We are gathered here today to lay to rest National Poetry Month...
I had this idea a while ago, and I've been hashing it out.
So what is it?
I would like to put together a poetry exchange throughout the ranks of Poets on YWS. Originally, I was hoping that everyone would be in the Poetry Club, but I don't really think I'm going to be a stickler about that. Instead, it will be open to any YWSer
My idea of a poetry exchange would be that we all submit our own poems, and perhaps some poems by 'famous' poets, into a pot. That pot is then mixed up like a hot stew, and portioned out to the poets. Currently the working idea depends on how many people are actually interested. I would like to do this either sometime next week, or in the month of May.
If a lot of people (x>10) sign up, we would just dish out random poems to random people and allow for a random number of submissions. If you would like to submit a poem by a 'famous' poet, like Poe, Collins, or Plath, then those poems would be dropped into a different pot and dished out to people interested in talking about famous people's poems with each other. There will at least be one other person in that pot if you're interested in it.
When we've received the poems, read them, and finished our critiques, there's another possible step to the process, if you should choose to accept. After we've read the poems, we can shuffle the poems up, meaning if Rydia sees a poem she thinks would help Audy in her poetry, then Rydia would tell me, and I'd send Audy the poem to review with any comment Rydia wants. This makes it a sort of mentoring exchange.
There is also the option to send creative challenges to poets that you read, but the directions have to be understandable so they can do it on their own, that way we don't have to worry about meeting up and time zones and all that non-sense, unless you do it on your own. I know most of us are friends, or at least see each other frequently on YWS, so that is a possibility.
The poems that are not passed out like that will be randomly
I would like the group to create surveys for each other, meaning there will be either a thread, or a pirate pad, or a bunch of PMs where people send questions for other poets that were sparked during this event. After it is all said and done, the surveys will be answered, hopefully, and the results will be 'published' for us to read. This can be anything from "How did you like the event?" to "What does poetry mean for you?"
How do I submit?
Simple, just send Aley a PM and say you're interested in the Poetry Exchange, and tell me the number of poems you would like to submit, and/or if you would like to submit a poem by a famous poet. If your poem isn't on YWS yet, don't worry. I am planning on throwing poems up on Pirate Pads so that people can comment On the poem. I find that it can be more constructive and helpful when they can underline words, and point at lines.
If you do not want your poem up on a Pirate Pad, then make sure it is on YWS.
Let's get a list.
1. Do you want to submit poems from a famous poet?
2. How many poems do you want to submit?
3. Are they on YWS yet?
4. Can you use Pirate Pads?
5. Links or Names of Poems:
Even if you don't have the links/names, or even the poems yet, but you are interested, please reply so I can get a head count.
That is a lot to read, can you summarize it?
Poetry Exchange:
- Round 1
- Famous (Poe) or our own poems submittable
- Randomly distributed between group
- Reviews on Pirate Pads?
- Reply if interested
- Sometime in May
- Round 2*
- Creative Challenges to poets you read
- Submitting of First Round Poems to poets you think could benefit
- Randomly distributed poems review
- Round 3*
- Survey at end
- Submit questions for specific poets through event via PM, or Pirate Pad
- Answer questions by given date, probably May 30th
- Survey answers posted somewhere on YWS and participants sent links
For details please come back and either read the PM again, talk to me on a chat, or PM me.
Also if I missed anyone, please invite them.
*-This round is optional and completely dependent on if you want to do it or not.
