Sunday, August 31, 2014

Phasing Out This Blog

The 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest ends today. Just a note that I'll be phasing out this blog and using my personal website, www.PaulENelson.com as the main site for future iterations of the August Poetry Postcard Fest, and especially: http://paulenelson.com/august-poetry-postcard-fest/.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Signup Closed for 2014

Peru: Kingdom of the Sun and the Moon (Montreal Museum of Fine Art)
Peru: Kingdom of the Sun and the Moon (Montreal Museum of Fine Art)
The signup is now complete for the 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest. We have 423 participants & they come from: Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Australia, British Columbia, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, France, Germany, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, India, Indiana, Japan, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, New Zealand, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Singapore, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, UK, USA, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wales, Washington, West Virginia & Wisconsin. Comment below if I have missed something. I have added all postcard participants to the twice-weekly email so they can be informed about developments and next year’s call. Unsubscribing is easy, as there is a link at the bottom of every email. "

Directions: Today (Sunday, July 27th) look at the list you were emailed to find your name. (Control F is a handy tool.) See the three people listed below your name. Write them each an original poem on a postcard, put their address on the card and affix the necessary postage. $1.15 for international cards leaving the U.S. Consider scanning your cards or photographing them to document each poem/card before you send them out.

Do not recycle old poems for this. Do not compose a long poem in advance and cut it up into hunks for this. 

It is an experiment in composing in the moment and your poem has an audience of one. This is designed in part as a conversation. (If you are near the bottom of the list, send a card to anyone below you then start again at the top.) Ideally, you would write 3 different short poems -- remember they are being composed on a postcard and please keep your handwriting clear. If your handwriting is lousy, typing the poems is ok. After the first 3, you only have 28 more to go. Some write more, but please do commit to 31 total IDEALLY sending them by August 31.

And please wait a month before posting poems online.

Write about something that relates to your sense of "place" however you interpret that, something about how you relate to the postcard image, what you see out the window, what you're reading, a dream you had that morning, or an image from it, etc. Like "real" postcards, get to something of the "here and now" when you write. Present tense is preferred... Do write original poems for the project. Taking old poems and using them is not what we have in mind. You may want to use epigraphs. One participant last year used his daily I Ching divination to inform his poems. As you begin getting poems on August 1 (ideally) incorporate a tone, an image, some content or ignore them if uninspired and start writing a poem a day to at least 28 more people.

Write at least 31 poems and send at least 31 cards.

(These would be the 4th through 31st people below you on your list.) Hopefully you'll get something that inspires. If not, you're on your own. Some people get few cards for all they send out. Some people send out more than 31. If you are not getting cards, or are traveling, you can still participate. Don't worry. This is also an experiment in community consciousness. Try to respond to cards that you get with subject, image or any kind of link if possible. Often newsworthy events happen in August. How would our community respond? Letting a card that you receive linger for a while before you respond to the next person on your list is the preferred method. When you go to your mail box each day, put the bills aside, read the poems you get and think about them as you compose to the next person on your list.

A workshop handout for the poetry postcard writing exercise is here: http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf

You may also view that handout at this link: http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/

2014 participants:

A. Hayes A.R. Perez Aaron Deutsch Aaron Severance Abeo Tisdale Abhaya Thomas Alison Jennings Alley Greymond Allyson Boggess Amanda Dowd Amanda Rose Adams Amorak Huey Amy Miller Andrew Bell Andy Berisford Andy King Andy Meyer Aneata K. O'Brien Angela La Voie Angie Tsiamas Ann Hudson Anna Elkins Anna Mavromati Anne Rutland Anthony Kolasny Arlene Naganawa Arlo Jacob Smith Art Tulee Athena Nation Avis Adams Ayelet Amittay Barbara Faust Barbara Jean Walsh Barbara McMichael Becky Liebman Benjamin Cook Beth Pietrzak Beth Severson Beth Weaver-Kreider Bethany Bennett Bette Lynch Husted Bev Fesharaki Bhakti Watts Bill Freind Birgit Heidorn Bree Rolfe Brenda McVey Brendan McBreen Bridget Nutting Bronwen Tate Bruce  -/:}>  Greeley Bucky Rea C. Stewart C.J. Prince Camille-Yvette Welsch Carla Shafer CarlaJean Valluzzi Carlton Johnson Carol A. Stephen Carol Brockfield Carol Dorf Carol Frischmann Carol Keslar Carol McMillan Carol Zubick Carole Evelyn Caroline M Davies Carolyn A. Dragon Carolyn Adams Carolyn Everett Carolyn Maddux Catherine (Cathy) Kigerl Catherine Alice Michaelis Catherine Daly Catherine Lewis Cathleen Miller CD Williamson Celeste Oster Cezanne Hardy Charlie Stobert Cheryl Waitkevich Chris Jarmick Christine Clarke Christine M. Kendall Christopher Moore Cinda Hocking Colleen Coyne Connie Peters Courtney Birst Cristine Naylor Czandra/ Sandra Stephenson Dairine Pearson Dana Bennett Daniel L. Smith Darlene Costello Dave Stankowicz David Nelson Dean Pfaender Deb Drotos Deb Stone Deborah Brandon Deborah Crooks Deborah Hauser Deborah Miranda Deborah Osborne Deborah Sevett Denise Hill Denise Tsiamas Desiree Morales Desiree Wright Dheepikaa Balasubramanian Diane Cammer Diane Vogt Dino Shiatis Dona Michelini Donna Dakota Dr. Nurit Israeli Edee Lemonier Eileen "Lucy" M-Babbitt Eileen Elliott Elena Akers Elena Coe Elise Ficarra Elizabeth Aamot Elizabeth Beck Elizabeth Carroll Hayden Elizabeth Woods Ellen O Setteducati Ellen Shaman Eugenia Petty Evan Farnsworth Gabriella M. Belfiglio Gah-Kai Leung Gail Goepfert Giancarlo Campagna Grace Liew Greg Johnson Gregory Chamberlin Guy Holliday H.V. Cramond Hannah Fox Hannah Kuechler Hannah Marshall Hannah Thomassen Heather Mydosh Heidi Buchi Helen Kerner Helen Waits Helene Berlin Helga Fernandes Hera Suganthy Ina Roy Irene J. Walker J R Turek J. Phillip Walker Jacqueline Hallenbeck Jacyra Guard James Williams Jamie Robinson Jan Weston Janelle Maloch Janet McCann Janine Fitzgerald Janka Hobbs Jean Blakeman Jean Urciolo Jeanna Motmans Jef Blocker Jeff Oaks Jen Karetnick Jenni B. Baker Jennifer Chushcoff Jennifer Lemming Jessica Booth Jessica Goodfellow Jessie Lyle Jill Crammond Jilo Tisdale Jim Smith Jim Teeters Joanne Clarkson Joanne Diaz, Dept of English Joanne Sunshower Jodie Curtis Jody Brooks Jody Plant Joe Chiveney John Burgess Josh Medsker Judy Jensen Judy Kleinberg Judy Mayhew Judy Wapp Julie K Eastland Julie Swarstad Johnson Kaili Doud Kala Zanis Karen Lee Lewis Karen Marshall Karen Vande Bossche Karie Wilkerson Karima Bondi Kate Wylie Kathleen Miniely Kathleen Miniely Kathy Paul Kathy Shoemaker Katie Kurtz Katie Woodzick Katrina Roberts Katy June Abrams Kay Kinghammer Kazumi Chin Keli Osborn Kelleyanne Pearce Kelly Andrews Kelly Terwilliger Khadija Anderson Khara House Kim Clark Kim Grabowski Kirsten Miles Kit Ayars Kristin Cleage Williams Kristina McDonald L. Lisa Lawrence L.A. Nichols Lalarukh Lasharie Laura Hooper Laura L. Snyder Laura LeHew Laura Pena Laurel Evans Laurel Radzieski Lauren Robinson Laurence Ebersole Laurice Roberts Laurie Duncan Lea Anne Lake Lea Galanter Leslie Edwards-Hill Liana Silva-Ford Libby Maxey Linda A Roller Linda Barnes Linda Crosfield Linda Drajem Linda Fideler Linda Hofke Linda Lee Harper Linda Malnack Linda Russo Linda Saccoccio Lindsey Martin-Bowen Lisa Choi Lisa Grable Lisa Janice Cohen Liz Wiley Liza Case Lorri Kennedy Lowell Murphree Lucinda Huffine Lydia K. Roberts Lydia Swartz Lylanne Musselman Lynne Shapiro M Jean Busch Maitri Sojourner Mallory Hamilton Marc Thompson Marc Tretin Marga Webb Margaret Santhanam Margaret Watson Margarette Wahl Marge Merrill Margo Jodyne Dills Margo Solod Mariama Salon Marian Devney Marie Buckley Marissa McNamara Marjorie  Rommel Marjorie Norris Mark S. Kenzer Martha Kaplan Martha Kreiner Martha Scoville Martina Robinson Mary Beth Frezon Mary Ellen Bertram Mary Ellen Wade Mary Healey Mary MacDonald Mary Sexson Matt Trease Max Motmans Maxine Lang McArthur Gilstrap Meena Rose Meg Eubank Megan Muthupandiyan Megan Reed Mel Lam Melissa Borries Melissa Eleftherion Carr Melissa Schuppe Meredith Holmes Merrill Farnsworth Michael Eddie Anderson Michael Haeflinger Michaela Drapes Michelle A. Ladwig Michelle Ballou Michelle Lin Michelle Oakes Mik Everett Monica Schley Ms. Gay Guard-Chamberlin Nadia Szara Nancy Canyon Nandini Seshadri Naomi Lloyd Nessa Jay Meraki Nicholas Kolasny Olivia Olivia Paige Polcene Pam Teufel Pat Kennelly Patricia Hale Patricia McCann Patricia Oliman Longoria Patricia Smith Patsy Shepherd Patti White Paul E Nelson Peggy Miller Phebe Davidson Polly Esther Rachel Barton Rachel Wysocki Rachelle Cruz Raúl Sánchez Ravenna Taylor Raymond Maxwell Rebecca Coale Rebecca Fullan Rebecca Lincoln Rebecca Robinson Rhoda Neshama Waller Rich Maschner Rita Chapman Robert L. Cox Robert Lee Haycock Robert Zverina Robin Moore Rooze Garcia Rosanne Braslow Ruby Kane Russ Golata Ryki Zuckerman S.E.Ingraham Samantha Solomon Samantha Solomon Samar Abulhassan Sandra Guerreiro Sara Aranda Sara Fargo Sara Jameson Sara Mwagura Sara Parrell Sara Stolpe Sarah Arnold Sarah Baker Sarah Koenig Savonna Johnson Sean & Katy Wallace Shae Savoy Shaindel Beers Shannon Frech Sharon Auberle Shaun Solomon Shauna Potocky Shayla Hawkins Shelley Nameroff Shelley Peters Skaidrite Stelzer Sohini Basak Somdutta Sarkar Sonja Hansard-Weiner Stacy Christie Stephanie Cawley Stephanie Motz Steve Woodall Susan M Troccolo Susan Pigman Susan Tuzzolino Susan Tuzzolino Suzanne Villegas T. Clear Tamesa Williams Tanya Korigan Tanya Neumeyer Taylor Brooks Tegan Swanson Teresa Jarmick Terry Holzman Theresa Pappas Tiffany Schramm Tim Mateer Toni Hanner Tony Iovino Trisha Miller Trudy Stern Upasna Saha Urvashi Bahuguna Vera Naputi Violet Juno Virginia Bach Folger Virginia Shank Walter Lowe Wendy Friel Wendy Sarno Wendy Vardaman

Sunday, July 20, 2014

IT'S ALMOST AUGUST. WANT TO PLAY POSTCARD POEMS? (Linda Crosfield)

By Linda Crosfield 

http://purplemountainpoems.blogspot.ca/2014/07/its-almost-august-want-to-play-postcard.html

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If you've been thinking about joining the August postcard poem exchange this year, you've got six days to get yourself on the list. All the information you need is here

You just have to commit to writing an original poem on 31 postcards and sending them to the people who are below you on the list. This year we're already up to 350 participants. I've been doing this since the first year (2007) and it's been so much fun watching it grow. 

The idea is to write your poem directly onto the card. For the first few years I found this to be well nigh impossible. What if I got going and ran out of room? What if I got the line breaks wrong? What if it was too bad to send? What if I thought of a better subject to write about? Well, honestly, after a few years of sketching the poems in a notebook first, I came to realize that I could write directly on the cards and the world would't end. Now I love the process. I love surprising myself with what comes out of my pen. And there's something very satisfying about the physical act of mailing the card to someone — most often a stranger, and it's both amazing and gratifying that many of those strangers have become "friends" through Facebook. Many of us send the requisite number of cards to the assigned people plus several others to folk we've exchanged with in the past. 

And it's nothing short of delightful to open your mailbox and find a postcard poem just waiting to be read. 

Paul Nelson is compiling the list of names this year. If you want to be on it, get in touch with him no later than July 26th. 

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Friday, July 4, 2014

Call: 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest

It is almost August once again and this means POSTCARDS!
postcard
Mississippi River Postcard
The August Poetry Postcard Fest is an exercise in responding to other poets. You write a poem a day for the month of August, write it directly onto a postcard and send it to the next name on your list. When you receive a postcard poem from someone, the idea is that the next poem you send out will be a response to the poem you just received, even though it will be sent to a different person. Ideally you will write 31 new poems and receive 31 postcard poems from all over the place.


To participate, send your name, mailing address, and email to splabman@gmail.com. Use the word "postcard" in the subject line.

Again, one long list will go out this year this year instead of individual lists of 32 names. You can send postcard poems to the 31 names below your name, please do not use this list for advertising or for any other purpose than postcard poems. DO NOT SPAM THE LIST. 

I will send out the list twice. Our international participants often require an earlier start due to longer delivery times, so I will send the incomplete list out on July 16th and the final version around July 26th. The 26th is the cut off date, I will not be adding any more names to the list after that, the list sent out on the 26th will be the final list for this year. Really. I'll be out of the U.S. myself. Please be sure to send in your information before that. I will email the list to the participants in a google document as well as in the body of the email.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, feel free to forward them this message! Hope you enjoy the Poetry Postcard Fest!
Directions:

On or about Sunday, July 27th, look at the list to see the three people listed below your name. Write them each an original poem on a postcard, put their address on the card and affix the necessary postage. $1.15 for international cards leaving the U.S. Consider scanning your cards or photographing them to document each poem/card before you send them out. Do not recycle old poems for this. Do not compose a long poem in advance and cut it up into hunks for this. It is an experiment in composing in the moment and your poem has an audience of one. This is designed in part as a conversation.

(If you are near the bottom of the list, send a card to anyone below you then start again at the top.) Ideally, you would write 3 different short poems -- remember they are being composed on a postcard and please keep your handwriting clear. If your handwriting is lousy, typing the poems is ok. If you have folks outside your own country on your list, you can start sending poems early…)

Write about something that relates to your sense of "place" however you interpret that, something about how you relate to the postcard image, what you see out the window, what you're reading, a dream you had that morning, or an image from it, etc. Like "real" postcards, get to something of the "here and now" when you write. Present tense is preferred... Do write original poems for the project. Taking old poems and using them is not what we have in mind. You may want to use epigraphs. One participant last year used his daily I Ching divination to inform his poems. 

This is also an experiment in community consciousness. Try to respond to cards that you get with subject, image or any kind of link if possible. Often newsworthy events happen in August. How would our community respond? Letting a card that you receive linger for a while before you respond to the next person on your list is the preferred method. When you go to your mail box each day, put the bills aside, read the poems you get and think about them as you compose to the next person on your list.

On August 1st, you will (ideally) have received some postcards. If yes, see if there is a link you can make between one you got and the next one you'll write & send, to that fourth person below your name on the list. If you can't, don't worry. It might be a line, or a tone, or an image. Something. Then each day in August repeat until you've written 31 postcard poems. You can do more if you like, but if you sign up, please write 31 poems. Do not post your poems online until a month after sending. Do not post someone else's poem online without their permission. If you do this right, it will be difficult for most people at first, but then a breakthrough will come and that will ripple into your life.

A GREAT story about one man's conversion from being a postcard CHEATER is here: http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html

A workshop handout for the poetry postcard writing exercise is here: http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf

You may also view that handout at this link: http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/

And thanks to Judy Kleinberg, one of my favorite Bellinghamsters, see THIS post: http://boyntonpoetrycontest.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/why-postcards-why-poetry/