get your poem on #39
by Ren Powell
Did you write something personal this week, or something politically-personal? Is there a month that pulled at you? Let us know, here. Leave a link to your blog and your poem. And tell us about your week, your month.
Did/do you watch the Olympics? Did you read about Shi Tao? Did you read “June”? Did you follow the PEN poem relay? What pierced your heart this week?
From now until midnight one week from today, comments on this post will be open. And check back through the week and see what others have written, because some times it takes a while to capture our thoughts.
Please, link back here in your posts, either with a hyperlink to Read Write Poem or by using the badge in your post. Sidebar links are great but it helps our “internet health” when you link in every post you contribute to the project. And please add “Read Write Poem” in your tags, if you don’t mind.
For the new folks: Please take a few moments to read the About pages, including our Copyrights page. If you have any questions about the project after reading through those pages, email us at info (at) readwritepoem (dot) org.
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get the read write poem badge! 
Wear it loud, wear it proud! Display the Read Write Poem badge on your site. Just click here or on the image above to get the code!
read write poem news- yes, yes, here’s another virtual book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 6, 2010 | 11:37 amFind the latest tour stop for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace at Jillypoet, Jill Crammond Wickham’s blog, where you can find an interview with Pamela that discusses how she creates manuscripts.
Previous stops include Daniel Romo at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies and James Brush at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- the best of the web is in our ranks
February 6, 2010 | 11:35 amSarah J. Sloat’s poem,”Attending the Tasting” (published in The Literary Bohemian) has been selected for Best of the Web 2010. Congratulations, Sarah!
- another (w00t!) read write poem member on the joe milford poetry show
February 6, 2010 | 11:34 amOn the Joe Milford Poetry Show tomorrow (Feb. 6): W.F. Roby at 9 AM (PST). Find the show here!
Joe describes Will as a “great language poet and bad-ass.”
- ‘literary podcasting made simple with wordpress.com’
February 6, 2010 | 11:33 amDave Bonta has published a how-to article that might be of interest to WordPress users: “Literary Podcasting Made Simple with WordPress.com,” based on his and Beth Adams’ experience at Qarrtsiluni.
Thanks, Dave, for continuing to help make the community aware of technological resources that can expand our art.
- the latest (virtual) book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 3, 2010 | 3:53 pmThe latest tour stop has been posted for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace. Find out how Daniel Romo responded to the work at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies.
James Brush provided our first tour stop at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- planning for napowrimo in april, and you are invited!
February 2, 2010 | 6:12 pmHello, hello dear Read Write Poem community members! We are in the planning stages for NaPoWriMo. (What? Is that a groan I hear, or an excited exclamation?)
We are planning another prompt-every-day for those folks who love to write a daily poem in April (which is, as most of you know, National Poetry Month in the United States — although there is an international following of writing poetry every day in April, too, so it is not just about the States).
Anyway! This is a call for prompts because we want to run your ideas, one every day, in April. So here’s what to do:
- Prompts must be no more than 250 words, and we will take the first 30 that we receive.
- Include “NaPoWriMo Prompt” in the subject line of your email as well as your username (e.g., the name you use when you log in) so we can match you up with your prompt and give you the link love.
- Email your submission (in the body of the email — no attachments please) to prompts (at) readwritepoem (dot) org!
We’ll let you know when we’ve got the 30, but don’t delay because it takes a lot of time to format the posts and we want to be ready come April Fools’ Day. Woohoo!
- new senior contributors at read write poem
February 2, 2010 | 11:51 amWe are thrilled to announce that Ren Powell and Dave Jarecki are moving into the senior contributor role at Read Write Poem. Both have been writing feverishly for the site, as well as providing ideas for content and for the community as a whole. In short, they make this site a more lively, and better, place.
Ren and Dave will fill the roles vacated by Carolee Sherwood and Jill Crammond Wickham, who have moved into the manager role.
Everyone please thank Ren and Dave for their hard work and commitment to Read Write Poem.
- rounding out the virtual book tour of sarah j. sloat’s ‘in the voice of a minor saint’
January 31, 2010 | 1:53 pmOur last stop on the Virtual Book Tour of Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint is with Ren Powell. Find Ren’s review at More Babel.
Joseph Harker provided our first stop in December, and you can find David Moolten’s review at Edible Detritus. David’s was followed by Dave Jarecki’s. Dave’s review is at his blog. Find Jill Crammond Wickham’s at Jillypoet: Mom Trying to Write.
In case you missed the introduction, we are (virtually) hosting Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint. For complete tour information, such as how you can get your own copy of the collection or how you can get involved in future tours, read this post.
- make your own book: get off the computer and onto the paper
January 30, 2010 | 4:19 pmBeth Adams has posted her latest project at The Cassandra Pages. “A Handmade Book” may not explicate all the details of bookbinding, but Beth shows readers the “Secret Belgian Binding.” It’s a beautiful as well as inspiring post.
If you would like more detailed instructions, Google “secret Belgian bookbinding” and find sites such as this one. Or look for a local book arts class for hands-on instruction.
As Beth says, ” … it did me good to get away from the computer and feel my hands at work!”
Archive for read write poem news »
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I’ve written John Edwards a “Dear John” letter-limerick
we just rode our bikes home after the fireworks extravaganza celebrating the last day of 10 days of our County Fair at Seaside Park…
the Fair consumes many in my agricultural community, especially my part of town where we get lots of traffic but also get to see the fireworks over the ocean
so i offer this week a 3:15 experiment poem I wrote a few years ago musing about the end of the Fair:
http://artpredator.wordpress.com
October
Here’s mine: http://foundcraftygreenart.blogspot.com/2008/08/august.html
You’ll find mine in this post:
http://beyondtheblog.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/tony-on-georgia-boil-more
Enjoy.
Here’s mine: http://disorder1313.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/the-war-in-the-gulf-revised
http://hummingbunny.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/collapsing-wave/
A poem called “538″.
Mine for the week… After Apple Picking: October in End Time
http://florescence.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/the-race/
and mine, many thanks for the prompt.
Shi Tao
Come to Jesus
Here is mine:
September
-Nicole
This is an introspective poem, personal, yet also a collaboration with Slynne and Jo. Thanks for the prompt, it’s one we can always return to! Writing with compassion for others is a good place to write from.
Well, it might help to include a link….
mind space
here it is:
http://amidweststory.blogspot.com/2008/08/december-part-ii-my-readwritepoem-for.html
A flawed attempt of rhyme and meter in English, but such a special month for me.
Thank you
Here is my month poem
http://1802eggs.blogspot.com/2008/08/readwritepoem.html
(clicking on my name will get you to the wrong blog)
Thank you all for taking the challenge. I can’t wait to read them!
ren
No month poem. But one transcending years….
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2008/08/fruition-of-germinated-thought.html
I actually wrote two. I’m not terribly happy with either one, as I’ve been on a prose kick lately, and it shows. It also occurs to me that half the young people around (and I include my own agemates in that; I’m 25) probably have no clue what I’m referring to in “August.” It’s a bit depressing.
September and August
the password is porcupine, as usual
The correct link to Katherine’s post is http://papercranium.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/read-write-poem-38/
No, wait – sorry, that was for last week’s prompt. Katherine’s latest appears to be MIA.
This Month
Actually next month, but what the heck.
ren, your poem is absolutely breathtaking. I started imagining the times I’ve been told news that shook me to my core. So human and beautiful.
thank you! (I forgot to enable comments, sorry all).
yes, ren, that is a wonderful piece, so full of sorrow and beauty.
It is not a month. But it is *political* .
And I have watched the olympics. Not just for the USA, but I think the athletes deserve respect and support. I think the fact that China’s politics have been thrown in the open and aired is a wonderful thing.
But I refuse to take my disgust for Chinese politics out on the athletes of any country.
Remember that even in Greek Olympic times, wars (which were never-ending) were put on hold. For this. I respect that.
Hi Jenn,
I hope I didn’t mislead anyone. I wasn’t implying or encouraging any political attitudes about the Olympics. The only politics I ever mess with or impose on others is the right to free speech. I love reading other people’s political opinions, but I think we should take care not to make this a space for political discussions.
Best! and always hoping,
Ren
This is not a poem! But it’s close and so I think it counts and so I am submitting it. It’s a discussion about online publishing and poetry publishing in general. Feel free to come by and jump into the discussion:
i surrender, i give over, i submit
Sorry guys! I’ve been having issues getting used to the way WordPress works. I wrote the entry … but it only saved and not published. The link should work now.
With regards to the Olympics, I have a confession to make. Until this prompt came up, I’d forgotten all about them. Nobody discussed it in front of me, and there wasn’t anything in the papers or on the English-language news. My friend Muti came over and commandeered our TV to watch somebody playing somebody else in football/soccer, but that’s been the extend of my involvement with the Olympic Games this year. That, and reading about the PEN Relay online.
I wonder if I should be pleased or ashamed to be so out of the world’s loop. Lately, my politics has consisted of worrying about the price of eggs going up from 20 kwacha to 25, and persuading the headmaster that he MUST let my Writers Club students have enough exercise books to write rough drafts, even though it’s against school policy to waste paper on anything but perfect margins and spelling.
Of course, as folks are fond of reminding me, “the personal is political.” The fact that an American is even here, worrying about the price of paper and eggs, is something of a political statement. I’ve got a father seeking naturalization after 30 years of living in the US, a little sister in the Army, and no health insurance. That’s all pretty political.
Honestly, I don’t know where I thought I was going with all of this. Watch some gymnastics and think of me, I guess. I’ll be here in Lilongwe, poeming in my own little world.
While these posts are very interesting, please remember that this space is for links to poems (and thoughts) on your blogs. I would be very sorry were these prompts to distract us from poetry and the purpose of this space.
Looking forward to reading your blogs!
ren
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here- crazy summer, but I am ready now for September…
http://reginaclarejane.livejournal.com/82853.html?mode=reply
Meet Lego Joe.
http://maekitso.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/lego-joe/
Will he ever recover from that momentous day?
[...] There’s more poetry – political and personal – here. [...]
Well, my poem did get political about the Olympics…
http://www.magpiedays.com/2008/08/political-poetry/
No problem, Jennifer- I, for one, love political poetry.
More personal than political – but definitely about months
what could one do but be inspired by this week’s prompt august remembers .. wow, can’t wait to read all the posts!!!
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