NaPoMo Monday

70º ~ wicked wind all last evening and all through the night into the lightning & thunder storms at 5:00 a.m. ~ a bit calmer now but gray, gray, gray, and another round of storms coming over the western horizon ~ all should clear by noon and then temps "plummet" to the 40s

Several folks have asked if I participate in the National Poetry Writing Month exercises.  This usually means a 30/30 regimen, write 30 drafts in 30 days.  While I would love to join the fun, April is simply too exhausting for me at school.  We've got a ton of events over the next four weeks.  I know that for some writers the extra challenge is invigorating.  Not so for me.  And I think it is so important to know yourself as a writer.  I did do a 14/14 last June and hope to try a 21/21 again this summer. 

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If you want to get your hands on some free books of poetry, visit all the blogs of the wonderful poets giving away books this month (myself included, see image to right) for the Big Poetry Giveaway.  This great event is organized by the indomitable Kelli Russell Agodon and a complete list of participating bloggers is updated regularly on the left side of her blog, ~ Book of Kells.

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I am currently reading an amazing, heartbreaking book of poems and hope to fill you in on Wednesday.

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Today, I'm doing a presentation at school based on a panel I attended at AWP.  In return for funding, we are asked to present to our colleagues on our return.  I love this and think the school is completely justified in asking me to give back.  My presentation is on drawing a crowd to on-campus events at community colleges or non-dormitory institutions.  Some of our students work 40-60 hours per week, attend school full time (minimum of 4 classes), care for children/parents/grandparents, and a myriad of other time consuming tasks.  They amaze me, but it is sometimes difficult for them to attend night events, so we need to do more work on the front end.  (This is not to discount the huge amount of work that goes into creating an extra event on a dormitory-based campus.  We just have to take a few more things into account, mostly in the planning stages.)

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If you have a few minutes, stop by The Rumpus today for a wonderful poem by Reginald Dwayne Betts.  Truly, it knocked the top of my head off.


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A prompt for all you 30/30s.