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| Visit Poets.org for more info on National Poetry Month |
The PQ community is celebrating National Poetry Month in a variety of ways. Through workshops, readings, and new book releases, we thought it would be fun to share what our PQ friends are up to this month (and beyond).
What are you doing to celebrate National Poetry Month?
“There’s a ton of local poetry events here in Albuquerque, including the Grand Poetry Slam which decides the local Slam team for the national slam competition. As/Us literary journal is celebrating their book launch on the 28th at Bookworks. I’ll be there to read and hear some amazing work from contemporary Indigenous women and women of color. There’s a local writer’s fair going on next weekend which should be great. Also, I was one of the winners for New York Public Library’s National Poetry Contest on Twitter. My poems will be going out on NYPL’s social media as part of their month long poetry celebration and are being published electronically. I’ll be helping out with some of the publicity for their events, which is very exciting.” – Shauna Osborn, PQ Contributing Editor
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| Andrew Ruzkowski |
“I’m publishing a chapbook! It is called A Shape & Sound and is forthcoming from ELJ Publications.” – Andrew Ruzkowski, PQ Reviews Coordinator
“Every year I try my best to create 30 poems in 30 days.” – Jason Carney, PQ Contributing Editor
“I’m celebrating National Poetry Month with the release of my latest pamphlet, Warburg’s Tincture of Sonnets, which should be out from Like This Press by mid-month.” – Elizabeth Kate Switaj, PQ Contributing Editor
“I’m teaching an intro to poetry class this semester, so I’ll be celebrating Poetry Month via the curriculum. The college is sponsoring a “favorite poem” reading, and I’m a participant. There are quite a few poetry events going on in my region (eastern PA) this month, so I will be attending a variety of events. I’m also looking forward to virtual events on blogs and sites that my friends have recommended, and I’m planning to add even more than the usual number of poetry-related posts to my blog.” – Ann E. Michael, PQ Contributing Editor
“I will take time, really take time, to read The Writer’s Almanac every morning rather than skimming like I usually do most days when it arrives in my inbox.” – Dawn Leas, PQ Contributing Editor
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| Brian Fanelli |
“For National Poetry Month, I’m doing a few readings. I’m especially excited to read and give a lecture at Reading Area Community College, thanks to the Berks County Bards, a wonderful organization that has several National Poetry Month events in the Reading, PA area.” – Brian Fanelli, PQ Contributing Editor
What are you writing/working on now?
“I just finished a rewrite of my poetry book which I am sending out called Antes Taabe (Before the Sun), which is exciting. I am currently in the process of finishing a new chapbook about the Southwest Border Region tentatively called Red Earth Woman and White Buffalo Gal Go To Mexico.” – Shauna Osborn, PQ Contributing Editor
“My book Need to Know will be released from Outskirts Press (Denver CO) later this Spring. Maybe by mid-May. The book is a memoir, a telling of my several years in the US Intelligence Community, working for (among others) the CIA and for US Special Operations; and my reinvention to English prof and poet following a return to grad school. Subtitle: journey of an American intelligence officer to professor and poet.“ – Arthur McMaster, PQ Contributing Editor
“Right now I’m finishing the edits for the book I have coming out with Akashic/Kaylie Jones Books in the winter of 2014.” – Jason Carney, PQ Contributing Editor
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| Elizabeth Kate Switaj |
“I’m working on a long poem about the experiences of the victims of Aktion T4, the Nazi ‘euthanasia’ program.” – Elizabeth Kate Switaj, PQ Contributing Editor
“I have a completed manuscript of science-themed, nonce-form (and a little free verse) poems called The Red Queen Hypothesis. I hope to send that out for submission this spring, but I’m working on a new manuscript that’s somewhat memoir-based and that’s kind of taken precedence since I always prefer writing and revising to sending out work! Also, I’m gardening, which for me is a form of pre-writing. I get lots of work done in my head while I’m preparing soil and grubbing out weeds.” – Ann E. Michael, PQ Contributing Editor
“I’m working on a chapbook examining the water systems of Chicago. The details are immense, but tunnels, fires, diseases, and hogshead casks abound! Also, love poems.” – Andrew Ruzkowski, PQ Reviews Coordinator
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| Dawn Leas |
“I am working on a batch of new poems and revising some older ones that will hopefully find homes in journals and come together as a chapbook.” – Dawn Leas, PQ Contributing Editor
“Right now, I’m working on a series of poems regarding climate change and some of the more recent disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy. A lot of these poems are based off of various newspaper reports and other articles. I’m also working on some other poems that have nothing to do with the series. Right now, I’m just writing and reading and not too concerned with creating another manuscript.” – Brian Fanelli, PQ Contributing Editor
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What are you doing, dear reader, for National Poetry Month?