It's National Poetry Month!

Here in the U.S.A., April is National Poetry Month.

Here are five ways to consider joining in the fun:

1. Write a poem. Try an Ekphrasis. or an Triolet. Or a Pantoum! (There are many more poetic forms listed here.)

2. Read "Tide Of Voices: Why Poetry Matters Today" by Mark Doty.

3. Celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day (on April 27, 2017)

4. Watch a poetry-themed movie (here's a list)

5. Share a favorite poem. With chalk on the sidewalk. On social media. In person, with a friend.


For lots more suggestions, see the full list of 30 ways to celebrate national poetry month at poets.org

Poet and Author Greg Pincus Shares 30 Poets 30 Days

It's the 5th year Greg Pincus celebrates the USA's National Poetry Month (April) by sharing previously unpublished poetry by children's literature stars on his Gottabook blog.

This year's poets include:

Jon Agee
Stephen W. Cahill
Thalia Chaltas
Kristin Elizabeth Clark
Jill Corcoran
Dave Crawley
Doug Cushman
Kelly Ramsdell Fineman
Nancy Bo Flood
John Foster
Mary Lee Hahn
Steven Herrick
Emily Jiang
Irene Latham
Renée LaTulippe
Debbie Levy
Guadalupe Garcia McCall
G. Neri
Lesléa Newman
Naomi Shihab Nye
Andrew Fusek Peters
Heidi Bee Roemer
Robert Schechter
Laurel Snyder
Sonya Sones
Maria Testa
Robert Paul Weston
Jenny Whitehead
Tamera Will Wissinger
Joyce Lee Wong

 

Greg's done something pretty genius by taking an event that already existed and bringing people to his online home for thirty days in a row - not to read his own poetry, but to read other poets' works, and to celebrate poetry for kids!

Of course, once people are at his site, they see his poetry, and get excited about Greg's debut novel "The 14 Fibs of Gregory K." (out this October from Arthur A. Levine books.)

It's like a master class in how to build a platform.

But that makes sense, because Greg's also a social media guru for writers and illustrators.  (He does his social media stuff here at The Happy Accident.)

So go check out some amazing poetry for the whole month of April.  And get inspired, both by the poetry, and what you might do to build your own platform!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Book Marketing: The Synergy of National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month in the USA, and these kid lit poets have come up with some clever ways to celebrate that isn't all about them.  By hosting the work of others on their sites, they're raising their own profile, generating a lot of good-will, and doing good.

So check out these cool and inspiring projects by kid lit authors and poets:

Kid Lit Poet Ed DeCaria created a sports-match style event called Madness! 2012, pitting poets and their specially-written poems against each other head to head - readers vote for their favorites, and the winners advance to the next round.  This week is the final match up, and with over 120 new poems and more than 10,000 votes cast, it's a great way to celebrate poetry!

Kid Lit Poet, Author (with his debut book upcoming from Arthur A. Levine books) and Social Media Guru Greg Pincus once again treats us all to 30 Poets 30 Days on his blog, GottaBook. 
This year's poets will include Alma Flor Ada, Susan Taylor Brown,Liz Brownlee, Leslie Bulion, Kate Coombs, Bruce Coville, Kalli Dakos, Ed DeCaria, Margarita Engle, Bob Forbes, Helen Frost, Sara Holbrook, Ellen Hopkins, Ron Koertge, Thanhha Lai, JonArno Lawson, Kimberly Marcus, Lorraine Marwood, Marilyn Nelson, Eric Ode, Mary Quattlebaum, Bob Raczka, Michael J. Rosen, Michael Salinger, Hope Anita Smith, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Lee Wardlaw, Robert Weinstock, Steven Withrow, and Allan Wolf!

And Kid Lit Picture Book Author and self-professed foodie Jama Kim Rattigan has rounded up lots more National Poetry Month Kid Lit Events at her blog here, including her own 3rd Annual Poetry Potluck, where guest poets will share a poem and favorite recipe each week day throughout April.  Her menu of poets includes: Charles Waters, Linda Ashman, Janet Wong, April Pulley Sayre, Robyn Hood Black, Kathi Appelt, Leslie Muir, Martha Calderaro, Mary Quattlebaum, Jill Corcoran, Linda Baie, Gail Gerwin, Helen Frost, Kay Pluta, Margarita Engle, Lesa Taylor Medley, Lee Wardlaw, Doraine Bennett, Heidi Bee Roemer ,Adele Kenny, and Sondra Gash.

What's interesting to note is that by connecting to the larger celebration of National Poetry Month, Ed, Greg and Jama are bringing lots of new children's poetry to new readers, and that's bringing new readers to themselves as well.

And if you write children's poetry, you can jump in the fun by participating in the April editions of Poetry Friday (a weekly roundup of poetry posts in the kidlitosphere) here:

• Read Write How!
  April 6, 2012
• Booktalking
  April 13, 2012
• Random Noodling
  April 20, 2012
• The Opposite of Indifference
  April 27, 2012

Happy National Poetry Month!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee