tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808562555908121392024-02-06T21:33:59.157-08:00August Poetry Postcard FestThe August Poetry Postcard Fest was initiated in 2007 by poets Paul Nelson and Lana Ayers. On or about July 27 each year, participating poets write three original poems directly (1st take) onto postcards to the three names below them on the list. On August 1 poets then write one poem on a card a day to each person below those three on the list until the end of the month, ideally incorporating themes or motifs from cards they have received. Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-10287879005217713942014-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:002014-08-31T21:09:50.368-07:00Phasing Out This Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest ends today. </b>Just a note that I'll be phasing out this blog and using my personal website, <b><a href="http://www.paulenelson.com/">www.PaulENelson.com</a></b> as the main site for future iterations of the August Poetry Postcard Fest, and especially: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/august-poetry-postcard-fest/">http://paulenelson.com/august-poetry-postcard-fest/</a>.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-28665636490027451482014-07-27T07:31:00.003-07:002014-07-27T08:55:00.978-07:00Signup Closed for 2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/473.-More-Listening-Than-Longing-image.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Peru: Kingdom of the Sun and the Moon (Montreal Museum of Fine Art)" class="size-medium wp-image-5971" src="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/473.-More-Listening-Than-Longing-image-294x300.jpeg" height="300" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peru: Kingdom of the Sun and the Moon (Montreal Museum of Fine Art)</td></tr>
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<strong>The signup is now complete for the 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest. We have 423 participants & they come from: <strong>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.</strong> </strong>
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. "<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Directions:</span></strong>
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.<br />
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<b>Do not recycle old poems for this. Do not compose a long poem in advance and cut it up into hunks for this. </b><br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>And please wait a month before posting poems online.</strong></span><br />
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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.<br />
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<strong>Write at least 31 poems and send at least 31 cards.</strong><br />
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(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.<br />
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<strong>A workshop handout for the poetry postcard writing exercise is here: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf" style="color: #cd8e6b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Poetry Postcard Exercise Handout">http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf</a></strong><br />
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You may also view that handout at this link: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/" style="color: #cd8e6b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Poetry Postcard Handout">http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/</a>
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<strong>2014 participants:</strong></h2>
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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</h2>
Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-79532682764964916772014-07-20T08:33:00.000-07:002014-07-20T08:33:23.473-07:00IT'S ALMOST AUGUST. WANT TO PLAY POSTCARD POEMS? (Linda Crosfield)<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #f0edf4; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
By Linda Crosfield </h3>
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http://purplemountainpoems.blogspot.ca/2014/07/its-almost-august-want-to-play-postcard.html</h3>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">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 <a href="http://poetrypostcards.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #da1e00; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">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 <i>could</i> 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 </span><span style="font-size: medium;">the requisite number of</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">cards to the assigned people plus several others to folk we've exchanged with in the past. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">And it's nothing short of delightful to open your mailbox and find a postcard poem just waiting to be read. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Paul Nelson is compiling the list of names this year. If you want to be on it, <a href="http://poetrypostcards.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #da1e00; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">get in touch with him</a> no later than July 26th. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">§</span></div>
Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-88903505827161772822014-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:002014-07-10T07:25:54.319-07:00Call: 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1371939698875_1991" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">
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<strong style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">It is almost August once again and this means POSTCARDS!</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 15px;"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">To participate, send your name, mailing address, and email to splabman@gmail.com. </span></b></span><b style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Use the word "postcard" in the subject line.</span></b></div>
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Again, one long list will go out this year this year instead of individual lists of 32 names. <span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">You can send postcard poems to the 31 names below your name, </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">please do not use this list for advertising or for any other purpose than postcard poems. DO NOT SPAM THE LIST. </b><br />
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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. <b>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. </b>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.<br />
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you know anyone who would like to participate, feel free to forward them this message! </span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">Hope you enjoy the Poetry Postcard Fest!</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh513xlXH9e1FqmLQAqmB_UqT-0EbSXFbLnsL6Vt9pGVDdgUZqVLEgbUg2korUt-2Kwk0ITFGQyCe3t0a7O1a2L3LNDPYjkkeFaCdd6Tde4GZn_4tMlAi09pDoBzrYUcLJTUQAloTNqi2c/s1600/postcard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh513xlXH9e1FqmLQAqmB_UqT-0EbSXFbLnsL6Vt9pGVDdgUZqVLEgbUg2korUt-2Kwk0ITFGQyCe3t0a7O1a2L3LNDPYjkkeFaCdd6Tde4GZn_4tMlAi09pDoBzrYUcLJTUQAloTNqi2c/s1600/postcard.jpg" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Directions:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. <b>Do not recycle old poems for this. Do not compose a long poem in advance and cut it up into hunks for this. </b>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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(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…)</span></div>
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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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">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.</span><br />
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</strong><strong>A GREAT story about one man's conversion from being a postcard CHEATER is here: </strong></span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><b><a href="http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html">http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html</a></b></span></span><br />
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<strong style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">A workshop handout for the poetry postcard writing exercise is here: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf" style="color: #cd8e6b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Poetry Postcard Exercise Handout">http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf</a></strong></div>
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<strong>You may also view that handout at this link: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/" style="color: #cd8e6b; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Poetry Postcard Handout">http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/</a></strong><br />
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And thanks to Judy Kleinberg, one of my favorite Bellinghamsters, see THIS post: http://boyntonpoetrycontest.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/why-postcards-why-poetry/</div>
Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-61246820255783626392013-09-10T08:14:00.000-07:002013-09-10T08:14:33.844-07:00Postcard Poems as Peace Process<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community." - M. Scott Peck</span></div>
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<span class="s1">It was the summer of 2007 and upon leaving a poetry critique circle when I said to a friend and participant, a fellow poet, that I wanted to “do something with postcards this summer.” She did not ask what I wanted to do, she simply said: “I’ll help.” I told her what I had in mind and she wrote up the first draft of a call for a poetry postcard project and it was something like this:</span></div>
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<span class="s1">On or about July 27th, send postcards to the 3 people on the list below your name. (If you are near the bottom, 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 you start with folks outside your country, you may want to start sending poems early…)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">What to write? 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. Letting a card linger for a while before you respond to the next person on your list is cool.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Oh and the poems were to be composed onto the card. That is, you get out a card and write onto it. Spontaneous, a brief glimpse into the mind of a stranger for one August moment. Like calligraphy. A risk. When focused on the luminous details, the concrete objects, the minute particulars, this is an exercise in perception and there are parallels with a Zen mode of existence. At its best this method is a reflection of one’s Personal Mythology, which can be a useful notion in one’s efforts toward individuation. Learning to cooperate with the language rather than use it, to paraphrase Robert Duncan. All these facets conspire to allow the practice to be a wisdom teacher.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We put the call out via our various literary communities, such as the SPLAB email list, SUNY Buffalo Poetics list and the WOMPO list of women poets. We started getting emails and the final list was over 100. We were stunned. There was great excitement and I would go on to write 128 postcard poems in 2007 alone as the excitement of the August Poetry Postcard Fest was such that, for a year, it was extended to a weekly practice, sending poetry postcards to folks who signed up for what became known as the “Perennial List.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We learned that many folks did not write spontaneously. One participant, in blatant disregard of the guidelines, wrote a poem in 31 sections for the fest and printed it out and cut it into hunks which were then glued to cards and mailed. When you look at the intended dialog part of the fest, the intention of seeing how such dialog could build a community, this person comes across as sort of a crazy person babbling in public into a cordless phone mic with no one on the other end of the “conversation.” This process was too much risk for some people. And composing spontaneously is the hardest way to write. Michael McClure said: </span></div>
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<span class="s1">To write spontaneously does not mean to write carelessly or without thought and deep experience. In fact, there must be a vision and a poetics that are alive and conscious… I do not know of a more adventurous gesture than to write spontaneously... When the poem is finished I listen to it…and see that it has a deeper consciousness and brighter thoughts than I was aware of while writing (xv).</span></blockquote>
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<span class="s1">And this gets me to how risk, an inherent part of building community, is related to how this August Poetry Postcard Fest has all these years been a peace-making effort. For in our culture, peace is seen as the absence of war and peace-making in the effort to stop or oppose war. But it is deeper than that. To oppose something only creates a dualism that strengthens what one opposes. The other side. You can crush the war effort, but it is the same consciousness as war itself. One must go to a deeper stance or be subject to what Einstein said, that being: “Sometimes two sides disagree because they are both wrong.” Or like the anti-war protestors who wanted a meeting with Mother Teresa and were told to come back when they were “pro-peace” activists. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">That we were employing a lost art in the age of instant digital communications was a beautiful attempt to go against the tide and zig when most of society was zagging. Like the slow-food movement. Instant gratification just won’t do. Slow down!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">That most of the poems I received were awful was besides the point. That most people were trying, were making themselves vulnerable and were learning little by little how to be in the moment and let the language itself have its say was a victory and was, I believed, deepening their own consciousness. They were taking a risk, making themselves vulnerable.</span></div>
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<span class="s2">The list in August 2013 grew to 302 people, with participants in: </span><span class="s1">Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Australia, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, France, Georgia, Germany, Hawaii, Illinois, India, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mumbai, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Singapore, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, United Kingdom, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I look at that list and love how India comes between Illinois and Indiana and the assonance of the words themselves as they are together. And the music of Florida, France, Georgia, Germany, with two countries who, in one lifetime, were slitting each others throats. Now there are folks in those two countries sitting at their desks and jotting something personal, hopefully creative, imaginative, beautiful and inspiring, but at least sincere, to some stranger in a foreign land. For we Norte Americanos, at least it’s a faraway state or province.</span></div>
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<span class="s3">When you let in intuition guide you, magical things can happen as Charles Olson knew. A major 20th Century advocate for a spontaneous composing process, he said: </span><span class="s1">“We do what we know before we know what we do.” This is evocative of another 20th Century mystic, the Indonesian founder of Subud known as Bapak, who said: “Experience first, explanations afterward.” </span></div>
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<span class="s1">So, this is the explanation after 7 years of this festival and over 460 poetry postcards that I have sent out. It is an effort to learn about other cultures, to be creative and vulnerable. To reach out to strangers in a peaceful and imaginative way. To give them a sense of my August priorities which, this year were about, among other things: our p-patch community garden; dancing in the kitchen with my 17 month old daughter; and taking a Moroccan poet and Beat scholar to the top of a mountain in a nearby national park and expose him to some of the other beautiful things about life here.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Risk, vulnerability, community, peace was M. Scott Peck’s recipe. All I added was creativity, as what is life without the imagination? As poet Diane diPrima said: “The only war that matters is the war against the imagination. All other wars are subsumed in it.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Won’t you join us next August?</span></div>
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<span class="s4"><a href="http://poetrypostcards.blogspot.com/">http://poetrypostcards.blogspot.com/</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Work Cited</span></div>
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<span class="s1">McClure, Michael. </span><span class="s4"><i>Three Poems.</i></span><span class="s1"><i> </i>New York, Penguin, 1995.</span></div>
Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-52292705957990896472013-09-01T07:58:00.001-07:002013-09-01T08:18:34.364-07:00Fest Over, Who's Posting?<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>That was the title of a post on the Facebook Postcard Poetry Fest page by one participant. <i>Who's posting?</i> Indeed. The joy of August poetry. If not dominating one's activities during the month-long fest, it at least plays a leading role.</b> This is a role, I have found, that can't possibly survive in a normal month, but August is, in our Northern culture, the last gasp of summer. Never mind there's three more weeks left of actual summer, the season is just playing out the string. And despite a warm Labor Day weekend here in Seattle, it seems like the season has changed. The angles of sun on our p-patch garden are incredibly south of what I have become accustomed to seeing.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://seiwrites.wordpress.com/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GUz7Tspy9W___q5R7cUHM0K6JweVl-ZNQDZFklgl56pvOqlEaaCT2HPVV52s4ooAVhSHLB5gaMDpLajBudfkYOti1OG4HdRkcSezpSHVDQTeTl0Q-hMoMVu1mixTXHGxrBMsU4Xa0tQ/s400/Postcard+1.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>From Sharon Ingraham's Blog: </b><a href="http://seiwrites.wordpress.com/">http://seiwrites.wordpress.com/</a></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://seiwrites.wordpress.com/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBTliaLBLZn_OTM1Pupm12Of_qAcpkJuD4ssfs5lcafUh01kbGayhV6NZ0oWPnekvUwyRDt8ldvSRSnnyTZM5jHqqg-TTEEqmiBaKdO1LMkKxT-9fvBia8Xsfrp1wdfD5R73HyajGAyw/s400/Postcard+2.png" width="350" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>From Sharon Ingraham's Blog: </b><a href="http://seiwrites.wordpress.com/">http://seiwrites.wordpress.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And while a few more cards trickle in to mailboxes in 31 different states, the District of Columbia, four Canadian provinces and eight other countries, September is here and the fest will not have the same sparkle, the same appeal, the same light. And like the fact that the fest had a record 302 participants, there seems to be a record number of poets posting the cards they wrote on their own blogs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://boyntonpoetrycontest.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Judy Kleinberg</a></b> is keeping score, and notes <a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_278" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1256401911&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A17361938720%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/michelle.castleberry1?directed_target_id=17361938720" id="js_279" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Michelle Castleberry</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">, </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=19003536&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A17361938720%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/deborah.miranda?directed_target_id=17361938720" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Deborah Miranda</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">, </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=752038625&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A17361938720%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/paul.nelson?directed_target_id=17361938720" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Paul Nelson</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">, </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=695565062&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A17361938720%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/lisa.nichols?directed_target_id=17361938720" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Lisa Nichols</a> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">and </span><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_280" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=608261181&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A17361938720%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/martina.robinson.9?directed_target_id=17361938720" id="js_281" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Martina Robinson</a><span style="line-height: 16.988636016845703px;"> among the bloggers. Add also: <b><a href="http://ruffdraft.us/blog/" target="_blank">Kristin Cleage</a></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWy4c2jPR1W7ppWx2pSHC_ybCUiBBWOKbAd_DO7GpiSUGwTbo_Eon8ipWouZ1LBh7614ng5hbcaGUfQt7UxnaOu1aaDMnc4klA7k_EXo6TkGND80nNvKJfM-h5zZ0omzmVDRQXTC5BKeI/s1600/Postcard+3+(Kristen+Cleage).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWy4c2jPR1W7ppWx2pSHC_ybCUiBBWOKbAd_DO7GpiSUGwTbo_Eon8ipWouZ1LBh7614ng5hbcaGUfQt7UxnaOu1aaDMnc4klA7k_EXo6TkGND80nNvKJfM-h5zZ0omzmVDRQXTC5BKeI/s400/Postcard+3+(Kristen+Cleage).png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ruffdraft.us/blog/">http://ruffdraft.us/blog/</a></td></tr>
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And <a href="http://augustpostcardpoetryfest2013.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><b>Raymond Maxwell</b></a>:<br />
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<a href="http://users/pen/Documents/Documents/Poems/2013%20Poems/2.%20Postcards/Other%20People's%202013%20Cards/Postcard%205.png" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvt_WCQQHvJ96jS8Gm6HsX2sci_o9AYWTBqR9ylR6_nO7oLn7KYzDpH39Ywv7X3UkJLyhBloArb0vnEWBi0STNl6aD53l-E0cinipnKceLQbDUFn65iAgX5trmrjOL6b80qdU2Nuk3OY/s400/Postcard+5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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And (as noted) <b><a href="http://badndns.blogspot.com/2013/08/poetry-project-31-what-whales-want.html" target="_blank">Deborah Miranda</a></b>:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://badndns.blogspot.com/2013/08/poetry-project-31-what-whales-want.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFOmZY80YvWJfzPuh1Fz4GwqfmPav51of5sNR92mzXl2dx5eq5kfJtO63iOceIJcDUS4bof5OOV-w2Sovhdo_OgxiQ4NQ4hDVWE-5mhmYSY8fYImloSG8B-tr_mbo1MzXOiLh0Xj0Do4/s1600/postcard+6.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://badndns.blogspot.com/2013/08/poetry-project-31-what-whales-want.html">http://badndns.blogspot.com/2013/08/poetry-project-31-what-whales-want.html</a></td></tr>
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And <b><a href="http://anitaendrezze.weebly.com/a-month-of-poems-the-poetry-postcard-project.html" target="_blank">Anita Endrezze</a></b>, who also CREATES her cards:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_74063049"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEv1gu9YKbQL4BPXSgjPzzqQYMo1WD8KoKF6oN8ikGzFg-A_1RYZjJoHWmwzRJIw3FGsL0nNZXTXtG5lkzkqN6MSt_rGnMFgUMATOkexbNzX1tguFJUaxD6dOeiek6TGH42hF1Pvht1E/s640/POstcard+7.png" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://anitaendrezze.weebly.com/a-month-of-poems-the-poetry-postcard-project.html">http://anitaendrezze.weebly.com/a-month-of-poems-the-poetry-postcard-project.html</a></td></tr>
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and you start to get a sense of the creativity unleashed by the August Poetry Postcard Fest this year. I have not yet written my afterword, but am on that next. First though, HUGE thanks to all the postcarders this year. My own practice was influenced by every card I received in some small way, my own priorities validated, my own life enriched by being a part of this project for the 7th year. Gratitude to <b>Brendan McBreen</b>, for not only keeping the list this year, but also for being one of the most creative participants. Dig this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbi0p0CvBOET-cqpr5nDYNSMX5b9meH6Dkkssx9jlzMlV8zXuRWJmdtwnuzFWSNrg5hyphenhyphenJeYP97eWS1ooRacjZnYzBaacCNI6FSEf_VVmvV3612c1GWycr0zst8SXGTJljr7J5iXZNSTI/s1600/Brendan+McBreen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbi0p0CvBOET-cqpr5nDYNSMX5b9meH6Dkkssx9jlzMlV8zXuRWJmdtwnuzFWSNrg5hyphenhyphenJeYP97eWS1ooRacjZnYzBaacCNI6FSEf_VVmvV3612c1GWycr0zst8SXGTJljr7J5iXZNSTI/s640/Brendan+McBreen.jpeg" width="557" /></a></div>
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So, there is more talk about poetry postcard readings between now and next July 27. CJ Prince is trying to get a POetry POstcard feature going in Bellingham and Brendan McBreen is considering such a feature at the <b><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stripedwaterpoets/" target="_blank">Striped Water Poets</a></b> gathering in Auburn, WA. I would love to have a poetry postcard fest conference and would welcome your thoughts. For those who took on the fest as it is intended, to help you discover the additional dimensions of spontaneous composition, good for you. Hell, it's only ONE PERSON who's going to get the card, so what do you have to lose?Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-67081352713906545102013-07-31T09:20:00.002-07:002013-07-31T09:20:45.077-07:00August Poetry Postcard Fest (Final List)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr835C99ZHhTJMclI3_nz8FaoTkyE1k77aa6obenT_rEu-mX1ZE04Z_NT6m9YEZE97QlPqwCzVi6IXLLuz1W1a12mdBv6bKl-C4HkCdP_YHEGZg2OLv94mZEj4ADRm140w4mLgGK4vTDY/s1600/431.+to+Sandy+Longhorn,+Little+Rock,+AR+Wide+Horizons++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr835C99ZHhTJMclI3_nz8FaoTkyE1k77aa6obenT_rEu-mX1ZE04Z_NT6m9YEZE97QlPqwCzVi6IXLLuz1W1a12mdBv6bKl-C4HkCdP_YHEGZg2OLv94mZEj4ADRm140w4mLgGK4vTDY/s320/431.+to+Sandy+Longhorn,+Little+Rock,+AR+Wide+Horizons++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 2013 August POetry POstcard Fest has begun!</td></tr>
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<b>The final list for the August POetry POstcard Fest is now out and there are 302 poets participating! </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>One last post before my cards start appearing is </b>here: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/31/august-poetry-postcard-fest/" target="_blank">http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/31/august-poetry-postcard-fest/</a> and again, my thanks to Brendan McBreen for keeping the list this year, his second and the fest's 7th.<br />
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Much communication happens via the Facebook page for the project, so see: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/17361938720/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/17361938720/</a> if you do Facebook and thanks for your interest in this project.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-25393062082340950332013-07-26T22:30:00.000-07:002013-07-26T22:30:19.722-07:00The 7th August POetry POstcard Fest Begins Today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO-uOy5bdJ6U3N_6BdYd0319Qbp1jzz89qk8AzM1MZ8j6iBuCtW_RuvISBN_1H0uUYnv_FooK0rZuGiKV7qmJGcYnn8UcDLUFmHHyiIjQjTC-L_cOvsmvsYqMh5BiB-OSEdySETuhbQA/s1600/412.+to+Patricia+Smith,+Byhalia,+MS++%E2%80%93+Dangerous+Subversives.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO-uOy5bdJ6U3N_6BdYd0319Qbp1jzz89qk8AzM1MZ8j6iBuCtW_RuvISBN_1H0uUYnv_FooK0rZuGiKV7qmJGcYnn8UcDLUFmHHyiIjQjTC-L_cOvsmvsYqMh5BiB-OSEdySETuhbQA/s320/412.+to+Patricia+Smith,+Byhalia,+MS++%E2%80%93+Dangerous+Subversives.png" width="203" /></a></div>
<b>While the final list will go out in 4 days, the majority of participants have received the list of (so far) 243 poets! This is a huge increase from last year, which delights us.</b> There are poets from Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Australia, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, France, Georgia, Germany, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mumbai, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Quebec, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, United Kingdom, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.<br />
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So, one you get the list, look for your name, write three original poems directly onto the postcards to the 3 people on the list below your name. (If you are near the bottom, 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 you start with folks outside your country, you may want to start sending poems early…)<br />
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<b>What to write? </b>Something that relates to your sense of "place" however you interpret that,<br />
something about how you relate to the postcard image, what you see out the window, what<br />
you're reading, a dream you had that morning, or an image from it, etc. Like "real"<br />
postcards, get to something of the "here and now" when you write. Present tense is<br />
preferred... Do write original poems for the project. Taking old poems and using them is<br />
not what we have in mind. Letting a card linger for a while before you respond to the next<br />
person on your list is cool.<br />
<br />
Key links: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/20/how-to-write-a-postcard-poem-10-steps/" target="_blank">http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/20/how-to-write-a-postcard-poem-10-steps/</a><br />
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<a href="http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html" target="_blank">http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://paulenelson.com/2012/08/29/2012-august-poetry-postcard-fest-afterword/">http://paulenelson.com/2012/08/29/2012-august-poetry-postcard-fest-afterword/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf" target="_blank">http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf</a><br />
<br />
and the Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/17361938720/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/17361938720/</a><br />
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<b>Please allow a MONTH after mailing your postcard before posting your own postcard poems online. </b>Once you GET a poem, do what you wish, but check with the poet if possible before publishing their poem.<br />
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See you at the mailbox.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-14763195329474032402013-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:002013-07-24T07:00:03.927-07:00Penultimate Postcard Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8.10.11_Janet_Front.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dia de los Postcard" class=" wp-image-4458 " height="264" src="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8.10.11_Janet_Front.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dia de los Postcard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://postcalc.usps.gov/Default.aspx" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="USPS" class=" wp-image-4456 " height="94" src="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/USPS.png" width="589" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">USPS</span></td></tr>
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<strong>I got the latest postcard update from Brendan McBreen (see below) with the new list of 243 people, easily a new postcard record! Am a little stunned and very excited about the fest and (<a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/20/how-to-write-a-postcard-poem-10-steps/" title="How To Write a Postcard Poem">as noted here</a>) have already started hacking away at my list. Again I'll link to two articles which may be of use for poets more used to editing:</strong><br />
1) <b><a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/12/writing-or-re-writing/" title="Primer on Prevision">http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/12/writing-or-re-writing/</a> </b><strong>(A primer on prevision.)</strong><br />
2) <a href="http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html" target="_blank" title="The David Sherwin Postcard Post"><strong>How the David Sherwin got the organic method.</strong></a><br />
<br />
& remember, US citizens, it costs MORE to send a postcard outside the friendly confines of your country.<br />
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<b>From Brendan:</b><br />
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hello all,</div>
<br />
As I have mentioned before, the reason the list goes out early is due to longer mailing times for sending and receiving poetry postcards internationally.
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<br />
To recap, the deadline for signing up for the poetry postcard list this year is July 30th. I am in the Pacific Coast time zone same or the Seattle time zone if thats easier. I will be sending out the final list on the 30th maybe as late as midnight on the 31st to give people every opportunity to sign up. But after the list goes out on the 30th (31st) it is final, the sign up period is over. The reason I am telling you (the people who have already signed up) this is in case you have a friend who might like to join in, be sure they get their info to me by July 30th.
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<br />
And to recap the guidelines, you will find your name on the list and in August (or just before) you should write a poem on the back of a postcard and send it to the person below your name on the list. When you begin receiving poetry postcards, you can write a response poem to them but continue to send them to the next people on your list. If you get to the bottom of the list you should jump to the first name and continue from there. And this is important because there is one more week for people to sign up, there will likely be a few more names added so the last person on the list now will not be the last person on the final version of the list.
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<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1374648069001_2051">
<br />
You should write a poem a day for the month of August and hopefully receive a poem a day, but postal times vary so some days you might not receive any and others you can get three or four at once, but that should not stop you from writing your poem a day.Please check to be sure you have enough postage on cards going over seas too.
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<br />
Also I should note that there was a duplicate on the earlier list sent out on the 16th so the numbering has changed a bit.
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I think that is all, I will copy the list below here and attach it as a word doc.
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Enjoy!
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<br />
BrendanSplabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-39790158622460000552013-07-22T06:51:00.001-07:002013-07-22T06:51:16.849-07:00Linda Crosfield's Take<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqw-vWC08L9sJ13pH_EBcq3WXK_zG9tmD9S3gqj6GKkolrjd4QcBGPcVjZRc-AILDc9eDkqwhRn4anVsqjXokT2kymD8ezkZO4NqC63tjHMcjGDncPcYeg-_UfOrKA-gqIdhAS4PrXGhI/s1600/Kellar.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqw-vWC08L9sJ13pH_EBcq3WXK_zG9tmD9S3gqj6GKkolrjd4QcBGPcVjZRc-AILDc9eDkqwhRn4anVsqjXokT2kymD8ezkZO4NqC63tjHMcjGDncPcYeg-_UfOrKA-gqIdhAS4PrXGhI/s1600/Kellar.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not Linda</td></tr>
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<b>Here's a take on the postcard fest from Castlegar, British Columbia's Linda Crosfield.</b> Be sure to look at the card with the decapitated head magic trick! Fun for the kids!<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><a href="http://purplemountainpoems.blogspot.ca/2013/07/psst-its-almost-august-wanna-play.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>purplemountainpoems.blogspot.ca<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>/2013/07/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>psst-its-almost-august-wanna-pl<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>ay.html</a>Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-48066830632518202332013-07-17T06:47:00.000-07:002013-07-17T06:47:35.843-07:00POetry POstcard Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycXOjdo9WB_IIPRSUiW_GjYbEFrSYsEvWf4C2BgfVHDNNG3M-R067dcCbP4TVtwNudE1exhICzMiin_pXiWBCB9pFMWXnhI0DLYJpFf4j3-K69kl8apwFw7xIRALfE1yl05ulKI1Ebgs/s1600/402.+to+Lew+Humiston+Star+Spark+(The+Origin+of+Ra%3f).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycXOjdo9WB_IIPRSUiW_GjYbEFrSYsEvWf4C2BgfVHDNNG3M-R067dcCbP4TVtwNudE1exhICzMiin_pXiWBCB9pFMWXnhI0DLYJpFf4j3-K69kl8apwFw7xIRALfE1yl05ulKI1Ebgs/s320/402.+to+Lew+Humiston+Star+Spark+(The+Origin+of+Ra%3f).png" width="262" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 24.63068199157715px; margin-bottom: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>The man coordinating the list for the 2013 August POetry POstcard Fest, Brendan McBreen, informs us that 179 poets have signed up so far and the cut off date is less than two weeks away. (His update below.) I am thinking I’ll get an early <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/17/postcard-update/#" id="_GPLITA_0" in_rurl="http://i.tracksrv.com/click?v=VVM6MzYxMzI6MjE1NTpzdGFydDo4ZGYzZDI2ZWRkMDRmYTViZDdlNDUyMzZlZjhlYjgyYzp6LTExMjItMTE1MTE1OnBhdWxlbmVsc29uLmNvbTo1NzE5NDo5Yzg3N2YwMmFmZjU2MGMxZWIxZDJlY2NiNTZkNjMzOQ" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Click to Continue > by CouponDropDown">start</a> on my list and see if I can write at least 40 cards this year.</b></div>
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From Brendan:</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Just a reminder, this is an incomplete list. I am sending it out early because delivery times take longer for our outside-the-U.S. participants. So for those of you toward the bottom of the list, there will be more names following you by the time the final list goes out. <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another reminder, the 30th of July is the deadline! If you have friends who want to participate, be sure they sign up before the 30th! Once the final list goes out I will not be adding any more names. </em></em><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And one more reminder, the idea is to write a postcard poem every day in August to the 31 names following your name on the list.</em></div>
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(See <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/06/22/august-postcard-poem-fest-returns/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="August POetry POstcard Fest">http://paulenelson.com/2013/06/22/august-postcard-poem-fest-returns/</a> for the rules of the game.)</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(See also <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/12/writing-or-re-writing/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Primer on Prevision">this primer</a> on the modern history of prevision, or getting it right the first time.)</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(& finally, again, David Sherwin’s “Aha!” <a href="http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="David Sherwin">postcard moment</a>.)</strong></div>
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I’ll never forget a poet’s report on getting a poetry postcard directly from the letter carrier after they read it. They said: <strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, this one’s pretty good!</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">See you at <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2013/07/17/postcard-update/#" id="_GPLITA_1" in_rurl="http://i.tracksrv.com/click?v=VVM6MjcxMzM6MTg6dGhlIG1haWxib3g6MzAxMzFiMzQ1NTBhYzBlOWNmZDMyMTVkNzU3ODcxMmY6ei0xMTIyLTExNTExNTpwYXVsZW5lbHNvbi5jb206MTg3MDU6OGQ1YTc1ODdmYzU3YjY2MWMwMTAzYTk5ODM2Zjk5NWU" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Click to Continue > by CouponDropDown">the mailbox</a> and don’t forget to put CORRECT POSTAGE on cards going out of the U.S.</strong></div>
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Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-91771983181605487702013-06-22T15:39:00.001-07:002013-06-22T15:42:07.940-07:002013 Postcard Fest approaches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5VjfZQn_QaMtItWxghnEA1zFBbUxr637O2GD02Bkkj2KBrnMp2ufysE-uS5PpHFZN_Wp_HFLXAB1uGnOFzquoS9MCsY58bbx5E1inqCqr4PuqARP4P68HLV4__wppbEmAUcAJwZ2nFI/s1600/Bill+Reid+Postcard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5VjfZQn_QaMtItWxghnEA1zFBbUxr637O2GD02Bkkj2KBrnMp2ufysE-uS5PpHFZN_Wp_HFLXAB1uGnOFzquoS9MCsY58bbx5E1inqCqr4PuqARP4P68HLV4__wppbEmAUcAJwZ2nFI/s400/Bill+Reid+Postcard.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong>From Brendan McBreen:</strong>
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Once more it is almost August!</div>
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The August Poetry Postcard Project is an exercise in responding to other poets. You write a poem a day for the month of August, write it on 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.</div>
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<b>To participate, send your name, mailing address, and email to <a href="mailto:stripedwaterpoets@gmail.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">stripedwaterpoets@gmail.com</a></b></div>
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<b>please include the word "postcard" in the subject line.</b></div>
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I will be sending out one long list this year instead of individual lists of 32 names.</div>
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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. If your name is toward the bottom of the list, when you reach the bottom you go to the top of the list and finish your 31 from there.
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I will send out the list three times, 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 July 23rd. The final version I will send out on July 30th. The 30th is the cut off date, I will not be adding any more names to the list after that, the list sent out on the 30th will be the final list for this year. So<br />
Please be sure to send in your information before that. I will email the list to the participants in an attached word document as well as in the body of the email.
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If you know anyone who would like to participate, feel free to forward them this message!
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Thanks for putting up with this long winded explanation!</div>
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Hope you enjoy the Poetry Postcard Fest!</div>
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Brendan McBreen
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<strong>Directions:</strong></div>
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On or about July 27th, send postcards to the 3 people on the list below your name. (If you are near the bottom, 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 you start with folks outside your country, you may want to start sending poems early…)</div>
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What to write? 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. Letting a card linger for a while before you respond to the next person on your list is cool.
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<strong>The blog for the fest is here: <a href="http://poetrypostcards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="August Poetry Postcard Fest">http://poetrypostcards.blogspot.com/</a> </strong></div>
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<strong>A workshop handout for the poetry postcard writing exercise is here: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf" target="_blank" title="Poetry Postcard Exercise Handout">http://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf</a></strong></div>
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<strong>You may also view that handout at this link: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/" target="_blank" title="Poetry Postcard Handout">http://paulenelson.com/workshops/poetry-postcard-exercise/</a></strong></div>
Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-32533353628617894602012-09-05T07:38:00.001-07:002012-09-05T07:38:27.733-07:00End of 2012 Fest<b>I have posted my end-of-August blog post online here: <a href="http://paulenelson.com/2012/08/29/2012-august-poetry-postcard-fest-afterword/">http://paulenelson.com/2012/08/29/2012-august-poetry-postcard-fest-afterword/</a> and have scheduled posts for all my 2012 poetry postcards on that same website. They will appear one per day until October 4.</b><br />
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Here is the card that I got from Brendan McBreen: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx70Pt7bEXOLzR2payCfddb_MCBjw_IHQs4FRnv6SI7M9aRrYTKYR92mlzNAiyGT4tKYEpo26cWGl8XM1yiNW2hvGCjX3BTk9-WFr3jWUG1KziU4wAB6Xe7tOJJdJuaVfT94KcaYWuZA/s1600/Brendan+McBreen+2012+Card.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx70Pt7bEXOLzR2payCfddb_MCBjw_IHQs4FRnv6SI7M9aRrYTKYR92mlzNAiyGT4tKYEpo26cWGl8XM1yiNW2hvGCjX3BTk9-WFr3jWUG1KziU4wAB6Xe7tOJJdJuaVfT94KcaYWuZA/s320/Brendan+McBreen+2012+Card.jpeg" width="242" /></a></div>
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The quality of the cards was much higher than in previous years and the production was the best I have ever seen. I have read that more people are actually doing the fest as suggested, meaning having an experience of spontaneity, rather than pre-cooking the cards and then sending. At this writing I have received 27 cards and have been assured that one more is coming.<br />
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There is a bit of explication to the card posted today, but I'll post the text of it here:<br />
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<a href="http://paulenelson.com/2012/09/05/397-to-tony-iovino-rockville-centre-ny-ghost-prod/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfflYzObH45h7YyLMGnIVATmwdYOk4VgI6PB0f-VQfzXsGK-o9GUGRlz12ftqwkEndAVtc67AZ5w6Sf1B03LPF6sbeq2F0YrPjRutPcPx39Af_VXj2Nt4j2W0u-KIZBXtjs8cX5f-xJ8/s320/397.+to+Tony+Iovino,+Rockville+Centre,+NY+%E2%80%93+Ghost+Prod.png" width="254" /> Ghost Prod</a></div>
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Special thanks to Brendan McBreen for his work on fest administration this year and to all the 160 poets around the world who participated.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-5274029212715872362012-07-31T08:23:00.003-07:002012-07-31T08:23:38.572-07:00160 Postcarders!From Brendan McBreen:<br />
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<span class="">Monday, July 30, 2012 3:49 PM</span></div>
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hey Paul,<br /><br />I just wanted to let you know, I just received the 32nd name for the fifth postcard list<br />that makes 160 people signed up this year with
16 from outside the US, mostly Canada but two from the UK, two from
India, others from Singapore, South Korea, Ireland, and one from
Tasmania Australia<br />
<br />take care!<br />B<br clear="all" /><br />-- <br /><span style="color: #3333ff;">Striped Water Poets</span><br /><br /><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stripedwaterpoets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/site/stripedwaterpoets/</a></div>
</div>Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-63872869776907970512012-06-29T20:51:00.000-07:002012-06-29T20:51:05.357-07:002012 August Poetry Postcard FestFrom Brendan McBreen:<br />
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for those of you familiar with the August Poetry Postcard series<br />you may know that it was started by Paul Nelson then passed to Lana Ayers<br />but this year Lana is busy with school work (fiction writing) and other projects<br />
<br />so I have been asked to compile the mailing lists this year<br /><br />for those not familiar<br />the August Poetry Postcard fest works as such:<br />each participant receives a list of 31 names and addresses of other poets<br />
and <b>each day in August you write a poem on a postcard</b> and send it to the person that follows your name on the list<br />so
if you are number 4 on the list you start by mailing a postcard poem to
number 5, and when you get to 31 you loop back to 1, 2, and 3<br />
the idea is to respond to a postcard and poem you receive but send the response to the next person on the list<br />and the others on the list will do the same<br /><br />in
past years we have had participants from all over the globe, so be sure
to be aware of international postage if it applies to your list<br />
<br />you can collect the postcards you send from anywhere, drug stores
are good, Goodwill is a good place to find postcards, some people create
their own postcards too, nice postcards are nice but the poetry is the
purpose<br />
<br />also it is usually a good idea to begin sending postcards on the
last few days of July just to be sure that people receive their cards by
August<br /><br />finally!<br /><span style="color: #3333ff;">for those who wish to participate:</span><br />
<span style="color: #3333ff;">please email me your name and mailing address and email address</span><br /><span style="color: #3333ff;">include August Postcard Poetry in the subject line</span><br /><br />please note that I will not use any addresses for any reason other than this year's Poetry Postcard fest<br />
and I urge everyone else to do likewise<br /><br />Thank you!<br />Brendan McBreen<br clear="all" /><br />-- <br /><span style="color: #3333ff;">Striped Water Poets</span><br /><br /><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/stripedwaterpoets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/site/stripedwaterpoets/</a>Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-1381548973002430922011-07-16T20:11:00.000-07:002011-07-16T20:20:32.886-07:00August 2011 is Near!<span style="font-weight:bold;">Welcome to the August 2011 Postcard List.<br />Here's what's involved. Sign up here: <a href="http://concretewolf.com/august2011/">http://concretewolf.com/august2011/</a><br /></span><br />Get yourself at least 31 postcards. These can be found at book stores, thrift shops, online, drug stores, antique shops, museums, gift shops. (You'll be amazed at how quickly you become a postcard addict.)<br /><br />On or about July 27th, write an original poem right on a postcard and mail it to the person on the list below your name. (If you are at the very bottom, send a card to the name at the top.) And please WRITE LEGIBLY!<br /><br />Starting on August 1st, ideally in response to a card YOU receive, keep writing a poem a day on a postcard and mailing it to successive folks on the list until you've sent out 31 postcards. Of course you can keep going and send as many as you like but we ask you to commit to at least 31 (a month's worth).<br /><br />What to write? 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, using a phrase/topic/or image from a card that you got, 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.<br /><br />Do write original poems for the project. Taking old poems and using them is not what we have in mind. These cards are going to an eager audience of one, so there's no need to agonize. That's what's unique about this experience. Rather than submitting poems for possible rejection, you are sending your words to a ready-made and excited audience awaiting your poems in their mailboxes. Everyhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifone loves getting postcards. And postcards whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifith poems, all the better.<br /><br />Once you start receiving postcard poems in the mail, you'll be able to respond to the poems and imagery with postcard poems or your own. That will keep your poems fresh and flowing. Be sure to check postage for cards going abroad. The Postcard Graveyard is a very sad place.<br /><br />That's all there it to it. It's that fun and that easy.<br /><br />To check out what we've done before, visit the blog [where you'll also see we also have Perennial Poetry Postcard List of folks who try to write a postcard poem at least once a week regardless of receiving in order to keep connections flowing.], <a href="http://paulenelson.com">Paul Nelson's website</a> or our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=17361938720">Facebook </a>group.<br /><br />Big thanks to Lana Ayers for making this go again.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-79899356070896444062010-08-20T06:37:00.001-07:002010-08-20T06:39:35.687-07:00David Sherwin article on Poetry Postcard FestDavid REALLY gets the idea of the August Poetry Postcard Fest. A great read for participants and non-participants alike. In another year where I have received several pre-typed cards, who does David think gets cheated when this happens? <a href="http://changeorder.typepad.com/weblog/2010/08/sending-postcards-to-strangers.html">Read here</a>. Thanks David. I hope the cards are flying out your mailbox.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-79304954247692631002010-07-27T09:07:00.000-07:002010-07-27T09:09:47.984-07:00GoToday's the day to start writing poems and mailing them out. Start with three to the people just below you on the list. When you get to the bottom of the list, resume at the top. Three today and one a day starting August 1, hopefully inspired in part by cards being sent to you. Writing as you would a postcard, but this is a poem. Have fun. See you in September. - PaulSplabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-73710938548859895932010-07-13T07:21:00.000-07:002010-07-13T07:22:34.146-07:002010 August Poetry Postcard CallDear Poets,<br /> <br />The August Poetry Postcard Fest is taking sign-ups via the online system. <br /> <br />If you are ready to write a poem on a postcard everyday for the month of August sign up now. In addition to writing 31 wonderful poems yourself, you'll receive these wonderful postcards in your mailbox too.<br /> <br />Everyone who is interested will need to register online (even if you have participated in the past). <br /> <br />Your email will be your login and you choose a password. <br /> <br />Here's the link:<br />http://www.concretewolf.com/august2010<br /> <br />If you have any difficulty, email postcardpoetry@yahoo.com<br /> <br />Have a great time postcarding,<br />LanaSplabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-45820668166172306842010-07-12T11:21:00.000-07:002010-07-12T11:24:57.237-07:002010 August Poetry Postcard Call<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZDVBy-Xp-MhOzPF_epFf0YdzezdtJ42oXIzATfXikxnSK_MTbd4gGoBejoYyk0CmMqzuyvTLUE1DTItwdGGxM83ZYzbsCqOVfczux1mCzNXwkfwUFVOk_dNCik9waLEAHkPqJTUzVH4/s1600/08-21-07_(Frida+and+Fried+Bananas).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZDVBy-Xp-MhOzPF_epFf0YdzezdtJ42oXIzATfXikxnSK_MTbd4gGoBejoYyk0CmMqzuyvTLUE1DTItwdGGxM83ZYzbsCqOVfczux1mCzNXwkfwUFVOk_dNCik9waLEAHkPqJTUzVH4/s200/08-21-07_(Frida+and+Fried+Bananas).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493087321602686610" /></a><br />From Lana Ayers:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Welcome to the August 2010 Postcard Poetry List!<br /></span>Here's what's involved:<br /><br />Get yourself at least 31 postcards. These can be found at book stores, thrift shops, online, drug stores, antique shops, museums, gift shops. (You'll be amazed at how quickly you become a postcard addict.)<br /><br />On or about July 27th, write an original poem right on a postcard and mail it to the person on the list below your name. (If you are at the very bottom, send a card to the name at the top.) And please WRITE LEGIBLY!<br /><br />Starting on August 1st, ideally in response to a card YOU receive, keep writing a poem a day on a postcard and mailing it to successive folks on the list until you've sent out 31 postcards. Of course you can keep going and send as many as you like but we ask you to commit to at least 31 (a month's worth).<br /><br />What to write? 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, using a phrase/topic/or image from a card that you got, 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do write original poems for the project. </span>Taking old poems and using them is not what we have in mind. These cards are going to an eager audience of one, so there's no need to agonize. That's what's unique about this experience. Rather than submitting poems for possible rejection, you are sending your words to a ready-made and excited audience awaiting your poems in their mailboxes. Everyone loves getting postcards. And postcards with poems, all the better.<br /><br />Once you start receiving postcard poems in the mail, you'll be able to respond to the poems and imagery with postcard poems or your own. That will keep your poems fresh and flowing. Be sure to check postage for cards going abroad. The Postcard Graveyard is a very sad place.<br /><br />That's all there it to it. It's that fun and that easy.<br /><br />To check out what we've done before, visit the blog [where you'll also see we also have Perennial Poetry Postcard List of folks who try to write a postcard poem at least once a week regardless of receiving in order to keep connections flowing.], Paul Nelson's website or our Facebook group.<br /><br />To get started, click to register. Once you've registered, you just need to login to see the list of participants.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Email postcardpoetry@yahoo.com if you have any questions.</span>Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-2284657974710926292009-09-01T06:47:00.000-07:002009-09-01T07:02:42.793-07:00The August 2009 Fest is Over!September 1 already. The velocity of our time is one of the most remarkable drugs I have ever known. All 31 of your cards should have been sent out by now. (I am one behind, argh!) If you're like me, you transcribe them, or scan them, & that more than doubles the time the whole process takes, but it's worth it, right?<br /><br />The bad news: There was one spammer this year, who got onto the list to aid their own marketing efforts. (Ask me for a great John Andrew Rice quote on these kinds of people!) Is anything so pernicious as to do this? OK, maybe bombings and torture, but these kinds of people have to start someplace! Also, many folks typed up poems and stuck them to the back of cards. If you have NO penmanship, this is a viable option, but I think people took the easy way out and composed traditionally and then, when satisfied, stuck them on cards. This project is an experiment in letting go of the need to be perfect and learn to train your mind to compose in the moment. Philip Whalen said his poetry was "a picture or graph of the mind moving."<br /><br />This is the most difficult type of composition, as it very much reveals the quality of the poet's mind. Usually, there is not a lot there, and that's unfortunate. One person typed up excerpts from poems and even generated address labels with a computer. Why even bother? To take time to think about a person, to have an impulse fleshed out from idea to epistle in a few short minutes once a day for a month, to carefully write out their name and get the card in the mail, this is such a rare gesture in our velocity-addled culture. The postcard project allows for something SLOWER, something more deliberate than most of what we get from our industry-generated culture. If you do the project the way it's supposed to be done, you give yourself and others a gift. After 30 days you can feel the difference. Something has shifted. <br /><br />This year I used quotes from John Ashberry's book "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror." I never attributed the quotes, but I wonder who took the time to google the specific quote and see its source when they got the poem? I could imagine the other person being interested, or not, based on how interesting the quote was. This, in my own way, was an effort to create a dialog with the person receiving the card. A little gesture of consideration. Are these things becoming lost in our world, or just extremely rare?<br /><br />peN<br />6:59A<br />9.1.09Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-44609615344491803442009-07-27T20:24:00.001-07:002009-07-27T20:25:20.115-07:00Three Cards on Day 1Great question by Katrina Roberts on Facebook:<br /><br />hi paul --<br />i sent my first postcard today; was i supposed to send 3??<br />thanks!<br /> <br />Paul Nelson<br />Today at 8:23pm<br />Yeah. This way there's a better chance someone will get one and have something to respond to/be inspired by on August 1 to continue the chain.<br /><br />If you're on Facebook, please join the Poetry Postcard Group.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-75459932414139276972009-07-27T19:28:00.000-07:002009-07-27T19:32:42.716-07:00List Order<span style="font-weight:bold;">Great email exchange between Amanda Earl and Listkeeper Lana:<br /><br /></span>hi Lana,<br /><br />would it be possible for you to send me the address list as a document? for my project this year i'm cutting and pasting the addresses and the poems.<br /><br />if not that's ok, just a bit hard to cut and paste from the on line data base.<br /><br />hope all is well. thanks again for setting up the festival!<br /><br />Amanda<br /><br />From: Amanda Earl <amanda@amandaearl.com><br />Subject: august poetry address list<br />To: lana.ayers@yahoo.com<br />Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 6:33 AMHi Amanda,<br /> <br />I don't have the list as a doc. <br /> <br />What you can do is print the list using the print function in your web browser. And literally cut and paste with scissors and tape.<br /> <br />Or you can highlight the list with your mouse, right click and paste it into a Word doc. If you do "paste special" from your edit menu and choose "unformatted text" it will come out as simple list. If not, you'll get a table in your Word doc.<br /> <br />Have fun,<br />Lana<br /><br /><br />So,I tried that, and it worked. This is better than printing out the list via the website's print function, because that (for the Perennial List) produced an alphabetical order and, being an "N" guy, I did not get many perennial cards. So, I am going back from my position at #9 on the list to at least #40. <br /><br />Good luck,<br /><br />PaulSplabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-61889939277540822009-07-14T10:54:00.000-07:002009-07-14T10:58:38.681-07:002009The Poetry Postcard Project continues in 2009:<br /><br />Lana invited you to "August Poetry Postcard Fest" on Monday, July 27 at 12:00am.<br /><br />Event: August Poetry Postcard Fest<br /> "write and send a poem postcard every day in August"<br />What: Festival<br />Hosts: Paul Nelson and Lana Ayers<br />Start Time: Monday, July 27 at 12:00am<br />End Time: Saturday, August 31<br />Where: http://concretewolf.com/august<br /><br />From Lana:<br /><br />"Get yourself at least 31 postcards. These can be found at book stores, thrift shops, online, drug stores, antique shops, museums, gift shops. (You'll be amazed at how quickly you become a postcard addict.)<br /><br />On or about July 27th, write an original poem right on a postcard and mail it to the person on the list below your name. (If you are at the very bottom, send a card to the name at the top.) And please WRITE LEGIBLY!<br /><br />Starting on August 1st, ideally in response to a card YOU receive, keep writing a poem a day on a postcard and mailing it to successive folks on the list until you've sent out 31 postcards. Of course you can keep going and send as many as you like but we ask you to commit to at least 31 (a month's worth).<br /><br />What to write? 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, using a phrase/topic/or image from a card that you got, 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.<br /><br />Do write original poems for the project. Taking old poems and using them is not what we have in mind. These cards are going to an eager audience of one, so there's no need to agonize. That's what's unique about this experience. Rather than submitting poems for possible rejection, you are sending your words to a ready-made and excited audience awaiting your poems in their mailboxes. Everyone loves getting postcards. And postcards with poems, all the better.<br /><br />Once you start receiving postcard poems in the mail, you'll be able to respond to the poems and imagery with postcard poems or your own. That will keep your poems fresh and flowing. Be sure to check postage for cards going abroad. The Postcard Graveyard is a very sad place.<br /><br />That's all there it to it. It's that fun and that easy."<br /><br /><br />Well, it is a little harder than that to write a good, spontaneous poem. You'll recognize the ones where little effort was put into them, so DON'T BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!<br /><br />Good luck.Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180856255590812139.post-43926773403542501542009-01-02T15:53:00.000-08:002009-01-02T15:57:11.255-08:00Perennial Postcard Signup (NEW!)From Lana “Keeper of the List” Ayers:<br /><br />Happy 2009!<br /><br />Thank you for participating the perennial poetry postcard project. In 2008 nearly 130 people took part. It has grown to be a rich international community of poetry postcarders.<br /><br />For this new year, we have a new list interface. So if you are ready to keep sending those wonderful poetry postcards, all you need to do is go to <a href="http://ConcreteWolf.com/perennial">http://ConcreteWolf.com/perennial</a> and register. Once you are registered you can view the list and begin sending postcards. The 2008 list site will come down in a few days, so the new list is the only one that will be available. <br /><br />Please write and send at least one poetry postcard a week. The most important part is to have fun and keep the cards going. Don't agonize too much over what you write -- first thought, best thought. Remember how exciting it is for the person who is eagerly waiting to find a little note from you in her mailbox.<br /><br />If you need to change your address, you can do this yourself. And if for any reason you need to drop from the list, you can do that yourself as well. Check the list frequently as there will be a new sign-ups all the time.<br /><br />May 2009 be a most poetic year,<br /><br />Lana<br /><br />(Lana says there will be a separate list for the August (daily) Postcard Fest. Stay tuned.)Splabmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08068813038783953187noreply@blogger.com6