Featured Video : Taylor Mali - “Like Lilly Like Wilson”
May 10, 2008
This week’s featured video is by the amazing poet Taylor Mali. Since the first time I heard it on Indiefeed, this spoken word piece has always been one of my favorites. Listen.
NaPoWriMo 2008 - 30 Days of Poetry
March 24, 2008
In honor of “National Poetry Month”, which begins April 1st, I’m going to participate in this year’s NaPoWriMo or National Poetry Writing Month. Poets from around the world are committing to writing one poem a day, every day, for the 30 days of April.
I first heard about it through a post by Shanna Compton, which then led me to a post by Maureen Thorson, so I joined her blogroll.
The goal is not to create the perfect poem every day, but to get people to write poetry. A few of your poems will be amazing, a few of your poems will be literary garbage, but they all will be your creation and the experience will be one to remember.
Maureen writes:
Those who accept the NaPoWriMo challenge must commit themselves to writing a poem every day for the entirety of April. Those who accept this challenge may choose to post those poems on blogs, keep them in their notebooks, or hire underemployed skywriters to decorate urban cloudscapes with their output.
I have been doing this for around five years, and many have followed in my wake! If you plan to participate, go forth and do so! NaPoWriMo is free, requires no license, and wants you to propagate it in new and foreign soils.
I would love to have some Cloudy Day Art listeners and readers join me in this. If you agree to participate I will put a link to your blog on the Cloudy Day Art NaPoWriMo page, so others can follow along. I’ll post my poems on my poetry blog if you would like to follow along.
Contact me if you’re in! Oh, if you read this after April 1st, you can still join in. I won’t tell. 
Flashback Friday - Brother Yao interview by Gerry T
March 21, 2008
Gerry T, now of “The Gerry T Show“, interviews poet, performer, and entrepreneur Bro Yao. From March 20, 2006.
Check it out here: Cloudy Day Art #42
Flashback Friday is a new regular feature that I’m adding to the site, because there are many great interviews and shows that many of you have never heard and these poets deserve to be heard again!
Let me know what you think in the comments!
No CommentsElementary School Poetry Podcast
March 20, 2008
It always brings a smile to my face when I hear about teachers finding unique ways to bring technology into the classroom and the learning process. This time I am smiling ear-to-ear when I heard about a teacher doing it using two of my favorite passions: Poetry and Podcasting!
The school is Glenbrook Elementary of Euclid, OH. The teacher is Mrs. Mahoney.
Apparently the kids are quite fond of the poem “Booger Love” by Brod Bagert. A few of them recite it for their individual readings. My favorite recitation is by a student named “Kobie”. HERE is his reading.
Glenbrook Elementary Poetry Podcast
Does anyone know of any other schools doing something similar? Let me know in the comments.
No CommentsSummer Reading - The Poetry Home Repair Manual
July 7, 2007
I’m only on Chapter 1 “The Poet’s Job Description” and am ready to give my whole-hearted recommendation for this book.
Here’s a chapter excerpt that captures the importance of reading poetry:
We teach ourselves to write the kinds of poems we like to read. The more poems you read, and the more models you learn from and imitate, the better your writing will get. After you have read lots of poetry and written lots of poetry, your own work will become more accomplished and more your own, such a rich porridge of everything you’ve read and experimented with that most readers won’t be able to separate the ingredients. To that, you add your personality, character, and experience and, presto, you’ve got your own way of writing, your style, a uniqueness born of hands-on work with reading and writing.
It’s paragraphs like this that are making this book such an interesting read. Mr. Kooser is known for poetry that connects with people and, so far, his writing has the same effect.
As I mentioned in my audio-blog a few days ago, I plan on interviewing Ted Kooser about this book and the lessons that I’m learning throughout it. I think I’ll shoot for a mid-August date, so why don’t you join me in reading it and come up with some questions of your own?
*UPDATE* Listen to my interview with Ted Kooser on Cloudy Day Art #81!
7 Comments"The State of Poem" Poetry Documentary - Winter 2007
June 12, 2007
I came across this movie trailer while checking out a new poetry blog called “Speaking of Poetry“.
Billed as:
A comprehensive view of contemporary poetry across the United States.
It’s a Zampano Films production in association Kill Poet Press and Journal (site currently down - their MySpace)
It looks very interesting and I’m curious to see how it is released. Artsy, independent movie houses, straight to DVD???
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
The State of Poem (extended trailer)
Add to My Profile
Has our constant online connection broken our connection to creativity?
June 2, 2007
Some of you have noticed the “Take My Survey!” link at the top of the page and have taken it as well (thank you!).
One of the questions I ask is:
“If you write poetry, how do you usually compose?”
That really got me thinking about how we as poets create and edit our works. Think about it. Just generations ago, poets used nothing but pen and paper to generate their works.
No computers.
No Internet.
Just the poet.
The solitude of the craft has become broken by Instant Messaging, e-mail notifications, and the temptation to minimize creation and maximize our web browsers.
That being said, according to current survey results, 50% of us create our poetry on computers. I am one of those. In fact, besides short phrases scribbled on napkins during quick flashes of inspiration, 99% of all my drafts are formed through a keyboard.
To those who purposely avoid the computer and opt for the holy trinity of poet, pencil and pad, I commend you for your discipline.
But, at the same time, I wonder if there are any advantages to being online during creativity. Certainly a case can be made for quick access to online dictionaries and thesauruses. What about a quick trip over to Wikipedia to corroborate your witty sci-fi reference to Cerulean Blue?
What are your thoughts?
4 CommentsPoet Nikki Giovanni - We Are Virginia Tech
April 18, 2007
A beautiful, inspiring, and heartfelt poem by poet and Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni. Close your eyes and listen.
Poets Against the War - Video Podcast?
January 22, 2007
I’ve been contemplating doing a video poetry podcast ever since Simon put together the Slam Idol Podcast video contest a couple of months ago, but I never could come up with a good reason to do one. Well, now I believe I have.
The DC Poets Against the War are organizing a contingent of poets from around the country to take part in this weekend’s “March on Washington” that has been put together by a group called “United for Peace & Justice“. From the PAW website:
Come to Washington January 27 to March With the Poets As We Call on Congress to End the War Now!
March with the poets to call for an end to the war in Iraq! We’ll be carrying lines of poetry on signs through the streets of Washington. Join us! Details and contact information below. On Saturday, January 27, DC Poets Against the War will host a poets contingent at the United for Peace and Justice protest. We’ll be gathering on Satuday, January 27th at 10:30 am at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC (U Street/Cardozo on the Green Line), and heading via metro together to the protest at around 11 am. We’ll have plenty of signs, or bring your own if you feel inspired.
My plan is to get to Bus Boys and Poets a little early to set up a couple of interviews and then record the arrival of poets, the preparation, the mass metro ride, and scenes from the march. I hoping that everything goes smoothly and that the most challenging part will be editing the footage.
I’ll keep you updated!
Tags:Poets Against the War:March On Washington:United For Peace and Justice
3 CommentsThe Lament of the Non-Slam Poet
November 22, 2006
Just read a great post by StrUHT dealing with poetry slams and the mentality behind them. I highly suggest reading it and checking out the article he refers to ”Do We Still Need the Poetry Slam?” by Carlos Andres Gomez.
I really do enjoy the experience of a poetry slam, but unfortunatley the lesser, quiet, more introspective poet sometimes gets lost in the grandeur of the other more vocal and animated slammers. Yes, I know that is a big part of the poetry slam–how well you move and excite the crowd and I do believe that a truly great poem can out-shout a loud-mouth by the sheer beauty of the words, but still….
My heart just bleeds for the little guy.
The poet that pours his soul into the paper. The poet that literally becomes exhausted at the end of writing an eight line poem that would never be entered into a slam, but dies to be heard. I know that is what open mic events are for, but still…
I ache for the little guy with the small voice.
Poetry slam is quickly losing its function as a community building force among poets, which is often the first reason a lot of “old-timers” site as why the poetry slam was created. We need to move on from the ill-fated slam and find another forum or structure by which to network, support, and push each other as performers and writers. Slam has devolved into a place where we rarely offer honest critical advice, relying solely on the affirmation of audience applause or winning of a slam as “evidence” of our credibility as an artist.
–Carlos Andres Gomez
Well said, Carlos.
Well said, StrUHT.
No Comments
The Importance of Poetry
November 18, 2006
Here’s a great article on the importance of poetry.
There’s actually an odd correlation between these ideas: poetry is either inadequate, even immoral, in the face of human suffering, or it’s unprofitable, hence useless. Either way, poets are advised to hang our heads or fold our tents. Yet in fact, throughout the world, transfusions of poetic language can and do quite literally keep bodies and souls together - and more.
Why do all most of the good poetry newspaper articles come out of the UK?
