When April circles back again, I'm always happy to promote National Poetry Month.
On April 1 the librarians in Albany had a little box that said "free brownies with nuts," in which said box had some Brown Es and little metal nuts from the hardware store. For Poetry Month, they have an awesome display.
Known to me as "erasure text" the librarians here (and possibly the Poet Laureate of our little one-square-mile city of Albany) are calling them "blackout poems." I absolutely applaud the activity for the general public, but have a little trouble with one more black Sharpie erasure poem, which, as editor, I frequently see as submissions to Star 82 Review. If you want to go beyond the basics, you can do more interesting things with layers and create deeper meaning when you add imagery or color to an erasure poem. (Previous blog post here.)
But wait, there's more! Check out the "book spine poems." These are terrific activities to get people to engage with books, texts, poetry, writing, and creativity and to make them smile.
Poem in Your Pocket Day in the United States this year is April 27. I've been listing links to some short poems on the Star 82 Review Facebook page. Print one out and carry it around! Read to a friend! Read to someone at the bus stop / train station / grocery store! Write your own! Or, do as this neighbor did: create a PoeTree.
On April 1 the librarians in Albany had a little box that said "free brownies with nuts," in which said box had some Brown Es and little metal nuts from the hardware store. For Poetry Month, they have an awesome display.
Known to me as "erasure text" the librarians here (and possibly the Poet Laureate of our little one-square-mile city of Albany) are calling them "blackout poems." I absolutely applaud the activity for the general public, but have a little trouble with one more black Sharpie erasure poem, which, as editor, I frequently see as submissions to Star 82 Review. If you want to go beyond the basics, you can do more interesting things with layers and create deeper meaning when you add imagery or color to an erasure poem. (Previous blog post here.)
But wait, there's more! Check out the "book spine poems." These are terrific activities to get people to engage with books, texts, poetry, writing, and creativity and to make them smile.
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--Patricia, fan from Canada