So it’s national poetry writing month again, and shouldering aside all the forces that prevent one from concentrating on any project in a dogged way, I am writing. The plan: draft a long poem, one section per day, for thirty days. The rules: I just have to write a little bit daily, at any time, under any conditions, doesn’t matter if I’m cranky or it seems bad, and I’m not requiring myself to share any of it while it’s in progress, though I may. Yesterday, being April’s fool, I performed my duty on our backyard trampoline. I perched up there with my laptop, typing as the sun set, shivering because I’d stepped into snowmelt in stocking feet. This morning I drafted for half an hour at a desk like a proper poet. Updates soon.
Meanwhile, I realized I’m just in time to fling some books at the universe in the Big Poetry Giveaway 2014 (thanks to Kelli Russell Agodon for organizing this!). If you want to be in the running to receive the following two books, just reply to this blog post by May 1st. I’ll then use a random number generator to select a winner, contact you for your address, and mail them to your planet of residence. Last year, I gave away my third and most recent collection, The Receptionist and Other Tales. Working backwards, I’ll give away two second poetry books this time:
Heterotopia, winner of the Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize in 2010, selected by David Wojahn. These poems center on my mother’s childhood in Liverpool, England during the Blitz and the years of privation that followed. Here’s a lovely review by Julie L. Moore in Verse Wisconsin.
]Open Interval[ by Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, a National Book Award finalist published by Pittsburgh in 2009. Not only is it an inventive, intellectual, beautiful book, but back in another millennium, when I was a new professor at Washington & Lee, Lyrae, nearing graduation, was my advisee. I’d like to take a tiny bit of credit for helping her get started as a poet, but nope: I just signed her registration forms. I’m going to hear her read at Hollins this Saturday, so if they have copies for her book on sale there, I’ll get her to sign it for you.
See Kelli’s master list for links to the pages of LOTS of other participating poets. Put your name into a lot of drawings and you may have a big pile of inspiring poems to read by the time those cicadas start buzzing (or, southern hemisphere readers, before snow falls).
28 responses to “Big Poetry Giveaway 2014”
Count me in. I don’t have this book of yours and would love it, and I love everything Pitt does. Keep bouncing!
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Count me in. Thrilled to have discovered Kelli’s Big Poetry Giveaway! Fun to be participating and exploring the work of all the fellow poets involved in the contest.
My email address is chester(dot)hopewell(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Check out my offerings at http://chesterhopewell.com/post/81404795431/national-poetry-month-celebration-win-books-through
Happy National Poetry Month!
Write on,
Chester
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I’d love to play!! Thank you! xo, katrina
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I won your drawing last year, but don’t have either of these books yet, so let’s see if lighting strikes twice!
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Me too! Me too!
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Please enter me – thanks! clarissa.aykroyd@lamda.org.uk
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Sign me up and feel free to enter my giveaway as well. Enjoying seeing what books are highlighted by all of the poets in the giveaway! – Lynn
lynn.pedersen.poetry@gmail.com
http://www.lynnpedersen.wordpress.com
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Please enter my name. I loved reading Heterotopia.
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Leslie- please add my name to the drawing. What could be better then poetry books?!!
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Liverpool… You get me there already.
(I was too late to join the giveaway officially but decide to pirate it any way and will be giving few books. Feel free and welcomed to drop by and see if there is something in there for you)
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Count me in. 🙂
I’m Abby. My email is stimmyabby@gmail.com.
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Put my name in. I’d love to win! bonesparkblog@yahoo.com
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Andrea Blythe – andreablythe at hotmail dot com
*crosses fingers*
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Thanks for doing this; I’d love a chance to win. My name is Brian Wong and my e-mail is: thebripod@gmail.com
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Throw my name in the hat please. Thank you!
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Lesley ~ Count me in. Happy Poetry Month! ~ Rachel
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Hello, I’m late getting around this year. Please add me to the names.
margoroby@gmail.com
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This is a fantastic blog. Keep me posted.
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Lesley, please enter my name in your drawing, and I so hope I am a winner! Thanks very much, Marianne Mersereau – marianne4art@yahoo.com
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please sign me up! and my giveaway is here, on my blog: http://www.reneeemerson.com/2014/04/the-big-poetry-giveaway.html
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yes, please and thankyou!
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Loving April Poetry Month. Thanks for hosting the giveaway. Count me in.
Mary W. Jensen
feywriter@hotmail.com
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Please count me in! Seeing all of the books in the giveaway is very exciting!
quidam87@gmail.com
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Please count me in, and thanks for doing this!
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Thanks for participating! Would love to be in the drawing! Thank you!
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Hoping it’s not too late to toss my name into the mix…!
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Nope! I’ll wait till the 2nd to do the drawing, just to be equal-opportunity about time zones.
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Love, love, love it. Please include me.
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