read write prompt #78: kiss me, amelia earhart
by Carolee Sherwood
Finally, watching kids’ movies and stalking people on Facebook has paid off.
A couple of weeks ago, I took my kids to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. I am rarely a Ben Stiller fan, and only sometimes a fan of kid movies, but I really enjoyed every moment. It’s weak as movies go but splendidly imaginative. It is a sequel, and the premise of both movies is that an Egyptian tablet brings museum exhibits to life at night. In both movies, Stiller — the night guard — works with some historical figures and battles some others.
In this one, Stiller’s sidekick is Amelia Earhart, and when I got home, I was inspired to update my Facebook status as follows: “Saw ‘Night at the Museum 2′ with the kids, and now I want to sleep with Amelia Earhart. Historical figures are sexy!” And I knew I had the makings of a fun poem — me going on a date with Amelia Earhart — or at least a fun writing prompt to share with all of you.
Here goes: Write a poem in which you go on a date with a historical figure, any historical figure. If you prefer to have tea or cookies and milk with your historical figure, go for it. I will also encourage riding the bus with your historical figure, cooking dinner for your historical figure and running over your historical figure with your car. Do whatever comes to mind, just interact with someone famous from history.
For me, the one of the best parts about a prompt like this is researching and going off on tangents, so if you stumble upon something else in your travels, feel free to go with what inspires you. Just be sure to come back on Thursday to see which historical figures your fellow poets Get Their Smooch Poem On with.
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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!”
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Oh my Carolee, after reading the prompt I’ve had such delicious naughty thoughts. I can hardly wait to share with you and fellow prompters. ?:^}
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oh, I love this prompt!!
I couldn’t wait–I took “genghis khan to the mall”
(who knows…I may squeeze in a few more dates before thursday!)
http://therer2doors-thespacebetweenwords.blogspot.com/2009/06/taking-genghis-khan-to-mall.html
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This prompt reminds me of a great favorite of mine: Allen Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California,” q.v.:
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15306
(which naturally leaves me feeling a bit intimidated, so we’ll see what happens…)
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Thought you might be interested in this poem I posted last year about Amelia Earhart
http://catapulttomars.blogspot.com/2008/09/amelia.html
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I’m glad everyone is so enthusiastic about the historical figure prompt!
Gordon — Thanks for the link to your poem. I’m going to hold off on reading it until I’ve already written/posted my own so I’m not unduly influenced.
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Thankyou to Paul Oakley for the introduction to Ginsburg’s “A Supermarket in California”What a brilliant poem!
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Hrm…Khalil Gibran, Pancho Villa, Malcolm X….the possibilities are endless. Now to pick a victim — er, I mean person — and write.
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I did not know her well, but we did take the bus…
Dancing with Cleopatra
http://www.humboldt1.com/~dobrothunder/page-cleo.html
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[...] on the manuscript). One of them is a poem for my response to my own Read Write Prompt — “Kiss Me, Amelia Earhart” (over at Read Write Poem, of [...]
[...] wrote this for Read Write Poem Prompt # 78: Kiss Me, Amelia Earhart. I decided to approach this a little differently, as there are so many historical figures I would [...]
ON MEETING A FAMOUS POET
I knew this was a mistake
I was so nervous
I could hardly concentrate on a word
you were saying
Your banal chat sounded like the feint hum
of a radio in the room next door
How on earth could THIS create
All those gorgeous exploding mind jewels
I should have settled for the pearl
Rather than the rough shag oyster
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Ahmadinajad picks me up at my parents’ house.
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[...] them; Roadmaker was clearly fascinating and while I am not thrilled with my poem response to Carolee’s prompt at Read Write Poem, I am keen on Roadmaker. Perhaps I’ll try another version or [...]
Not strictly “historical”, but a living “popular” person:
Hanging out with Adam Lambert
[Reply]
[...] am sharing this piece as a contribution to Read Write Poem #78. Carolee asked us to find ourselves in conversation in some way with a famous figure. I *might* be [...]