by Dana Guthrie Martin, director and founder
I have always loved the power and possibility of online communications. Back in 1995, I remember proposing that my university’s literary journal be created and distributed in an online format as opposed to a print format. The faculty adviser for the project scoffed at the notion. “Who would want to read poetry on a computer,” he asked.
Look how far we have come since then. Even though some still scoff at online literary journals and magazines, or at least eye them with suspicion, it’s clear that they are rising in popularity — and that audiences are gravitating to work delivered through this medium. Apparently, a lot of people want to read poetry, and learn about it, online.
I founded Read Write Poem in 2007 because of my love for and belief in the capacity for online communications as a means to lessen or remove barriers to information and resources, including art. I also saw the power of online communications in removing geographic barriers by making information available for free — anytime, anywhere on the planet. The goal of Read Write Poem at launch was simple: to leverage the power of the internet in the creation of an interactive and collaborative virtual space for poets of all levels to learn about and share poetry.
The community’s mission has grown out of the same premise on which is was founded. Read Write Poem facilitates a vibrant online community that gives readers the tools they need to make poetry central to their daily lives, both in virtual and real-world environments. The community encourages readers and writers of poetry at all levels to be more engaged with a wide range of traditional and contemporary poetry, with other poets, and with members of their local, regional, national and international communities. Read Write Poem works in tandem with and also outside of traditional frameworks such as academic institutions, providing an alternative method for learning, teaching, sharing and discussing poetry.
The site has also grown since its inception with the addition of profiles, wires, groups and other interactive elements, as well as a fully fleshed-out online magazine with new content every weekday. And, of course, we still have the weekly writing prompts that keep members challenged and engaged.
In short, Read Write Poem has evolved to the point that it is nothing other than a remarkable place. We would not be here without the participation of our more than 1,000 members, or without the talent and hard work of our contributors, senior contributors, managers and directors.
Especially deserving of thanks is Deb Scott for her tenacious dedication to the project and all her efforts, including managing the site for a year and a half and serving as a community director for the past 9 months. Special thanks also to community director Nathan Moore, without whom the energy of the community would not be what it is, and to technology director Andre Tan, without whom the social media elements and overall design of the site would have been inferior, if not impossible.
Three years and 900 articles and news items, 1,000 members, 11,000 comments, and 770,000 page views since its founding, it is clear that Read Write Poem has made a difference in the lives of many poets and of those who love poetry. There is clearly a need — and a desire — for an open, free, accessible way for anyone and everyone who loves to read, write and share poetry to have the means to do so.
The community has reached a point where it no longer needs my daily direction. At the same time, needs and opportunities in my life require me to step out of the lead director role. I have the chance to study information science at the graduate level, and to learn even more ways that barriers to information access can be removed so that those around the world, whatever their area of interest of inquiry, will have the tools they need to learn, to discover and to grow.
Deb Scott will be taking over as the community’s lead director, and that change is effective immediately. I am thrilled that Deb is taking on the role of lead director on, and excited to see where the community moves in its next phase of development. I also thank those who have come forward to help Deb manage the site. She will be making more announcements soon about the team she is assembling, so stay tuned to learn more as the new management group unfolds.
I also regret to announce that Nathan Moore must step away from Read Write Poem at this time. He has worked tirelessly on the site and has provided some of our most valuable, interesting and innovative content. The entire community will miss his presence and his voice. He is an outstanding poet, and an outstanding human being.
Thank you all. Together, we have helped change the face of poetry. Let’s keep going.
Dana Guthrie Martin founded Read Write Poem in 2007 as an extension of her work as co-founder of the Poetry Thursday site. She writes poetry and prose, and lives in the Seattle area with her husband, her robot and her two hermit crabs.
As I just joined today, I can’t help but wonder if a hygiene mistake on my part has resulted in this management change.
I’m sure it’s just the paranoia talking.
Many blessings in the exploration of your new frontier.
The Queen is dead, long live the Queen.
What, maybe 8 months I’ve been coming to RWP, and while I still feel something of a newcomer, always, always I’ve felt most welcome here. Fostering this positive sense of supportive community is no small or mean accomplishment. And organizations, however structured, do reflect their leadership. So my genuine thanks Dana, along with good wishes for your next field of study and contribution.
Good wishes too for Deb, and for all of us here participant in RWP, my first poetry home!
Whatever else you do, know this is a good thing you’ve started.
Dana,
Thank you for Read Write Poem, and for the other poetry ventures you have created & instigated. You have given the poetry community immense gifts: creative, innovative, supportive, fun & crazy gifts.
The amount of time & energy you have put into Read Write Poem is incredible, and if it could be quantified I think the community & visitors would faint at seeing such huge numbers.
This entire community owes a lot to you. I know I do. Thank you.
Nathan,
You have a special voice that gave Read Write Poem so much to think about, to enjoy, to stimulate, and to encourage.
It will be missed.
Thank you for all the time & energy you gave to us all. Be well.
Nathan replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Thanks Deb. Best of luck to you.
ddickens, you nailed it! I am leaving the site because of you!!! Actually, these changes have been in the works for weeks. No worries on your end. Poem on.
one of the very first things I did when I jumped into the online world almost two years ago was to join a little poetry place called readwritepoem. it has filled my writing and reading world with tremendous inspiration, support and encouragement. I know that I would have never in a million years stuck to writing my silly poems without this touchstone. I’ve “met” some wonderful friends here; it’s a “place to come home to” for me now.
Dana and Nathan — you guys are amazing and I thank you so much for all you’ve created here.
Thanks, Neil. Read Write Poem is kind of like a big living room, isn’t it? A virtual salon of sorts. Even as it grows, it will keep this feel. I am sure of that.
Thanks, Barbara. And thanks for being part of it.
Thanks, Deb. And thank you again for taking the community forward. You are going to rock its socks off.
Angie, I am thrilled that Read Write Poem has been such a great experience for you. And your poems are not silly — I mean it. Now go write some more of them. Do it.
One of the marks of a powerful leader/creator is evolving the community enough so that others rise up to continue to nurture it and help it continue to grow.
Kudos to you for starting it. (And I am reading Cloister Walk now, thank you very much for the recommendation.
Julie, you should also read “Little Girls in Church.” I love love love that collection. It’s one that I read right after I started writing poetry that told me there was a place for me, for my life, in poetry. Not that the speaker’s life always paralleled mine, but it did follow some similar trajectories, all of which were territory I had not before that time seen represented in print, let alone in poetry.
I’ve only been a part of this community for a few short months, but in that time my writing has directly benefited from Read Write Poem and all that it has brought to the online writing community.
Congratulations and many thanks not only to Dana and Nathan, but to Deb and everyone who is and will soon be taking up the reigns of this lovely space.
Nathan replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Thanks Nathan. I’m so glad you find inspiration here.
Dana and Nathan,
Thank you both so much for your vision, hard work (all volunteer!!), creativity, problem-solving, good humor, peace-making, and great poems! You have made poetic history by founding and building RWP.
Nathan, I still remember and admire your terrific transliteration of Esperanto. Dana, I have your chapbook “The Spare Room” and I treasure your Persephone poem “Two Seeds.”
Dana, here’s my humble and sincere American Sentence dedicated to you as you move on to new challenges:
“Sustainability: A well from which thousands of poets can drink.”
Nathan replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Thank you Therese. I appreciate your kind words.
Thanks for the kind words about the community, Nathan.
Therese, that transliteration Nathan wrote rocks, doesn’t it? I should cajole him to send it out to literary journals.
I love that American Sentence. Thank you for the poem-gift.
Dana,
I also want to thank you for this site. I have only been here for about 4 months and it has been a great inspiration for me. The people here are all so welcoming and helpful. And good luck with your new adventure!
Nanthan,
You will be missed! You were so kind and patient when I first joined and didn’t know what heck I was doing. Good luck to you.
Pamela
Nathan replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Thank you Pamela — I’m glad you joined!
Dana, thank you for all you have done to make this community a success. Nathan–I hardly knew ye, but your good work lives on as well through this site. It is a wonderful test of a community to have founders and key players move on, forcing everyone else to step up. And, my hope is that it will be a testament to the enduring nature of both of your good works thus far that, several years from now, RWP will continue to thrive as a place for poets and poetry-lovers to connect online. The form may change over time. But let’s not forget that the incredible spirit of generosity that made this site possible in the first place is the single most important quality that will help it carry on.
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Robert, it will be interesting to see how the site changes in relation to emerging technologies. None of what is here was even imaginable a few years ago. The coming years will be quite interesting in terms of the site’s evolution.
Dana, good luck pursuing your graduate degree — so many of my friends have studied library & information science & learned such fascinating things — though, from the looks of ReadWritePoem, I can’t imagine what it is you still have to learn!
Nathan, hope you’re well & return soon!
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Ha! I have lots to learn. Too much for a lifetime, even.
Dana thankyou so much for starting this stimulating and fun poetry site.Your wry sense of humour will be missed.Also thankyou to Nathan for being so gracious about being lampooned by me in a couple of poems.Your dissertation poem Nathan still makes me laugh.
Nathan replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Thank you Rallentanda. You’re a great presence on the site.
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Rallentanda, I will still be here as a participant, so you won’t miss me that much.
Dana, I just wanted to say you’ve created an amazing legacy. RWP is so addictive. It allows people to engage with others who are also in love with poetry, especially for people for whom there’s no such community where they are. You’ve done good. It’s also wonderful to know that Deb is taking over. She’s like comfort soup. All best to you and Nathan..
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Irene, one goal for the site since its inception was to get poetry and information about poetry into the hands of people for whom physical barriers pose a problem — either because they live in isolated communities or because chronic illnesses and other issues make it hard to get out into the real community. This virtual community aims to help fill that void for people who want to connect and participate in the discussion and sharing of poetry.
Dana and Nathan –
You both deserve much gratitude for creating this community. And you also deserve the opportunity to now let it grow on its own as you branch out to different phases. I am glad to have become acquainted with you and this site.
Best,
Donna
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Donna, we’ll still connect here and on our sites, too.
Thank you Dana and Nathan! This is a fantastic site and took a lot of work to get it to where it is today. Beat of luck, guys, in your new adventures!
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 27th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Thanks, Linda.
Now, who is gonna say things like, “Poem on.”?
Dana, I am so grateful for what you have done and the opportunity to become acquainted with your writing because of RWP. I am glad to hear you will still be participating!
Nathan, I hope you will find the time to participate as well!
Thank you both for all the work you have done.
Nathan replied:
March 28th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Thanks, Ren.
Ren, when I swing by, I will say it — just for you.
Dana, congratulations, thank you and Nathan both for making Read Write Poem a unique space of access in its own right, where we can talk, share, create, and be amazing and flawed together. You’ve made a space for poets like myself to discover other facets of the writer’s life, which can be solitary and discouraging, and continue working and believing that poetry, as art, is meaningful.
Tina, I am glad Read Write Poem is that kind of presence and community for you. That’s a wonderful thing to hear.
Dana, in the 1990’s I tried to make a site for those who loved poetry. I called it the BeeLoudGlade and loaded it so heavily with flower graphics and animated bees that it took forever to load. I defined poetry terms, invited poets to send contributions. But it failed for reasons you will understand in your Masters’ degree dealing with sustainability.
Thank you for creating the poetry site I could only dream of. I know you’ll have great success in your future endeavors – what you achieved here is is certain proof.
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 28th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Wanda, you tried to do something ahead of the times. I commend you for that undertaking back when the internet was not nearly as friendly as it is now in terms of platforms and interfaces. We have it easy these days with open-course platforms such as Wordpress and BuddyPress. We also have an increasingly savvy and engaged group of people — including poets — who want to be on the internet. Not as many people scoffing at the idea.
DANA DANA DANA.. a huge thanks to you…RWP has got me interested again in WRITING poetry…everyone here has inspired and encouraged me to put down my words….so thanks to you again…Nathan and and to ALLLLLLLLLLL….continue your journey Dana and always the best to you…..Wayne
http://waynepitchko.blogspot.com
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 28th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Thanks, Wayne.
Nathan replied:
March 28th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Thank you, Wayne.
NATHAN…also a HUGE THANKS to you also for your dedication and work…THANKS…Wayne
http://waynepitchko.blogspot.com
What a legacy you’ve left for all of us, Dana! Thank you for your service to our community. Wishing you every intention realized on your next adventure…
Dana Guthrie Martin replied:
March 28th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Sage, I’ve been wearing an old skeleton key around my next lately as an improvised necklace. I have been calling it the key to my future. I just hope I don’t lose it.
And you too Nathan! You too! Both you and Dana have been so extravagantly generous with your creativity here and wherever I’ve found your imaginative touch. You make wondering thoughts bigger big for having met with you! Thank you.
Nathan replied:
March 29th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Thanks Neil. I appreciate it.
Dana and Nathan, best of luck with whatever you each do next. We’re indebted to you. Frankly, poetry’s indebted to you, if that doesn’t sound too grandiose. This site is a breakthrough, a true community. The web has been a godsend for writers, but in spite of the way it facilitates communication, most of the forums and bulletin boards have always felt mechanical, and well, solitary. And so much hidden agenda, ego, commercialism. RWP’s alive and kicking, big time, and it’s humble, brilliant, sincere, the real thing.
Dana and Nathan, thank you both for the work and dedication that has created and sustained this community. You have advanced the love and sharing of poetry in a world with too little of it.