Poet a Day Blog

One year and one week ago to the day, D. James and Sebastien Doubonsky (I’m sure I’ve misspelled the name), two poets on opposite sides of the Atlantic, joined forces to start Disposable Poetry - poems written on the fly. The plan? To post a poem a day, every day, in the hopes of being read by someone other than themselves. The result? A year’s worth of poems that are often short and pithy, frequently insightful and always fun to read. When all else fails, they write about writing a poem for the day. Check them out at Disposable Poetry

on those days when you just want a few bites of something that’s not too serious. Be forewarned, though - sometimes that little bite gives you something to chew on all day long.

Let me just say that I adore Mad Kane. A self-described recovering lawyer, she writes delightful poetic political parodies that always leave me grinning the rest of the day. She is brave enough to sing her own parodies (G.O.P sung to the tune of Frere Jacque is one of my favorites) and darling enough to regularly open her blog to invite others in. Mad regularly posts writing challenges and contests - generally for haiku or limericks (one of the most underappreciated forms of poetry, IMHO) - and publishes the entries over at Mad Kane’s Poetry Blog. She has taken to using the ubiquitous Mister Linky, just another example of why I love love love Mad. It’s so easy to add your links for her meme contests.

And did I mention that they’re always fun? The one she’s running as we speak is the Bad Job Haiku/Limerick meme - and there are already a ton of entries. Drop by - there’s always something fun over at Mad Kane’s. Oh… and don’t stop with the poetry. Mad has more fun stuff on her blog than most anyone else I know - even if you roll them all up together.

Poets for Human Rights is a new social networking site for - who’d a thunk it? - poets who want to advance the causes of human rights throughout the world with their words. The words of the founders say it best:

Our goal is to improve conditions through words of hope and freedom. For Human Rights to be observed, poets must shout them from the rooftops. Founded by human rights poets and activists, Larry Jaffe and Stazja McFadyen.

Brand new and already nearly 175 poets strong, this is a place where you can connect with other poets who believe that words can make a difference - who believe that it is their duty to shout from the rooftops when they see rights being abused, when they see wrongs that need addressing, when they see a world that needs hope and cleansing fire. I believe that poetry is all about making connections - and Poets for Human Rights is a great way to make connections with other poets who believe in the power of the word.

UPDATE And I’m member #175 - how cool is that?

I know him best as brokencrust at GotPoetry. He writes thought-provoking poetry that requires you to put on your thinking cap - at least if you want to read beyond the surface. bc’s poems aren’t easy - but whether he’s writing about a nut awaiting his fate at the hands of a squirrel or the enslavement of modern man by television waves, it’s always worth delving into his writing to find the kernels of meaning and nuggets of fun hidden beneath their surface.

It’s not a poetry blog, but it is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to be a better writer. Check out Criticism: Can You Handle It or Are You a Slave to Your Ego? for some great advice on how to deal with and handle criticism of your work. Then dig a little deeper and find out how to use a semi-colon properly and Five Key Practices for Poetic Growth. Written by Melissa Donovan, Writing Forward looks to be shaping up into an excellent resource for any writer.

Looking for something a little different? The Magical Blog is a blog of poetry built and maintained by its readers. The simple, barebones design is oddly appealing with muted colors and nothing at all to distract from the words. The poetry on the blog is all written and posted by registered users - and registration is open to anyone. Looking for somewhere different to post your poetry? Take a peek at this experimental user-written and maintained blog site. You can just sign up and start posting.

Looking for a poetry related event anywhere in the Pioneer Valley of New England? Poetry News, maintained by Lori Desrosiers of Westfiled, MA is one of the most important and helpful resources you’ll find. Lori has been maintaining the newsletter for Poetry News for several years now. Each week, she includes more poetry-related happenings than most people hear about in a lifetime of attending poetry. While the actual scope of her newsletter is the Springfield/Worcester/Hartford area, she regularly includes events that take place in Boston, on Cape Cod, in Providence and in eastern New York State. Her events listings include all the pertinent information you need to plan an entire week of poetry, or just a night out at a reading. From library readings of poetry for children, to poetry slams and hip hop battles, if it’s happening in Central or Western Mass, it will be in Lori’s Poetry News.

In addition to publishing at Poetry News, Lori also posts the weekly Poetry News newsletter to multiple mailing lists. Spreading the word about poetry - it’s what it’s all about.

Cutbank Literary Magazine, published by the Lit Department at the University of Montana, has been publishing continuously since the Spring of 1973. They’ve built up quite a collection of published poets and authors, and have garnered a growing reputation in the little magazine market. The magazine has just announced three new prizes - one each in poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. The Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry carries with it a $500 prize and publication in Cutbank. Submissions are currently open and will be through February 29, 2008. There is a $13 reading fee, which includes a one year subscription to CutBank. For more details about all three contests, check out the contest page at CutBank.