The Academy of American Poets instituted National Poetry Month in 1996 “to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry.” National Poetry Month now is the inspiration for literary events held throughout the country in schools and libraries, as well as for events sponsored by book publishers, sellers, clubs, and coffeehouses. This blog contains suggestions for you to follow if you would like to share your poetry in some public venues.
Post Your Poetry Event on Poetry.Org
Poets. org invites you to share your goodies.
“Thank you for joining in the celebration by listing your events and attending other events in your community, displaying this year’s poster, participating in Poem in Your Pocket Day, recommending the Dear Poet project to a young person, signing up to read a Poem-a-Day, and checking out 30 more ways to celebrate.”
Talk on Twitter with Other Poets and Writers
In addition, you can post poems on all kinds of social media and create a video of poetry readings. However, something wonderfully supportive is happening on Twitter.
Writers and poets from across the globe are coming together to help one another get followers and good advice from our fellow scribes, poets laureate, and ingenues.
From your Twitter account, you can use the following hashtags to connect. #amwriting #WritingCommunity #Authors.
There are several hashtags being used to emphasize #Poets, #Poetry, etc. Here’s the One for National Poetry Month where I see people are posting their work.
Branding Tip for Poets
One of those #writingcommunity participants, Liz Evangelatos, taught me that we all should use one of our own hashtags in all our posts, as a part of our branding.
For example, for writing and editing, I use these which are from this website: #DoItTheWriteWay #LetMyFingersDoYourTalking.
If I’m posting about health and wellness topics, I use a tagline from my other website: GetWell.guru > #MyGetWellGuru or #GetWellStayWellandLiveWell.
Locally (as in Northern Virginia),
Write by the Rails’
Spring Writers’ Workshop is This Weekend
Write by the Rails is the Prince William chapter of the Virginia Writers Club. It is so named because it was founded in a meeting place near a railroad station. The blast of the whistle interrupts our meetings, but we love it.
We recently published #BackOnTrackNow, an anthology of short pieces, including different styles of poetry. My writing services typically are for business purposes, the creation of classes, and for other purposes involving strictly prose “masterpieces.” It had been years since I wrote poetry – prior to 2018, so I was truly tickled to have made the cut with the inclusion of 3 poems! Whoopee!
The goal of the group is to raise the profile of the local literary community. This Saturday (April 15th) features #WbtR Spring Writer’s Workshop! Have you been to our website? You can now download the program! Take a peek. Part of the discussion will be about copyrighting your materials. Learn so much more and see how to get #published in 2019!
Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk
at Jirani Coffeehouse
I’m sure there are coffee houses all over the world, where people can present their literary works. This one just happens to be closely associated with #WritebyRails and is in a town where I used to live. The invitation below is from the Spilled Ink website, inviting all to participate and to “keep it clean.”
A Celebration of the Written Word
SPILLED INK is held at Jirani Coffee House in Old Towne, Manassas, every FOURTH Friday of the month from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. The Poet Laureate Circle meets at 6:00 p.m.
Spilled Ink is an open mic night that celebrates the written word. Join local authors, poets, and scribblers as they read their work. All are welcome to listen or read! Be brave!
We have many ages of presenters so we ask that all material be at a PG-13 rating.
People who have attended – either as a presenter or as part of the audience – consistently say it was a very enjoyable evening!
My Turn
I live on a mountain. Sometimes, I’m ready for Spring, but Spring is not ready for me.
The sun is there,
but the branches are bare.
True to form, It was a rough March, invoking vague memories and (mis)understandings of the term, The Ides of March.
In any case, I always get jealous when I see the lower regions of cities and towns flush with blossoms of pink, white, and yellow. Combined with the froth of mint green leaf buds, clearly, Spring has blossomed forth. It takes longer where I live. Here were my thoughts this week.
Spring At Last – 2019
Finally, Spring comes to the mountain!
Bare-ish beige trees still look like
Thousands of skinny jeans
Upside down.
But, cotton candy poofs
of soft green budding leaves
Adorn the otherwise naked branches
Giving hope to the flagging spirits
Of man and hungry beasts.
Starting anew,
While not forgetting lessons of bygone days,
We forge ahead (man and beasts)
As if the fate that awaits each of us
Has a chance of being wonderful.
Nancy (Ayanna) Wyatt
(c) April 2019
All Rights Reserved
Learn From A Master Poet
Check out this video from Billy Collins who has offerings to teach you how to do it well.
Then, go ahead and give it a try. Keep doing it ’til you like what you’ve written. Sometimes, it’s wonderful, sometimes it’s work. Still, it will be worth it to see what your thoughts were like during the time span in which you wrote poetry.
Do It the Write Way Let My Fingers Do Your Talking
