Literature and Poetry Reviews, Home of the Virtual Poetry Circle
What: Poetry Reading with Photopoetry
When: Sunday, April 24 at 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Foundry Gallery at 2118 8th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Two of my poems have been paired with Gordana Gerskovic‘s wonderful art. Come see the art and hear some great poems.
Also featured:
I hope that if you are in the area, you’ll drop by the poetry reading on April 24.
I hope you’ll be available to register and listen in on Zoom on April 23 at 4 p.m. EST.
I’ll be reading with some fantastic poets from the blogosphere. I was honored to be invited.
Check out these wonderful poets:
The theme of this reading is There’s A Poem in This Place.
Two places to find contemporary poetry at its most vibrant are in the blogging community and at live readings. On April 23, 2022, from 4-5:30 PM ET, the two places come together when a select group of poets from the blogosphere present a live reading of their poetry at Poets in the Blogosphere.
Most poetry is meant to be read aloud, and hearing poets read their own work is a heightened experience.The event is moderated by Elizabeth Gauffreau. Please register in advance at https://tinyurl.com/Poets-in-the-Blogosphere #NationalPoetryMonth #blogpoetsread2022
Today’s poetry activity is to build a tanka poem.
The tanka is a thirty-one-syllable poem, traditionally written in a single unbroken line. A form of waka, Japanese song or verse, tanka translates as “short song,” and is better known in its five-line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form.
Please check out this tutorial video on how to create a tanka:
If you’d like a simpler way to create one, check out the Tanka Poem Generator.
Here’s mine:
Sycamore
Oh my sycamore
It is hungry and solid.
It has perfect limbs
And a mighty roots as well
When it soars I feel happy
Share your tanka below.
Here’s some local D.C. area and online poetry events for you to check out this weekend!
In-Person:
Pop-Up & Poetry: poetry series dedicated to the synergy of BLACK lyricism, artists, and space in the home of Nubian Hueman. (21+ audience only) April 15 7-9 p.m.
Nubian Hueman – Baltimore
211 West Read Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
For kids ages 5-12, you can pick up a Poetry Packet at the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library. (pick up during library hours on April 15)
Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library
4450 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, D.C.
Charlottesville Reading Series with poet Aran Donovan and fiction writer Anna Caritj. (April 15 at 7 p.m.)
New Dominion Bookshop
404 E Main St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Online Events:
Virtual: National Poetry Month Celebration w/ The Rumpus with Derrick Austin, Michael Chang, Chen Chen, & Brionne Janae. (April 15 at 7 p.m.)
What poetry events are you excited about? Drop the details in the comments.
Limericks are a fun poetry form to create. They remind me of stand-up comics where anything becomes fodder for humor.
Definition of Limericks:
A limerick is a humorous poem consisting of five lines. The first, second, and fifth lines must have seven to ten syllables while rhyming and having the same verbal rhythm. The third and fourth lines should only have five to seven syllables; they too must rhyme with each other and have the same rhythm.
Edward Lear is one of the most well known writers of Limericks, and this is one of my favorites:
There was an Old Man with a beard Who said, "It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!"
I love using the limerick generator, and I hope you’ll give it a try, too. Here’s mine:
There once was a lass called sally. She said, "See the great vitaly!" It was rather poor, But not louis pasteur, She just couldn't say no to the halle.
Share yours below.
I wanted to share some poetry events that are happening today and throughout the weekend. There’s a mix of online events and in-person events for your pleasure.
I hope you’ll check out some of these poets:
In Person Events near Washington, D.C.:
Busboys & Poets presents 9th Hour Poetry Slam hosted by Charity Blackwell at 2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009 (April 8 at 9 p.m.) Bring something to read.
DiVerse Gaithersburg presents Pamela Murray Winters and Rocky Jones at Java Junction 5 S Summit Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (April 9 at 1:30 p.m.) Bring something to read at the open mic.
Politics & Prose presents a Poetry Panel with Danielle Badra, Carol Jennings, Phil Goldstein and Angelo Nikolopoulos at 5015 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20008 (April 10 at 3 p.m.)
America Poetry Museum presents the Where We Stand: Book Launch (my review) at 716 Monroe St NE #25th, Washington, D.C. 20017 (April 10 at 3 p.m.)
Online:
Indelible Literary and Arts Journal presentsPoetry and the Diaspora with André Naffis-Sahely, Anthony Anaxagorou, Antonia Taylor, Maria Taylor, Omar Sabbagh, Roula-Maria Dib, Kostya Tsolakis via Zoom (April 8 at 11 a.m.)
If you know of any and would like me to share them, please email me the details and I can update this post.
I’d love to hear about what events are near you.
What: Opening Reception of Photopoetry
When: Sunday, April 3 at 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Foundry Gallery at 2118 8th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Two of my poems have been paired with Gordana Gerskovic‘s wonderful art. I hope that if you are in the area, you’ll drop by the opening reception on April 3.
Also featured:
We will host a reading later in the month.
Take this time to reflect on the freedoms we have in this country, and how there was a lot of sweat and blood that went into making them a reality.
Also take a moment to think about how precious those freedoms are and what you are willing to do to keep them.
Finally, the time is NOW to take action to actively preserve your rights.
What would you do, if you were Martin Luther King, Jr.?
I haven’t picked a ONE Word for the new year since 2017. I think Sheila at Book Journey advocated for this type of resolution, but I’m not sure if she’s still doing it.
But for 2022, I feel like there is one word that will sum up all that was 2020-2022.
What’s your ONE Word for 2022?
Normally, I don’t offer holiday buying guides, but this year, I wanted to share some of the things that I would buy for the holidays.
1. Writing/drawing Journal from BINDbyBIND – these handbound books are the work of author Beth Kephart and her artist husband. They are so well crafted. I love both the journals I’ve bought. You can’t go wrong with these creative journals for the writer or artist in your life.
2. Crooked Smiling Light by Alan W. King is a collection that is slim enough to be a stocking stuffer, but the powerful poetry in this collection will have you beaming. There’s so much hope in these poems. I loved this gem.
3. Where the Wolf by Sally Rosen Kindred is a collection that brings to life it’s own dark fairy tales. Her work is reminiscent of Jeannine Hall Gailey, but with a darker undertone. I would recommend this one for those who love twisted fairy tales and dark stories. These poems are stories.
4. Postcard Poems by Jeanne Griggs is the perfect gift for that traveler in your life! Imagine those postcards they cherish, and this is the poetry collection for them. These postcard poems tell a story of travel and friendship, and so much more.
5. By Broad Potomac Shore: Great Poems from the Early Days of Our Nation’s Capital edited by Kim Roberts is the perfect poetry collection for history buffs and those who follow social change. The poems in this collection reflect the turbulent history of our nation.
6. The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi was such a fun read and came at just the right time for me. It blends those college years with the classic Jane Austen and creates its own dynamic story.
7. The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl — this because yes, it is Dave Grohl, but also because music fans will love this look at the rise of grunge and beyond. There’s so much music history in here.
8. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman, for the kids. History is important and the struggles of those who come before us should not be forgotten. We loved reading this together and discussing the past and present instances of racism in this country and what can be done to change it and support those who need support every day. Definitely a must have.
I hope that you enjoy your holidays and give books to your loved ones. Broaden their horizons and yours.
It’s that time of year again where reading challenges emerge. We, as readers, just love to challenge ourselves by expanding our horizons and reading more than we did in previous years.
2022 is no different.
If you accept one of the options or the whole challenge, leave a comment with where you will be posting about your year in poetry.
In August, I’ll be hosting a poetry book read-a-long. Voting on which book we read will be done in July 2022.
Thanksgiving is a time for families to come together and share their gratitude. But it also has a dark history, that we shouldn’t ignore.
My love of this holiday honestly has to do with family memories and less with the “story” of the pilgrims. It was the one time annually that family came together and shared a meal. I got to see my cousins, we played, we got to know each other and complain about our parents. But mostly we got to see everyone all at once and eat some great food. This is still my favorite holiday, but the meaning for me is more personal.
I wish that the story of the pilgrims had been more like the truth of the experience, but we can now take the time to honor those Native Americans who lost their land and their families at the hands of genocide and strive to be better. If you have a moment, watch this.
