Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer - General

2009 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 5

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:13:01 GMT

Over on Twitter, @taunalen created a hashtag for everyone to communicate about the November PAD Chapbook Challenge easily. The hashtag is #novpad. Just use the search box on the right-hand side of the Twitter application and search for novpad and you can participate in an ongoing conversation that might even go into January (as everyone revises and organizes their actual chapbook manuscripts). Use the hashtag to share comments/critiques of posted poems, links to your November PAD Chapbook Challenge poems on your personal blogs, revision tips, and whatever else springs to mind.

Also, if you're on Twitter and not following me yet, you can do so by finding me @robertleebrewer.

*****

For today's prompt, I want you to write a growth poem. This could be psychological or emotional growth, physical growth, or however you'd like to take it. Maybe your poem is about growing hair or growing hungry or growing impatient or...

Here's my attempt for the day:

"Don't grow old on me"

I was frightened to think I could
ever die, that I would die. Would
you look for me if I were lost? I'm
at the place where you got your
bike. Push throw to catch. Go back.
Two, one. It's in a building. And it's
somebody's. But you have to teach
it to fly. Look what I got. That's what
I have. In the middle of battle, they
can evolve. They can all evolve. But
it takes awhile. At the town right
before, you finally held my hand.

If you've been having trouble leaving comments...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:35:51 GMT

...could you send me an e-mail with the subject line: Trouble Commenting on Poetic Asides

In your e-mail, could you provide the following information:

What kind of computer you're using
What browser you're using
Which version of that browser
What operating system you use
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We're going to see if there are any patterns that develop and/or if there's any way to fix.

My e-mail is robert.brewer@fwmedia.com

Thanks so much!

Poetry Twittering Tuesdays

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:35:54 GMT

We had our 2nd weekly poetry conversation on Twitter today. Find it by searching for #poettues at Twitter.com.

Here are some of the highlights today:

I started off by asking: So, what's everyone's goals as a poet? Trying to get published? Write better poems? Notice the world around you? Something else?

Then, I added that, "For me, I've just always liked playing around with patterns and combinations, whether it involves numbers or letters," and, "Writing poetry is also a way of entertaining myself. Like making up music videos in my head or singing songs about whatever."

@Janet45 said, "There's something spiritual about poetry for me, a way of connecting with stillness, of going inside. It can be playful too."

@rebunting said, "Goals: fame & fortune! But really, I'm not going to lie - publication is a goal. Definitely," as well as, "Writing poetry also is a way of reducing the boil of soup in my head to a slow simmer."

@nivermoore said, "I like playing around with sounds, finding the right vowels in the right words to convey the feeling/image/subject."

And many more poets shared their goals. In this way, we all began to talking with each other and branching out into various directions.

For instance, I was really into making T-shirts today: "We should make T-shirts that read: Yes, Publication!" and "That's the next T-shirt idea: Serious la-la-la-la-la," which'll make sense in a moment, because...

We talked about making writing stick and making it important. My quote: "I love sinking into the writing, but I also love skipping along and singing la-la-la-la-la. Combine both, and I'm hooked."

Strategies for overcoming writer's block were tossed around, including listening to music, mind-mapping, reading, etc. @renkath had some great Tweets throughout the poetic discussion, but I especially liked this one: "I put myself under too much pressure and am hypercritical. That kills the muse. Then she starts to stink up the house."

Poetic forms were shared and discussed with @auntieflamingo introducing me to Scifaiku. Check out www.scifaiku.com.

We talked about how the valuation of poetry and writing has ruined (or contributed to the ruination) several relationships and marriages. We recommended poems, poets, journals, contests, writing groups, revision tips, and so much more. It's really a blast, and we do it basically as long as everyone's willing to talk shop. So, feel free to show up next week and talk poetry at Twitter.

Use and/or search for the hashtag #poettues, and if you're not following me on Twitter yet, I go by the handle: @robertleebrewer

Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 065

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:58:30 GMT

We had a fun poetry discussion on Twitter yesterday. It went so well that I think we'll continue meeting on Tuesdays. If you want to find what was said, just go to Twitter and search for #poettues. Today's prompt was actually inspired during the conversation (thanks to @martinjason and @ronbaker).

For today's prompt, I want you to write a poem about finding something that doesn't belong where it is. The examples from the discussion were to find a collection of Pablo Neruda poetry in the children's section of a library with the counter-example of finding a children's book in the poetry section. Pure chaos! (By the way, I don't know if I belong on Twitter or not, but you can find me at @robertleebrewer).

Here's my attempt for the day:

"Note found beneath the wiper blade"

This is your last chance. If you don't
come to me today and confess
you were wrong, I'm on the first plane
back to Hawaii. If you won't
have me, the volcano gods will.

*****

Looking for more poetry-related information?

For poetic forms, CLICK HERE
For interviews with poets, CLICK HERE
For the free monthly Poet’s Market newsletter, CLICK HERE
For discounted poetry references, CLICK HERE
For poetry listings on WritersMarket.com, CLICK HERE
For 2010 Poet's Market, CLICK HERE

Poetry Tuesdays on Twitter!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:36:37 GMT

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?

For poetic forms, CLICK HERE
For interviews with poets, CLICK HERE
For the free monthly Poet’s Market newsletter, CLICK HERE
For discounted poetry references, CLICK HERE
For poetry listings on WritersMarket.com, CLICK HERE
For 2010 Poet's Market, CLICK HERE

Then, Something...

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:56:49 GMT

Getting ready to head up to Ohio for the week, but I just wanted to share the news of Patricia Fargnoli's most recent collection released earlier this month: Then, Something (Tupelo Press).

Fargnoli was interviewed on Poetic Asides back in March. Click here to read the interview.

Anyway, her latest collection is wonderful. Here's one of my favorite poems:

On the Question of the Soul

It is not iron, nor does it have anything to do
with the fleshy heart. It does not shiver

like feathers nor the arrow shot from the hunter's bow,
is not the deer that runs or falls in the snow.

It hunkers down in the invisible recesses
of the body--its closets, scrolled bureaus,
the ivory hardness of the chest,

or disperses through every cell. And also it flies
out beyond the body.

Someday watch smoke travel through the air.
Someday watch a stain spread out to no stain
in the ocean. The soul does that.

It doesn't care whether or not you believe in it.
It is unassailable and contradictory: the dog
that comes barking and wagging its tail.

It is not, I am certain, biology.
Not a cardinal or a heron, not even a thrush or wren,
but it might be a praying mantis.

It is the no color of rain
as it sweeps a field on an August morning
full of fences and wildflowers.

It is the shifting of light across the surface
of any lake, the shadows that move like muskrats
across a mountain whose shape mimics the clouds above.

Weighed down by the vested interests
of the body, it nevertheless bears us forward.

*****

Anyway, I just wanted to share.

If you can't attend the first ever Writer's Digest Conference...

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:59:16 GMT

...then follow the action live on our first ever Writer's Digest Conference blog at http://writersdigestconference.blogspot.com. I'll actually kick off the blogging around 4 p.m. or so (NYC time) with the Opening Address. And other Writer's Digest editors will be helping document the event, too. It won't be as good as being there, but it should still be pretty sweet.

Also, if you're in the NYC area Friday night (9/18), then head over to the Bowery Poetry Club around 8 p.m. and meet me at the first ever Writer's Digest Poetry Slam. It is a FREE event (open to the public); so c'mon by and say, "Hi." For directions to the Bowery Poetry Club, check out their website at http://www.bowerypoetry.com/.

And it's still not too late to register for the Writer's Digest Writer's Conference, and I believe you can even sign up for individual days. For more information, go to http://www.writersdigestconference.com/GeneralMenu.

But yeah, if you're not able to get out there, check out the blog; there should be lots of great bits and pieces offered up throughout the weekend and into the beginning of next week.

Quick Update on the April PAD Challenge

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:13:54 GMT

Nearly every day of the April PAD Challenge is narrowed down to the Top 5. Soon, it will be complete, and I'll be sending those poems to the guest judges. While I'd like to have been able to announce everything by now, I guess the success of the second challenge will help me better estimate when to make the announcements next year.

I'm sorry not to have anything specific yet, but please know that I am working on it as much as possible.

Back from vacation...so what's next?

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:51:17 GMT

Roses are red;
violets are blue;
I'm going to the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City,
and so should you.

Hmmm... My meter might be a little off in that third line.

I'm fresh back from vacation. So my first official task is to figure out what's the next cool thing on my schedule. And it so happens that the next cool thing (that's not blog-related, of course) is the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City in September. (I bet Central Park will be beautiful!)

From a poetry slam on September 18 at the world famous Bowery Poetry Club to one-on-one critiques with editors, this conference will cover all the bases for publishing, including the top five legal issues writers face, the digitization of the publishing industry, effective marketing and promotion for fiction writers, how to build an effective author website, creating an author platform, and so much more. And the conference is in Times Square, so I can get a little sight-seeing worked in with my...umm...work.

Plus, I'll get to hang with my Writer's Digest posse, including Chuck Sambuchino, Jane Friedman, Alice Pope, Jessica Strawser, and the rest of the gang. And it would be great to see y'all at the event as well. We could talk poetry at the Bowery, wander around Manhattan, and soak up the lights of Times Square.

If you're interested, you can learn more about the conference at http://www.writersdigestconference.com.

And if you do register, send me an e-mail at robert.brewer@fwmedia.com and be sure to say, "Hi."

Promoting Poetry-Related Stuff

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:55:50 GMT

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/

Black in America and poetry

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:46:10 GMT

Today's prompt is still on the way, but I just wanted to link to this piece on these 8th graders from Ron Clark Academy here in Atlanta, Georgia. These kids wrote poems on what it's like to be a black teenager in America, in addition to other topics. Plus, what's cool about this piece is that you can actually view 9 of the poems from the actual article on cnn.com.

I love seeing young people create and remember how important it was for me as I struggled to figure out who I was and what I cared about. That's why I always buy paper and writing utensils for my boys and encourage them to create as well, whether that means writing a story or drawing pictures of Godzilla. (Lots and lots of pictures of Godzilla.)

First Ever WD Poetry Slam

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:48:53 GMT

Attendees of the Writer's Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published will take over the Bowery Poetry Club on Friday, September 18, 2009. The event will feature three rounds of poetry with participants competing for prizes and ultimately to be chosen as the evening's Slam Champion.

Accomplished poet and poetry slam veteran Guy LeCharles Gonzalez will host the show. Gonzales was a member of the 1998 National Poetry Slam Champions, representing the Nuyorican Poets Café. He is the founder and host of the acclaimed "a little bit louder" reading series, now known as louderARTS. Gonzales also co-authored Burning Down the House (Soft Skull Press, 2000) and launched Spindle Magazine (spindlezine.com), a NYC-centric online literary journal. Currently, he writes about old and new media with a marketing slant at http://loudpoet.com.

The poetry slam is the opening night entertainment feature of the first annual Writer's Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published. Registration is now open for the three-day event September 18-20, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, New York. The Writer's Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published offers sessions on self-publishing, social media usage, online sales, marketing, platform building, and other related topics, presented by today's proponents of new media. Plus, each attendee gets a 15-minute personal appointment with an editorial professional to discuss their query letter, book proposal or self-published book.

Full details and registration can be found online at www.writersdigestconference.com.

One prompt each week not enough?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:42:45 GMT

If you want more prompts than the weekly Wednesday poetry prompt, then you can check out Zachary Petit's new blog Promptly at http://blog.writersdigest.com/promptly/. He'll be dishing out prompts left and right and offering fabulous prizes. So get on over there and check it out.

Poetry Workshop: 001

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:54:32 GMT

I've been meaning to incorporate revision tips into this blog in a helpful way since it first started, but I've had trouble figuring out a good method for doing so. Finally, I had one of those "light bulb" moments when the answer seems so obvious: I'll just workshop a poem each week.

The original poems submitted to me to get us started were submitted via Facebook. Members of my Poetic Asides group on that site were sent a message soliciting poems that I could try offering feedback. Not every poem submitted to me will receive feedback or appear on the blog, but every poem has the same chance. (I'll include directions on how to submit your own poem--if interested--in a later post on this blog.)

It should be noted that my feedback should not be considered the final word on any poem. As poets, we have to make the final decisions on what works and does not. But I will try to give many suggestions and ask the kind of questions any good reader or writer of poetry should consider.

Today's poem was submitted by J. Era Martin. Here it is in its original form:

Childhood, by J. Era Martin

They named me Era,

As though somehow the Word alone would empower me.

A man of Signs, my father

lifted me, a Tin of Elements,

to the moon and shouted Kunte Kente,

somewhat inappropriately, I’m sure.

He favoured the Yin and the Yang

without any clue to Balance;

he would fight and lose teeth—

three times he lost and replaced and finally lost

the front one. But he never stopped

Smiling.

It was sort of maniacal, really.

You could tell he just wanted

to please, but there he was, unfolding

a Thousand Visible Lies right

to your Face.

Christmas he’d spend

the morning with us, the afternoon

with his Illegitimate Family. I would

hang up on his Mistress when

she phoned.

He’d keep a Job no more than five days:

having told his boss a better way

of pouring concrete, he’d be fired.

Daddy smelled like Budweiser when

I hugged him.

I would feed it to him and his buddies

in their F 250 Trucks in the driveway to our house.

I was a Good Girl.

Our family always rented.

The second floor was converted

to a Bedroom from a Game Room

For my parents and my baby sister.

Wolf Spiders hung above her crib.

The previous tenant had committed

Suicide in that room.

I remember I would wake up

to woodpeckers. Their

Irregular Beats were fierce.

My father came home less and less often.

I think this is how The Story always goes.

His partying was excused: better to

Stay The Night than Drive Home Drunk,

my mom explained.

*****

My first question: Why are so many words in uppercase? Signs, Tin of Elements, Balance, Face, etc. I'm assuming these words are meant to be emphasized, but doing so with a device like capitalization (or bold and italic) is often distracting for a reader. It was for me, and I can't see a good reason for emphasizing those specific words.

Next, I know the title of the poem is "Childhood," but I'm not sure if this poem is as much about the childhood of the narrator as about her father. It seems like shifting the focus specifically to the father would benefit this poem a great deal.

In fact, the strongest parts of this poem--for me--were when describing the father's teeth and his other family. So, a good strategy after discovering what this poem may be about is to cut out the rest of the excess.

*****

2nd version--taking out caps and excess information

Childhood, by J. Era Martin

A man of signs, my father

lifted me, a tin of elements,

to the moon and shouted Kunte Kinte,

somewhat inappropriately, I’m sure.

He favoured the yin and the yang

without any clue to balance;

he would fight and lose teeth—

three times he lost and replaced and finally lost

the front one. But he never stopped

smiling.

It was sort of maniacal, really.

You could tell he just wanted

to please, but there he was, unfolding

a thousand visible lies right

to your face.

Christmas he’d spend

the morning with us, the afternoon

with his illegitimate family. I would

hang up on his mistress when

she phoned.

Our family always rented.

The second floor was converted

to a bedroom from a game room

for my parents and my baby sister.

Wolf spiders hung above her crib.

The previous tenant had committed

suicide in that room.

My father came home less and less often.

I think this is how the story always goes.

His partying was excused: better to

stay the night than drive home drunk,

my mom explained.

*****

After the second version, I still feel this poem could be tightened quite a bit and made more immediate. In fact, I think the title should change to focus on the family element of this poem.

To make the poem more immediate, I'm going to once again strip out anything that does not relate to the tension in this family. And, as you'll probably notice, I'm going to flip the ending image to the front, because I feel like it's just sticking out at the end.

*****

3rd version--changing title, moving lines around and ever tightening

Our Family Always Rented, by J. Era Martin

My father came home less and less often.

"Better to stay the night than drive home drunk,"

my mom explained. A man of signs, my father

favoured the yin and the yang without any clue

to balance; Christmas, he'd spend the morning
with us, the afternoon with his illegitimate family.

You could tell he just wanted to please, but
there he was unfolding his hands like the lies

he fed us. It was sort of maniacal, really,

the way he would fight and lose teeth—

three times he lost and replaced and finally lost

the front one. But he never stopped smiling.

*****

For me, this third version really gets the message across in a concise manner. In the beginning, this poem sets up the familiar story we're used to hearing about the father with a family on the side. Where this poem twists in a new direction is by focusing on his fight with his teeth. Trying to keep them, but ultimately losing the one in front. Regardless, he never stops smiling.

Great poem, J., and I hope some of my feedback has helped.

Of course, my feedback is not the end. I hope that the readers of this blog will jump in and offer their own feedback on J.'s poem. Plus, don't be afraid to refute my feedback and edits. I totally think the best way to workshop is to have several different opinions. The more the better. Plus, with more feedback, J. will have even more options for which direction she ultimately wishes to take this poem.

What's a good poetic summer read?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:01:38 GMT

Chuck Sambuchino, editor of Guide to Literary Agents and Screenwriter's & Playwright's Market, ran into Ted Kooser (former National Poet Laureate) at a writing conference (Chuck travels more than any editor I know). So Chuck had Ted sign a copy of The Blizzard Voices for me as a get well gift (from my May health scare).

Anyway, the book was a very fun read. Since it had to do with the Blizzard of 1888, it was a nice escape from the Heat Wave of 2009. Perfect poetic summer reading material?

This got me wondering if you have any poetic summer reading suggestions? If so, share with the group in the Comments below.

Where you can find me (besides this awesome blog, of course)

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:05:11 GMT

Here are some of my various links (in case you want to friend me, sign up for a free newsletter, or whatever):

Facebook profile facebook.com/robertleebrewer

Twitter profile twitter.com/robertleebrewer

Plus, I have a profile at linkedin.com

I edit Writer's Market and WritersMarket.com (where you can also sign up for a free newsletter--edited by me)

I edit Poet's Market and the Poet's Market newsletter (which also has a free sign up)

Poetry and Horticulture

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:45:58 GMT

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.

Father's Day and Paul Muldoon

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:02:40 GMT

Yesterday was an awesome Father's Day. Now that I can drive again, I'm back up in Ohio visiting my two oldest sons. I took them to Dayton's Riverscape yesterday to play in this interactive fountain for kids.

As we were getting ready to leave, a man walked up to me and offered us three free tickets to watch the Dayton Dragons (a Minor League ballclub in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system). So we walked a few blocks down the street and took in half of that game before the boys started getting too hot. Joey Votto (the Reds' top batter) was even playing first base as part of his rehab.

Then, I went for a run last night after taking the boys back to their mother's house. When I got back to my brother's house (where I'm staying while in Ohio this time around), he showed me this cool interview with Paul Muldoon on Stephen Colbert's The Colbert Report.

After watching it, I gave Tammy a call and went to sleep.

Identify the Right Markets for Your Work!

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:53:26 GMT

Alice Pope and myself will be leading an online seminar June 25 at 1 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) that covers how to research markets and find ones that match your style, in addition to other submission tricks of the trade that will help you get published, whether you're writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or whatever. With more than 20 years of combined publishing experience, we know what works and what doesn't.

This online seminar costs $129 and includes a one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com (a $39.99 value). Between the seminar and the website subscription, you'll have few excuses for not getting published.

You can register here: https://writersonlineworkshops.webex.com/mw0306l/myw>ebex/default.do?siteurl=wr>itersonlineworkshops

MFA Confidential Contest

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:25:18 GMT

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

Get Your Poetry Published!

Wed, 27 May 2009 13:07:36 GMT

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

Poetry Seminar: Get Your Poetry Published!

Mon, 11 May 2009 13:26:03 GMT

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

Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 043

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:51:50 GMT

(Quick note: Our programmers are going to be working on our blogs starting tonight around 10 p.m. and going through to Friday morning. Please don't post any comments during this time, because they'll likely be wiped out. As always, I advise saving a copy of your poem in some other program to make sure you don't lose your only copy.)

*****

So we meet again. I'm just going to pick up where we left off on the Wednesday poetry prompts. Hope you're having a good May so far.

For today's prompt, I want you to write a spring-related poem. This will probably be easier for people (like myself) who live in the Northern Hemisphere, since spring is now in full swing in most places. When you're dealing with a subject as big as an entire season, it's probably best to focus in on something very specific and use spring as the background. But you do what you gotta do.

Here's my attempt for the day:

"Doppler"

There aren't tornado sirens in Gwinnett
County, Georgia. Instead, they sell weather
radios at Kroger. Everyone
does not buy them. Those who don't, throw caution
to the wind. When their time comes, it comes fast
and furious. It comes without warning.

Good times!

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:15:59 GMT

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."

Fundamentals of Poetry Writing Workshop

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:15:22 GMT

If you want a way to continue the poetry beyond April, WritersOnlineWorkshops.com is now taking registrations for its Fundamentals of Poetry Writing workshop. The online course begins April 23 (registration closes April 30) and will be taught by published writer Joyce Ferman Wells. The course consists of six sessions and costs $350. Plus, those who register receive a Best of Writer's Digest Interviews CD.

If interested, check it out here: http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/retail/courses.aspx?r=fundamentals-of-poetry-writing.

WritersOnlineWorkshops.com offers online courses throughout the year in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, etc. You can check out the current offerings across all genres by going to www.writersonlineworkshops.com.

April PAD Challenge: Day 1

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:27:05 GMT

Wow! It looks like we've got even more International participation than last year, and even the North American participants are chomping at the bit. In realization that much of the world is essentially a day ahead of me, I'm going to extend the challenge deadline to May 1 at noon (EST), instead of April 30 at midnight (EST).

All right then! Let's get started!

For today's prompt, I want you to write an origin poem. It can be the origin of a word, person, plant, idea, etc. Have fun with it.

(Note: Through this challenge, please feel free to use the prompt as a springboard to being creative. There is no right or wrong way to interpret the prompts--so take them in any direction you want.)

Here's my attempt for the day:

"Superhero"

At an early age, His parents are killed

in a skiing accident. Luckily,

His adoptive parents (two lumberjacks

named Harry and Marty) are supportive

and home school Him on topics, such as math,

history, nuclear engineering,

martial arts, and ballroom dancing. When He

learns in His teens that the two lumberjacks

actually killed His parents, He runs

away from home to become a photo-

journalist at the big city paper.

While photographing the winner of Big

City’s high school science fair, the losing

student who thought He should've won dumps liquid

on Him while trying to hit the winner.

This is when He gains the ability

to fly and use X-ray vision. And so He

does what anyone else would do in His

position: Design a costume and start

busting bad guys. It doesn't take long for Him

to acquire an arch-villain, who appears

always to be in two places at once.

This villain is soon known as Lumberjack,

because all his crimes are committed with

a giant logging axe. After perhaps

too much time has elapsed, He realizes

the Lumberjack is really two people:

Harry and Marty, the same backwoodsmen

who murdered His parents. With a renewed

sense of purpose, He quickly finds his two

enemies in their Lumberjack costumes

in an abandoned warehouse down by

the river. He gets the jump on them, but

they quickly turn the tables on Him, since

He was obviously walking into

a trap designed to catch Him. This is when

it is revealed that the lumberjacks are

actually his mother and father,

who were also Harry and Marty, who

had decided when He was very young

that they would groom him to become a crime-

fighting vigilante. Just as they are

telling Him how much they love Him and how

they were sorry they misled Him about

their own deaths, the warehouse explodes from bombs

set by His new arch-villain, The Chemist,

who was, of course, the original guy

who gave Him all of His superpowers.

(Now get writing! Yay!)

Poetry Writing Titles on Sale Through April

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:17:14 GMT

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

April PAD Challenge 2009: Rules & Blah-blah-blah

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:38:48 GMT

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:

The Challenge starts with the Day 1 prompt on April 1, 2009, and ends at midnight (EST) on April 30, 2009.
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.)
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.
You must post a poem for all 30 prompts to receive the completion certificate and badge.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
Participation is free.
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.)
Poets keep copyright to their work—even if selected for the eBook.
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.
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.
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.
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:

On May 1, I (and possibly my wife Tammy) will begin narrowing down the April poems to 5 finalists for each day.
Then sometime around the middle of May, we’ll give our list of Top 5’s to the guest judges.
Then, the guest judges will pick their favorite poem for their specific day.
Then, I’ll look at the remaining 120 poems and pick my favorite 20 of those.
This will result in 50 poems making it into the eBook, which will hopefully be ready for FREE distribution sometime during the summer.
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:

Click on the Comments link for the particular day’s post (you can practice with this post).
Scroll to bottom of the page and enter your name and email (so that I can contact you, if needed).
Paste your poem into the Comments box.
Enter the code shown.
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!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:39:20 GMT

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.

Are you attending AWP in Chicago?

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:53:04 GMT

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.

BAP 2008!

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:24:25 GMT

I've been meaning to do my annual post on The Best American Poetry anthology for 2008 for some time now, but I keep not getting to it. So, here we go.

As usual, David Lehman is the series editor for this anthology, with Charles Wright as the guest editor. I've found that the poems in the anthology can vary greatly in style from guest editor to guest editor--and that's a good thing.

I haven't read the entire anthology yet, but the selections have been very good so far. Some of my favorite poets are included, and there are some new (to me) names in the bunch.

But the true value of this anthology is not the actual poetry, though that is a very nice bonus. The real value for other poets are the Contributors' Notes and Comments in the back of the book, where poets write about their poems, including what inspired their poems, forms they were using, etc.

That's why I always recommend purchasing a BAP every single year. There's the inspiration of great poems, but also so much insight into the crafting of the poetry.

Free Writing Contest!

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:59:57 GMT

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.)

It figures...

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:00:37 GMT

...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.

The reanimation of dead poets

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:36:43 GMT

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.

You have until Midnight!

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:46:12 GMT

So far, I've received more than 40 submissions to the November PAD Chapbook Challenge. The deadline is midnight (EST) today: 1/5/09.

For complete rules, go to http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/November+PAD+Chapbook+Challenge+Next+Steps.aspx.

I'm very excited to receive so many submissions, and I look forward to announcing a champion on February 2 (though I'm sure it's going to be a tough decision with so many submissions rolling in).

Happy New Year!

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:18:21 GMT

I know I'm a day late on the Happy New Year post (and that I completely missed the Wednesday Poetry Prompt), but I've been very preoccupied with the family this past week. You see, I've had all four of my boys since Saturday--so we've been playing games, watching movies, going to playgrounds, attending family gatherings, etc. We've been totally familying (new word) it up this week.

I believe in setting goals. So, I guess I'm going to share my New Year Poetry Resolutions. If you want to, feel free to share yours as well in the comments below.

1. Write at least one first draft of a poem each week. (Should be do-able if I can manage to not miss any Wednesday Poetry Prompts--or PAD Challenges--in 2009.)

2. Submit poems at least once each week. (This is the one I always have trouble keeping.)

3. Revise at least one poem each week. (Preferably more.)

4. Assemble a collection to submit around to publishers.

5. Attend more poetry readings/events/etc. this year than last.

6. Read at least 2-3 collections of poetry each month.

7. Live, learn, and love!!!!!

Five Poet Survival Tips

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:42:38 GMT

Tammy and I have been busy preparing for Baby Will (due between now and 12/19--Tammy's scheduled C-section date). In addition, I've been putting in overtime on www.WritersMarket.com related stuff, teaching poetry courses at www.WritersOnlineWorkshops.com, and even helping out with some poetry-related issues on www.WritersDigest.com. While things have definitely been hectic, I've still been finding time to write and even made a new submission over the weekend. After all, poets don't make excuses; they write, right?

Anyway, I've talked with many writers over the years who say they don't "have time" to write. Or they're stuck on a line and can't seem to move ahead. Of course, they've often not written down that line that's got them blocked, which is a problem in and of itself.

So, here are some of my poet survival tips:

1. Always carry two pens. Pens are to poets as six-shooters are to cowboys. You need them to survive. Why two? Because if you're using your pens, one is sure to run out of ink at some point, which is when you pull out the back up writing utensil.

2. Always carry paper. I fold up one or two pieces of paper to carry with me at all times. Paper fits easily in pockets when folded. By following rules #1 and #2, you should be ready to write regardless of when inspiration strikes. If you can only carry pens or paper, always carry the pens.

3. Keep receipts--if you're without paper. While I almost never forget my pens, I do sometimes forget the paper. And receipts come in handy for overcoming my forgetfulness. I've actually written whole first drafts of poems on the back of receipts from the grocery, fast food, etc. Of course, a poet always has to be resourceful in this area--other surfaces that work are paper placemats, napkins, flyers, and, of course, even your own body.

4. Text yourself. If all else fails, you can always use your cell phone (if you have one with texting capabilities) to send lines to your e-mail account. Or you can save as drafts on your actual phone, though you'll want to make sure you have plenty of memory on your phone before doing this.

5. Keep paper pads or Post-It notes at your desk. Preferably, you'll have both. Whenever images or lines hit me, I scrawl them onto Post-Its. At lunch (or over the weekend), I can then look the lines and images over and see if I have the makings of a poem.

Bonus (and maybe most important) Tip:

Take it one line (or image) at a time. When an idea hits you, don't hold onto it and wait for more to arrive before getting it down on paper. Record that line or image immediately. If there's more on the verge of coming, it will come then. If not, you've just freed your mind to think of new related or un-related images and lines. If you want to get into the habit of always writing, this is the most sure fire way to get there.

Poetic Holiday Gift Ideas

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:40:49 GMT

The holiday season is once again upon us, and if you're like me, you've still got to figure out how to pay the bills and still get everyone on your list a nice gift. Here's my advice: Think poetic instead of electronic. Instead of iPhones, Wii consoles, and video games, how about giving a gift that is less expensive and has more keepsake power? After all, them there electronic gizmos go out of style every couple years (if not every couple months).

Poetic Gift Idea #1: A collection of poetry. There's no better way to spread an appreciation of contemporary poetry than to buy a book filled with contemporary poems. Most books are less than $20, and you can share your favorite poets with the ones you love. You can even turn it into a holiday tradition.

Poetic Gift Idea #2: A gift subscription to your favorite literary journal. See gift idea #1 and multiply it by however many issues of said literary journal comes out a year--that's a gift that reasserts itself throughout the year.

Poetic Gift Idea #3: A framed poem. Tammy actually gave me a gift of a poem I really loved by her for me that's titled "Sea Gypsies" inside a nice matted frame. (If you're interested, here's a link to "Sea Gypsies" and another poem written by Tammy--published in StorySouth.) I then stole her idea to write a poem for my mother that I included in a three-picture frame that had a picture of my brothers and I as children in the first slot, the poem in the second slot, and a picture of us as adults in third slot. You can do the same with your poetry. Just a couple bucks for a frame, a little time, and some cre-A-tivity.

Poetic Gift Idea #4: Make a poetic decoration. For this, you might need some tools, but there are plenty of decorations--from ornaments to placemats--that a crafty poet could create that include either memorable lines from poems, or even entire poems. And the great thing about this kind of gift is that it's bound to be used for the holidays every year. Talk about a gift with longevity and sentimental value.

Poetic Gift Idea #5: Make a collection of poems. Publish a collection of your own poems to give to friends and family. What a great way to share your love of words with those you love. Of course, if you want to go this route, it may cost a little more money, and you'll need to act fast before your local printers close up shop for the holidays.

There are many other poetic gift possibilities, I'm sure, and if you have any yourself, please share them with everyone else in the comments below.

Twitterpated: Or, follow me on Twitter, yo!

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:30:59 GMT

If you're already Twittering, you can now follow me at http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer.

If you're not already Twittering, you can go check it out at http://twitter.com. Blogging poets should definitely look into this interesting (and free) online tool that allows people to concisely post updates, links, etc., to their "followers." Once you set up an account, definitely feel encouraged to follow me.

*****

If you want to see how this relates to you as a poet, then check out this link from the World Class Poetry Blog at http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com/23-things-poets-can-do-with-twitter/11/21/2008/. This post compiles 23 things poets can do with Twitter.

*****

And if you want other poets to follow you, feel free to share your Twitter profile URLs below in the comments.

NaNoWriMo for Poets? PAD Challenge for November?

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:22:10 GMT

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.

Call for Submissions--2010 Poet's Market!

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:19:23 GMT

As some of you may know, I will be editing the 2010 edition of Poet's Market (Writer's Digest Books). Anyway, I have a pretty good idea of the interviews I'd like to include in the book, but I'd like to hear pitches for other possible articles.

If you're a poet with a great idea for a craft or business of poetry article, please send it my way at robert.brewer@fwpubs.com. Put "Pitch for 2010 Poet's Market" in your subject line so that I can easily identify it. (Do NOT pitch me in the blog comments, please. It's just a lot easier to manage in my work email account.)

I don't need anything too fancy in the pitch, but I do want to have a clear idea of what you're pitching, who you are, and why you're the person to write the piece.

My goal is to make most (if not all) of my assignments by the end of this week; so, don't sit around crafting the perfect query--if your idea sounds interesting, I'll probably bounce ideas your way.

Good luck!

Want to workshop some poems?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:28:44 GMT

Just realized that poets can sign up for my upcoming Advanced Poetry course at WritersOnlineWorkshops.com. There are no required texts, but there will be workshopping, communicating and new poems.

If you're interested, you can learn more at http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/retail/courses.aspx?r=advanced-poetry-Writing-workshop.

The course begins on November 6th and lasts 6 weeks. Hope to see you there.

Where is poetry happening? Part II

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:33:38 GMT

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.:

Atlanta, Georgia http://www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com
New York City http://www.poetz.com/calendar
Chicago http://chicagopoetry.com
Southern California http://www.poetix.net/calendar.htm
Las Vegas www.localendar.com/public/VegasPoetry
Texas http://texaspoetryevents.info/
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania http://www.poetz.com/pittsburgh/index.htm
Boston, Massachusetts http://www.poetz.com/boston/
Western Massachusetts and Connecticut www.poetrynewscalendar.com
North Carolina http://ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com/
New Jersey http://old.pccc.edu/poetry/
New Jersey, Part 2 http://njpoetspoetry.blogspot.com/
Minnesota www.minnesotapoetry.com
Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri) http://www.newletters.org/eventsReading.asp
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/PhillyPoetry

Here are ones from outside the States:

Dublin, Ireland: http://www.poetryireland.ie/whats-on/
Western Ireland http://theroadlesstraveledireland.com
Ottawa, Canada http://www.bywords.ca
Toronto, Canada http://www.patchysquirrel.ca/
Alberta, Canada http://www.strollofpoets.com/index.php

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. >

Get 25% off books for answering some questions

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:10:56 GMT

As you probably know, Poetic Asides is just one piece of the entire Writer's Digest family of products and services, including Writer's Digest magazine, Writer's Digest books, WritersOnlineWorkshops.com, and our Writer's Digest competitions and events.

To help us know how best to serve writers, we like to regularly solicit feedback. So as part of that effort, I'd appreciate it if you could complete the following online survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ox_2ffJVyz6aAaNDanqXHM_2fA_3d_3d.

It'll ask you questions about all of the writing community, including what you like best about what we're currently doing and directions you'd like to see us take in the future to help you achieve (or maintain) success as a writer.

Those who complete the survey will receive a special coupon code for 25% off anything in the “Writing” section of the F+W Bookstore.

Poems in others' words

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:59:37 GMT

Lately, there have been a lot of pieces on putting together poetry from other people's words (or imagining what others would say). Here are some I've noticed:

* There Once Was a Soccer Mom From Alaska... (Actually Alice Pope led me to this one. Thanks, Alice!)

* The Poetry of Sarah Palin

* We hereby nominate Al Davis as poet laureate of Oakland

*****

Also, as an extra, here are some poems actually by Barack Obama.

Poetry FAQs: When is something considered published?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:59:42 GMT

Okay, this question has been coming up a lot recently in the comments section of this blog: What counts as previously published? And, in relation to this blog, does posting a poem in the comments of this blog mean it's "published"?

Before I begin, I think it would be beneficial for you to read this post from former co-blogger and Poet's Market editor Nancy Breen about the whole publishing question in "Published is Published!"

For Individual Poems

Many editors consider anything published anywhere at any time under any circumstances as published. This can even include public readings. And if a publication specifies what they consider published in their guidelines, it would behoove a poet (or any writer really) to respect the editor's considerations.

With such editors, a poem posted anywhere counts as publication, whether it's posted in a public forum or blog, or even a private, password-protected location online. In such cases, poems posted on this blog would be considered "previously published." However, there are editors who take a slightly different view.

Some editors consider a poem unpublished if it only displays on a personal blog and/or is in a "draft" form in a forum or blog. That is, if your poem on Poetic Asides is only a rough draft and not the final version, it would not be considered "previously published." If editors do not specify what they consider previously published, there's a good chance they fall into this camp.

For Poetry Collections

Except for rare cases, most editors/publishers of poetry collections accept previously published poems as long as the collection itself has not been previously published. Actually, the fact that poems are previously published usually helps in getting the collection published. That said, do NOT try to use poems posted on a personal blog or public forum as a publishing credit. Such credits hold little weight, since there is usually no screening process, because eveyone can get published.

My main point here is that individual poems that are considered published by journals can still be considered unpublished as components of a poetry collection. And that even individual poems that are considered published are welcome in "original" collections of poems.

In fact, "new collections" can be made from selecting poems from previous full-length collections and chapbooks.

So, How Should Poets Proceed?

Armed with your knowledge of what is and is not considered published, you've just got to pick your battles and act accordingly. For instance, most of my poems are not published on my blog, because I want to have as many publishing options available to me as possible. I share drafts of these "unpublished" poems with close poet friends to solicit feedback for revisions.

The poems I post as parts of prompts, I consider "published," though I would not use it as a publishing credit if I tried including any of them in a collection, because I also consider my poems on this blog to be "vanity publication credits." I make an informed decision to write a poem a week just for the act of creation.

Considering how much money most published poets make anyway, I don't view this as such a bad decision. But every poet has to make this decision on their own.

Where is poetry happening?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:29:13 GMT

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.

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If you have up-to-date poetry calendars from other areas, please share them with everyone in the comments below. Thanks!

First Ever Fake Bio Contest Winner and Other Finalists

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:30:22 GMT

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Interview, no power, and other fun updates!

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:25:28 GMT

Belinda Subraman recently interviewed me on her blog. She has quite a few interviews listed on her blog with various poetry-related people and others. The cool thing about this interview is that it's in audio. Check it out at http://belinda_subraman.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2008-09-13T08_02_04-07_00.

In the interview, I mention S.A. Griffin, Amanda Oaks, James Tate, my wife, an ex-girlfriend, my past with F+W Media, my future with F+W Media, my writing, my submissions, etc. (Sounds like a lot of me-me-me, but hopefully there is some value for you-you-you as well.)

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Also, if it seems like it's been a little quiet over here, it's because I was busy last week--AND most of Southwest Ohio was without power Sunday afternoon into this morning. In fact, my house in Dayton is still without power--and I believe more than 500,000 people in the Cincinnati-area alone are still in the dark. But F+W Media is back up and running today. Yay!

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Finally, we mentioned the Fake Bio Contest in the interview mentioned above. I've got the list whittled down to 8 fake bios and will attempt to name a winner before I leave this afternoon. Thanks for being patient with me!

Having Fun With Bad Poetry

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:24:01 GMT

Brian Klems (of Writer's Digest fame) brought the following thread to my attention from the WD.com forums: http://forum.writersdigest.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=19564&start=1

First post:
"I have this gift you see
to write very bad poetry
Try as I might
It's something I just can't fight
So I write stuff you wouldn't read to a tree"

-wondo

Starting up in July, this thread is still going strong (with more than 500 responses to date). While other random forms have entered into the chain, the thread seems to rely mostly on limericks. So if you want to play around with a group of other writers, here's your chance.

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Also, Amy Barlow Liberatore proposed on my Facebook page that we all try writing "bad haiku." (She mentioned that Iain Douglas Kemp was partially responsible for inspiring her.) So if you want to start writing bad haiku, feel free to post in the comments below.