to it.
Why do you write poetry?
It's the best way I know to sing with the world. And because I couldn't be Renee Fleming or Emmy Lou Harris. Or Nina Simone.
Who are you currently reading?
Stacked at my bedside are books by Mahmoud Darwish, Tomas Transtromer, Zbigniew Herbert, Sandor Kanyadi, Chitra Divakaruni, Marie Ponsot, Adam Zagajewski, and Nazim Hikmet. I pick up one of them on any given night. Chitra's novels, of course, I read straight through, but I enjoy going back to favorite passages. I'm especially fond of her The Vine of Desire and the novel that comes before it, Sister of My Heart. I'm staying away from most American poetry at the moment, but not NC poetry. You can read my laureate blog to see that I'm keeping up with that.
If you could share only one piece of advice with other poets, what would it be?
I'll have to go with what Maxine Kumin told me years ago, "You have to be stubborn to make it as a poet." That advice was for a young poet struggling to see her first book published, but I think it still stands. By "making it," I now mean keeping it going, growing, digging in your heels and saying, "Here I am." We are a youth obsessed culture, including our literary culture. But women of a certain age like me must keep on keeping on. Living in the South, being thought "regional" by the literary powers-that-be doesn't help. But it doesn't hurt, if you pay them no mind.
It may seem paradoxical that to keep moving, you dig in your heels and stand your ground, but poetry can deal with those paradoxes. All of art can.
*****
* Check out Kathryn's North Carolina Poet Laureate blog at: http://ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com/
* Check out Kathryn's personal blog at: http://kathrynstriplingbyer.blogspot.com/
* Learn more about Coming to Rest and LSU Press at: http://www.lsu.edu/lsupress
*****
If you're a poet or publisher interested in an interview on this blog, click here to find out how we might be able to make that happen.
Poet Interviews | Poetry Craft Tips | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 12:24:27 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Interview with Poet Emma Trelles
Posted by Robert
Emma Trelles is the author of Little Spells (GOSS183 press). She's a Pushcart Prize nominee for poetry and an arts and culture journalist. Her work has been published nearly everywhere, including OCHO, Gulf Stream, Newsday, and the Miami Herald. She also teaches creative writing at the Art Center of South Florida and the Florida Center for the Literary Arts.
Little Spells is a fun chapbook, and here's one of my favorite poems:
Gua-Gua
Could be the cry of a dog
or a cartoon baby's mouth
open to a pink cave of tonsils,
the squiggle lines of an animator's pen
bursting from his bald head.
Guaaaaa-Guaaaaa
the blank drone you hear when
you dial out of the Casa Bella in Oaxaca,
or the bleat of dusty buses charging
streets alongside wagons dragged by mares.
In Mexico, it's boooos,
the slurred song of a beer-heavy ghost,
or the love charm Frida sang that lured
men and monkeys from the tamarind trees.
In Miami, Cuba, it's gua-gua,
the "W" sound of water brushed into a dream,
the war between why and wait.
Gua-gua,
the clipped cry from an imperfect memory,
a wish to travel in reverse to an island
shaped like a boomerang.
You can fling it as far as 90 miles and still
feel its edge in your hands.
*****
What are you currently up to?
I'm writing and revising poems for my full length collection, tentatively titled Tropicalia. I should be ready to start sending it out this fall and I'm looking forward to releasing it into the world. I'm also preparing to read in a few weeks at the Palabra Pura series at the Guild Literary Complex in Chicago. Besides that, I've been sending out poems, freelancing art and book stories, teaching creative nonfiction and savoring the rain that's made every garden and lawn in South Florida a blazing green.
How has working as a journalist informed your poetry writing efforts?
I've worked as a full-time journalist since I finished my M.F.A., and writing on deadline for so many years really helped me shape my voice as a poet. In grad school, I was always trying on the diction of others--Sylvia Plath and Campbell McGrath come to mind--because I couldn't quite figure out how to sound like myself and also approach language as art. Writing consistently, even in a completely different genre, helped me discover my own poetic tongue. Journalism has also led me to fodder for poems. Some of the poems in Little Spells, for example, were drafted while on assignment (such as "Gua-Gua" and "Billy Bragg Rescues Us at the F.T.A.A. Protest") and covering visual art has also made me think more deeply about how color and form are used in verse.
You teach creative writing; does that influence your writing?
Definitely. Just last week I was babbling on about how important it is to immerse yourself in a writing project, how accumulating artifacts around your desk or in your notebook is vital to creating. I cited a Diane Arbus print that hangs over my desk as an example: I often consider the photograph--a circus woman & sword swallower--as a metaphor for gender and writing. I watched while one of the writers in the group took notes, and I realized that I was not doing enough of this very immersion.
I'm working on a book; why am I not surrounding myself more with its themes? Where is my own physical shrine to its images and intent? I shared my discovery with the class, and it was a great example of how teaching teaches. You are constantly clarifying process, and your own is illuminated.
How important is location to your writing?
Thus far I've used place as a kind of bedrock for my work. I suppose that's, in part, because I've lived in Florida all my life, and I believe that staying in one place gives a writer, or any artist, the chance to peel away the cliches, the superfluous, the gauze and busyness that keeps us so often from seeing the heart of a thing.
Proust said that the real voyage of discovery exists not in having new landscapes but in having new eyes. I love that quote. Whenever I read it, I remember to burrow into a setting: the shoreline, the kitchen, the causeway serried with cars. I keep looking and writing and and trying to re-imagine it. A poem is a tiny compass that should point you to somewhere.
As a guest editor of MiPOesias (March 2008), did you gain any insight into your own writing?
It made me think about my place in the tradition of Cuban-American writers, which the issue featured, and also how that tradition is mutating as first and second generation poets move farther into this country's culture. There was a time when Cuban American poets wrote mostly about exile and loss through the lens of lament. Now I see these themes explored through speculation, surrealism, urban living or even humor. I can't wait to see what the third wave of writers will offer.
What do you feel makes a great poem?
The best words in their best order! That's Coleridge, of course, but I'll add the ubiquitous "heightened language" and "original thinking" because I think they bear repeating.
Ultimately, what I think makes a great poem is the same as what makes any work of art a stunner--the concurrent feelings of recognition and astonishing discovery.
Who are you currently reading?
Mostly poets. I'm a few pages short of finishing Mark Doty's Fire to Fire. I'm also reading The Light at the Edge of Everything, by Lisa Zimmerman; The Neighborhoods of My Past Sorrow, by Jesse Millner; Hoops, by Major Jackson; and The Life of the Skies, a nonfiction book about people and birds by Jonathan Rosen.
If you could offer up only one piece of advice to your fellow poets, what would it be?
Cultivate your own voice and your instincts. Tend to your work.
*****
* To learn more about Emma's publisher GOSS183, go to www.mipoesias.com
*****
If you're a poet or publisher interested in the possibility of a Poetic Asides interview, click here to see how you might be able to make that happen.
Poet Interviews | Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:31:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Poetry and Horticulture
Posted by Robert
My buddy Guy Gonzalez has been doing his best to get poetry a place in Horticulture magazine. For instance, take this new contest the magazine is offering until September 1: www.hortmag.com/gardenversecomp
First place gets $250, plus publication in an issue of Horticulture. Second place receives $100 and third place $50.
General | Poetry News
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:45:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
MFA Confidential Contest
Posted by Robert
The folks running Writer's Digest and WritersDigest.com are searching for a student blogger who will be in an MFA program during the 2009-2010 school year. If you're going to be such a student, I'd suggest you try entering the contest as you'll get extra exposure in the writing (and publishing) world with a blog connected to WritersDigest.com. It's a free contest, so what've you got to lose?
Check out the guidelines and other details here: http://www.writersdigest.com/mfacontest
General | Poetry News
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 4:25:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 12, 2009
Interview With Poet Campbell McGrath
Posted by Robert
Campbell McGrath's epic poem Shannon has just been released by Ecco. McGrath is the author of seven previous collections, including Seven Notebooks, Pax Atomica, and Capitalism, and is an award-winning poet. He teaches at Florida International University in Miami, where he is the Philip and Patricia Frost Professor of Creative Writing.
Shannon was a nice breath of fresh air. It's an epic poem and a poem that tells the story of George Shannon, the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The poem is a fictionalized account of what happens to Shannon during a 16-day stretch he was lost from the rest of the group. The poem was a very fun read.
Here's a small excerpt from one of the sections:
This land is grown chastened
& changed somewhat
These past days
Hard traveling. Dust-ridden
Scoured & coarse
Not a tree
On the horizon all day
Only buffalo herds
Unbroken some hours keeping pace.
All these grazing creatures fed upon
The grass of these plains
Is it not strange
To believe that I might feed
A host of nations
Upon my own heart, feeling it swell so?
In a land of plenty
I travel hungry.
In a country of herds
I wander alone.
On a journey of discovery
I am the lost.
*****
What are you up to?
I've got three new books I'm currently working on. One is a collection of poems "about" poetry, many of them addressed to American poets I admire, from Whitman to contemporaries. Another is a collection of lyrical prose poems, a kind of thing I haven't written in a long time. The third is another "historical" project, a book about the 20th Century, comprised of one hundred poems, one per year, each dated and in the voice of a historical figure.
Shannon is a long poem about George Shannon, the youngest member of the Corps of Discovery. How did you come across his story?
I have a poem about Meriwether Lewis in my very first book, CAPITALISM, and while researching that poem, 20 years ago, I first encountered George Shannon, who got lost and wandered alone for 16 days, and I thought--that would make a good long poem. Over the ensuing years, I would occasionally tune in to George Shannon's voice, and take down notes about his time on the prairie, but never knew exactly what to make of them. Then I had a semester off from teaching, three years ago, and sat down to really write his story.
How did you decide to write an epic poem? Also, how long did it take to write from idea to final draft?
Once I really focussed on Shannon, it went surprisingly quickly--I wrote the poem in about six or eight weeks, and then revised it for another year. Because I knew the beginning and end of the story--Shannon gets lost, then he gets found--I only had to create the narrative of those sixteen days alone. It becomes an epic poem in the sense that Shannon represents many things in American history and culture, and speaks to us from a time, two hundred years ago, when America was still creating itself, literally and symbolically.
What was the greatest challenge you found in writing this poem?
Just keeping it going. Getting the narrative to work. It was a kind of novelistic struggle--how do you keep the reader interested? How do you create tension, create a voice for Shannon, create a shape for the poem?
You teach at Florida International University. What is the most common mistake you find younger writers making?
Young writers make all kinds of mistakes, but so do not-so-young writers. I prefer the mistakes of younger writers, because they tend to be mistakes of enthusiasm rather than mistakes of excessive caution.
How do you manage your submissions to publications?
I just send out poems to magazines when I feel I have a bunch of finished poems lying around. Sometimes, I might not really have anything for a year or two--as when my energy went into Shannon, a long poem, which I did not really submit to periodicals. Getting published is like going fishing--some days you catch a fish, some days you don't. It might have to do with the bait you are using, or your technique, or where you are casting your line--but there's a lot of luck involved, too.
Who are you currently reading?
I've been reading novels, biographies and history recently, books about Picasso, Matisse, and Chairman Mao, among others.
If you could share only one piece of advice with other poets, what would it be?
Write more poems. Ignore things you can't control--like getting published--and write as much as you possibly can.
*****
* Check out Campbell McGrath's Wikipedia page (don't usually get to say that, huh?) here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_McGrath
* You can learn more about Ecco at http://www.harpercollins.com.
*****
Also, if you're a poet or publisher interested in a Poetic Asides interview, then click here to see how we might be able to make that happen.
Poet Interviews | Poetry News
Friday, June 12, 2009 4:04:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 08, 2009
Interview With Poet Shaindel Beers
Posted by Robert
Some of you dedicated Poetic Asides readers may recognize Shaindel's name as a person who's commented on the blog and even shared advice in previous Poets Helping Poets posts. She's a Facebook pal and an internationally published poet.
Shaindel is currently an instructor of English at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon, in Eastern Oregon's high desert and serves as Poetry Editor of Contrary (www.contrarymagazine.com). She previously hosted the talk radio poetry show Translated By, which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/onword.
She recently released her first full length collection, A Brief History in Time, through Salt Publishing. Here is one of the poems I enjoyed the most:
A Man Walks Into a Bar
He was tall, well-built, blue-eyed,
a guy most girls would want to take to bed.
Then he reached for the beer with his left hand,
revealing the stump of his right.
We could tell the second he knew that we knew.
We'd smile, but the smile wouldn't travel
all the way to our eyes. He'd turn back to the bar,
fold his arm closer so that we could
no longer see
as we rushed off to sling beers for guys
not as good-looking but more whole,
the ones who leered lecherously,
on "Short-Shorts Night"
and left ten dollar tips for two dollar beers
always expecting more, always bitter when we didn't deliver.
The quiet one, we wounded week after week, a guy
any of us would have considered "out of our league,"
"a long shot," if he had been unbroken,
the sad, blond man we were afraid to love.
*****
What are you up to?
Right now, I am grading tons of papers because it is the final week of classes where I teach. Next week is finals week, then a week break, then I teach summer classes. I've managed to get my summer classes scheduled to just Mondays and Tuesdays for six weeks, so I hope to write and read like crazy during the summer. I have a two-book deal with Salt, so I'm going to keep working on the poems for my second book with them, and I need maybe another three to four short stories to round out a short story collection, so I hope to make that happen. My other fantasy is to write a poem a day, starting with where I fell off the wagon during National Poetry Month and then start on prompts from the previous years.
I noticed a few sestinas and a ghazal in your collection, A Brief History of Time. Do you have a favorite poetic form?
I really like sestinas. There's something comforting and scary at the same time about setting up a Word document or a page in a notebook with those six end words all down the page. The rush of all of the possibilities. I want to get better at villanelles, though. Even though there is a villanelle in my collection, I don't think it's as good as the sestinas. I still need practice. And I want to work on other forms, too. So, yes, I do have a favorite, but I need to work on all of it.
You have a confessional voice in your poems. Where do you draw the line between reality and fiction?
I think John Ciardi said it best when he said, "Poetry lies its way to the truth." Most of A Brief History of Time is autobiographical, but sometimes details are changed for the sake of sound or rhythm or meter or to make something a little more dramatic. For instance, in the title poem, I say that my mother was in jail for two counts of attempted murder, but it was attempted manslaughter. I don't know if anyone's going to pick bones about that.
You're the poetry editor of Contrary. As an editor, what are common mistakes you see writers making in their submissions?
The biggest mistake is people sending in things that just aren't ready. It's like the second they finished writing the first draft, they sent it. Sit with the poem for a while, think about it. Go through and make sure each word is the right word, that each word is necessary.
The second thing that happens is that people leave words out or have typos. And sometimes this happens in the most brilliant works of the most brilliant poets, and it's really painful then, because I ask my co-editor, Jeff McMahon, "Can we ask her if she meant, x, y, z?" and then we're deliberating with a poet, when our instinct should be just to put it in the "no" pile. I really think we are surprisingly nice and patient for editors who get thousands of submissions for each issue. Editors shouldn't have to do that; if you're sending it out, it should be flawless, the best work you can produce. There are thousands and thousands of other writers you're competing against out there.
You host a talk radio show, Translated By. What's the most fulfilling aspect of the show?
Sadly, I don't do the radio show any more. I have a teaching load of five courses a quarter, three quarters a year, and then I teach two six-week summer courses for extra money--so seventeen college courses a year. (And I have two part-time jobs on top of that, so I'm usually working seven days a week.) It was really hard to read a book a week to be properly prepared for the show and be emailing writers and publishers constantly to keep the show booked.
The most fulfilling aspect of the show was learning more about writers all over the world. Despite the outcry that Horace Engdahl caused when he called American literature "too insular," there's a lot to what he said. I loved having to read a book (in translation) by a non-English language writer once a week. I learned so much about writers from other cultures and what is going on or has gone on around the world. It was like a global perspectives or world history course every week.
How do you manage your own submissions process?
It's a lot different than it used to be, and I'm trying to figure it all out. I used to have tons of unpublished works, and I would send out everywhere, and then collect all of my rejection slips and a few acceptances. I still use Allison Joseph's Creative Writers Opportunities list (CRWROPPS) and Duotrope's newsletters. Now, I'm in the strange position of nearly everything I've written having been published, and I really need to get to work at producing more writing. Also, I get contacted a lot by editors and publishers asking if I have work for an upcoming issue or sending me invitations for a themed issue or anthology. This, of course, is a double-edged sword. It's really nice to get first consideration, but it really hurts when you get rejected. There's nothing like getting asked to the prom by the starting quarterback and then being stood up.
Who are you currently reading?
If it weren't a FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) violation, I would type the name of the student on the top of my stack right now. I was "sort of" reading Ellen Gilchrist's Nora Jane: A Life in Stories. My husband and I have a tradition of going to Artifacts, a used book store in Hood River, Oregon, when we go camping and fishing at Deschutes River State Park, and buying books to read in the tent each night. So, I read non-student work then. I really like Ellen Gilchrist and secretly wish I was Nora Jane. I also have a book review that is overdue (please forgive me, Jeff) of C. E. Chaffin's Unexpected Light. I've really admired Chaffin's work in the past, and I can't wait to get into the book after all of this grading is behind me.
Then, I have a giant stack of friends' (a mixture of online and in-person) books to read--Kyle Minor, Christopher Coake, Idra Novey, Kim Barnes, Patricia Smith. Just loads and loads of summer reading to catch up on.
If you could share only one piece of advice with fellow poets, what would it be?
Read and read and read. Read writers you admire; dip into bad writers occasionally to reassure yourself that you're not one. Read poetry, read fiction, read nonfiction about things you'd like to write poetry about. Just read.
*****
* You can try and win a copy of Shaindel's book from Goodreads.com at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6135468.A_Brief_History_of_Time. Winners will be chosen June 29.
* She also invites poets to hunt her down and friend her on Facebook.
* And she has an author site at Red Room as well: www.redroom.com/author/shaindel-rebekah-beers.
* Plus, more info on her book is available at Salt Publishing's website www.saltpublishing.com.
*****
If you're a poet or poetry publisher and want hooked up with a Poetic Asides interview, then click here to see how you might be able to make that happen.
Personal Updates | Poet Interviews | Poetry News
Monday, June 08, 2009 12:24:53 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 01, 2009
Interview With Poet Frank Giampietro
Posted by Robert
I first came across Frank Giampietro's name during an interview with Julianna Baggott last year. Since then, I just kept running into either his name or the title of his collection, Begin Anywhere. Finally, I decided to ask him for an interview (he's a Facebook friend--see the power of social networking?).
One of the things I personally love about this collection is that it constantly surprised me. Every time I thought I was going down a predictable road--one I didn't care to go down--the poem would take interesting side streets to get to our destination, which may or may not have been where I thought we were going originally. Eventually, I quit trying to predict our destination. Instead, I just let myself enjoy the ride.
Here's one of my favorite poems of the collection:
Juice
I'd like to begin with my addiction to heroin,
though I never shot it, I only sniffed it.
(Snorted is so, what? Crass?)
Once after seven years without it, I talked
to an Italian ex-junkie who was still smoking hash.
Because she shot it,
she claimed that she was more addicted to it.
Instead of admitting she was right, I went on
about the purity of American heroin
while she repeated no, no, no emphatically.
I found her sexy in a big-boned
Elizabeth Bishop sort of way.
If I were Elizabeth Bishop,
with my history of addiction,
I would have to write a villanelle
like "One Art,"
but my refrains would be
A1: I shared crack with a pregnant Dominican woman
A2: at the top of a five-flight walk-up on 109th Street in Harlem.
They say you can let the arms
of the repeating lines
wrap themselves around you
for comfort. It's a great form for subjects
that might otherwise be a threat.
I wish I could say that my best poems
are written when I'm afraid. Sometimes
when my four-year-old wakes up, he's afraid.
The first words out of his mouth are
I want some juice. Now I sleep with him,
and I wake up to the request
nearly every day. Honestly, there's no better way
to slip from my dreams. I worry I won't sleep at all
when he kicks me out of his bed.
When I sniffed heroin, whole parts of my body
would go completely numb as I slept.
One morning I woke unable to move either arm,
but after a minute or two, the feeling came back. It's not
that I'm afraid to write about addiction--it's just
that this is nothing like that.
*****
What are you up to?
This summer I'm working on a second book while teaching creative writing to undergraduates here at Florida State University. Otherwise I'm making video poems I call "voems" (very original, right?) and posting them to YouTube. You can see two of them here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Wn_i0PezM.
Your website lafovea.org is rather interesting in how poets become nerves that connect to each other. Could you speak a little about how the site works and what the inspiration was behind the site?
One day after hearing the usual grousing about how nepotistic the publishing world is (an idea that doesn't hold much water, by the way), I had an idea to use nepotism productively, interestingly, as an alternative to publishing in the usual submission rejection sort of way. I thought why not have an internet site that publishes poems by invitation exclusively. And then I thought about how to do that and allow the largest variety of voices to be heard. I envisioned teachers inviting students and students inviting teachers. I also thought and hoped La Fovea might get poets from outside academia too. So I came up with the idea of publishing poetry nerves, nerves all extending from a giant poetry eyeball. I started with twelve poets with very different writing styles, all of whom I know and admire, all of them gathered around the eyeball on the homepage, and had them post two poems. Then they had to invite at least one poet. That poet then invited a poet and so on. We now have over 160 contributors. It's really working well and has been a lot of fun to see grow.
Your poems deal with topics such as being a father and husband. You are both a husband and father in real life. So, where do you draw the line between reality and fiction in your poems?
I guess I don't, in my poems that is. For instance, I have a poem about my son shooting me with an arrow. And knock on wood, he hasn't shot me with an arrow yet. But we have played with a bow and arrow, and he has scared the bejesus out of me a time or two pointing the arrow inadvertently at me or his sister or the cat. That's where I get the poems from, the possibilities for drama in real life rather than the life itself. Life itself is usually dull, as far as I can tell (maybe because I have no "inner resources").
Begin Anywhere is broken into two sections. How did you decide to organize the poems in this collection?
I had a lot of help from my editor at Alice James Books, April Ossamann. She showed me some ways of organizing the book that I just couldn't see on my own.
Your poetry has been published in several literary journals. Do you have a method for handling your submissions?
I send in spurts, usually, and then wait for the rejections to come in. One day recently I got three in the mail at once. I think that might be a record.
When do you know a poem is finished?
After I've sat with it a week or two and shown it to one of my trusty couple of readers and gotten his or her feedback, that's when I know it's ready to send out. Finished is another story. I'm more of a poem abandoner than a finisher. I never feel like my poems are finished.
If you could begin anywhere, where would you begin?
Ha, ha, very funny. I like the 12-step program notion that one can begin one's day over at any time during the day. One can just say okay enough. Let's begin this day again. I do this with my kids sometimes when they are acting up. If things are getting hairy at the dinner table one of us will say "stop, let's start our day over." And then we have a little good morning ritual and then we start again. But even on my own, without the kids, I begin my day over lots of times as a way to keep my head on straight and my attitude and outlook rosy.
Who (or what) are you currently reading?
Right now I'm reading Joel Brouwer's new book "And So." It's really amazing. He's a poetry dude. I'm also reading Anna Karenina on my Kindle iPhone application. I have a house full of books and love paper books just like the next poet, but I have to say it's great reading on my phone because the phone is so much easier to hold than a book. Plus, since I always have my phone, I always have my book and can read while in line at the post office mailing my soon to be rejected submissions.
If you could offer only one piece of advice to fellow poets, what would it be?
Hmmmm, I like to take advice a lot more than give it. If I could take one piece of advice, I would like to be told to be more satisfied with things exactly the way they are. That's what I need to do, how I need to be.
*****
To learn more about Frank Giampietro and his collection, Begin Anywhere, go to his publisher's website at http://www.alicejamesbooks.org/
Also, check out his online literary journal at http://lafovea.org/.
Or read "Death by My Son" featured on Poetry Daily (and the one he references in the interview above) at: http://poems.com/poem.php?date=14198
*****
If you're a poet, editor, publisher, etc., interested in an interview on Poetic Asides, then click here to learn how to possibly make that happen.
Personal Updates | Poet Interviews | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Monday, June 01, 2009 11:53:54 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
Published in Ocho!
Posted by Robert
A poem of mine appeared in the most recent issue of Ocho, which was guest-edited by Atlanta poet Collin Kelley. You can see his post on the issue here: http://collinkelley.blogspot.com/2009/05/twitter-issue-of-ocho-online-now.html
To check out the issue yourself, go to http://issuu.com/didimenendez/docs/ocho24
Apparently, hard copies will be available on Amazon soonish.
This issue of Ocho gathers poems by poets who actively use Twitter. Yes, I fall into that category. If you want to follow me there, my Twitter name is: @robertleebrewer
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, May 28, 2009 9:06:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Get Your Poetry Published!
Posted by Robert
On May 29, I'll be leading an online seminar on how to get your poetry published, including what not to do in your submissions. In the seminar, you'll learn how to submit your poetry (online and off), how to identify and study appropriate markets, how to write cover letters, and more.
As an added bonus, I will be providing feedback on one poem (of 20 lines or less) from each registrant--details included in your confirmation e-mail. So, you can learn how to publish your poetry and receive feedback on a poem for only $99.
But that's not all, my OPM just recently gave me a coupon code that'll take an extra $15 off, which would make it just $84. Just go to https://writersonlineworkshops.webex.com/writersonlineworkshops/j.php?J=683166157.
While there, don't forget to use the following coupon code: g1y3f1gq30
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 2:07:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Get Your Poetry Published!
Posted by Robert
On May 29, I'll be leading an online seminar on how to go about publishing your poetry. After all, it's one thing to write great poetry, but getting it published? That's an entirely different hurdle.
Topics I plan on covering include:
- How to identify appropriate markets for your poetry.
- How to avoid many common submission mistakes.
- How to handle your cover letters, including the tricky bio (even if you have no previous publication credits to mention).
- How to manage your submissions (and avoid upsetting editors).
And I'm sure I'll cover more. The seminar will begin at 1 p.m. (EST) and will last one hour. You can learn more details and register at https://writersonlineworkshops.webex.com/writersonlineworkshops/j.php?J=683166157.
Advice | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 7:44:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Interview With Poet Sage Cohen
Posted by Robert
Sage Cohen is the author of Writer's Digest Books' most recent poetry title, Writing the Life Poetic. She's also the author of Like the Heart, the World (Queen of Wands Press). She's taught poetry at universities, hospitals and writing conferences as well as online. As principal of Sage Communications, Cohen writes the words that connect businesses with the people they want to reach.
Though I admit I'm usually suspicious of self-published titles (Queen of Wands Press is Sage's own press, named after one of the poems in the collection), both Tammy and myself found her collection Like the Heart, the World to be a great read. Here's one of my favorites:
The Irony of the Small Horn
Paul says the Great American Music Hall
should be called The Great European Music Hall.
Its gold flourishes and imperial balcony feel more
like something you'd yearn for from across the ocean.
Nothing is named right in this world.
I don't know what to call Paul's body against mine.
Dancing, maybe, but that's not enough.
It's more like a question before it is born
gathering force among the margins
of what is already known or believed.
Paul has his hand on my stomach where my shirt rides up
and I press into the beat coming through his chest.
My hips rotate with the room. Singular surrenders to plural.
Sweat and smoke and beer and bodies pulse in the darkness.
The music is a fire. Dancing is the flame.
We all depend on each other to burn.
Paul points out the enormous man playing the tiny trumpet.
All the big guys have small horns, we agree.
This poem was supposed to be about that. About the trumpet,
because that was how Paul and I planned it.
But nothing ever turns out the way you think it will.
The music ends, and then it's time to go home.
*****
What are you up to?
National Poetry Month has been great fun over here. I've launched my Writing the Life Poetic book tour by speaking at a few chapters of Willamette Writers and appearing on a variety of writing blogs throughout the month. It's week five of my six-week Poetry for the People online class, and my students have been dazzling me with their dedication and fine poems. My full-time "day job" of marketing communications consultant is clipping right along, and I've been dedicating every scrap of free time to your Poem-A-Day Challenge. Because my son Theo has been waking up every two hours or so throughout the night for the past seven months, I'm in a perpetual sleep-deprivation daze that I've decided to embrace as a poetic state of mind.
Like the Heart, the World is a self-published title. Why did you choose this route of publication?
Before deciding to self publish, I spent about a year sending my manuscript out to publication contests. It placed as finalist or semi-finalist four times, which was exciting. That was enough validation for me...I didn't want to spend any more time waiting for someone to choose my book for publication. I felt a sense of urgency to have that body of work in the world, and to have it look and feel exactly the way I wanted. I've spent years creating marketing communications materials for clients, and I always enjoy the opportunity to design and produce my own pieces. So I hired my favorite illustrator/designer to layout the book and create the cover, and within a few months, had a finished product in my hands.
What do you think is the most rewarding part of self-publishing your collection? What do you consider the most challenging?
It was very empowering deciding that my book was ready to be born, and then making it happen. The poems in Like the Heart, the World span more than 15 years and reflect time periods and thematic cycles in my life that felt complete. With this publication, I feel that they've been well honored, which gives me more breathing room to embrace the poems of this life chapter. There really haven't been any challenges or regrets.
I hope that my experience will remind other poets who feel helpless about the poetry publishing waiting process that they have options. We can decide when our manuscripts are ready to go forth into the world as books, and we can do that however we like...the traditionally prescribed way or our own way.
You've taught poetry at universities, hospitals, and writing conferences. What's the most common question you receive? What's your answer?
While the questions take many different forms, what people studying poetry seem to universally need is permission to write poems--and encouragement about their capacity to do so. I see my role as a mirror...I reflect back to my students what is powerful and true in what they are doing so they can have more fun and be more successful doing it.
Why should a poet buy a copy of Writing the Life Poetic?
The craft of poetry has been well documented in a variety of books that offer a valuable service to serious writers striving to become competent poets. Now it’s time for a poetry book that does more than lecture from the front of the classroom. Writing the Life Poetic was written to be a contagiously fun adventure in writing. Through an entertaining mix of insights, exercises, expert guidance and encouragement, I hope to get readers excited about the possibilities of poetry––and engaged in a creative practice. Leonard Cohen says: "Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash." My goal is that Writing the Life Poetic be the flame fueling the life well lived.
Practicing poets, aspiring poets, and teachers of writing in a variety of settings can use Writing the Life Poetic to write, read, and enjoy poems. Both practical and inspirational, it will leave readers with a greater appreciation for the poetry they read and a greater sense of possibility for the poetry they write.
Like the Heart, the World is broken into three sections (New York, San Francisco, and Portland). How important is location to your writing?
I wouldn't say that location is important to my writing, per se, but that the writing processes that I chose in each of the cities I lived seemed to yield a kind of poetry that resonated with that particular place. In New York, I walked everywhere and carried a small, handheld tape recorder where I whispered my little slivers of street-sightings and trash tracings. Then I'd transcribe these observations into the computer later and write from there. In San Francisco, I had a regular rhythm of freewriting (in longhand, in notebooks) in cafes, often while listening to live acoustic music. These days, I have somewhat of a hybrid of my previous two practices. I carry 3x5" index cards everywhere and write down everything that comes—usually while hiking in a rainforest or taking a bath. As a result, the New York poems often echo urban alienation and are laced with street grit. The San Francisco poems are often thematically and craft-wise a little looser and more musical and the Portland poems feel to me watery and deeply green.
Do you have a favorite poetic form?
I'm fascinated by haiku. This form represents to me the quintessential art of compression that poetry asks of us: to reveal a panoramic truth in a thin, velum layer of words.
Who are you currently reading?
Tess Gallagher, Paulann Petersen, Mari L'Esperance, Jack Gilbert, Jericho Brown, Jay Leeming.
If you could pass on only one piece of advice to your fellow poets, what would it be?
Welcome what comes. The poems choosing you are the ones that need to be written. Don't judge them or worry if they're "important" enough. Your poems will teach you who you are as a poet and a person. Just follow the golden thread and let them write you.
*****
If you wish to learn more about Sage Cohen, check out her website at www.sagesaidso.com.
Or you can stop by her blog at www.writingthelifepoetic.typepad.com.
*****
Are you a poet or poetry publisher interested in seeing yourself (or your authors) interviewed here on Poetic Asides? Well, figure out how to get the ball rolling on that by clicking here.
*****
Looking for more poetry information?
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Check out our poetry titles (on sale in the month of April) HERE. -
Read the most recent WritersDigest.com poetry-related articles HERE. -
View several poetic forms HERE. -
See where poetry is happening HERE.
Personal Updates | Poet Interviews | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 5:09:52 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
Good times!
Posted by Robert
I just finished having a great time on J.P. Dancing Bear's "Out of Our Minds" poetry show on KKUP Cupertina. It was a lot fun--mostly because Bear has a real laid back approach to handling the show.
We discussed the April PAD Challenge, the Poetic Asides blog, Poet's Market, poetry submission worst practices, the importance of poet perseverance, and so much more. Bear was even kind enough to let me read 10 of my poems during the show.
If anyone was able to catch the show, I'd love to hear what you thought.
In the meantime, I'll leave you with this previously unpublished poem, which I read during the show:
Watching Godzilla with my sons and trying to write
The story is written on the cave walls:
Ben asks why humans have so many wars
as Jonah stabs him with a plastic sword.
The make believe is over now: Turn off
the lights and buy insurance for your space
ship. If I had superpowers, I would
not create a Clark Kent identity.
Secrets always lead to super villains.
Jonah stuffs his Batman utility
belt down the back of his pants to become
Godzilla and roars, "I will never die."
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Thursday, April 09, 2009 6:15:59 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 06, 2009
Fundamentals of Poetry Writing Workshop
Posted by Robert
General | Poetry News
Monday, April 06, 2009 4:15:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Poetry Writing Titles on Sale Through April
Posted by Robert
Our eCommerce Marketing Manager just let me know this morning that all our poetry-related Writer's Digest Books will be on sale through the month of April. All our poetry writing books will be marked down at least 20% during the month (no offer code needed) and orders that exceed $25 get free U.S. shipping (sorry non-U.S. poets).
If you're interested in checking them out, just go to: http://www.writersdigestshop.com/category/poetry
General | Poetry News | Poet's Market updates
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 4:17:14 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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April PAD Challenge 2009: Rules & Blah-blah-blah
Posted by Robert
I'm so excited (and I just can't hide it)--tomorrow is when April begins, which means tomorrow is when the Poetic Asides April PAD Challenge begins! (Oh yeah!)
Last night, I gathered some rules and answers to some frequently asked questions. Here they are:
The low down on the April PAD Challenge:
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The Challenge starts with the Day 1 prompt on April 1, 2009, and ends at midnight (EST) on April 30, 2009.
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To be eligible for the eBook, poems must be posted in the Comments for the correct prompt. (So, if you’re writing a poem for a prompt on rainy day poems, you need to paste your rainy day poem in the comments for that prompt.)
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Each poem entered with the appropriate prompt will be eligible for the eBook; it doesn’t matter if you participate on one day, 10 days, or all 30 days. The eBook is completely separate of the completion certificate and badge.
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You must post a poem for all 30 prompts to receive the completion certificate and badge.
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Please do not email poems to me. This includes sending them to me through social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. It's not that I don't like hearing from you (because I love communicating with y'all), but poems that aren't posted directly to the blog won't count for the challenge or the eBook. I just know I won't have the time this April to sort them all out.
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During the month of April, you can fall behind and catch up at any point for both the eBook and the completion certificate and badge; that is, until midnight (EST) on April 30, 2009.
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To be eligible for the 2009 Poetic Asides Poet Laureate honor, you must participate throughout the month. (No payment for this post, but also no concrete responsibilities.)
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I advise that you save a copy of your poem somewhere other than on the blog. While it doesn’t happen frequently, there have been times when the blog has dropped Comments; so please be safer than sorrier.
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Participation is free.
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No special registration is required; just show up and post a poem for the appropriate prompt. (I’ll go through and figure it out later on.)
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Poets keep copyright to their work—even if selected for the eBook.
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Poems should be previously unpublished and written during the month of April 2009; that’s kind of the point of the whole thing, you know.
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There will be "Two for Tuesday" prompts on Tuesdays again this year. You only have to do one of the prompts, though I know some of you are overachievers and will write poems for both.
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Unfortunately, I won't be able to highlight poems during the month of April (as I at least partially did last year), because I'm going to be super busy this month with getting Writer's Market and Poet's Market together.
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However, I encourage everyone to give shout outs to fellow poets who write poems you particularly like. It not only helps that particular poet feel good, but I think it benefits everyone.
Judging for the eBook will work this way:
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On May 1, I (and possibly my wife Tammy) will begin narrowing down the April poems to 5 finalists for each day.
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Then sometime around the middle of May, we’ll give our list of Top 5’s to the guest judges.
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Then, the guest judges will pick their favorite poem for their specific day.
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Then, I’ll look at the remaining 120 poems and pick my favorite 20 of those.
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This will result in 50 poems making it into the eBook, which will hopefully be ready for FREE distribution sometime during the summer.
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Remember: Judging is very subjective and making it into the eBook is meant to be an extra bonus. Don't get upset or worry that you're not writing good stuff if your poems don't make it in the eBook.
How to add a poem to the Comments:
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Click on the Comments link for the particular day’s post (you can practice with this post).
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Scroll to bottom of the page and enter your name and email (so that I can contact you, if needed).
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Paste your poem into the Comments box.
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Enter the code shown.
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Click Save Comment.
(Note: Always check to make sure your poem posted; sometimes, you need to enter the code a few times before your comment posts.)
Hopefully, this covers most of the bases. I'll add any revisions if I've forgotten to address a question or two.
I can't wait to see y'all tomorrow morning!
General | Personal Updates | Poetry Challenge 2009 | Poetry News | Poetry Prompts
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 12:38:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
Children's poetry in April!
Posted by Robert
Gregory K. Pincus wanted to share the following announcement from his blog about April: http://gottabook.blogspot.com/2009/03/announcing-30-poets30-days.html
Basically, he's going to post a previously unpublished poem by a different children's poet each day in April, including poets like Jack Prelutsky, Jane Yolen, Nikki Giovanni, and many more.
Should be fun reading for all ages!
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, March 26, 2009 3:28:11 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, March 20, 2009
Announcing the Guest Judges for the April PAD Challenge eBook!
Posted by Robert
So I'm excited that some of our April PAD Challenge participants will have a chance to be featured in a well-designed eBook. The purpose of this project is not to exclude participants but to shine light on some of the very good poetry that happens on this blog in April. If you were here last year, you know what I mean.
Well, here's how the April PAD Challenge eBook is going to work. I'm going to make the deadline for consideration at midnight on April 30 (whether you're posting a poem to Day 1, Day 30, or sometime between). At that point, I'm going to go through each day (possibly with the help of my amazingly awesome wife and poet, Tammy) and select a Top 5 for each day.
(Note: As you know, a Top 5 in poetry is very, very subjective. And if this year is anything like last year, there is bound to be a ton of great poems each and every day. So please don't have any bruised feelings if you're not in this group.)
So, I choose a Top 5 each day. 5 poems per day X 30 days = 150 poems, right? But only the Top 50 poems during the month will appear in the eBook. And this is how we'll narrow it down:
* I'll be passing a group of Top 5 poems for each day to a guest judge (list below). That guest judge will pick a favorite from the Top 5 list to be the top of the day. So that'll take care of 30 of the 50 poems.
* I'll then pick out 20 from the 120 remaining poems. That'll get us to 50 poems.
Last year, more than 400 poets submitted more than 4,000 poems. So I definitely want y'all to know just how exceptional these 50 poems poems will be. And that those who are selected should feel proud, and those who aren't should feel just as good about themselves.
Apart from making it into the eBook, all those who complete the April PAD Challenge this year should receive a certificate of completion and badge for their websites/blogs (as we did last year). Plus, you should be able to make plenty of new friends (as we did last year).
So, here's the very distinguished list of judges (who are all volunteering their time and effort to the cause for free):
* Seth Abramson
* Sandra Beasley
* Shaindel Beers
* Mary Biddinger
* Jericho Brown
* Edward Byrne
* Sage Cohen
* J.P. Dancing Bear
* Jim Daniels
* Mark Doty
* Annie Finch
* Nick Flynn
* Jeannine Hall Gailey
* Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
* Vince Gotera
* S.A. Griffin
* Tom C. Hunley
* Collin Kelley
* Amy King
* Dorianne Laux
* Alex Lemon
* Reb Livingston
* Diane Lockward
* Marilyn Nelson
* Aimee Nezhukumatathil
* Chad Prevost
* Don Share
* Martha Silano
* Patricia Smith
* Anne Tardos
If I were running a literary journal, I would be overwhelmed with joy to have these fine poets published within my pages. To have them volunteering their time to help us out here is a great honor. (And if you want to learn more about them, just click on their names above.)
I won't be revealing which days they're going to judge (even to the judges themselves) until after the April 30 midnight deadline. I have several reasons for this--not least among them that I want poets to focus on writing a poem-a-day in April (as opposed to writing only on particular days). Hey, I'll be writing every day; you should, too, right?
Anyway, I'm super excited, and I hope you are as well.
Personal Updates | Poetry Challenge 2009 | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, March 20, 2009 7:59:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
AWP Update & More!
Posted by Robert
Poetry Challenge 2008 | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Sunday, February 15, 2009 1:46:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Posted by Robert
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
*****
Jacqueline Cartier, media relations with NPR, shared the following link with me earlier this week: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100619363
It's a poetry slam for Valentine's Day! Check out the link to hear some cool poems.
*****
The Poetry Foundation lists more than 1,200 love poems here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/tool.poem.cat.2.1.html?id=7
If you need a Valentine's Day idea, you can always e-mail a favorite poem from this link to that extra special person.
*****
Here's another Valentine's Day idea: Why not write a love poem for the one you love? I did so last Valentine's Day, and now I'm married to her. To check out that poem, go here: http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/Will+You+Be+My+Valentine.aspx
I'm not saying you'll get married if you write a love poem, but it doesn't hurt, eh?
Since I'm a man of routines, here's my Valentine's Day poem for this year:
You
-For Tammy Brewer
found me in airports. You found me
in bookstores. You found me on the
streets of Manhattan. I made you
mix CDs. We listened as we
drove to Yellow Springs, to Helen.
We fell in love as we wandered
along nature trails and city
streets--both walking at the same pace,
letting the others run past us.
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Saturday, February 14, 2009 2:39:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, February 13, 2009
AWP Update!
Posted by Robert
Grisel Y. Acosta sent over this link to her blog on how AWP is going for her: http://writetoright.blogspot.com/2009/02/chicago-and-awp-or-when-writers-gather.html
*****
Earlier in the week, Jane Friedman shared this post about AWP: http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/Headed+To+AWP+In+Chicago.aspx
Since I'm part of the Writer's Digest community, I oughta direct people to the Writer's Digest booth, huh? It sounds like there will be some great deals there.
*****
Found this cool account from Don Share on The Best American Poetry blog: http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/2009/02/the-things-they-carried-at-awp-don-share.html
*****
Also, a poem of mine appears in Barn Owl Review #2, which is debuting at AWP: http://wordcage.blogspot.com/2009/02/hello-beautiful-stranger.html
So, check that out if you're up that way.
*****
Jesse Loren shared this account:
It is Friday morning. Yesterday I went to Memory of Wounds, with Laura Madeline Wiseman, Joy Castro, Karen McElmurray, Kelly Grey Carlisle, Lucy Ferriss, and Carrie Anne Tocci. Carrie Anne Tocci was most amazing with her writings about memory, wholeness and the body.
I also attended Multiformalism Postmodern Poetics of Form with Annie Finch, Hank Lazer, Susan Schultz, and K. Silero Mohammad. It got hot in there. There were well versed audience members and heated discussions about form. It should have continued in a bar or elsewhere. I left for a bit, saw the ice sculptures in the park, went to a wine tasting, then to a reading with Bill Lavender. It was in a house in Chicago, but more like a Bohemian temple; completely dreamlike.
*****
If anyone else has an update, let me know at robert.brewer@fwmedia.com. Maybe next year, I can report directly from the event.
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, February 13, 2009 2:17:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 09, 2009
Are you attending AWP in Chicago?
Posted by Robert
If you are, then would you be willing to share your experiences with the rest of the Poetic Asides audience who are not able to attend (or who cannot sit in on every event--because, let's face it, there are soooooo many of them)?
If you're interested, just email updates at any time between 2/11 and 2/15 (the day after the event is over) to robert.brewer@fwmedia.com with the subject line of "AWP Update".
Please include your name so that you can get full credit for sharing the information. (If you have a website or blog, please include a URL with your name as well.)
Examples of things you could report on include:
- Cool sessions you attend.
- Great deals happening at publisher booths.
- Parties you might be attending (or hosting).
- Anything else that's going on or that strikes you.
Since this is a "first" for Poetic Asides, I'm not sure how well this will work (if at all), but I think it would be neat for those who have not experienced AWP or who won't be able to experience this year or who will be attending different sessions, parties, etc.
Depending upon participation, I'll try making frequent updates.
General | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, February 09, 2009 4:53:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 02, 2009
Winner of the Poetic Asides Chapbook Challenge!
Posted by Robert
First, it's Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil (of PA) and Buckeye Chuck (of OH) have seen their shadows and forecast 6 more weeks of winter. General Beauregard Lee (of GA) did not, however, forecasting only 4 more weeks of winter. Of course, I find that funny, because as an Ohio transplant, I'm still waiting for winter to hit Georgia; so, how can there be 4 more weeks of it?
*****
Anyway, I know you're not reading this blog post to hear the state of Groundhog Day 2009; you want to know who won the first annual Poetic Asides Chapbook Challenge! (Woo-hoo!)
In November, many poets took part in this blog's November PAD Chapbook Challenge, in which I challenged poets to write a poem-a-day through the month of November around a specific theme. Then, I gave the poets all of December to revise and edit their material and put together a chapbook to be submitted by the beginning of January.
More than 50 submissions were received. My wife, Tammy, and I went through them and selected a winner and 3 honorable mentions. There were some great submissions, but we both knew and agreed upon the winner without any squabbling.
Here are the Honorable Mentions:
* "Pacing the Moon," by Sandy Green
* "One Boy, How Many Square Miles," by Taylor Graham
* "Hooks and Slaughterhouses," by Alana I. Capria
And the winner of the first ever Poetic Asides Chapbook Challenge is:
"Change," by Shann Palmer
Congratulations, Shann!
Her manuscript was one that Tammy and I both loved and agreed was the best separately. That is rare in a competition with so many good submissions, but I think it points to the great writing Shann was able to gather.
Also, it should be mentioned that she cut the manuscript down to its bare essentials. It was one of the shorter manuscripts at only 11 poems and pages long.
Hopefully, we can arrange to have Shann explain her manuscript in a future post. In the meantime, let me share one of the poems Tammy and I both enjoyed very much:
Adaptation
After all the laundry is done-
round edges folded to the right,
the soaps stacked, the tissue
turned and tucked, she can go
to the next room to begin again;
blinds open just below the latch,
vase to the left, books by the lamp-
so little time, so much disarray.
Don't suggest she see a doctor,
she doesn't wash her hands raw
or alphabetize the soup cans, she has
discovered order is its own reward,
his suits hug the closet, with those
magazines, those dirty magazines.
*****
Again, Shann, congratulations!
November PAD Chapbook Challenge | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, February 02, 2009 3:36:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 30, 2009
Free Writing Contest!
Posted by Robert
Here's a free writing contest: http://www.writersdigest.com/redheartblackheart
The basic concept behind this free writing contest is that you can write a poem, essay, or letter that either celebrates love or tears love down. Here are the categories:
* Love Poem
* Black-Hearted Love Poem
* Love Letter
* Rejection Letter (as in rejected love letter)
* Essay on Love at First Sight
* Essay on Lost Love
The deadline is February 6--so this sounds like a good weekend project.
The prize is a $250 shopping spree to the Writer's Digest online store, in addition to several other very cool benefits.
To check out all the details, go to http://www.writersdigest.com/redheartblackheart
And have a great weekend! On Monday (Groundhog Day), I'll be sharing the results of the November PAD Chapbook Challenge. (Even the winner has no idea who he or she is.)
General | November PAD Chapbook Challenge | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Friday, January 30, 2009 5:59:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 23, 2009
Horticulture Accepting Gardening Poems
Posted by Robert
I don't usually highlight single magazines that are accepting poems, but I'm going to make an exception in this case, because it's the only F+W Media magazine (of which I'm aware) that is accepting poetry at the moment, Horticulture.
Here's the press release from Guy Gonzalez:
Open Call for Submissions
Horticulture, the oldest and most respected magazine for avid gardeners in North America, is pleased to announce the addition of poetry to its editorial features. Cave Canem fellow (and fellow gardener) Michelle Courtney Berry's "What I Learned in the Garden" has been chosen as the debut poem, to appear in the April 2009 issue and online at Hortmag.com.
"For over 100 years, Horticulture has been dedicated to celebrating the passion of avid, influential gardeners, and there is an even longer history of poetry inspired by flowers and gardens -- from William Blake to Louise Glück, and so many great poets between them," explained publisher and editorial director, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez. "Adding garden verse to our editorial mix is simply another way to celebrate and encourage a real passion for gardening."
Horticulture is accepting submissions on a rolling basis, and is seeking poetry about, related to, or in honor of gardeners and gardening: traditional forms and free verse, the meditative lyric and the "light" or comic poem, the work of the famous and the work of the unknown. Our one limitation is length; we are unable to publish very long poems, and our limit is 42 lines.
Submissions should be sent as an email attachment (.DOC or .RTF only) per the guidelines posted at http://www.hortmag.com/submissions/
For more information on Horticulture, visit Hortmag.com.
Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Friday, January 23, 2009 2:58:19 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
It figures...
Posted by Robert
...on a day when I speak of trying to rid abstraction from your poetry that Elizabeth Alexander's poem for the inauguration of Barack Obama would rely on abstraction. I'm not trying to say the poem was bad, because it moved me. It just figures is all--and it helps show that even the best and most basic rules of poetry can be broken depending upon your audience and occasion.
You can find text of the inaugural poem, "Praise Song for the Day," here: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/barack-obamas-inaugural-poem-praise-song-day-full-text
It took me a while to find a copy this afternoon, but there it is.
I loved the ending (which was about as abstract as you can get): "praise song for walking forward in that light."
"That light" is mentioned earlier in the poem as "Love that casts a widening pool of light."
This poem may not work for everyone, but, for me, it achieved the goal of every inauguration day, which is to bring everyone together in a peaceful transition of power from one president to the next.
Also, the timing of the poem being read was very nice. Alexander read her poem directly after Obama gave his inauguration speech.
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 7:00:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 09, 2009
The reanimation of dead poets
Posted by Robert
For something kinda cool and really freaky, check out this piece from the NY Times blogs: http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/dead-poets-animated-society/
Apparently, an animator by the name of Jim Clark has taken old photos of poets, such as Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, and brought them to life so that it appears the poets are reciting some of their best known poems.
General | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, January 09, 2009 6:36:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 18, 2008
Poet to speak at presidential inauguration
Posted by Robert
(Tammy has once again shown why she's so cool. Today, she forwarded me the link to this little piece of news.)
Apparently, Barack Obama will be only the third president to invite a poet to speak at his inauguration--the other two presidents being Bill Clinton (1993 and 1997) and John F. Kennedy (1961). Obama has chosen Elizabeth Alexander.
Alexander will be the fourth poet to speak at a presidential inauguration, following up Miller Williams (1997), Maya Angelou (1993) and Robert Frost (1961). While people can agree or disagree with Obama's politics, I think everyone can appreciate Obama giving a nod to the importance and influence of poetry on the day of his inauguration.
Here's the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/dec/18/obama-inauguration-alexander-poetry
*****
Also, for those interested in learning more about Alexander, including reading some of her poems, here is a link to her website: http://www.elizabethalexander.net/home.html.
The site includes poems, interviews, audio, events, and more.
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, December 18, 2008 7:40:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 24, 2008
NaNoWriMo for Poets? PAD Challenge for November?
Posted by Robert
Okay, we're getting closer to November, which for some writers of fiction means it's getting closer to NaNoWriMo time. (Btw, NaNoWriMo translates into National Novel Writing Month.) There are would be novelists lining up to attempt writing 50,000 words or more during the month of November. There's even a NaNoWriMo website you can visit to check out this phenomenon at www.nanowrimo.org.
Anyway, that's all fine and good for those who write fiction. But what are the poets who don't write fiction supposed to do during November? After all, their fiction writing pals are all busy cramming 50,000 words into their laptops and hard drives.
I'm thinking it might be a neat idea to try writing a poem a day in November with the view of trying to have the makings of a chapbook heading into December. If there's enough interest, I would challenge myself and others to write a poem-a-day (as we did in April). I'll provide a prompt-a-day as well to try and help get the poetic juices flowing each day, but you can decide to follow or ignore the prompt as you see fit. After all, our main goal would be to have 30ish poems at the end of the month that you can then try turning into a chapbook submission (or heck, I guess you could self-publish, if that's the route you want to take).
I can tell you now that I won't have the time to highlight poems (as I did in April). But if there's enough interest, I will definitely work to do the prompt and poem each day. So, if you're interested in taking part in such a challenge with me, please let me know in the comments below this post.
General | Personal Updates | Poetry Challenge 2008 | Poetry News | Poetry Prompts | Poets
Friday, October 24, 2008 5:22:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Saturday, October 11, 2008
Where is poetry happening? Part II
Posted by Robert
On September 22, I posted about a few sites that have poetry calendars in some prominent areas--mainly as a result of looking for events in my new home of Atlanta, Georgia. And many poets chimed in with other sites, in addition to my very, very short list.
Collected together, here are those for the U.S.:
Here are ones from outside the States:
Also, Poets & Writers also has a great literary events calendar at http://pw.org/calendar/ns
*****
I'd like to thank Pearl, Danna Jae, Paige, Margaret B, Margaret Fieland, Lori, Nancy Posey, Bruce Niedt, Anthony, Fiona, Michelle H, Chris, Ashraf Osman, and anyone else I might've forgotten.
*****
If you'd like to add any other areas, add them in the comments, and maybe there'll be a part III eventually.
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets | Poets Helping Poets
Saturday, October 11, 2008 4:33:38 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 06, 2008
ForGodot.com ruffles poetic feathers
Posted by Robert
Wow! This is a busy day for the blog. How many posts am I going to make today anyway?
This post was inspired by a developing story brought to me by my wife Tammy. First, she found this post on Atlanta poet Collin Kelley's Modern Confessional blog: http://collinkelley.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-poem-at-forgodotcom.html.
It talks about an online "anthology" that is "publishing" poems by poets who are online from Jorie Graham to, well, Collin Kelley. Even some of my friends, such as Luc Simonic and Pris Campbell, are in this mega-nthology. There's only one catch: None of the poems were actually written by the poets.
Anyway, Tammy also found some other blogs discussing this odd anthology:
From Amy King's Alias blog: http://amyking.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/the-author-resurrected/
From Reb Livingston's Home-Schooled By a Cackling Jackal blog: http://cacklingjackal.blogspot.com/ (check out the October 5 post)
Also, to check out the source, go to: http://forgodot.com/.
(Really, you should check out the list of poets for the first issue. After a while, your eyes will start to cross--poetically, of course.)
*****
So, this is probably some kind of joke on poets and the universe, but does it make it right? I don't consider myself an elitist or a prude or anything like that, but poets who are in the anthology AND upset do have a legitimate gripe. For one, the poems aren't funny (if that was even the intent). And second, people who may be searching out a poet's work and find these horrible poems online may write off that particular poet as someone the potential reader no longer wants to read.
This site is NOT an obvious satire, and so poets could very easily be victimized by the misrepresentation of their work. This is especially damaging to lesser known poets--and, yes, there are a lot of them in the first issue.
Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Monday, October 06, 2008 9:03:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Poems in others' words
Posted by Robert
General | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, October 06, 2008 1:59:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, September 22, 2008
Where is poetry happening?
Posted by Robert
So as part of my upcoming move from Southwest Ohio to Northwest Georgia, I've been interested in what the poetry scene is like in the Atlanta area. And lucky for me, there is a website dedicated to poetry events in the area.
The site is called Poetry Atlanta, Inc., and it was created by Dan Veach, editor of the Atlanta Review. If you're interested, check it out at http://www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com.
So that got me wondering about other areas, and here's a short list of calendars from particular cities:
For NYC, there's the ultimate NYC poetry calendar by Marc Rubin at http://www.poetz.com/calendar.
For Chicago, there's C.J. Laity's http://chicagopoetry.com.
And then, there is the Poetix poetry calendar for Southern California at http://www.poetix.net/calendar.htm.
*****
If you have up-to-date poetry calendars from other areas, please share them with everyone in the comments below. Thanks!
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, September 22, 2008 6:29:13 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
First Ever Fake Bio Contest Winner and Other Finalists
Posted by Robert
Okay, I've been in hiding recently because so many poets have been hounding me over who is the winner of the first ever fake bio contest on Poetic Asides. The great thing about this contest is that writers didn't need to have any "real" credits to enter--just a great imagination of what they'd like to have in their bio notes. That said, the competition was fierce--with many entrants owning impressive "real" bios.
Anyway, the judging was difficult, especially as I got closer and closer to narrowing down the field to 8 finalists from which to pick the winner. To build the suspense and share some of the fake bios I found most interesting, here are the 7 finalists who did not win:
Pris Campbell's poetry book, Sucky Relationships, was just turned into an award-winning movie, directed by Clint Eastwood. She will be featured on Dr. Phil and Oprah where she'll moderate participant's arguments about which partner sucked the most. She is currently being sued by all six of her ex-husbands who demand parts in the movie as their award. She lives with her pet monkey on an island off of Maine where she's hard at work on a sequel. Jib-Jab plans to spearhead a drive to make her poet laureate for 'making poetry relevant to the people' again.
Pris Campbell |camprisAT NOSPAMbellsouth dot net
*****
Kellian Angelou is famous and well-known for winning the Pullet's Surprise, the No Bell Piece Prize, and the Mack Arthur Genie Grant for her poetry collection exploring the uncertainty of scales, The Waistland. The Waistland is a corset of sonnets dealing with the tragic difficulty of being a size 14 in a world of zeros. Kellian received her MFA from the I-Owe-ya Writers Workshop. She currently lives with her wild emu, Walt, in the Northwest.
Kelli Agodon |kelliAT NOSPAMagodon dot com
*****
Caili Wilk has been awarded the Emily Dickinson accolade for her upcoming work titled, “I am so old”. At age 32, this will be her first award for poetry; however as a teenager she received a bronze certificate for her entry into the middle school song contest. Miss Wilk is most well known for her attempt to break the world record for typing out the letter P on a keyboard; however, after 5,328,685 times, she collapsed muttering “I need to pee”. Inconsequently, she retired to her bathroom, and has not been seen in public since developing severe typophobia.
Caili Wilk |cailiwilkAT NOSPAMgmail dot com
*****
Robert McDermott was intended to be the reincarnation of Robert Lowell but owing to a clerical error is actually the reincarnation of John Berryman. His poetry is quite remarkable and is easily the best on his ward. He is currently writing an opera about oranges and in his next life he wants to be a Shakespearean villain. His latest collection 'In conversation with Kilgore Trout' has attracted wide praise and is available in spirit everywhere.
Robert McDermott |robertmcdermottAT NOSPAMgmail dot com
*****
Odoacer Pinkyring Moses de la Salle Cuthbert-Jones is that weird guy who lives in the van parked across the street from your house. He is allergic to everything, especially air and water. His most recent book, the title of which is unpronounceable in any human language, spent 30 seconds at the top of the best seller list in the Autonomous Republic of Erewhon. One day he will destroy you all.
Matthew Falk |mdfalkAT NOSPAMsvsu dot edu
*****
Jonathan Pinnock is the author of "Apathy: A 21st Century Manifesto". He'd tell you more about himself if he could be bothered.
Jonathan Pinnock |jonAT NOSPAMjpassoc dot co dot uk
*****
Shaindel Beers, the once promising young poet, has decided after reading many literary journals, including this one, that mediocrity is the way to go. Obviously no one was brilliant enough to understand her allusions to the classical mythologies of ancient civilizations, her personal theories of metaphysics, or her unique insight into the human condition. Instead, journals have elected to publish her drunken scrawlings written on napkins at dive bars, which she then drunk types when she comes home alone from happy hours at various establishments. The other nights, little writing gets done.
Shaindel Beers |shaindelrAT NOSPAMyahoo dot com
*****
All of these were great, but the first ever winner cracked me up--and got bonus points, because writers could actually submit a similar bio note without stretching the truth. As a result, Jessy Randall will receive a free copy of the 2009 Poet's Market. Congratulations, Jessy!
Here's her winning entry:
Jessy Randall has read poems in the Iowa Review, Ploughshares, the Paris Review, the New Yorker, and The Best American Poetry 1999, 2003, and 2007.
Jessy Randall |jessyrandallAT NOSPAMyahoo dot com
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 3:30:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 25, 2008
Fake Bio Note Contest!
Posted by Robert
Recently, I was reading about how the Wine Spectator magazine was duped by a fake restaurant in its restaurant awards. This got me thinking how fun it might be to have a "fake bio note" contest. And since we just recently released the 2009 Poet's Market, I can offer that up as a prize to whoever writes the best fake bio.
You can make your bio funny, outrageous, horrible, seriously intense, etc. Just keep it under 100 words (hey, most publications cap it off at 50 words). Enter as many times as you want to this free contest by pasting your fake bio into the comments section below. With so many great writers reading this blog, I know the competition will be fierce. But only one can win and be known as the Poetic Asides FAKE BIO CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE.
Let's give this competition a deadline of September 1, 2008, midnight (EST).
For people who need an example, here's my fake bio note (written on the spot--see how easy it is?):
Robert Lee Brewer has twice been nominated the best writer on Jupiter and hopes to turn his love of writing poetry into a Day-Time Emmy award. When he's not negotiating lower prices on gasoline, Brewer bench presses and curls copies of Writer's Market. You can read about it in his forthcoming book titled Breaking a Sweat With the Market Books: 50 Exercises From Weight Resistance to Step Aerobics.
Commentary | General | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Monday, August 25, 2008 3:36:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
Be San Fran's Next Poet Laureate!
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, August 14, 2008 5:04:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 07, 2008
I'm going to be teaching!
Posted by Robert
Some of you have asked over the past few months if I do or will teach any online courses. Well, after speaking with Joe Stollenwerk at www.writersonlineworkshops.com, I will start teaching some poetry courses online.
My Fundamentals of Poetry Writing course will begin on 9/18 and it should kick butt.
To learn more, including a description of the course, just go to http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/retail/courses.aspx?r=fundamentals-of-poetry-writing.
As you'll see on the page, you can sign up for my class directly. And I think they cap the classes at 15 students--so thought I'd give y'all first crack at signing up.
Personal Updates | Poetry Craft Tips | Poetry News
Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:04:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Olympics, Colorado, Role of Poetry, To Submit Or Not
Posted by Robert
Here are some recent poetry-related pieces I've recently stumbled upon:
Watch for a new poetry prompt tomorrow morning.
Poetry News
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 7:38:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, August 01, 2008
Rabbit Season/Duck Season/Submission Season
Posted by Robert
I used to love that Looney Tunes cartoon where Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck would argue over rabbit and duck season until Bugs fooled Daffy into saying, "It's duck season. Duck season!" And then, he'd get shot, and say something like, "I hate you," to Bugs--who's so smart, yet always (always) takes a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Anyway, I'm not concerned with rabbit or duck season in this post. Instead, I'm focused on submission season, especially for college-run literary journals.
19 literary journals are listed below by the date that they re-open their submission periods (after taking the summer off). Remember: This is only a short list of possible places to get your poetry published. WritersMarket.com lists more than 200 literary journals, and Poet's Market offers more than 1,600 poetic listings. So if you want comprehensive, go to those resources; in the meantime, check out this list.
August 1
August 15
August 16
August 31
September 1
September 2
September 15
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poet's Market updates
Friday, August 01, 2008 4:52:21 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Poets Helping Poets: Poetry Websites of Interest
Posted by Robert
Way back in June I asked poets to share their favorite poetry-related websites, and I found myself buried under recommendations. So many of the sites were great, but I tried to be hard-nosed about which ones I included on this list, because I know you're all very busy people who can't go checking out every single cool site on the Internet.
So here are some of the top poetry-related sites:
Ones that do everything:
www.poetryfoundation.org The site for the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is packed with information and tools.
So is the one run by the Academy of American Poets at www.poets.org.
And finally, David Graham is doing a phenomenal job with his online Poetry Library.
For poets outside the U.S.:
The U.K. has its own poetry library at www.poetrylibrary.org.uk.
Canadian poets may find www.arcpoetry.ca/portage helpful.
For poetry-related news and happenings:
Check out Ron Silliman's blog at http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com.
Or go to www.poetryhut.com/wordpress.
For poetry performed:
You can visit the official site of Poetry Slam, Inc., at www.poetryslam.com, where among other things there is a poetry slam finder. Very cool.
At the Penn Sound site (http://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound), there are links to poetry recordings.
And finally for your daily poetry fix:
There's Verse Daily at www.versedaily.org,
and Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac (http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org).
Plus, a few commenters have already pointed out that I missed Poetry Daily at www.poetrydaily.org. (Thanks for paying attention!)
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I'd like to thank Nancy Posey, Carol (?), Russell Ragsdale, David Graham, Sue Guiney, J.P. Dancing Bear, Bill Abbott, and several others for sharing these sites and more. If you really like another site that I've not included, feel free to throw in the comments below. The more the merrier!
Poetry News | Poets | Poets Helping Poets
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:07:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 28, 2008
New Poetic Form, Busiest Poet, and More
Posted by Robert
I've just got a few random links today, including a poetic form shared from a Poetic Asides reader and other stuff.
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The poetic form is from Salvatore Buttaci for a poem he calls The Aragman. He provided me a link to the article he wrote on the form at http://www.alongstoryshort.net/PoetCraft.html.
It's a little involved, but it looks like fun--and it provides the link for a cool anagram finder site.
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Then, there's this cool article about America's busiest poet--who is, of course, the Poet Laureate. What I like most about this piece is that several Poets Laureate are interviewed about their experiences in the position.
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Also, I found this article on spoken word poet Jon Goode from Atlanta. The piece interested me for two reasons: 1. I'm still not as well-versed in the spoken word scene as I'd like to be; and 2. I'm planning a move to Atlanta later this year. So, this may be a piece that only interests me, but just in case.
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Finally, here's a neat little piece on animated poetry, including an appeal to animators to create more poetic cartoons. I totally agree!
Personal Updates | Poetic Forms | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, July 28, 2008 5:41:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Kay Ryan tapped as next U.S. Poet Laureate!
Posted by Robert
Kay Ryan will succeed Charles Simic as the 16th Poet Laureate of the United States. She was selected by James H. Billington, the librarian of Congress, with advice offered by poets, critics and academics around the country.
Here's the piece from the NY Times: "Kay Ryan, Outsider With Sly Style, Named Poet Laureate," by Patricia Cohen.
In the piece, Ryan says of writing poetry: "I wanted to do it, but I didn't want to expose myself."
Also, here's the official release from the Library of Congress: Librarian of Congress Appoints Kay Ryan Poet Laureate.
Ryan becomes the first woman Poet Laureate since Louise Gluck held the post 2003-2004.
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, July 17, 2008 5:18:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Super Cool News: 2009 Poet's Market!
Posted by Robert
After copying some of my writing into my super sophisticated composition notebook at lunch, I discovered that the 2009 Poet's Market is back from the printer, which means that soon (very, very soon) this directory will be getting to both print and online bookstores. Yes, another edition of Poet's Market is on its way out to the public.
As usual, there are a lot of great poetry listings for magazines & journals, book & chapbook publishers, contests & awards, grants and more. There's also a lot of great interviews and profiles and how-to's and, yes, more.
More. More. More.
Anyway, cool stuff.
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poet's Market updates
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 5:11:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
Shady poetry contest update!
Posted by Robert
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Thursday, June 26, 2008 8:39:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 09, 2008
A few interesting titles...
Posted by Robert
I was playing outside with my sons most of this weekend--and I've got sunburn to prove it. For me, it gets hard to do any reading at the beginning of summer, because I feel like I've got to be out doing stuff. However, there always comes that point when I feel like I need to read--or else! So, I was pleased to see two possible titles for me to check out when that point hits this summer.
* Poetry: Read It When You're Drunk, by Dwight Garner from The New York Times Paper Cuts blog, reviews Quote Poet Unquote: Contemporary Quotations on Poets and Poetry, edited by Dennis O' Driscoll.
* A long flowering, by Jonathan Pitts from The Baltimore Sun, takes a look at the friendship between poets Elizabeth Spires and the late Josephine Jacobsen, as well as the "chapbook" Spires published of Jacobsen's work. Jacobsen once served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress--the position now known as U.S. Poet Laureate.
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And as long as I'm leading you to those titles, I guess I should share a great collection I recently read (because even when I'm not reading I am still reading): Queen for a Day, by Denise Duhamel (University of Pittsburgh Press). In this collection of selected poems, Duhamel includes some of her finest work from her early collections (through 2001, I believe). If you can find it, check it out.
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, June 09, 2008 3:40:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 06, 2008
Open Books: A Poem Emporium
Posted by Robert
Recently, we sent the 2009 Poet's Market to the printer for a July release (actually, it's due back on my birthday of July 18, funny enough). In the book, there's an in-depth interview with the owners of Open Books--one of only two poetry-only bookstores in the country. While the following article isn't as thorough as the one in Poet's Market, it is a nice profile and should help hold you over until the 2009 Poet's Market hits the shelves.
http://thedaily.washington.edu/2008/6/5/local-bookstore-brings-poetry-shelves/
It's really amazing, when you think of it, that so many very good independent bookstores are having to close up shop after years of great service, yet here's a poetry-only store staying afloat. To learn all their secrets to success in owning a bookstore, marriage, and managing their own poetry careers, be sure to read the article in the 2009 Poet's Market later this summer.
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Also, here's a link to their Web site: http://www.openpoetrybooks.com/
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, June 06, 2008 4:28:13 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Sunday, June 01, 2008
Poetry From the Skies
Posted by Robert
Just stumbled across this interesting story of a book author promoting his book by dropping cash from a plane. You can check out the article here. Apparently, another publicity stunt helped him become a bestselling author in Indonesia a few years back.
Since I'm always wondering how to drum up interest in poetry, I started wondering if dropping money from the sky would help the poetic cause as well. Something tells me no, or if yes, then it would be for all the wrong reasons. However, maybe there's a way to slightly change Tung Desem Waringin's approach.
Instead of dropping money from the sky, maybe dropping poems from the sky would work. Maybe litter the streets with 8x11 sheets of paper with poems on both sides. Maybe do this once a week over every decent-sized city in the U.S. After all, if people are bombed with poetry long enough, there's a chance they may actually read--and (gasp!) enjoy what they're reading.
Or maybe I should get my head out of the clouds.
Commentary | Poetry News
Sunday, June 01, 2008 4:06:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, May 23, 2008
Female Poet Laureate?!?
Posted by Robert
Found these articles this week on the poet laureate situation in England:
* "Call for female poet laureate," by Gary Bills-Geddes from Ledbury Reporter
* "Pressure on Burnham over female poet," from The First Post
* "Queen is asked to appoint first female Poet Laureate after 22 men in 340 years," by Arifa Akbar from The Independent
Long story short: England has had 22 men poet laureates over a 340-year span without a single female. From John Dryden's appointment in 1668 to Andrew Motion's farewell this October, not one single woman poet has held the title of poet laureate. Understandably, this issue is causing a bit of an uproar across the Atlantic.
I mean, it took me less than one year to appoint my first female poet laureate on Poetic Asides: Sara Diane Doyle. That's right! It took me less than 12 months to do something England still hasn't been able to do in 340 years. One more reason why Poetic Asides rocks!
How many more 10-year tenures will be served in England before a female poet laureate is picked? My guess is that the noise on this issue will get so loud that Motion's successor will be a female. That said, if I were putting odds on whether the next laureate will be male or female, I'd only make it 51-49 in favor of female. After all, the men of England have a 340-year winning streak going strong.
(Wow! I still can't believe it's been 340 years without a female poet laureate. Can you? It's completely mind blowing.)
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, May 23, 2008 4:38:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
April PAD Challenge: Awards Ceremony
Posted by Robert
It's been 3 weeks since the end of the April PAD Challenge. I hope everyone's continued writing regularly since the end--even if that only means a poem or two per week. After all, that's part of the challenge, I think, is turning writing into a regular (or, at the very least, semi-regular) routine. Based off the participation in the Wednesday Poetry Prompts, I'd say many of you are still keeping at it.
The challenge involved more than 400 poets who posted at least one poem during the month and more than 4,000 total poems. My current records show that more than 120 poets actually completed the April PAD Challenge through the blog. Anyone who thinks poetry is dead should not visit Poetic Asides during the month of April, because they'll experience severe culture shock. And for that, I thank all of you.
So anyway, I named the 2008 Poetic Asides Poet Laureate earlier this morning: Sara Diane Doyle. To see the official announcement and read some of the poems she posted to the site, just click here.
In addition to the 2008 Poetic Asides Poet Laureate, though, there are a few other special mentions I would like to make.
The Most Prolific Poet Award is actually a tie between Rodney C. Walmer and Iain D. Kemp. The two actually seemed to have become friends during the month, swapping poems and music. I'm not sure who posted more poems (I can't count that high), but they both surely surpassed 100 poems each.
The Poet Most Likely to Write About a Comic Supervillain Award goes to Kateri Woody, who not only wrote about the Joker throughout the month of April but also inspired several poets to write about the Joker's foil Harley Quinn. Way to stick with it, Kateri.
The Most Hated Poetry Prompt Award goes to Day 28's write a sestina prompt.
The Most Loved Poetry Prompt Award goes to Day 28's write a sestina prompt. Apparently, poets feel passionately one way or the other on this prompt--and poetry should always be about passion, right? (Now I'm gonna get flooded with reasons why poetry should not always be about passion, huh?)
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For the final award, join me in congratulating the 120+ poets who completed this April PAD Challenge. They are (in no particular order):
Alfred J Bruey; Anahbird; Angie Bell; Diane Mowery; Rebecca; Roxanne Nicholson; Bonnie; Tonya Root; Lori; Barbara Tzetzo Gosch; Salvatore Buttaci; Corinne; Christa R. Shelton; John H Maloney; Carol A Stephen; IleanaCarmina; Cathy Sapunor; Carol Boudreau; Cheryl Wray; Chris Granholm Jr.; Carla Cherry; Connie; Lisa McMahan; Carol Brian; Liza; Linda SW; Amanda Selset; Beth Browne; Bonnie MacAllister; Bruce Niedt; Devon Brenner; Don Ford; Don Swearingen; Emily Blakely; Earl Parsons; Justin Evans; A.C. Leming; Jeanette J. McAdoo; Genta; Sue Bench; Deb Hill; Michelle Cooper; Justin M. Howe; Iain D. Kemp; k weber; Margaret Fieland; January G. O’Neil; JL Smither; Yoli; Joannie Stangeland; Joe; Kate Berne Miller; Kimberly Kinser; Christine Kephart; KP; Kevin; Mike Padg; Karen; LindaTK; Kateri Woody; Lyn Sedwick; lynn rose; LBC; Khara House; Laura Hoopes; Monica Martin; Elizabeth Keggi; Lin Neiswender; Barbara Ehrentreu; Laurie Kolp; Linda Brown; Linda Hofke; Lorraine Hart; Omavi Ndoto; Marcos Cabrera; Matthew Abel; Susan M. Bell; Maria Jacketti; M. Schied; Michelle Hed; Mike Barzacchini; M J Dills; Robin Morris; Judy Stewart; Jolanta Laurinaitis; Sarah; Nancy; Patti Williams; Bill Kirk; Rosemary Nissen-Wade; AlaskanRC; Sarah; Maureen Sexton; Sara Diane Doyle; Shirley Ann Tracy; Satia; Sally DiUlus; Sharon Ingraham; Shana; Renee Goularte; Callan Bignoli-Zale; Dee IKJ; Sheryl Kay Oder; Marcus Smith; SaraV; Barbara Torke; Lyn Michaud; Kriss; Paige; Sara McNulty; Suzanne Poor; Tad Richards; halfmoon_mollie; TaunaLen; Judy Roney; Teri Coyne; Susan Reichert; Terri; Jay Sizemore; Virginia Snowden; Rodney C. Walmer; Victoria Hendricks.
Congratulations to all of you! My month/year/decade has been made by your amazing commitment to this challenge--as well as your crazy praise that will have me blushing until the 22nd century rolls around.
All finishers will receive an award to place on their blogs, sites, etc. (created by our magazine design team). In addition, they'll receive these cool certificates of completion (created by our book design team). I'd like to thank both design teams for volunteering their time to this poetic cause.
(If your name was not among the finishers and you think it should've been, just send me an email at robert.brewer@fwpubs.com with the subject line "Where's my name, yo?" I'll be sure to work with you to get your name properly listed.)
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Okay, so after you get done congratulating each other, everyone should head on over to the Poetic Asides group at http://forum.writersdigest.com and share your thoughts on the challenge, the awards, and anything else.
Oh yeah, and remember: I'll be answering questions in the Poetic Asides group tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (EST) if anyone's got questions about poetry, publishing, etc. I'll be sharing my advice with any who show up. See you there.
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And one more time: Thank you all sooooooo much for participating in the 2008 Poetic Asides April PAD Challenge! See you all next year--when I offer up 30 straight days of sestinas (just kidding--or am I?).
Personal Updates | Poetry Challenge 2008 | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 4:27:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Sara Diane Doyle Named Poet Laureate of Poetic Asides
Posted by Robert
Before getting into this post, I want to say that the April PAD Challenge is not about competing as far as the quality of poetry is concerned. It's very simply a challenge to write one poem per day for the 30 days of April. If all goes well, you'll have 30 (or more) poems more on May 1 than you had on March 31.
Also, as part of the spirit of the challenge, it's assumed that the poems submitted for the April PAD Challenge are all either first or very early drafts of poems. So please don't worry yourself over who is or who is not highlighted each day and/or any other type of spotlighting of certain poets. Nothing done here should be done in a competitive way. Instead, everything should be cooperative. After all, we are (or, at least, we should be) a community of poets trying to help each other succeed.
That said, I want to congratulate Sara Diane Doyle for being named the 2008 Poet Laureate of Poetic Asides. There were many poets shortlisted for this honor, but after going through all the days' poems several times, it became apparent that Sara deserves this year's honor.
The honor is purely symbolic. Sara receives no compensation (sorry Sara) and is not expected to do anything specific (after all, she's not receiving any compensation). But my hope is that she will do her part, in whatever small way, to spread the poetic gospel--both online and off (no pressure intended, of course, Sara).
So anyway, please join me in congratulating Sara--and maybe next year one of you will be the next Poetic Asides Poet Laureate. In the meantime, I'm going to include a few of my favorite poems from Sara during the challenge.
Mischance
The doorbell rings
just as the phone
starts to buzz
and the kids run
through the room,
voices shrieking on high.
The dog joins the chorus
and she shakes her head
as she watches the words
that were almost a poem
sail quietly out the window.
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How My Memory Behaves
Like aged lovers, too many years together,
we bicker over the details.
I learned long ago you have your faults,
but joined as we are, I can't grudge them.
We take walks down that proverbial lane
and you dawdle, you lollygag,
you stop to smell a flower that looks familiar
but you won't tell me the name.
And when I call you to my side
with a question, sometimes
your eyes glint--impish elf!--
and you withhold. Other times,
not so proud, you pull
the answer from a dusty shelf.
But my favorite times are the ones
when you close your eyes, you know
you knew once upon a yesterday,
but can't for the life of you
recall when. Later, you'll wake me
from sleep, eager, smiling, to give
the answer to a forgotten question.
We will grow old together--
sit on the swing swaying forward
and back, back and forwards again,
laughing at how much we can't remember.
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Muse
At three p.m. I push back
the silk eye mask that shelters
my delicate eyes from harsh daylight.
I've left my charge to wade
the early hours of the day
alone, unguided, uninspired.
After a quick tossle
of my auburn curls,
I start my daily stretching
routine--poke the fantasy
still ten chapters away from completion,
poke the short story idea
she still hasn't put to paper, poke
the poem, the one about the plum,
that she just can't figure out.
My workout complete, I lounge
on a velvet chaise and eat cold grapes
until she calls for my aide.
I sip wine as she pounds
her head and the keyboard--
a slave to my whims.
*****
Explanation
Forgive the laughter--
it bubbled up
from my toes
and spilled out
over my lips
and had nothing
to do with
your coming in.
Poetry Challenge 2008 | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:38:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Newspaper Blackout Poetry
Posted by Robert
Before getting into the cool news, I just wanted to let everyone know who's been looking for the rest of the April Highlights (Days 21-30) that I am still going to post them. I've just been busy supremo working on the 2008 Poet's Market, which will be going to production on June 5. Of course, the one complicating factor is that I'll be out the entire last week of May because of Memorial Day and the BookExpo America/Writer's Digest Books writer's conference in Los Angeles, California. So the highlights are coming--just trying to fit 'em in with the rest of my "day job" stuff.
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So now on to this really cool newspaper blackout poetry stuff done by writer/artist Austin Kleon, who is based in Austin, Texas. (Note: It's funny how cool news travels. For instance, this was passed on to me by WritersDigest.com editor Brian Klems through HOW magazine editor Bryn Mooth who heard it on NPR--one more reason to support public radio, right?)
Anyway, Kleon grabs the newspaper and a permanent marker and starts scribbling out words until a poem emerges. In many cases, the poems actually turn out quite beautiful.
Check them out at: http://www.austinkleon.com/category/newspaper-blackout-poems/.
If you want a Weekend Warrior poetry prompt, this is a definitely a good exercise: Buy a local newspaper and sculpt poems out of newsstories. If you come up with anything good, post them in the comments below.
Personal Updates | Poetry Craft Tips | Poetry News | Poetry Prompts | Poets
Thursday, May 15, 2008 2:59:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Free poetry CD download!
Posted by Robert
The Academy of American Poets is getting into its bag of poetic tricks again (always in a good way). After offering up a poem-a-day by well known poets through April, they're now allowing poets to download an 11-track CD, recorded last month during their National Poetry Month reading series--completely free.
To download it, visit: www.poets.org/freecd
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:28:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Exclusive Interview With Poet Julianna Baggott
Posted by Robert
My first experience with Julianna Baggott was on my first edition as editor of Writer's Market (Writer's Digest Books). I asked her to write a diary style piece on how she published her first and best-selling novel, Girl Talk (Washington Square Press). It was my first risk as an editor, and Julianna made me look like a genius, because she turned in a great story.
At the time, she mentioned she also wrote poetry and stories for "the younger set" under the pen name N.E. Bode. So Julianna was one of the first poets I thought to ask for an interview when I decided to do these poet interviews on the blog. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a procrastinator at times, and put it off for awhile. After finally getting a hold of her, I then took forever sending her the questions. Fortunately, she's always quick to get things turned around (and she never gives me a hard time about how long I'm taking on my end).
Baggott is the author of three collections of poetry: This Country of Mothers and Lizzie Borden in Love (both published by Southern Illinois University Press, 2001 and 2006 respectively), as well as Compulsions of Silk Worms & Bees (Pleiades Press, 2007). The words in her poems are often funny, at times confrontational, and always immediate. Working in several different writing genres seems to give Baggott an especially keen sense of what makes great poetry.
Here's a favorite passage of mine from Compulsions of Silkworms & Bees from the poem "1. Poetry Addresses Her Sister, the Novel":
You need to learn to whittle soap
to a narrow bone, to live in steam
so the wool shrinks to a toughened swatch,
not a sweater, not a mitten, something otherworldly.
Why do you want so much?
I say little, but my memory is stained so deeply
it glitters.
Of course, Baggott then offers a great response in the very next poem "2. The Novel Responds to Her Sister, Poetry":
It isn't as easy as you'd think
to take the reader's hand, hang his hat
on the rack, to offer a seat.
Manners. I pass around tea and cakes.
Have you ever allowed these comforts?
You let them wander rooms, disoriented.
Hopefully, I'm not disorienting you by jumping straight into the interview.
What have you been up to recently? Do you have anything coming up soon that people should be looking out for?
The last two years have been heavy on poetry what with the publications of Lizzie Borden in Love and Compulsions of Silkworms and Bees. I've been writing sonettos -- odd ones -- but my books of poems take a few years and this new one isn't fully fleshed. I have two novels coming out next year, though. One for adults called My Husband's Sweethearts (under pen name Bridget Asher) and a novel for kids and Red Sox fans The Prince of Fenway Park.
Compulsions of Silkworms & Bees was selected for the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Poetry Series and Lizzie Borden in Love was selected by the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry. What do you think helps make a winning collection of poetry? Good solitary poems? Great connective tissue between poems? Something else entirely?
Readers you trust. I handed both books over to other poets I deeply trusted -- namely Frank Giampietro, whose first book Begin Anywhere (Alice James Books) comes out this fall, and Jennifer McClanahan a wonderful young poet. They came back to me differently imagined and I needed someone else's eyes.
In Compulsions of Silkworms & Bees, you assembled a collection of poems about poems, poetry and the craft of writing. Writing about the process of writing can be dangerous territory, but you seem to weave through it with a tense dance of serious humor. Do you try to hit certain benchmarks when writing your poetry? If so, what?
I'm not sure why it's dangerous territory. I always miss the memos on stuff like this. Writing is my obsession, my passion. My relationship with it is one of the most complex and agonizing and richly vexing that I have in my life. I don't know how not to write about it. And so I do, without any notions of benchmarks.
Are there things you absolutely try to avoid in your poetry? Explain.
Being a lazy fiction writer. I have an outlet for prose -- I write it. So what I don't want is to shove what should just be prose into the poetic form.
It seems you often put yourself in the skin of another to write your poems, whether you are Mary Cassatt or Poetry addressing her sister, the Novel. What do you feel are the benefits of writing from within another person or thing? Explain.
Now this is from my fiction roots, I suppose. I didn't start writing so that I could more deeply know myself. I was bored of myself, my life, my childhood, my hometown. I started writing as a way to know others, to get away from myself. And so I still do that. Of course, I've found that it's much easier to reveal yourself when you think you're revealing someone else.
Have you been reading any specific poets recently? If so, who and what do you like (or, I guess, even dislike) about their work?
Yes, yes. New poets. I always love new poets. I oversee the Southeast Review's Online Companion (www.southeastreview.org) and get to read tons of interviews and those names pack much of this list: Frank Giampietro, I mentioned above -- Begin Anywhere. Martha Silano -- Blue Positive. Charlotte Matthews' second book -- Still Enough to be Dreaming. Erin Murphy's third book -- Dislocation. Norman Minnick -- To Taste the Water. And we recently ran an interview with Rick Campbell who's a poet who deserves a much wider audience. His latest, Dixmont, is incredible.
When you're not writing award-winning poetry, you're writing bestselling fiction or writing novels for younger readers under the pseudonym N.E. Bode. I've also read that you've written screenplays based off your novels. How do you decide what goes where? That is, when do you know you're working on a poem instead of a short story?
I don't always know. I sometimes pick my poems up and put them into my fiction. I sometimes write a poem and then realize that it's a story. I have a story in the anthology Surreal South that began as a poem and took on a different, unexpected life in fiction. I'm toughest on the poems, though. The white gathered around a poem on the page, like a held breath, demands it.
If you could only impart one nugget of wisdom to another poet, what would it be?
Drown yourself in it -- all of it. Read like mad -- at least ten books of poems a week. Don't love everything. Hating certain types of poetry helps define your own aesthetic. Be daily. (Check out the Southeast Review's Daily Writing Regimen for a shove -- http://southeastreview.org/regimen.php.) Go forth boldly.
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Check out Julianna Baggott's Web site at www.juliannabaggott.com.
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Here are some links to some of her poems (for further reading):
* "Blurbs"
* "Nights in Tijuana"
* "What Poets Could Have Been"
* "Q and A: Do you have any tips? Answer #2"
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Check out other Poet Interviews here.
Poet Interviews | Poetry Craft Tips | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Monday, May 12, 2008 4:26:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Saturday, May 03, 2008
USPS ups its rates--effective May 12
Posted by Robert
Beginning May 12, the United States post office is changing its rates (after doing so less than a year ago). First-Class Mail stamps will increase from 41 to 42 cents; however, those who have the Forever stamps can still use them--a savings of one penny per letter (or bill). I'm glad, because I've still got like 30+ of those Forever stamps, and it will probably take me forever to get rid of them, since I'm totally slacking on the submission front.
Anyway, the USPS increased its stock of Forever stamps expecting the demand to grow with the upcoming rate increase--so if you want to save a dollar for a roll of 100 or 20 cents for a pack of 20, go get 'em now before they run out of stock.
To read about the other rate changes that will go into effect starting May 12, go to http://www.usps.com/prices/welcome.htm?from=bannercommunications&page=prices.
General | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Saturday, May 03, 2008 3:29:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
April PAD Challenge: Wrap Up
Posted by Robert
Thanks to all of you, the April PAD Challenge was a phenomenal success. In fact, I think there's no way around making this an annual event moving forward. You can't even know how honored you've all made me feel throughout the entire month, and I'm thrilled to see that a supportive community has developed.
To keep that community going, I asked WritersDigest.com editor Brian Klems to set up a Poetic Asides specific group in their forum located at http://forum.writersdigest.com. If you have an account, just log in and click on the Poetic Asides link. If you don't have an account, it's super easy to create one--and it's totally F-R-E-E (and it don't even cost you any money). I have a welcome message up for the group, but you can begin your own topics and start chattering away. I'm sure there will be some crossover between the new forum group and the blog moving forward, too.
Also, on that main forum page, you may notice there are genre-specific critique groups in Critique Central. One of those groups is labeled poetry, and that's where you, umm, can critique, umm, poetry. Yeah, pretty obvious, I know.
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As far as the blog and prompts, I've decided I will continue to do prompts, though not at the breakneck pace of one each day. I'm planning on providing a prompt each Wednesday throughout the year--figuring there's no better way to get over the hump of the workweek than a little prompting and poeming. I hope that'll be a good pace for everyone until next April.
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I'm considering the possibility of critiquing one poem per week. More info on this later. But stay tuned--and prod me if I seem to forget about it.
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The Poet's Market newsletter is going to make a comeback starting later this month. If you wish to receive the free monthly e-mail newsletter, you can sign up at www.poetsmarket.com.
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On May 21, plan on attending the Poetic Asides 2008 April PAD Challenge awards ceremony--at this blog. I'll be recognizing those who completed the challenge, as well as some extra nods and pats on the backs and such.
Plus, at that time, I'll also be handing out awards to poets. Those who completed the challenge will be able to receive one or both of two awards: one is a badge that the magazine design group put together for poets who want to put the award on their blogs and/or Web sites (to show that you completed the challenge); two is a certificate that the book design group is working on that you can print up and tuck away somewhere safe (or proudly frame and display).
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On May 22, I'll be answering poetry questions all day somewhere in WD forum. More details to come on this as the event approaches.
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Okay, this post is long enough now, I guess. Let me know if you have any questions, concerns, comments, etc. And again, thank you so much for being so awesome!
Personal Updates | Poetry Challenge 2008 | Poetry News | Poetry Prompts | Poets
Thursday, May 01, 2008 3:42:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Gary Snyder Wins 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize!
Posted by Robert
Kudos to my managing editor Alice Pope for sending along the following press release from the Poetry Foundation:
CHICAGO — Poet Gary Snyder is the winner of the 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. Established in 1986 and presented annually by the Poetry Foundation, the award is one of the most prestigious given to American poets, and at $100,000 it is one of the nation's largest literary awards. Christian Wiman, editor of Poetry magazine and chair of the selection committee, made the announcement today. The prize will be presented at an evening ceremony at the Arts Club of Chicago on Thursday, May 29.
In announcing the award, Wiman said: "Gary Snyder is in essence a contemporary devotional poet, though he is not devoted to any one god or way of being so much as to Being itself. His poetry is a testament to the sacredness of the natural world and our relation to it, and a prophecy of what we stand to lose if we forget that relation."
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Snyder began writing in the 1950s as a member—with Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac—of the Beat movement. For most of the 1960s he lived in Japan and studied formally in a Zen monastery. Blending physical reality—precise observations of nature—with insight received primarily through the practice of Zen Buddhism, Snyder has explored a wide range of social and spiritual matters in both poetry and prose.
The judges issued the following statement in making the selection: "Gary Snyder is a true nature poet: there's no sentimentalism to his work, and he never uses the natural world simply to celebrate his own sensibility. A deeply learned and meditative artist, an impassioned ecologist, and a poet of great scope as well as intense focus, Snyder has written poems that we will be reading for as long as we've been reading Robert Frost."
"The selection of Gary Snyder as this year's winner of the Lilly Prize does honor to the tradition of excellence and importance that the prize has stood for since it was established over 20 years ago," said John Barr, president of the Poetry Foundation.
Snyder is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, essays, and translations. His poetry collections include Riprap and Cold Mountain Poems, The Back Country, Regarding Wave, No Nature, Mountains and Rivers Without End, and Danger on Peaks. His essays are collected in Earth House Hold, The Real Work, A Place in Space, and Back on the Fire.
A committed environmental activist who has received the John Hay Award for Nature Writing, Snyder has also been recognized for his contributions to the theory and practice of Buddhism. His many honors include the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for Turtle Island, an American Academy of Arts and Letters award, the Bollingen Prize, a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Prize from Poetry, the Robert Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Times, and the Shelley Memorial Award.
Snyder was born on May 8, 1930, in San Francisco. He is professor emeritus of English at the University of California, Davis, and lives in northern California.
Judges for the 2008 prize were poets Eavan Boland, Sandra M. Gilbert, and Christian Wiman.
***
The Rabbit
A grizzled black-eyed rabbit showed me
irrigation ditches, open paved highway,
white line
to the hill.
bell chill blue jewel sky
banners
Banner clouds flying,
The mountains all gathered,
juniper trees on the flanks
cone buds,
the snug bark scale
in thin powder snow
over rock scrabble, pricklers, boulders,
pines and junipers,
singing.
The trees all singing.
The mountains are singing
To gather the sky and the mist
to bring it down snow-breath
ice-banners,
and gather it water
Sent from the singing peaks
flanks and folds
Down arroyos and ditches by highways the water
The people to use it, the
mountains and juniper
Do it for men,
Said the rabbit.
First published in Poetry, March 1968. © Gary Snyder
***
About the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize
American poetry has no greater friend than Ruth Lilly. Over many years and in many ways, it has been blessed by her personal generosity. In 1985 she endowed the Ruth Lilly Professorship in Poetry at Indiana University. In 1989 she created Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships, for $15,000 each, given annually by the Poetry Foundation to undergraduate or graduate students selected through a national competition. In 2002 her lifetime engagement with poetry culminated in a magnificent bequest that will enable the Poetry Foundation to promote, in perpetuity, a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture.
The Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize honors a living U.S. poet whose lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition. Established in 1986 by Ruth Lilly, the annual prize is sponsored and administered by the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. Over the last 20 years, the Lilly Prize has awarded more than $1,000,000. The previous recipients are Adrienne Rich, Philip Levine, Anthony Hecht, Mona Van Duyn, Hayden Carruth, David Wagoner, John Ashbery, Charles Wright, Donald Hall, A.R. Ammons, Gerald Stern, William Matthews, W.S. Merwin, Maxine Kumin, Carl Dennis, Yusef Komunyakaa, Lisel Mueller, Linda Pastan, Kay Ryan, C.K. Williams, Richard Wilbur, and Lucille Clifton.
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 7:36:49 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Robert Hass and Philip Schultz claim the 2008 Pulitzer in Poetry
Posted by Robert
Hass' collection Time and Materials earned him the 2007 National Book Award and now he's the recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer in Poetry. I remember reading this collection around 10 months ago--because it was the only collection of poems "buzzed" at the BookExpo America's book buzz session along with some very strong fiction and nonfiction titles--and thinking this is really a great collection. Apparently, everyone else has been thinking the same thing.
I haven't read Schultz's Failure (boy, that sounds kind of like the wrong title for a Pulitzer-winning collection, huh?), but I'm now very interested in finding a copy.
Also, Ellen Bryant Voigt's Messenger: New and Selected Poems, 1976-2006 received a Finalist nod. Btw, that collection has spent a lot of time on shortlists all year as well.
To find the full Pulitzer List, check out this link.
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 6:01:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, March 28, 2008
Poem-a-day in April: Write, Read, Etc.
Posted by Robert
So I've been going out of my way to build excitement about my write a poem-a-day challenge in April. Should be big-time fun for all.
But the Academy of American Poets has announced you can also read a poem-a-day in April. Just go to http://www.poets.org/poemaday, and enter your e-mail address.
Their newsletter claims you can expect work from poets, such as Charles Simic, James Tate, Caroline Knox, Cate Marvin, and many more.
It only took me about 5.6 seconds to sign up. Very fast. Very easy.
General | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, March 28, 2008 5:52:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
Why there's no one true form of poetry (and why there shouldn't be)
Posted by Robert
Stumbled upon "Japanese Poetry Persists in Korea, Despite Disapproval," by Choe Sang-Hun from The New York Times, and found myself going back over that dangerous territory of what the purpose of poetry might be, could be and should be.
In this case, the poetic forms used by Korean poets can actually cause public shame and disapproval. Imagine getting dissed at a writers conference because you write triolets or kyrielles--not because they're bad poems, but because they're poetic forms with French origins. Such actions take poetry out of the realm of "just words" and makes it a very human activity.
Poetry is always important, but it reaches a new level when poets feel they have to hide their tanka and haiku out of fear and/or shame.
So read the article and think about it; talk about it with your friends; and keep it in mind throughout National Poetry Month (April here in the States).
Commentary | Poetic Forms | Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, March 27, 2008 7:40:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Is poetry a collectible commodity?
Posted by Robert
There's nothing especially unique about this news story about Eureka Books celebrating national poetry month. I mean, many poets (including me) have their plans for getting through April. But reading the article kickstarted my brain into motion: Can poetry be a collectible commodity?
It's so obvious that the answer is yes. But even with my background in collecting bubble gum cards and comics I still had trouble seeing the forest from the trees. I, of course, know the value of a first edition of books, but most trade books are not printed with the intent of becoming a collectible--it's just something that happens when an unknown author suddenly finds him or her self in the position of being Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. If the publishers knew they were going to sell 500,000 copies initially, then they would've printed them up that way (notice the difference in how many first edition copies of Harry Potter were printed between Potter's first year and seventh at Hogwarts).
Anyway, I'm getting off topic. In the article above, Jack Irvine says, "Broadsides have become very popular among collectors, because it's an affordable way to get a signed, limited edition work by a favorite author. It's a great way to display a work of literature on the wall, and they do frame up very nicely."
I found speaking about poetry in this way very interesting. It sounds as if the broadsides could be framed as works of art. Imagine someone visiting your house and admiring your framed paintings and then stopping to read a very moving poem--with maybe some cool design elements to complement the work. Now that's art! And that's a collectible, for sure.
So maybe this is yet another avenue for poetry. I know savvy publishers have been going this route for ages, but still. Let me have my epiphanic moment. Okay. Done.
I just wonder if we can ever get to a point where 10-year-old boys and girls are swapping a Bob Hicok and Gwendolyn Brooks for a Louis Gluck and William Carlos Williams. One can always hope.
Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:43:26 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Poetry Everywhere and Dogs With Blogs?!?
Posted by Robert
The Poetry Foundation is once again doing some really great stuff. Check out "Poetry Everywhere," from FoxBusiness.com, which is an interesting place to find a poetry story in the first place.
For those who aren't big on clicking to other destinations, it basically talks about this new series of poetry films that will be broadcast online and on public transit systems in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Orlando, and San Diego.
Since Cincy and Dayton aren't on the list, I would be bummed, but there is the online access at a new PBS Web site and the Poetry Foundation's Web site. So no one should get left out (that can read this blog anyway).
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Speaking of not feeling left out--how about this free writing conference in Illinois at the beginning of April? Don't see that every day.
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Apparently, even dogs have blogs now (maybe they felt left out, though no longer). See "Even your dog has a blog," by Sarah Jio from CNN.com. Hopefully, this doesn't give my bosses any ideas. :)
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Check out other Poetry News here.
Poetry News
Friday, March 21, 2008 10:52:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, March 17, 2008
New journal, a director-poet gets fired, and someone wins $65,000
Posted by Robert
"Poet David Beach wins $65,000 NZ Prize in Modern Letters," by NZPA from Channel 3 Web site, reports that Beach won the literary award for his collection of poems titled Abandoned Novel, his first book of poetry. Beach: "That a book of poems can win a $65,000 prize makes me feel as if I've stumbled into a parallel universe where poetry is considered important."
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"Jewish school director resigns over controversial poetry," by Chris Wattie from National Post, reports that poet and novelist David Prashker has quit his post as the director of the Leo Baeck Jewish Day School after an anonymous e-mail called attention to poetry that was posted on Prashker's personal Web page. The anonymous e-mail asked parents if they felt comfortable entrusting their children (K-8th grade) to Prashker.
The article says that parents were split on their support of Prashker and seemed more concerned that someone could access their e-mail addresses.
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Nancy Parish shared a link to Third Reader, an online journal of literary fiction and poetry that is currently seeking submissions for its premiere issue. The really interesting news in this new journal is that the editors claim to have a submission system in place that will create a dialog between editors and writers "to improve their poetry and prose."
I'd definitely be interested to hear from poets about how that goes.
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Check out other Poetry News here.
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, March 17, 2008 6:17:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Difficulty in poetry & an argument against a Michigan poet laureate
Posted by Robert
"Poetry, Difficulty, and a Very Annoying Word," by Mark Doty from The Best American Poetry blog, is an interesting response to Charles Harper Webb's recent essay in The Writers Chronicle. Plus, you get to experience (through Doty's description) what his walk home was like.
I was happy to read Doty's response, because he did not attack accessibility in poetry while defending complexity. Many poets seem to slide over to one corner or the other. Of course, variety is the spice of life and there should be room at the table for everyone and why can't everyone just get along, etc.
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"Poetry Slam," by James M. Hohman from the Mackinac Center, argues against wasting Michigan taxpayers' money on a unpaid state poet laureate position. With new state and city poet laureates popping up all over the country, it is interesting to hear a voice arguing against the post.
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Check out other Poetry News.
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 1:31:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, March 10, 2008
Mobile Poetry?!? Why not. And the 2007 NBCC poetry winner is announced!
Posted by Robert
Received a press release today that the Academy of American Poets is launching the first mobile site for poetry. Their entire online archive of 2,500+ poems will be available in the palm of your hand.
For more information on this braver newer world(er?), go to http://www.poets.org/mobile.
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In other news (and kind of late, though I was snowed in over the weeked, for real), Mary Jo Bang's Elegy won the 2007 NBCC prize in the poetry category. Congratulations to her!
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Check out other Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, March 10, 2008 11:27:14 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Exclusive Interview With Valerie Nieman
Posted by Robert
Poet Valerie Nieman is a self-professed tomboy, who "fished for everything from native brook trout in the small streams of western New York, where I grew up, to cod and haddock by hand-lining on a head boat out of Eastport, Maine." In fact, Nieman has a bit of an adventurous streak within her that helps inform her writing.
As far as poetry, Nieman's published a couple chapbooks and a full-length collection titled Wake Wake Wake (Press 53) in 2006. But she's also published two novels and a collection of short stories. Plus, Nieman, who now teaches writing at North Carolina A&T State University, spent several years as a reporter for a small daily paper, covering everything from school board meetings to murders. At almost 50 years of age, she received her MFA in 2004 from Queens University of Charlotte.
Nieman recently set aside a little time to share a little about herself and her writing process.
You've mentioned homesteading a West Virginia hill farm and working as a reporter for a small daily before getting your MFA and moving into teaching. Can you elaborate a little on these occupations (and/or others you've had)? Have they helped inspire or shape your writing? If so, how?
I started out with a journalism degree and a job writing for a small West Virginia daily. That was a lucky and/or inspired choice (also one necessitated by money). Journalists, especially the jacks-and-jills-of-all-trades at small newspapers, are well placed to see and hear and do the things that find their way into stories and poems: You get the people, the stories, and especially the details--the mud that clings to the lugs of your Red Wings. A curious and at least moderately adventuresome journalist (and there shouldn’t be any other sort) can get a taste of so many other lives.
I’ve been three miles into the mountain in a longwall coal mining operation when a machine hit a methane pocket and the power went out for 20 minutes as the explosive gas was cleared. (You don’t know the sound a mountain makes until the machines stop, and you hear it groaning against the hydraulic shields.) I’ve watched the playing out of power and avarice in the most immediate way, not by watching CNN but by seeing small-town leaders manipulate and threaten to protect a small financial scheme. I’ve slipped on a man’s blood on the street running to a murder scene, heard the first bird (indigo bunting) sing in the pre-dawn dark on a breeding bird survey, watched a volunteer firefighter learn that his son was a passenger in a Corvette that left pieces of itself for a half a mile down a fence line.
It’s not virtual; it’s not research. It’s experience, like that hill farm--shaping a hayfield into a small farm, breaking the ice on the watering trough for cattle on bitterly cold mornings, feeling angry yet having to admire the beautiful rapacity of blue jays that pecked holes in the Lodi apples just ready for picking. I treasure all of it. Much of it has found its way into my writing, providing plotlines, stories, characters, settings, the quirky details and sensory moments.
You've published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Is there one you prefer over the others? If so, why? Do you feel working in one form helps develop skills for the others?
I started as a poet, writing in college--even earlier, a poem published in an anthology when I was in sixth grade. But then I can claim a handwritten spy novel in junior high, so both threads were there early. I’ve always toggled back and forth among genres. Each tests a somewhat different part of the writing mind, like cross-training. For me, it feels physically different when I write a poem compared with a short story or a novel. I’ve never tried to write a play or screenplay, but maybe someday. I believe that working in various genres eliminates the dreaded “I can’t think” or writer’s block--because if one thing isn’t flowing, you can work on something else. At least in theory.
While many MFA students seem to go straight from undergrad to grad study, you waited until your late 40s to pursue your MFA. Why did it take so long? Also, what made you decide to go back to school to get it?
I truly enjoyed being a journalist, and didn’t see a problem with a two-track life (three counting the farm). And it gets difficult to go back to school the longer you are away. But over time, I began to wear down--journalism is demanding. It stimulates the imagination, but leaves little time and energy for writing--like wine that provokes desire and takes away the act. The pressures of the daily story push away the time for reflection and revision. I moved into editing, and then into teaching part-time. I completed the low-residency MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte, and that opened doors so that I was able to begin teaching full-time. Of course, teaching has its own mental and physical demands.
Who are your favorite poets? Why?
Off the top of my head, Mary Oliver, Gerald Stern, Wendell Berry, Jane Kenyon, both Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, Thomas Lux, James Harms, Joseph Bathanti, Susan Meyers, Robert Hayden, Jeff Mann, Irene McKinney, Betsy Sholl. Shakespeare, Hardy, Millay, H.D., Stevens, Rilke, Whitman. Springsteen and Emmy Lou Harris and Paul Simon and Tom Petty. Ancient Egyptian texts and the Book of Isaiah. Scientists’ and explorers’ descriptions. Read Scott Huler’s Defining the Wind for a gorgeous look at the Beaufort Scale and how it illuminated the economic and cultural and scientific life of the 19th century. I love detail, writing about nature--love to learn and to hold new names in my thoughts.
I open a journal and am sometimes just blown away by someone--I just read a long poem by Joseph Hutchison in an issue of Divider that’s been sitting around the bookshelf.
I’ll name a couple of friends and longtime inspirations: Timothy Russell, for seeing the living world inside the steel mill, and Sarah Lindsay, for her intriguing blend of science and geography with delicious fantasy.
When do you know a poem is ready for submission to a journal? How do you choose where to send your poems?
I think I send poems out too soon, or I just tend to tinker too long. I get angry with myself for sending something to a place I admire, getting it back, and seeing where I need revisions that I should have made six months before--but that can go on for a long time.
I send to journals that I admire, of course, ones that are beyond my reach and to ones where I have made a connection in the past, or that are looking for something on a theme where I have been working. You get to know the ones that have a similar aesthetic.
There are also places that I know just won’t be possible for my kind of poems.
What is the most surprising thing someone has said about your poetry? How did you feel about that?
Fred Chappell commented on a kind of moral force--“stout of heart”--in my work, and I had not thought of myself as showing a particular philosophical or moral stance. But I do recognize a kind of stubborn persistence in some of the poems and the people who inhabit them, a refusal to back down or give up.
Do you have any special writing routine?
I am a very bad role model. I do not have a set routine. I tend to write poetry when I need to scratch an itch, something has been triggered and I need to study why. A novel demands more slogging, and I am way too good at avoiding that--I have two in progress and have set aside one so that I can amp myself up to get the other moving ahead.
If you only had one piece of advice to give other poets, what would it be and why?
Keep the old stuff. I’m working now on a series of poems, a book, from pages of notes that I put on the computer years ago--tying together some existing poems with fragments and ideas for new ones. I set it all aside as I worked on a novel. Maybe it was spending weekends at the lake, maybe it was moving to a new house where Canadian geese fly over every morning--but I am working seriously on that book now. It pulls on threads that go back to childhood, to trout fishing and woods walking and reading Jack London and my father’s outdoor magazines. And it has a lot in it of friendships that led me to haiku and Basho, and to recent experiences such as taking up sailing--all coming together now.
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To read Nieman's bio, go to http://www.press53.com/BioValerieNieman.html.
Here are some of her poems I was able to hunt down online:
* Adam and Eve as Fire and Water, from Blackbird Archive
* Eager, from The Pedestal Magazine
* Elaine the Fair Accuses Lancelot, from the Camelot Project at the University of Rochester
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If you're a publisher or poet interested in being interviewed in a future post on Poetic Asides, go here to get more information.
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Check out other Poet Interviews here.
Poet Interviews | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, March 10, 2008 6:04:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, March 06, 2008
By the way, Minnesota picked their first poet laureate last week
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, March 06, 2008 1:21:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Hurry, hurry! Get your caffeine!
Posted by Robert
As reported on CNN.com, the giant coffee chain Starbucks plans to close every location of their 7,100 stores to do a 3-hour training session for their 135,000 employees. The shutdown is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time and will run until 8:30 p.m. Locations that are normally open beyond that time will open then.
But that's not all! Dunkin' Donuts is swooping in with a 99-cent offer on small lattes, cappuccinos, and espresso drinks from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. today. That means in 30 minutes EST, the great Tuesday coffee battle will officially begin.
Since I know coffee and caffeine is so important to so many poets, I thought I'd share this very important news.
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If you wish, please feel free (and encouraged) to send in "in the field" reports of the situations near your local Starbucks and/or Dunkin' Donuts. ;)
General | Poetry News
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 5:29:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Feeding poetry to the kids
Posted by Robert
"Windham Poetry Group Overcomes Adversity," by Heather Murdock from The Daily Campus, reports on a high school poetry group that's been performing locally and competing in poetry slams since early 2004.
As someone who founded and published a little lit zine in the mid-90s, I think high school is a perfect time for getting young adults interested in poetry. With all the fear, self-doubt and optimism that comes with being a teenager, this is the perfect age to record thoughts and emotions on paper (or computer screen).
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But just because high school is an opportune time, it doesn't mean that you need to wait for kids to grow complex emotions and apply for college. For instance, junior high works just as well.
"Poetry comes alive for some 7th-graders," from the Post and Courier, reports: "For the seventh-grade students of River Oaks Middle School, poetry will never be just a few boring rhymes they had to memorize in school."
And poetry never should be just some lines to read or learn. It should be something to experience and enjoy--whether the poems are funny, sad, difficult, or scary.
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I don't think you can ever start too early on building an appreciation of poetry in children. As the father of two boys aged four and six, I've been reading them poems since before they could talk themselves. Their favorite is probably "The Raven," by Edgar Allan Poe (they love everything spooky).
*****
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Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 4:11:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Some Poetry News
Posted by Robert
Even though Nancy Breen has left the blog officially, she still shares various news she finds. And she's literally on the other side of cubicle wall--so she's still very close to Poetic Asides HQ (both in spirit and physical location). Here are two bits she shared with me this past week:
"Heath Ledger And The Poem To Remember Him By," by John Lundberg from The Huffington Post, discusses Ledger and poet Edna St. Vincent Millay.
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Sandra Soli, a contributor to the in-progress 2009 Poet's Market, was recently notified that her chapbook collection Trees has been chosen as a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award.
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Poetry News | Poets
Monday, February 11, 2008 4:08:05 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 04, 2008
Should poets be treated like rock stars?
Posted by Robert
Of course they should!
Read: "Poet-mania: Mary Oliver's sold-out appearance sparks a ticket frenzy on Craigslist," by John Marshall from SeattlePI.com
The article reports on the popularity of Mary Oliver in the Pacific Northwest with tickets selling out at venues in both Seattle and Portland. And the demand is still so high that tickets have been traded on Craigslist for as much as $100 each. That's incredible!
As you'll notice in the article, Oliver has managed to make an emotional connection with her fans. So while it is essential to study the craft and technique of poetry, never forget to inject a healthy dose of heart as well.
While it's doubtful poets will re-shape popular culture into a poet-centric society with tabloids following the personal messes of contemporary poets (a la Britney Spears and Michael Jackson), Mary Oliver's success in the Pacific Northwest is helping keep the dream alive.
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Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, February 04, 2008 2:17:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 28, 2008
Some Monday morning poetry news
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, January 28, 2008 2:08:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 25, 2008
Exit, Stage Left...
Posted by Nancy
I don't know how many readers here are old enough to remember the old Snagglepuss cartoons (or maybe they've shown them on Cartoon Network or something). Anyhow, whenever Snagglepuss was poised to flee, he'd talk in stage directions: "Exit--stage left!" And off he'd shoot, accompanied by that little gunshot echo they love to use as sound effects in animation.
I'm too old and creaky to dash off in a blur, and I'm not that dramatic. So pardon me if my exit is a little more restrained.
As I mentioned in this post, I'm leaving my position as Poet's Market editor. Fortunately, it turns out I'm moving into another editor position in an area about which I'm extremely enthusiastic (although far outside the world of poetry and writing). That puts me in a better place, pragmatically and emotionally, than I thought I'd be today; but that's not to say I don't have regrets about leaving Poet's Market behind.
I tallied up, and Judson Jerome and I are tied for the most times our names appeared on the spine of Poet's Market as editor (seven). In addition, I came in toward the end of the production cycle for the 2001 edition, and I've already done considerable planning and hands-on work on the upcoming 2009 edition. So it's nice to think I was here long enough to leave my mark on the book.
I hope that mark was a positive one. I started right in trying to improve Poet's Market based on my own experiences using the book as a consumer. I tried to give equal consideration to readers and to the editors and publishers listing their activities in the book. I wanted Poet's Market to be valuable to as wide a range of poets as possible. I probably didn't always succeed, but it wasn't for lack of trying.
I have a farewell message in today's edition of the Poet's Market newsletter; I've decided to repeat it here because it does already say what I wanted to express in this last post:
A Few Lines from the (former) Editor...
"All good things must come to an end." I've never understood that saying. After all, everything comes to an end eventually.
However, for me, in this specific instance, something good is coming to an end: Today, January 25, marks my final day as editor of Poet's Market. Hence, this is my last newsletter as well.
This is one of those developments that took me by surprise, but I've been around awhile; things happen and nothing is forever. While I'm sorry to be leaving Poet's Market, I'm eagerly anticipating new opportunities.
For now, Poet's Market will continue. Look for the 2009 edition in stores this August. As for me, I'll still be lurking (literally and figuratively). As I've repeated many times recently, I'm still a poet; and I'm looking forward to trying to get my work out there more aggressively than I have in recent years.
I always loved the book title So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (part of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series). What a great exit line. So, to all of you, so long, and thanks for all the fish--and for all the enjoyment and fulfillment I've had editing Poet's Market for nearly eight years. I valued my interaction with readers and editors/publishers alike. Now, I join all of you as a reader (and a fellow poet struggling to get her work into print).
Best of luck, and keep writing!
Nancy Breen
Former Editor
Poet's Market
Robert Brewer will, of course, continue his great posts on Poetic Asides (the blog is his brainchild, after all). And the Poet's Market newsletter will continue on a monthly basis. (Go to the Poet's Market website to sign up, if you're not already a subscriber.) You can still go here for information about listing in the 2009 edition (and to download listing questionnaires for each section of the book). Any questions about poetry, publishing, or Poet's Market? This e-mail will take your inquiry to the folks who can get you squared away.
And now--exit, stage left! (Hey, did you hear that little gunshot echo?)
--Nancy
Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Friday, January 25, 2008 2:43:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Mixing Poetry and Politics?
Posted by Robert
I'm not going to get into any political debates on my poetry blog. Y'all can go to the WritersDigest.com forum and start a thread on that. However, I found it interesting that these two stories just happened to pop into my inbox this morning:
"Maya Angelou's poem in praise of Hilary," by Vanessa Thorpe from Guardian Unlimited and The Observer, reports on Angelou's support of Hilary Clinton (and her conversations with Oprah Winfrey, who supports Barack Obama).
"A Poet Laureate for Ron Paul?," from Nolan Chart, attempts to make a case for Marc Scibilia to be the poet laureate for Ron Paul (as well as trying to generate canvassing crews for the Presidential candidate).
While I'm not going to argue that either article is filled with hard hitting news, I do find it interesting that poetry is not completely forgotten in the political process.
*****
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Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 2:58:02 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Winner of UK's top prize and Missouri's first poet laureate
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 2:47:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 14, 2008
National Book Critics Circle Finalists Announced
Posted by Robert
Came across the finalists for the 2007 National Book Critics Circle finalists for poetry titles in the PublishesLunch Deluxe newsletter. As reported in the newsletter, they are:
* Elegy, by Mary Jo Bang (Graywolf)
* Modern Life, by Matthea Harvey (Graywolf)
* Sleeping and Walking, by Michael O'Brien (Flood)
* The Ballad of Jamie Allan, by Tom Pickard (Flood)
* New Poems, by Tadeusz Rozewicz (Archipelago)
So, if you're looking for some new poetry to read, these might fit your needs.
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Also, here are some related links and stories on the finalists:
* "National Book Critics Circle Awards announced at City Lights," by Chronicle Staff Report from the San Francisco Chronicle
* "The 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists," from Critical Mass
* "Joyce Carol Oates leads National Book Critics Circle finalists," by AP from CNN.com
* Review of Elegy by Aaron Belz from STLtoday.com
* Review of Modern Life by Sarah Marine from The Inside Flap
* Review of Sleeping and Walking by Josh Weinstein from Art Voice
* Review of The Ballad of Jamie Allen by Ange Mlinko from Poetry Foundation
* Review of New Poems by Elizabeth Wadell from The Quarterly Conversation
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Should also be noted that New Poems, by Tadeusz Rozewicz, was translated by Bill Johnston--so kudos should be sent his way as well for doing a fine translation.
*****
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Poetry News | Poets
Monday, January 14, 2008 5:24:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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2008 Poet's Market -- closed markets
Posted by Nancy
As I've been combing through the updates for the 2009 Poet's Market, I've gathered the following group of KILLS for listings that appear in the 2008 edition (OB means out of business or cancelled; NP means no longer publishing poetry; RR means the editor requested removal of the listing from Poet's Market):
MAGAZINES/JOURNALS
Art With Words Poetry Quarterly (OB)
Between Kisses Newsletter (OB)
Child Life (OB)
eye (OB)
Gambara Magazine (OB)
Heartlands: A Magazine of Midwest Life & Art (OB)
Mindprints, A Literary Journal (OB)
Outposts Poetry Quarterly (OB)
Porcupine Literary Arts Magazine (OB)
SleepingFish (NP)
Small Brushes (RR for 2009 edition only)
Touchstone Literary Journal [TX] (OB)
TRIBUTARIES [OH] (OB)
BOOK/CHAPBOOK PUBLISHERS
Calamari Press (RR)
Panther Creek Press (RR)
CONTESTS & AWARDS
Helen Vaughn Johnson Memorial Haiku Award (OB)
Newburyport Art Assoc. Annual Spring Poetry Contest (OB)
Seasonal Poetry Competition (OB)
--Nancy
Poetry News | Poet's Market updates
Monday, January 14, 2008 4:44:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Borders not restricting poetry push to April...
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Friday, January 11, 2008 5:31:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008
2007's word of the year is...
Posted by Robert
"'Subprime' named Word of the Year," by the AP from CNN.com, reports that the American Dialect Society chose "subprime" over challengers such as "waterboarding" and "Facebook."
I guess a natural exercise would be for poets to try crafting poems celebrating "subprime" and even the other contenders. Maybe an insult poem from runner-up "green" about "subprime"?
*****
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General | Poetry News
Tuesday, January 08, 2008 3:59:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 07, 2008 Thursday, January 03, 2008
Belated "Eight Things About Me" meme...
Posted by Nancy
Last month Robert very kindly responded to being "tagged" for a meme in which the blogger posts eight things about himself that readers probably don't know. (It was very kind because my mother is the one who tagged him. I said it was okay, even though she tagged me as well and I was going to tag Robert, but what the heck. She seemed a lot more concerned than I was about tagging the required number of people, and Robert was going to catch it from one of us no matter what.)
Even though I posted eight things at my personal blog, Salmagundi Express, I thought I'd do a special poetry-related one here. Hence, eight things you could have lived your entire life without knowing about me and not missed a thing. (I'm supposed to post the rules to this thing, but just go to Lillian's Cupboard if you're actually interested in pursuing this further yourself. I'm not tagging ANYONE else!)
1) I wanted to become a writer after I read Harriet the Spy in sixth grade; but I never dreamed of writing poetry until I was in high school and just kind of started doing it. (Considering how outdated the poetry was in our high school textbook compared to what was going on in the 70s literary scene, it was a couple more years before I purged the taint of sing-song rhyme and coy imagery from my work and delighted in discovering what poetry could really be--and do).
2) My first published poem appeared in Seven Hills Review, a literary magazine by and for high school students produced through the Young Friends of the Library in Cincinnati. It was October 1972; I was a senior in high school; and I was thrilled. (And yes, it was free verse.)
3) I attended the 1975 Bread Loaf Writer's Conference as a contributor in poetry and was assigned to Anthony Hecht. He was extremely kind and gracious about the very inadequate poetry he had to critique for me, sharing insights and wisdom I really wasn't entitled to.
4) My first poetry workshop experience was also at Bread Loaf, when Hecht presented two of my poems in his workshop sessions. It was brutal, but I learned a lot (and I got to hear him read my lines in that melodious voice before the mob descended with their cudgels and battle axes).
5) My first "adult" publication was two poems in a journal called Xanadu. Those acceptances came the winter after Bread Loaf, so I must have absorbed something useful from the workshop bloodletting.
6) I self-published my first chapbook, called Fake Slaps, in fall of 1978. It was a collection of circus-themed poetry based on my experiences as a Ringling Clown College student and some of the professional and volunteer clowning I'd done.
7) I had a poem accepted by Rolling Stone in 1985 (one of those tiny poems they used as filler between the album reviews). About two months after I received the acceptance letter and check ($15!!), I learned the magazine was going to stop publishing poetry, so my little gem never appeared in print.
8) On January 25, 2008, my nearly eight year involvement with Poet's Market will come to an end. It's a corporate decision, not mine. However, change isn't necessarily a bad thing. And I like to think you're never too old for new adventures. And yes, for the forseeable future, Poet's Market will continue.
(More later about who to contact regarding Poet's Market issues once I've ridden into the sunset.)
--Nancy
Personal Updates | Poetry News
Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:33:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
Another purpose of poetry: Rememberance
Posted by Robert
Poetry News
Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:09:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Free Poems vs. Copyright Infringement
Posted by Nancy
There's a battle of opinions regarding copyright at The Guardian. In "You like my poems? So pay for them," British poet Wendy Cope states her case regarding how copyright infringement damages the sales of her work. In "Free verse: getting copyright wrong," Oliver Burkeman counters with his arguments.
Meanwhile, the NYT's, "Crossover Dreams: Turning Free Web Work Into Real Book Sales," describes a few success stories. (No poetry books cited, alas.)
I don't have a dog in this fight, since I don't have poetry sales to worry about. (Yes, I've published a couple of chapbooks, but I give most of those away anyhow.) On the one hand, I sympathize with Cope's concern about people not buying the cow when they're getting the milk for free; but fretting about people e-mailing each other your work? I agree with Burkeman's take that it has the potential to build sales (and name recognition) rather than destroy it. And popular thinking about free online content is that it encourages readers to purchase a book. (As someone who has often been influenced by onlilne content not to buy a book, though, I'm on the fence about this thinking.)
Overall, I agree that poetry needs to be shared freely to help build its audience and promote the poets themselves. I'd hate to see the Copyright Police hovering in cyberspace, waiting to swoop in as soon as Aunt Helga e-mails a poem to Cousin Rusty to inspire him after his wife's cancer diagnosis. (Is it also damaging to sales if we bloggers link to poems on The Academy of American Poets or The Poetry Foundation sites or posted on a poet's own site or blog? Lots of issues when you start peeling back all the layers.) There's always that problem with something going viral without being properly credited to the author, such as this piece.
I prefer to believe a poem well received will lead to a reader investigating more of that poet's work; and after reading several pieces individually online, the reader will decide he/she wants those poems, and more, in one easily accessible place, i.e., within the covers of a book. It's still too early to see how this will play out in the real world, but we can all hope.
--Nancy
Commentary | Poetry News
Monday, December 17, 2007 9:06:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, December 14, 2007
Spam poetry news
Posted by Robert
"Spam, spam, spam, spam, and poetry," by Charles Fleming from The Los Angeles Times, discusses junk emails and asks whether there is poetry hiding within. Of course, any long time reader of this blog knows the answer is "Yes, of course." In any event, always fun to read about the intersection of Spam Street and Poetry Drive.
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Poetry News
Friday, December 14, 2007 4:17:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
A spoof, a poet, and plenty of jargon
Posted by Robert
"Three cheers for the epic poetry of jargon," by Jonathan Guthrie from the Financial Times, applauds the clever use of jargon by businesses to discourage further correspondence with clients. While this kind of "poetry" is great for businesses, it should be stated that poets will likely have the same effect on their readers if their poems are filled with an obscure personal jargon: Effectively, writers will cut off further correspondence with their readers. While business jargon could add a bit of authenticity to a poem, use with caution.
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"Report Reveals All Poetry is Rubbish," by Amateur Writer from Spoof.com, is a spoof on the importance of poetry reporting on a "1500 page report titled Poetry: Really, what is the Point?" If you're easily offended by poet or poetry put-downs, I would not recommend reading this "fake" report. But if you need a good laugh on a Thursday morning, you've probably already clicked on the link.
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"A poet forged in heartbreak," by Don Aucoin from The Boston Globe, profiles poet Afaa Michael Weaver, a former factory worker, who is now hitting his stride on the national scene, including a cover spot on this month's Poets & Writers. Interesting read, for sure.
*****
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Advice | Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, December 13, 2007 3:20:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, December 07, 2007
Missouri's search for a poet laureate and a 'lyrical terrorist'
Posted by Robert
"Jury reads prose penned by 'lyrical terrorist,'" by Claire Truscott and agencies from Guardian Unlimited, reports on Samina Malik, who dubs herself a "lyrical terrorist." As a result of her poetry (including a piece called "How to Behead"), Malik received a 9-month suspended jail term for violations of anti-terrorism legislation.
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"Search for First Missouri Poet Laureate Continues," by Laura Spencer from KCUR news, reports that 137 poets have been nominated to be the first Missouri poet laureate. Assuming no other state leapfrogs them, Missouri will be the 42nd state to establish a poet laureate post.
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Poetry News | Poets
Friday, December 07, 2007 3:38:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 03, 2007
Poets Hiding in Their Closets
Posted by Robert
Scanning the poetry news today, I came across "Author reveals his 'secret life' writing poetry," by Lisa Pierce from The Advocate. It's about a poetry event for John Phillip Santos' poetry collection Songs Older Than Any Known Singer (Wings Press).
In the article, Santos says, "Once I moved to New York and began making television shows (the act of writing poetry) became even more private. I was working at CBS News for the first years in New York and it just wasn't something you told your colleagues openly about."
Through the years, I've spoken with many poets who've shared this sentiment where it's okay to be a poet around other poets. But in the everyday life, these same poets are afraid to reveal they're poets around "regular folk" (who may or may not be poets themselves).
I'm often guilty of this myself. In my Clark Kent life, I'm a mild-mannered editor of Writer's Market with two sons and a love of outdoor activities (running, disc golfing, hiking, etc.). But at night, when even crime (or rhyme?) is sleeping, I break out the pen and composition notebook and craft poems with wild abandon as Superman. In the morning, I put my Clark Kent spectacles back on, part my hair in the other direction, and trade in my tights for business casual. If the "regular folk" mention poets or poetry, I usually just give an all-knowing smile without revealing my identity.
Why?!?
Why do poets feel this way? Are poets generally thought of as bad people who should not be around children or small dogs? Are poets considered outcasts who are never invited to social gatherings? I'm pretty sure the answer is no--yet, many poets (myself included, mind you) feel the need to hide their identities around the "regular folk." These are the same "regular folk" most poets lament don't read poetry. Hmmm...
Maybe we should be more open about our identities as poets. Maybe everyone should scrawl that down as a New Year resolution heading into 2008. Put it after reading and writing more poetry past the witching hour.
*****
In the meantime, read this excellent article by Nancy for Writer's Digest magazine: "The 21st Century Poet."
In it, Nancy goes over a survey conducted by the Poetry Foundation and says, "While we should be most concerned with writing poetry, not who we are as poets, I can't help but think more people would read our work if they realized we're right there waiting in the dentist's office, cheering during our kids' soccer games, getting our tires rotated, walking the dog in the park, comparing the prices of canned beans in Aisle 5 and buying a cup of coffee at the convenience store."
Right on!
Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, December 03, 2007 10:31:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, November 30, 2007
A bit on Addonizio, Lowell & Ashbery
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Friday, November 30, 2007 5:37:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Football, Presidents & Prizes
Posted by Robert
"Lineman uses poetry to reflect on football," by Aaron Gray from Capitol Online, tackles how a "5-foot-11, 272-pounder" uses poetry as a way to chronicle his football games playing for Navy as an offensive lineman. While Gray is shy about sharing his poetry, it does show one of the many great uses of poetry--that is, recording events and preserving memories. Recording the nitty gritty details of everyday life can often lead to more interesting poetry than just playing with words in a vacuum.
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"Poetry and the Presidency," by Andrew Sullivan from The Atlantic Online, offers some interesting little facts about U.S. Presidents and their relationship to poetry.
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"Don Domanski wins Governor General's award for poetry," by Nancy King from The Cape Breton Post, reports that Domanski's collection, All Our Wonder Unavenged, won the $25,000 prize.
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Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, November 29, 2007 3:19:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Poem-based Movies!
Posted by Robert
Apparently, I started shooting off my mouth too early about giving thanks and how I might not be posting the rest of the week. Who knows? I might be posting like mad this week as I won't have any work to keep me occupied (though that's not quite true, but I digress).
Point is, Nancy Parish forwarded this neat little story about movies based off poems (as opposed to short stories or novels). Very, very cool. And another thing for which to be thankful.
General | Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:35:49 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
Poetry's National Book Award Winner Announced!
Posted by Robert
Robert Hass' Time and Materials (Ecco/HarperCollins) has taken the 2007 National Book Award for poetry. Book description: "These poems are grounded in the beauty and energy of the physical world, and in the bafflement of the present moment in American culture."
Source: National Book Foundation.
*****
As mentioned in an earlier post, I read this title earlier this year and enjoyed it a lot. I definitely recommend to anyone who needs a new title to read--or even for those preparing to do their holiday shopping for friends and family.
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Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, November 15, 2007 5:12:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Too Much Money Is a Bad Thing for Poetry?!?
Posted by Robert
"A Windfall Illuminates the Poetry Field, and Its Fights," by Julia M. Klein from The New York Times, reports on the 5-year progress of the Poetry Foundation (once the Modern Poetry Association), publisher of Poetry Magazine, using a $100 million grant from pharmaceutical company heiress Ruth Lilly.
In 2002, there was a lot of shock and envy at such a large grant going to one entity. In 2007, there appears to be a combination of acceptance and snobbery--with some poets applauding the Foundation's work to spread the poetry gospel and other poets feeling the whole thing is dumbing down the institution of poetry.
Regardless of how you feel on the issue, it is an interesting article.
*****
For my own part, I took issue with a quote attributed to J.D. McClatchy (a poet who I enjoy reading and have always found accessible): "Poetry is supposed to complicate people's lives, not to reassure them, or to be a humorous relaxation or an amusing spot on the radio."
While poetry can complicate people's lives, I think this statement limits the purpose of poetry, which I feel can be summed up in one vulgar word for the academic crowd: Entertainment.
Poetry is meant to entertain. Arguing over whether poetry should be complex and disturbing or light and funny is like arguing over whether all fiction should be romance or mystery. Fiction's strength is its variety of genres and niches; poetry has that same strength in its various forms and audiences.
I've seen some poets argue that metrical poetry is the only way, while other poets push against forms of any kind. I've seen poets say that real poetry should only be concerned with language and structure, while other poets only acknowledge poems with some kind of real meaning at the heart of the poem. All the while, I've thought poets and those who love poetry should embrace the whole durned thing--from the teenage boy writing a poem for his unrequited love to the post-grad scholar constructing an anagrammatic series of sestinas that incorporate mythological interpretations of the meaning of pop culture references in the 1980s (hey, whatever floats yer boat).
Anyway, sorry for the rant, but I just often don't understand why all us poets can't just get along.
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 9:05:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
New poet laureate post, funny poetry, and award announcement
Posted by Robert
"University of Arkansas Press Poetry Book Wins Virginia Literary Award," from University of Arkansas press release, announces that Fire Baton, by Elizabeth Hadaway, and published by University of Arkansas Press won a $3,000 prize for best collection of poetry by a resident of Virginia.
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"Funny side of poetry inspires children," by Susan Silvers from the Connecticut Post, looks at Canadian poet Kalli Dakos and her way of reaching out to children with her poems. (Of course, it should be noted that the funny side of poetry also inspires adults!)
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"City seeks poet laureate," by Sophia Kazmi from ContraCostaTimes.com, announces that Dublin, California, is looking for a volunteer poet laureate to spend 2 years writing poetry, organizing poetry slams and aiding the public library. Candidates have to either live or work in Dublin.
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Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 3:15:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, November 09, 2007
Spam, shoes, & Czech poets
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Friday, November 09, 2007 2:09:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Mark Strand, Robert Hass, and Ted Hughes
Posted by Robert
"Every poem is a new start," by Shiri Lev-Ari from Haaretz.com, is an interview with poet Mark Strand. Among the colorful quotes: "I have a daughter who writes cookbooks and a son who is a waiter - food is a major topic for us."
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"Poet Robert Hass goes back in time with new work," by Edward Guthmann from San Francisco Chronicle, is a profile/interview/book review of Hass and his latest collection of poetry, Time and Materials, which is already nominated for the National Book Award in Poetry.
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"Portrait of a poet as eco warrior," by Ed Douglas from Guardian Unlimited, profiles Ted Hughes and his involvement as an environmental activist. This article speaks of how this one passion has unfortunately been overshadowed by his relationship with Sylvia Plath.
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Check out other Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, November 07, 2007 9:28:38 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, November 05, 2007
Cowgirls, Kansas Poetry & Midwestern Autumns
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, November 05, 2007 1:36:50 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, November 02, 2007
T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize Shortlist Announced
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Friday, November 02, 2007 1:10:17 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Translations--both visual and textual
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:06:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, October 29, 2007
Deadline extended for The Alfred Hodder Fellowship
Posted by Nancy
I've just learned from Janine Braude at Princeton that the deadline for the Alfred Hodder Fellowship has been extended. Instead of November 1, the deadline for applications is now January 1, 2008.
THE ALFRED HODDER FELLOWSHIP
Program in Creative Writing, 185 Nassau St., Princeton NJ 08542. (609)258-4096. Fax: (609)258-2230. E-mail: jbraude@princeton.edu. Website: www.princeton.edu/arts/hodder_fellowship. Contact: Janine Braude.
--Nancy
Poetry News | Poet's Market updates
Monday, October 29, 2007 7:33:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Translation Winners & Football Poets
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, October 29, 2007 3:06:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 26, 2007
Bush, bin Laden, and Simic? It must be Friday...
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Friday, October 26, 2007 2:26:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
The BEST American Poetry 2007
Posted by Robert
Finally getting around to reading The Best American Poetry 2007, edited by Heather McHugh (guest editor) and David Lehman (series editor), and I'm more than half-way through this year's rather slim volume (at least, compared to recent editions).
I'm still trying to make up my mind about where 2007's crop of poems rank against previous years in this series, but one of the great things about this anthology has little to do with the actual poems. What I love about this anthology are the 70+ explanations of the poems by the actual poets. It's really a great learning experience.
For instance, Rae Armantrout writes, "Part of the pleasure of poetry has always been the rather strange pleasure of 'calling one thing by another's name.' That's what metaphor does, after all. 'Scumble' asks about the psychology of this phenomenon. What is the kick in substitution? Is it covertly erotic?"
Julie Carr honestly writes, "The poem 'marriage' has had so many permutations that its source is no longer any particular lived or imagined experience. Its sources are instead its previous selves. The phonic and semantic relationships among the words 'marriage,' 'edge,' 'manna,' and 'mannered' have been, throughout, constant points of interest."
Of his poem "Best Am Po," Mark Halliday writes, "If I'd known that this poem would end up in The Best American Poetry, I would have made it even more ambitious."
How I like to read this anthology, in fact, is to use a small Post-It to bookmark the current poem I'm reading and a small Post-It to bookmark the corresponding poet commentary. That way, I can read the comments on the poem while the poem is still fresh in my mind.
While I'm still making up my mind about this particular volume, one thing is certain: The overall series is very interesting and filled with diversity. Each guest editor seems to take the anthology in a different direction, and that is a great thing.
*****
For some more on The Best American Poetry 2007:
Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Thursday, October 25, 2007 6:24:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Copper Canyon featured on the Lehrer Newshour
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Thursday, October 25, 2007 5:04:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
More on comics and poetry...
Posted by Nancy
In this post I talked a little about poetry and comics and how much the idea of poetry melded with graphic art appealed to me. Rachel McDonald, editor of Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, sent me this link to a post by graphic artist Leland Myrick on the First Second blog. Myrick explains, "It didn’t take me long, honestly, to come to the conclusion that many comics, though they might not have started out as poems, are in their finished forms closer to poetry than anything else."
In the comments to Myrick's post, I found this link to "Seth: Comics = Poetry + Graphic Design" on Austin Kleon's site ("a writer who draws and designs"). I also found a link to "Poetry & Graphic Art: The Collaborations of Nick Flynn and Josh Neufeld" on the Academy of American Poets site. (The full version of their collaboration on Flynn's poem "Father Outside" is here.)
Very interesting stuff. I was especially fascinated with Seth's perspectives on "Peanuts" strips as haiku.
--Nancy
General | Poetry News
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 6:44:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Poetry snubbed & an interview
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 5:30:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, October 19, 2007
Star Wars & poetry, as well as packed stadiums to hear poetry readings
Posted by Robert
First things first. "Star Wars Galaxies: The House of Poetry in focus" appears to give online gamers, who also happen to be poets, the ability to express themselves and discuss poetry on a regular schedule. This is an interesting concept blending online gaming, the Star Wars franchise and poetry.
I imagine Jedi Knights must write haiku and renga; droids probably crank out concrete and list poems; and the Sith produce sonnets and sestinas aplenty.
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"The Power of Verse," by Anna Malpas from The Moscow Times, reports that Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko will perform at a stadium in Russia with 17,000 seats. While Yevtushenko could pack a stadium with his readings in the 60's and 70's, it will be interesting to see if he can do so again, especially after he's been living in America since the 90's and currently teaches poetry and film at the University of Tulsa.
Personally, I just recently discovered Yevtushenko's poetry, and it is quite good. If you're able, I recommend hunting down one of his collections.
*****
Check out other Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Friday, October 19, 2007 2:07:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Joseph Stalin, the poet?
Posted by Robert
"Could Stalin have been a poet instead of a tyrant?," from Russia Today, is a very interesting piece on how Joseph Stalin went from being a rising poetic star to a Bolshevik leader. Of special interest is how Stalin's poetry may have helped him rise to be the leader of a nation.
*****
With that story in mind, it is not recommended that you use poetry as a platform for political gain (or to stage robberies, for that matter). Poetry should always be kept separate of any such evil doing.
*****
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Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, October 18, 2007 8:15:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 16, 2007
New Poet Laureate Post Established!
Posted by Robert
Poetry News
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:12:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 11, 2007
Doris Lessing Takes the Nobel Prize in Literature
Posted by Robert
Poetry News
Thursday, October 11, 2007 12:33:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Robert Hass: National Book Award & the Nobel Literature Prize
Posted by Robert
No, Robert Hass has not won the Nobel Literature Prize. Not yet. However, the next winner of the Nobel will be announced tomorrow and speculation of who will win is mounting:
*****
So, why did I mention Robert Hass? Well, I had The New York Times review of his most recent poetry collection, Time and Materials: Poems, 1997-2005 (Ecco/HarperCollins), forwarded my way by Faulty Mindbomb contributor Caili Wilk. (Thanks!)
"The Limits of Influence," by Stephen Burt, gives a nice review.
I read the collection myself in May/June of this year. Many advance copies were available at the popular book buzz forum at BookExpo America in New York this year. There were few advance copies of poetry available at the event, but I was surely glad to have Hass.
Out of dozens of books that I'd collected at the expo, Time and Materials was the only one I read at Laguardia while waiting for my plane. And yes, I read it on the plane, too. And yes, again, I continued reading it at home. Yes, I'm giving the collection a thumbs up. (That's as close as you'll get to a review out of me, I think.)
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Oh yeah? Why did I bother to put "National Book Award" in the title of this post? Maybe because Publishers Lunch passed on the National Book Award finalists in poetry. They are:
- Linda Gregerson, Magnetic North (Houghton Mifflin Company)
- Robert Hass, Time and Materials (Ecco/HarperCollins)
- David Kirby, The House on Boulevard St. (Louisiana State University Press)
- Stanley Plumly, Old Heart (W.W. Norton & Company)
- Ellen Bryant Voigt, Messenger: New and Selected Poems 1976-2006 (W.W. Norton & Company)
As you'll notice, Hass is one of the finalists. Looks like a pretty strong field this year. I now have four new books to hunt down at the bookstore.
*****
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Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 7:31:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Sean O'Brien & Walt Whitman
Posted by Robert
There are a couple pieces on Sean O'Brien winning the U.K.'s Forward Poetry Prizes award for the Best Collection...for his third time.
*****
"'Leaves of Grass' Still Growing, Inspiring," by Diane Ackerman for NPR, is a great piece on Walt Whitman and why his words are still vital to poets today. Personally, he's one of the best. Seriously.
*****
Check out other Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:00:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 08, 2007
A little bit about a few poets...
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, October 08, 2007 9:53:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, October 05, 2007
Speaking of Poet Laureates...
Posted by Robert
...oh, we weren't speaking of poet laureates? Well, that's okay, because here are two good pieces on them speaking.
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From Guardian Unlimited, here's a speech by UK Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, on the relationship between poetry and power. His whole speech transcript is available. Highly recommended.
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"Americans still love poetry, says poet laureate Pinsky," by Lila Hanft for ClevelandJewishNews.com, profiles the former U.S. poet laureate. In the article, Robert Pinsky says, "As dancing is to movement, as cuisine is to nutrition, as lovemaking is to procreation, poetry is an art: an expressive form of speech. If art is important, poetry is important."
*****
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Poetry News | Poets
Friday, October 05, 2007 5:14:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 04, 2007
Done With Harry Potter? Read Poetry...
Posted by Robert
Brian Klems, who manages WritersDigest.com and has his own Questions & Quandaries blog, alerted me to the following cool pieces available on the site:
- "On the Edge: Poetry for the Younger Set," by Kara Gebhart Uhl, asks, "Will the creation of a Children's Poet Laureate and the staying power of novels-in-verse allow room for new writers in the burgeoning market?" The article includes advice from the United States first Children's Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky, as well as Janet Schulman (editor-at-large of Random House Children's Books), Julie Larios (author of Yellow Elephant), Steven Malk (agent at Writers House), and many more.
- "Children's Poetry Markets," compiled by Alice Pope, lists nine book publishers that accept novels-in-verse book ideas.
- And since I just mentioned her--if you're interested in "poetry for the younger set," then I suggest you check out Alice Pope's CWIM blog on a regular basis at http://cwim.blogspot.com.
*****
Check out other Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Thursday, October 04, 2007 5:22:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Winner of The Lenore Marshall Prize Announced!
Posted by Robert
(Thanks to Caili Wilk for forwarding the press release!)
Alice Notley's Grave of Light: New and Selected Poems 1970-2005 (Wesleyan University Press) was chosen by poets David Baker, Mark McMorris and Marie Ponsot to receive the 2007 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, which awards $25,000 to the most outstanding book of poetry published the previous year (as decided by the Academy of American Poets).
Ponsot remarked of Notley's winning title: "These poems give us thirty-five years of political, personal, death-defying engagement. The nature Notley most loves is human nature. That urban passion propels her speculative dramas of gender, class, and race; of Vietnam and Iraq; of schemes of power and the claims of art. Ardent and agile, she is willing to cry out, to drift, to stammer, so as to put every turn of language to her use. Her aim is to speak to everyone; her book shows her success."
David Wojahn's Interrogation Palace (University of Pittsburgh Press) was chosen as the finalist for the award.
I couldn't find a link on their site, but I'm sure there will be more information forthcoming from the Academy of American Poets at www.poets.org.
*****
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Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 11:23:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Very Good Article on Charles Simic
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, October 02, 2007 7:17:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 01, 2007 Friday, September 28, 2007
Should Poets And Politics Mix, Part Two
Posted by Robert
If you're interested in part one, click here.
While "Professor publishes April 16 poem," by Liza Roesch for the Collegiate Times, might sound mundane enough, it actually explores the idea of whether poetry and politics (and current events, for that matter) should mix.
The article is about Bob Hicok and a poem he published in the September/October issue of American Poetry Review called "So I know." It is a confessional poem from Hicok about his guilt for not doing more to prevent the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech shootings brought about by one of his former students, Seung-Hui Cho.
Click here to read Hicok's poem "So I know."
In it, Hicok addresses why he's written and attempted to publish the poem: "too soon/people will say, so what. This is what I do."
And Hicok definitely has a point.
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Check out other Poetry News here.
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, September 28, 2007 5:53:54 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Translating Poetry: Is it worth it?
Posted by Robert
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, September 28, 2007 3:22:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A lot of poetry news to report today...
Posted by Robert
Some days just seem to bring more news than others. Maybe it's the shifting of the seasons.
"Arab poetry's sometimes subversive answer to 'American Idol,'" by Saifedean Ammous for The Electronic Intifada, examines the success of a televised poetry contest named Prince of Poets. Ammous: "Perhaps the only thing that is as hard as translating Arab poetry to other languages is trying to explain to non-Arabs the extent of poetry's popularity, importance and Arab's strong attachment to it."
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"A new direction for the New Yorker," by Robert Potts for Guardian Unlimited, offers another take on Paul Muldoon's recent appointment as Poetry Editor at The New Yorker.
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"Poetry award increases prize pot," by Anna Richardson for Bookseller.com, reports the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry has increased the prize money awarded to make it the largest cash prize in British poetry.
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Check out other Poetry News here.
Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poets
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:08:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 21, 2007
Moves Made at The New Yorker
Posted by Nancy
Poetry News | Poets | Poet's Market updates
Friday, September 21, 2007 3:34:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Poet Tess Gallagher speaks on power of poetry
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 3:42:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 14, 2007
Recently in the Poet's Market newsletter...
Posted by Nancy
If you don't subscribe to the Poet's Market e-newsletter (go here for free subscription sign-up), you missed the following about online poetry groups:
The new 2008 Poet's Market includes an Insider Report by Donya Dickerson called "Online Poetry Forums: A new community for poets." Donya contacted two successful sites--The Poet Sanctuary and Wild Poetry Forum--and spoke with participants about their experiences in the poetry forum community.
Addressing the benefits of belonging to an online poetry group, M of Wild Poetry Forum says:
"I suppose the primary attraction of poetry forums, no matter the poet's individual goal, is the ability to receive immediate exposure, feedback and critique of writing from other experienced authors. Some of our members write as an emotional outlet or hobby and simply wish to share their writing and their thoughts with other like-minded souls. Other members are published professionals, or hope to be published one day, and are more concerned with the technical aspects of improving their writing skills."
For more on the value of online poetry communities, the kind of criticism poets receive, and how to find a forum that's right for you, see "Online Poetry Forums" in the 2008 Poet's Market.
--Nancy
The Poet's Market e-newsletter is sent twice per month; next edition goes out on September 21. Subscribe today!
General | Poetry News
Friday, September 14, 2007 4:14:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, September 13, 2007
Computer Poetry and the Renaissance
Posted by Robert
Poetry News
Thursday, September 13, 2007 5:40:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Following up on Haiku on September 11
Posted by Robert
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 5:54:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Should Poets and Politics Mix?
Posted by Robert
"Stranded: Poet Mark Strand Preaches Political Indifference at UCI," by Victor D. Infante from About.com (reprinted from The Orange County Weekly), examines a comment made by Strand that poets should rise above politics in their poetry, as well as stating that rap and poetry share no connection.
Since I was not there to see the context of his answer, I cannot speak to Strand's specific quotes. However, I think it's difficult to separate poetry from music--whether verse/chorus/verse or rap songs. Slam poetry is definitely a poetic form and part of the poetry world, and there are many great slam poems that sound like rap without the "fat" beats. And many song lyrics read as free verse and/or metered poetry if you remove the accompanying music.
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Also, I'm conflicted about the politics and poetry not mixing idea. This is very dangerous--on both sides of the trenches.
On one side, poetry that is all politics can be more than a little preachy, which can alienate many readers--much like a door-to-door salesperson or that crazy guy who stands on soapboxes all day warning of the end of the world. You know, sometimes the message can kill the poem's effectiveness as a poem.
On the other side, poets who don't report the world as they see it do a disservice to their time and place, as well as the readers of their specific time and place. Avoiding politics can cause readers to feel displaced from the writing of the poet. Not every poem has to be timeless, after all. Neruda understood this when he tackled both the timely (politics) and timeless (love) topics.
And really the best poetry that I read tries to get at both the timely and timeless at the same time. It's that juxtaposition that really gets me jazzed up.
Of course, I'd love to hear others thoughts on this as well.
*****
(Also, apologies to Mark Strand for having this particular article singled out. I really don't know in what context he made various comments--so don't let this post affect your opinion of him. However, this article did get me thinking about some important issues we all face as poets. Strand is a great poet, and I suggest you read plenty of his work if you haven't already.)
Commentary | Poetry Craft Tips | Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 7:16:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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A market that's NOT closed: River Oak Review
Posted by Nancy
I've received an e-mail from Lance Wilcox, Associate Poetry Editor of River Oak Review. He discusses a situation I just hate to hear about--an editor returned a listing verification for the 2008 edition of Poet's Market, but somehow I never received it:
"I recently purchased the 2008 Poet's Market for my personal use and was surprised not to see our journal listed. When I mentioned it to Ann Frank Wake, our Poetry Editor, she was quite upset. She is sure she revised and submitted the necessary materials to update our listing in a timely manner…I know how conscientious she is, so I believe she did return the revised listing on time and the snafu occurred somewhere else."
Indeed, the snafu was probably the great junk mail filter "black hole" into which too much mail disappears. I searched through all my records and my electronic files of returned verifications, and I don't have anything for River Oak Review. I also review my long list of "blocked" e-mails each day, but I may have overlooked this verification at the time. I'm quite capable of making mistakes, and do.
Whatever the cause, River Oak Review didn't have a listing in the 2008 Poet's Market, and that doesn't make me happy. I value every listing and hate the long list of "NR" (no response) markets that appear in the General Index in each edition. Since I'm the only person working on the book, it's impossible for me to contact all these markets individually to see if they forgot to return their listing updates. I send out at least one, sometimes two follow-up mailings to markets I haven't heard from, but these are easily disregarded if an editor believes he/she already responded.
Please add River Oak Review to your list of potential markets (the submission guidelines are here). And believe me, River Oak Review will appear in the 2009 edition of Poet's Market.
--Nancy
Poetry News | Poet's Market updates
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 4:20:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 30, 2007
Bookstores, travel, and more
Posted by Robert
"Lyrical days on isle of poetry," by Neil Sowerby for Manchester Evening News, is more a travel than poetry piece. But it was a fun read about Deia, where poet and author of I, Claudius Robert Graves was buried.
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"Slovenian poetry as a relic of the past?" from CourierInternational.com. Peter Koslek says, "If you look in bookstores in Paris, London or Vienna, you'll have difficulty finding a shelf dedicated to poetry. ... Here in Slovenia things are different: we have metres of shelves full of poetry in our bookstores, located just as prominently as those for other types of literature."
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Following up on that thought, I can add that it is often very difficult to find the "Poetry Section" in U.S. bookstores as well. Usually, that "section" consists of a few shelves of anthologies and dead poets. Even at my favorite bookstores, I have trouble finding some of my favorites like Louise Gluck and Bob Hicock.
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In other news, I submitted some poetry to Thieves Jargon yesterday. They apparently plan on re-upping their operations in September.
*****
Check out other Poetry News.
Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:57:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 27, 2007
How to list in POET'S MARKET
Posted by Nancy
If you or anyone you know has a journal (print or online), press, contest, festival, conference/workshop, or organization you'd like to appear in the 2009 edition of Poet's Market (which comes out in August 2008), it's simply a matter of submitting the appropriate questionnaire for consideration. (This is for NEW listings or listings that haven't appeared in recent editions of the book.)
There are two procedures you can follow:
Method 1) Save the questionnaire to your hard drive. Fill out the questionnaire on the computer (don't worry about formatting--this is a simple Word document and the format alters easily; clarity and accuracy count most). Then either e-mail as a Word attachment, or print out and send the hard copy c/o Poet's Market at the address at the top of the questionnaire. (You are also welcome to fax your response to the number at the top of the questionnaire.)
Method 2) Print the questionnaire from the website link and fill out your best way (by hand in dark ink or on typewriter, although the latter could be a challenge). Mail or fax according to info at the top of the questionnaire (or e-mail a scan, if you wish). PLEASE: If you fill out by hand, make your writing as clear as possible; this is doubly important if you fax your response.
Once we have your completed questionnaire, a listing will be written up according to our standard template. You'll receive an e-mailed verification copy to review/correct sometime mid-winter. 2009 Poet's Market will be closed to new listings by February 15, 2008.
Please pass the link to this post on to any editor, publisher, contest coordinator, etc., who might be interested in listing in the 2009 edition of Poet's Market (again, this is for NEW listings or listings that haven't appeared in recent editions of the book). Thanks for your support!
2009 Poet's Market listing questionnaires:
Magazines/Journals questionnaire
Contests & Awards questionnaire
Poetry News | Poet's Market listing questionnaires | Q&A
Monday, August 27, 2007 3:46:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
All aboard for poetry!
Posted by Robert
"'Worst' rail firm goes from bad to verse," by Alan Hamilton from The Times, wins best title for the day. As part of this article on First Great Western hiring Cornish poet Sally Crabtree to perform at selected stations, there is an offer for poets to e-mail poems to The Times about trains and railways.
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Speaking of trains, I always think of Harry Potter and the Hogwarts Express at the mere mention. Over this past weekend, I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I was quite blown away by just how good J.K. Rowling's final Harry Potter tale finished. There's a reason the book has such tremendous sales. (And now I'm sad that the adventure is over.)
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Commentary | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 2:09:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 13, 2007
National Poetry Slam!
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, August 13, 2007 6:47:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Taslima Nasreen: Poetry as an act of courage
Posted by Nancy
The last session I was able to attend at last fall's biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival before starting the drive back to Ohio was "Poetry and the Lives of Women." Poets onstage in that intimate tent on a crisp fall morning were Toi Derricotte, Linda Pastan, Anne Waldman, and Taslima Nasreen.
I wasn't aware of Nasreen, her history, or her work before this panel, and I was awestruck at the courage and defiance this unassuming woman seated before me had shown in speaking out through her writing. The participants discussed many issues related to women and poetry, but at times the American poets seemed apologetic discussing their own personal and cultural hurdles as artists. Not that sexism, racism, or any personal challenge of any poet (of either sex) is negated by another poet's persecution. However, in the presence of Nasreen--exiled, with a price on her head--it was difficult for poets and audience members not to say, "Of course, what I went through doesn't even begin to compare, but…"
Last Thursday, Taslima Nasreen was attacked at a public appearance in Hyderabad, India (hat tip to The Poetry Hut for the information--and YouTube provides several videos of the disturbance). What's more, Nasreen was booked by Hyderabad police "for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language--a charge that can get her two years in prison, if proven."
Take some time to learn more about Taslima Nasreen and to read her poetry; and consider how intensely important poetry can be.
--Nancy
P.S. If you weren't there, or simply want to relive the moment if you were lucky enough to be in the audience at the festival's Friday afternoon "poetry sampler," you can watch a video clip of Taha Muhammed Ali reading his poem "Revenge" thanks to the folks at Dodge.
Commentary | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, August 13, 2007 4:42:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 09, 2007
Vietnamese Poetry and Teacher Training
Posted by Robert
Poetry News
Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:55:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007
A Post Strophe
Posted by Robert
"Pissy About Apostrophes," by Steven Huff on Random Lunatic News, goes into a long rant about his "substandard education in the mechanics, the nuts and bolts of good writing." As one might imagine from the title, this post is both amusing and helpful.
*****
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Commentary | Poetry News
Wednesday, August 08, 2007 3:41:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Stealing each other's kittens...
Posted by Nancy
The October 2007 issue of Writer's Digest includes "Vice Versa" by Michael J. Vaughn, in which "three author/poets discuss why prose writers should try poetry, and poets should pen prose." The three poets interviewed are Diane Ackerman, Kim Addonizio, and Naomi Shihab Nye.
In answer to the question "How do the two forms interact? Do you ever borrow phrases or ideas from one to use in the other?", Ackerman notes that she once had two female cats that got pregnant at the same time and had their kittens within days of each other. Perhaps because their scents got confused, "they began stealing and nursing each other's kittens. My prose and poetry sometimes steal each other's kittens, as I try to decide where an image or observation belongs."
The October issue includes Kara Gebhart Uhl's "On the Edge" column, in which she discusses Jack Prelutsky, the first United States Children's Poet Laureate (inaugurated by The Poetry Foundation); and the ongoing popularity of the novel-in-verse for younger audiences.
--Nancy
P.S. There's also a "writer's workbook" section (formatted for three-hole punch) that includes a two-page discussion of the sestina by James Cummins. Quite a poetry-rich issue of WD for poetry lovers!
Poetic Forms | Poetry Craft Tips | Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, August 07, 2007 4:09:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Poetry Games & When Poetry Becomes a Business
Posted by Robert
Advice | Poetry News
Tuesday, August 07, 2007 4:02:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 06, 2007
Slams, Maps and Raps
Posted by Robert
"Slam I am," by Gayle Worland for Wisconsin State Journal, profiles a Madison, Wisconsin, slam team. In the process, Worland also delivers a nice primer on slam poetry in general.
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"U.S. Poetry Map and Texas's Naomi Shihab Nye," by Sylvia Vardell for her Poetry for Children blog, reports on a new poetry map feature on The Academy of American Poets Web site, along with a bit about Naomi Shihab Nye.
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"Why rap if you can be a poet?," by Sarah Maslin Nir for The Times (London), profiles Musa Okwonga, a very interesting performance poet with a book coming out on soccer (or football, as termed in the article). While Okwonga is considered an expert on soccer, his passion is with poetry.
*****
Check out more Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, August 06, 2007 5:24:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Sunday, August 05, 2007
Should all Poets Move to Australia and More Stuff
Posted by Robert
"Out of the garrets," by Fiona Scott-Norman for The Age, looks at performance poetry in Melbourne, Australia. "Poets are becoming the new pop stars," writes Fiona. Which begs the question: Should all poets be booking flights to Australia? Or, are all poets already there?
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"Charles Simic Receives Poet Laureate Post, Plus $100,000 Award," by Jeffrey Burke for Bloomberg, shows that Simic has had one helluva week with the poet laureate announcement and now a separate $100,000 prize as winner of the American Academy of Poets' Wallace Stevens Award.
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Also, my latest edition of Faulty Mindbomb is out. Rachel Carlson wrote the poem "My Fat Content." Check it out at http://faultymindbomb.blogspot.com/2007/08/fmb0027.html.
*****
Click here to check out other Poetry News.
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Sunday, August 05, 2007 4:26:50 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 02, 2007
New National Poet Laureate Named
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, August 02, 2007 2:10:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Women Dominate!
Posted by Robert
"Women dominate new writing awards shortlist," by Michelle Pauli for Guardian Unlimited, announces that eight of nine writers shortlisted for the New Writing Ventures awards are women. Three finalists are selected for three prizes: Poetry, Fiction and Creative Nonfiction. The poetry shortlist includes the only male finalist, Mir Mahfuz Ali, in addition to Jemma Borg and Jacqueline Gabbitas.
*****
Click here to check out more Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, August 02, 2007 1:42:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 01, 2007
OOOPS! post: Lo Galluccio
Posted by Nancy
I'm so glad I noticed this in the Comments to this post--my apologies, Lo!:
Thanks for the mention. I only wanted to let you know that my name is actually Lo Galluccio, not La Galluccio. Although I kind of like your variation. I also have an Italian website at http://unofficiallogalluccio.atspace.com. I'll be reading at Out of the Blue Gallery with Edward J. Carvahlo on August 18th. Again, thanks for the mention and your publicizing the Writer's Festival which I am proud to be part of this year.
--Nancy
Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, August 01, 2007 6:44:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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World's Worst Poet and Poetic Lies?
Posted by Robert
Poetry News | Poets
Wednesday, August 01, 2007 6:01:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
If You Write Poetry for Children...
Posted by Nancy
General | Poetry News
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 3:42:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 30, 2007
Congratulations to Jared Carter
Posted by Nancy
As I posted earlier this month, Jared Carter was nominated in the poetry category for the Best Books of Indiana 2007 awards. Jared sends word that Cross This Bridge at a Walk was honored with the poetry award, which "was presented by last year’s poetry winner, Karen Kovacik, of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. This year’s judges for poetry were Edward Byrne, Valparaiso University; Cornelius Eady, University of Notre Dame; and Michele Fenton, Indiana State Library," reports Jared. He adds that he and his wife, Diane, "wish to thank all those who attended--all those who gave the awards a boost online or in the print media--and all those who sent greetings and congratulations!" More information about the awards and the ceremony are available here.
--Nancy
Go here for more Poetry News.
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, July 30, 2007 6:57:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Poetry news from here and there
Posted by Nancy
If you live in the Boston, MA area or will be visiting in early November, mark your calendar for The Somerville News Writers Festival V, to be held at the Jimmy Tingle Theater on November 11 at 7 p.m. Featured poets include Gloria Mindock, Dainelle Legros Georges, Irene Koronas, La Galluccio, and Douglas Holder. The 2007 Ibbetson Street Lifetime Award will be presented to Robert Pinksy, former U.S. Poet Laureate and founder of The Favorite Poem Project.
A classic 1994 Dave Barry column explores the poetry anthology biz.
The poems are out there: poetry about aliens.
--Nancy
UPDATE FROM LO (not "LA") GALLUCIO (with apologies):
Thanks for the mention. I only wanted to let you know that my name is actually Lo Galluccio, not La Galluccio. Although I kind of like your variation. I also have an Italian website at http://unofficiallogalluccio.atspace.com. I'll be reading at Out of the Blue Gallery with Edward J. Carvahlo on August 18th. Again, thanks for the mention and your publicizing the Writer's Festival which I am proud to be part of this year.
Poetry News
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:25:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 23, 2007
Mathematics and poetry, as well as 2 tributes
Posted by Robert
Before I launch into the news today, I should let you know that I may not be posting much between now and next Tuesday. 'Tis the season for summer vacations, and my time has come up. I'll be haunting the Appalachians of Tennessee and Georgia over the next week or so. I'm sure I won't be missed too much though with Nancy holding down the fort. :)
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"60 Second Interview," by Alistair Baptista for Gulf Daily News, features an interview with mathematics professor and poet Dr. Khalid Amin, who draws comparisons between math and poetry.
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"Tragic vision of poetry," by Muhammed Nafih for Deccan Herald, provides a short tribute of the Iraqi poet Nazek al-Malaika, who passed away recently at the age of 85.
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"IU professor emeritus was pioneer in concrete poetry movement," by Sarah J. Deuser for the Indiana Daily Student, looks at poet and critic Mary Ellen Solt, who passed away on June 21 at age 86.
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Click here to read more Poetry News.
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Monday, July 23, 2007 6:03:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 20, 2007
County Fairs and Poetry Revisited
Posted by Nancy
Yesterday when I posted about poetry at a local county fair I didn't realize that there's actually quite a bit of activity in this area. Out of curiosity, I entered "county fair poetry" into Google and came up with some interesting examples:
The Pike County Fair (Missouri) is holding their second poetry slam.
There's an Academic Rodeo for young people that includes a poetry contest at The Titus County Fair in Texas.
Taylor Co., Kentucky's 4-H not only has a poetry competition, the winners are published in an anthology of district winners.
Finally, one enterprising poet has devoted his efforts to introducing poetry into county fair competitions. His "How to Set Up Poetry Contests at Fairs" explains how poetry winds up in the craft division. I agree, though, that promoting literacy--and poetry--are worthy pursuits; just as long as one kind of poetry isn't being championed as the only kind.
--Nancy
Poetry News
Friday, July 20, 2007 5:27:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Lyrics & poetry; birthdays
Posted by Robert
"Lyrics taught as poetry," by Anthony Geraci for Ohio State's The Lantern, looks at how one English professor attempts to build interest studying poetry in a new way.
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Also, I'm shamelessly plugging my birthday, which is today. I promise I won't do this again for 366 days (due to 2008 being a leap year). :)
Click here to read more Poetry News.
Personal Updates | Poetry News
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 11:07:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Poetry binges; dramatic monologues; politics; and poetry slams
Posted by Robert
It's a busy Tuesday!
"The great poetry binge," by Sarah Crown for Guardian Unlimited, examines a change in how Crown began reading while judging a poetry contest.
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"A Few Thoughts on the Dramatic Monologue," by Reginald Shepherd for his personal blog, describes what a dramatic monologue is, especially for poets, and provides examples from Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
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"Palestinian poet derides factions," from BBC News, covers a recent poetry reading by celebrated Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish who criticized the in-fighting between Hamas and Fatah.
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News Release From the Writing Show: Announcing the First Ever Writing Show New Year's Poetry Slam. "We are looking for poets, judges, and sponsors for the event, which will be posted online on January 1, 2008."
Poetry News | Poets
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 5:49:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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DINER closing
Posted by Nancy
A reader has e-mailed me that she just received a letter from Diner announcing that the journal is no longer reading work and that the 2007 edition will be its last, due to funding.
--Nancy
Journal Closings | Poetry News | Poet's Market updates
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:56:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 16, 2007
Collectivistic Writing, Poetry From Conflict, and Vermont's New State Poet
Posted by Robert
"A Collectivistic Union of Writing Wisdom," by Kim Rush for the chance operations blog, reviews The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu and translated by Royal Tylor. This piece includes some interesting thoughts on collectivistic and individualistic cultures and language, especially as it relates to poetry.
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"Where we begin: Poetry forged from conflict," by Kaelen Wilson-Goldie for The Daily Star, reviews We Begin Here: Poems for Palestine and Lebanon, edited by Kamal Boullata and Kathy Engel, out now from Interlink Books. This review is very interesting, and the collection includes poets from all over the globe.
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"Poetry flows from with for new state poet," by John Flowers for Addison Independent, profiles new Vermont State Poet, Ruth Stone, who still writes at 92 years old.
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, July 16, 2007 5:20:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 13, 2007
The Power of Poetry and an OpEd on Philip Booth
Posted by Robert
"The Power of Poetry," by Christopher Dickey for On Faith, discusses poetry in relation to religion. During the piece, Dickey does not appear to favor one religion over the other, but instead looks at the lyricism found within the original version of the various texts and how the poetry of the language is meant to move as much as the meanings behind the words.
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The Bangor Daily News presents an OpEd, "Henry L. Miller: Philip Booth and his poetry." In the piece, Miller looks at one of Maine's more accomplished poets, emphasizing Booth's sensitivity for being observant and paying attention to detail--both in writing and sailing.
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Also, a quick personal note: I posted a new poem by new poet Bob Boston at http://faultymindbomb.blogspot.com.
Best,
Robert
Personal Updates | Poetry News | Poets
Friday, July 13, 2007 3:54:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, July 12, 2007
A Poet Laureate and a Well-Known Poet
Posted by Robert
Today, I've got two interesting pieces on poets.
In "Poet laureate shares her love of poetry," by Jennifer Bhargava for The Kansas City Star, the new Kansas poet laureate, Denise Low, is profiled. Low plans to focus on getting Kansas teens reading "contemporary" poetry, which I've mentioned before (and will mention again) is an important way to build an appreciation of poetry in this country.
Denise Low has two Web sites of interest:
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In "Poetry Amidst the Kultursmog: An Interview With David Yezzi," by Bernard Chapin for mensnewsdaily.com, Yezzi, the well-known poet and Executive Editor of The New Criterion, gives some very candid answers to some very pointed questions about poetry and poets.
Poetry News | Poets
Thursday, July 12, 2007 5:26:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Literary Agents for Poets; National Book Festival; and a Report on Poetry in 2007
Posted by Robert
"Literary Agents for Poets," by Victoria Strauss from the Writer Beware blog, breaks down why "reputable" literary agents are never interested in "unknown" poets. This post also includes many links to other information of interest to poets as well.
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Poets Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Prufer, Jon Stallworth, Anne Stevenson, and Diane Thiel will be reading at the 2007 National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on September 29.
Source: Library of Congress
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"A report on poetry in 2007," by Todd Swift from Eyewear, looks at the current state of poetry in the United Kingdom from Swift's 20 years of experience as a writer, editor, etc. Swift also hypothesizes on why poetry is where it is.
Advice | General | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 5:55:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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PIKEVILLE REVIEW closes
Posted by Nancy
I've received word from editor Sydney C. England that Pikeville Review is closing down. According to the e-mail, "…our small volunteer staff could not continue providing this service." Pikeville Review was verified for the 2008 edition of Poet's Market (on sale next month), so please make a note of this closure in your copy.
I'm planning to post a list of journals and presses that were listed as "out of business" in the 2008 Poet's general index. As I receive additional news of closures, I'll repost the list with each update. Watch for it in the next week or two.
--Nancy
Journal Closings | Poetry News | Poetry Publishing | Poet's Market updates
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 2:57:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 09, 2007
The Ghazal and Bad Boy Poetry
Posted by Robert
From Desicritics.org, "The Ghazal-An Odd Sort of Poetry," by Deepa Krishnan, is a nice tribute to poet Mirza Ghalib, as well as an educated discussion on the ghazal form of poetry. As I'm sure most poets do, I was thinking of the ghazal in relation to my own work as I read.
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From the William & Mary Web site, "Victorian Poetry's Bad Boy," by Erin Zagurski, profiles scholar Terry Meyers and his pursuit of gaining more recognition for Victorian poet (and bad boy), Algernon Charles Swinburne. I'm always appreciative of scholars who work to keep lesser known poets from completely disappearing into the ether. Even if you're not interested in Victorian poets, the article itself is very interesting.
General | Poetry News
Monday, July 09, 2007 4:02:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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News from poet Jared Carter
Posted by Nancy
I received an e-mail from Jared Carter over the weekend sharing the good news that his latest book, Cross this Bridge at a Walk (Wind Publications), is a poetry finalist for "Best Books of Indiana 2007." Poet's Market featured Jared in an Insider Report in the 2005 edition. Not only is he a wonderful poet, he's a lovely gentleman besides, and I loved Cross this Bridge at a Walk.
On the Jared Carter website, the book description says, "Its sixteen narrative poems recount incidents in America's history from the Revolution to the present, with cameo appearances by Mother Ann Lee, Emily Dickinson, Scott Joplin, and Bix Beiderbecke." The site includes sample poems from Cross this Bridge at a Walk, plus a generous selection of some of Jared Carter's earlier poems, not to mention lots of background information on the poet himself. If you're not familiar with Jared Carter's poetry, his website is an ideal introduction.
Regarding the "Best Books of Indiana 2007" awards, Jared says, "A number of books by Indiana authors or about Indiana, published between January 1 and December 31 of 2006, were among this year’s finalists. Categories include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and children/young adult. Winners in the four categories will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 19 July. If it’s geographically possible for you to attend, Diane and I would be most grateful. We’d love to see you there, and have a chance to say hello…The awards, now in their third year, are still relatively new. A large turn-out would give a considerable boost to contemporary poetry in Indiana, and also to the awards program…if you can’t make it, send us some good vibrations!" More information about the "Best Books of Indiana" awards may be found on their website.
If you're within driving distance of Indianapolis and want to attend, here are the particulars: The event is Thursday, July 19, at 3 p.m. at The Indiana State Library (140 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis 46204, west of the Statehouse); or check the library's website. You can also e-mail Ms. Dawn Lipp, coordinator, or phone her at (317)232-3699.
Congratulations to Jared Carter on a fine book and his "Best Books of Indiana 2007" finalist status--and best wishes for happy news at the awards ceremony.
--Nancy
Poetry News | Poets
Monday, July 09, 2007 3:04:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 06, 2007
Industrial Designers, Russian Poetry, and Britney Spears?!?
Posted by Robert
It must be Friday.
First off is "Emptying Space to Let Something In: What can poetry teach designers?," by Xanthe Matychak for CORE77, Industrial Design Supersite. The title pretty much says it all. I enjoyed reading this piece, and it makes me ponder the following question: If designers can learn from poets, and specifically Margaret Atwood, shouldn't poets be able to learn from designers?
The answer is, "Of course."
***
"The 'raging bull' of Russian poetry," by Dalia Karpel for Haaretz.com is a very interesting profile of an early 20th century Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. To this day, there is speculation as to whether the poet's death in his 30's was a suicide or political assassination. This is a longer article, though well worth the read.
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And since I only cover the most serious of breaking poetry news, I just had to share "Britney Spears attacks mother in a poem," by Jeannette Walls for MSNBC. According to the piece, Britney wrote a bitter poem to her mother, Lynne Spears, titled "Dear Mama."
It's not yet known if this poem will lead to a full-fledged collection of bitter poetry (maybe even with an accompanying CD set to music).
(p.s. That was a joke.)
(p.p.s. I think.)
General | Poetry News
Friday, July 06, 2007 4:35:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, July 05, 2007
Grammar, Perfection, Bus Stops, and Walt Whitman
Posted by Robert
Here's some interesting stuff happening in poetry online recently:
"Egad! Poetry and the grammarian," by Michael Hickey, for the Naples Sun Times is an educational piece on grammar and its importance in poetry. Remember: It's always a good idea to know the rules before you decide to break them.
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"What's a 'perfect line' in poetry?," by Nick Seddon, from Guardian Unlimited admits this is a "Preposterous question, of course, but appealing all the same." There are many interesting ideas introduced here, but one that stuck out for me is how most people recommend lines from dead poets over living poets.
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"Poetry to brighten bus stops," by an anonymous reporter for the Watford Observer (England), shows another example of where poetry and bus transportation intersect. Something unique in this case is how actual Watford residents' works are to be featured at Watford bus shelters. What a novel way to spread the joy of poetry! Contemporary and local poetry even!
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"Walt Whitman and American Independence," by Edward Byrne, from One Poet's Notes recommends a little Walt Whitman to celebrate yesterday's firecracker holiday. Since Whitman is also a favorite of mine, I second the nomination.
Poetry News
Thursday, July 05, 2007 7:11:16 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 02, 2007
Start 'em when they're young
Posted by Robert
I don't know about you, but I was not exposed to a lot of contemporary poetry growing up. In junior high school and high school, I studied poets like Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, Homer, and Robert Frost. In college, I studied many dead poets too.
In fact, it was only through creative writing classes in college that I began reading contemporary poets. As much as I love the late greats, how amazing it was to read Gwendolyn Brooks, Louise Gluck, J.D. McClatchy, Charles Wright, Donald Hall, Jean Valentine, and so many others. How liberating!
Suddenly, poetry took on a whole new meaning for me. There were so many new avenues I could travel upon to get to where my muse might be hiding at the time. It was incredible at the time, but it's also sort of depressing that it's so hard to find. Part of me felt kind of cheated and still feels cheated that others don't know how accessible and brilliant contemporary poetry can be.
So I do my small part by reading age appropriate poetry to my sons. I also write them little stories and poems that make them laugh and giggle. It's small, but it's something. I encourage you to try and make an impact--big or small--on sharing contemporary poetry with others--young or old.
Here are two recent articles where two people are doing just that:
"Their poetry screams to be set free," by Marc Cabrera, shows how poetry affects young men and women at the Monterey County Youth Center. Read the article at Monterey Herald.
"New poet laureate has a passion," by Meera Pal, is about a new local poet laureate, Martha Meltzer, who is also an elementary school librarian. As poet laureate she will try to spread the love of poetry to all, but she's in a unique position to help with children. Read the article at Contra Costa Times.
General | Personal Updates | Poetry News
Monday, July 02, 2007 2:38:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Free Advertising for Poetry
Posted by Robert
The Luzerne County Transportation Authority in Pennsylvania is "going to display poems and artwork on placards inside buses," as part of a one-year free advertising space program between Lamar Advertising and Wilkes University.
Source: The Citizens' Voice
Poetry News
Thursday, June 28, 2007 3:30:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Opportunity for Young Poets
Posted by Robert
Here's an opportunity for poets aged 13-27 to submit up to 3 spoken word pieces to perform at the Sundance Summit: A Mayors' Gathering on Climate Protection. There will be 3 winners who get a free trip to Utah to perform, along with $500.
Check out the details at
http://witsblog.org/2007/06/27/another-op/
Poetry News
Thursday, June 28, 2007 3:14:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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