Events

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Know This—Prompts Inspired by Kelly Grace Thomas Vojdani

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I love poems that originate from an obscure (to me) fact, and this wonderful poem is no exception (I admit that I am biased though—I think her poetry collection Boat Burned and the individual poems I’ve read are all fantastic).

For the first prompt, take a random/obscure fact—perhaps that it is illegal to get an elephant drunk in the city of Natchez, MS—and build a poem or story from that.

The second prompt is to use a factual statement as a title of a poem or story (“There Are No Stop Signs in Paris”) and the first line/sentence as a result (“So cars and silk-scarved women savor time like it’s theirs”) with all subsequent lines expanding upon the results with concrete details (even if there isn’t a direct correlation).

For a third prompt, use “I remembered what it meant to / call hunger mine” for your first line and go from there. Remember to erase the line and credit the poet for your inspiration. Or if you prefer, use the line for your title, still crediting the poet.

The next prompt is to write a poem or short story using the following words from the poem: “silk,” “savor,” “coast,” “lipstick,” “suitcase,” “hunger, “cost,” “flute,” “drag” and “glittering.”

Instead of the absence of signs, let’s move to descriptive (or ominous) signs.

Bonus prompt: write an ekphrastic poem or story based on one (or both) of these photos of bathroom signs.

Good luck writing! Have fun with facts today (or with signs)!

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“It’s the End of the World”—Prompts for the Eclipse

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…and I feel fine.” The world did not end, but when has that ever stopped a good conspiracy theory? Let’s celebrate all those eclipse apocalypse theories in a poem or short story. Or create your own!

I’ll start first: write a poem or story about a plane flying through the moon and knocking out the sun (courtesy of Bobby Goddin’s photo above).

For the second prompt, write a religious conspiracy theory. This cartoon may get you started, or at least you could write about what you win!

You cannot spell conspiracy and crypto without the letter “C”! Write your own crypto/AI/NFT/techno-bs scam of your own! Bonus points for including Elno Muskrat!

How about an ophthalmologist and US education conspiracy? Don’t forget multiple states allow creationism/intelligent design to be taught in public schools! Yay!

If conspiracies and scams don’t inspire you, how about a nice persona poem from either the moon or the sun. Or write an ekphrastic poem or story of Hannah Hillam’s drawing.

And the final prompt (apocalypse pun intended) is to write about the moon-made-of-cheese conspiracy (perhaps now melted cheese). Bonus points for including Wallace and Gromit. I love that the European Space Agency was my first search result for Wallace and Gromit and the moon made of cheese.

Good luck writing today! Have fun (and some cheese and crackers!)

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Poets & Writers Poetry Prompt Inspired by Jessica Abughattas

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How is the first week of poems coming? Oof, a little rough for me, which does not bode well for the rest of the month. Here is a prompt from Poets & Writers, which posts weekly fiction and creative non-fiction prompts, in addition to poetry prompts, throughout the year). Here is the link for the latest poetry prompt: https://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises.

While this prompt is similar to a previous one I posted (that one inspired by Beth Marquez who also structured the poem using a repeated “because”), its focus is on what is not said than the anaphora itself.

Here is “Litany for My Father“ by Jessica Abughattas. Check out other great poets and poems at Split This Rock, https://www.splitthisrock.org/poetry-database.

For a second prompt, use one of the lines, perhaps “Because home is too far for the scent of,” for the first line of your poem and go from there. Remember to erase the line and credit the poet for your inspiration with an “after Jessica Abughattas,” or you can use “Ghostline from Jessica Abughattas” in your title if you prefer.

A third prompt is to write a story or poem from the following list: “search,” splayed,” “plastic,” “drive,” “quartz,” “scent,” “beads,” “carving” oven,” “penance” and “upturned.”

Bonus prompt: write a poem describing this old fort or a story in which this is the setting.

Good luck writing this month! Have fun!

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Heavenly Foods—Prompts Inspired by Rudy Francisco

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I hope you are all jumping in to 30/30 without trouble. I still have to write today’s poem and hope that this wonderful poem by Rudy Francisco can get me started (although I may just have to go to a local restaurant for the plantains instead).

For the first prompt, combine heaven with the comfort food you had as a child. Does it fall from the sky too, does it grow from trees, or is it served at the table with all the loved ones you’ve lost to time. What blessings do you ask for in heaven? What are you given?

The second prompt is Mad Libs writing exercise: replace the nouns and verbs with your own. Once finished, experiment with form: what happens when you break the lines into couplets, quatrains, etc. Remember that this will be likely be to close to the original but works as a beginning draft that you can rewrite (perhaps choosing one line from the exercise to build a new poem from for May, often the month of editing those 30/30 poems).

The third prompt is to create a poem from the following word list: “sky,” “afternoon,” “rain,” “burnt,” “cut,” “step,” “palms,” “buds,” “insides” and “hands.”

The last prompt is to describe what small decadent gift or strange ability you would ask God or some other divinity for. Don’t ask here for health or forgiveness or protection of loved ones or world peace, but for something tactile and gratifying, perhaps so absurd that only you would want that.

Bonus prompt: write a poem (or story) about this flower as a sentient being who begins speaking to you after your first sip of the draw.

Good luck with 30/30! Have fun!!!

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The Stars under our Feet—Prompt from Rob Sturma (and Hillary Monaghan)

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Thanks, Rob Sturma, for giving me the idea because I finally wrote a poem! Woohoo!

Do what you will with this information. I found this article—https://www.treehugger.com/star-sand-shows-natures-exquisite-attention-detail-4853691—particularly interesting, although I do not know its overall accuracy.

Btw, I will be trying to post weird facts, memes, animal photos and just strange things that might spark a poem.

Good luck writing this month! Have fun!

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30/30 IS HERE!!!

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It is the 30/30 challenge again! April is National Poetry Month, and the challenge is to write a poem every day for this month. NaPoWriMo.net posts prompts as well as participants’ poems. Check out this month’s prompts and poems as well as those from previous years. You can also submit your own website there to have your poems shared.

I will try to post websites and links to social media accounts that are posting daily prompts along with my own. I will try to post more prompts than usual but won’t put out a new prompt every day. Here is yesterday’s prompt from NapoWriMo.net:

The last couple of years I haven’t finished the challenge, although I have done so previously. I just have to remember that the goal is to write 30 poems, not 30 GOOD poems!

Here is your bonus prompt: write a poem about a moment when you felt yourself break through a period of indecision or blockage.

Good luck writing every day! Have fun!

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World of Poetry Reading Tomorrow!

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I keep sneaking in with real poets. Seriously, all of these poets have books published in multiple languages and are scholars and Ambassadors of Peace, whereas I am researching Skyrim mod load lists even though I no longer have a console to play the game on (my kid has it). So come listen to all of these wonderful poets and see if a bouncer tosses me out.

As usual, I forgot to post the video to the Year Ending Poetry Fiesta reading on Uddan TV. Here is the YouTube link.

Hope to see you tomorrow! I will try to remember to post a link to the reading later in the week. Have a great night!

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World of Poetry Reading Tomorrow!

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I hope you had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate it—I am still stuffed.

I once again managed to sneak in with accomplished poets from around the world. Please join me tomorrow morning (8am Central). If you cannot make it—just too early, I completely understand—I will post a recording of the live event. I promise I won’t forget this time!

Btw, here is a link to the recording for the last reading I participated in since I forgot to post it: The World of Poetry reading 63. I hope you enjoy it!

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This Month is the Sealey Challenge

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Hi all, I am in such a weird headspace that weeks passed before I remembered that August is the Sealey Challenge. Usually I do not complete the challenge but do push myself to read more poetry books than usual.

While it may be too late to catch up to earn the prize, August is a great month to get reading recommendations for later and to promote your favorite books and poets on social media. Don’t forget to check out the Sealey Challenge website and check out the books of the challenger’s founder—Nicole Sealey. I loved ordinary beast and The Animal After Whom Other Animals Were Named. I haven’t read her latest, The Ferguson Report: An Erasure but plan to.

It is inspiring to know that so many great poets are out there writing and eager to share their favorite collections. Promoting your favorites is a great way to give back to the community. Here is a poet who always promotes and encourages others. To read more of his review, click here and check out Adrian’s own books and events on his site.

Have fun reading!

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Tomorrow Starts NaPoWriMo: 30 Poems in 30 Days

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Yes, another April is upon us. It is National Poetry Month, full of readings, celebration, and the challenge to write a poem every day for the month. Of course, you can cut off the last half of the month in your calendar, but technically you need to write thirty to win the cash prize (there is no prize except the reward of writing every day).

Check out the official site for this year’s prompts and those from previous years!

Other poets and writing organizations will also be providing prompts, so I will posting links to their websites and events. I will try to post extra prompts, but I will be writing or editing a poem every day (mostly editing since I need to finish my manuscript).

For preparation, here is a bonus prompt: take your favorite poem (or one of your favorites—I can never choose just one) and use for a ghostline its fifth line (or a line somewhere in the center, likely the heart of the poem, whatever line most resonates with you). Remember to erase and credit the poet.

Remember you do not need to write 30 GOOD poems, just 30 poems. That’s why May is the unofficial month of editing (or every month after until the next April). And, if you write one more poem than you usually do in a month or fewer poems but these are ones you are happier with, you have succeeded. I am revising (pun intended) the challenge to include editing older poems, many from previous 30/30s.

The true challenge is just to keep writing and having fun! Good luck!!!

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Happy World Poetry Day!

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It is so easy to get caught in our small circles with little exploration of writers in other countries. I certainly am guilty of that. One of the fascinating experiences of getting invited to participate in an international event with poets reading in multiple languages was recognizing the emotion behind a poem even if I did not understand the words. The music spoken carried across continents.

Here is a poem shared by Ilya Kaminsky, whom I admire deeply. I hope you enjoy the poem as much I do.

Good luck writing and reading today!

International Poetry Event on December 11th

Yes, I meant to have a prompt up on Tuesday, but this week has just slipped by me…

I am so excited to announce I have an event coming up! On Sunday I will be part of a televised international poetry reading. It will be 8am Pacific time on. Here is the link to attend: https://www.facebook.com/UddanTV

I have attended two previous World of Poetry readings but am bad at promoting my events and wanted to make sure I did for this one. I misunderstood Toufiq for the first event—I believed he was inviting me to listen until he asked me for a bio and an author photo. Somehow I managed to sneak in despite the fact that the other poets are all acclaimed writers and respected scholars.

I am so happy to have been invited back. The other poets are truly amazing, and I am grateful to be included. I hope you can attend or watch the recording.

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Yikes, 6 Days into NaNoWriMo!

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Hi all, I completely forgot about NaNoWriMo this year. Every November writers are challenged to write 50,000 words of a novel in any genre, and the NaNoWriMo organization provides events and platform to build a community and offer support.

Here is the faq to get you started.

I won’t be participating this year: I am focusing on poetry. I have managed the challenge in the past, and I’ll happily cheer you on.

Remember even if you are behind, you can try to catch up or just finish late. The goal is to create a daily writing habit and not let your internal editor stifle you. Good luck!

Image Courtesy of NaNoWri: Viking helm above a crest divided into quadrants (image of coffee cup in upper left, laptop in upper right, stack of pages in lower right, and crossed pens in lower left)