National Poetry Writing Month 2017

National Poetry Writing Month is back and it's 2017 - time to take it a notch higher. I wish to engage better with NaPoWriMo this year which is why I want to go further than just following the prompts and writing a poem daily. Last year (2016), I wrote Limericks Of Abbie Dragonblood and deserted the poetry writing challenge mid way because life happened. This year I intend to be more committed to NaPoWriMo.

Like last year, I ordered the NaPoWriMo 2017 poster which is a beautiful illustration by Maira Kalman brought to the world by Academy of American Poets. According to Chip Kidd (the designer/commissioner) Kalman's style is "whimsical and haunting" which I feel is exactly how I describe my poetry writing style. So this poster (in photo above) is going on my Adventure Board and hopefully (soon!) I'd be able to complete its decor and share with the world! There's no better way to commemorate Spring than to participate in NaPoWriMo.

“Maira Kalman is the perfect choice to create the National Poetry Month poster,” said designer Chip Kidd, who commissions an artist to create the National Poetry Month poster on our behalf every April. “She is the John Ashbery of painted illustration, whimsical and haunting, but with more dogs and pastry. Which is always a good thing.”

I have a heartfelt theme this year and I may or may not follow the prompts. 

Smartphones and social media culture rudely took away the little joy of handwritten notes and letters. I love the feel of pen, chalk, pencil, or any writing media on any writing media be they paper, parchment, black board, white board, the walls! So this Spring (2017) I am committing to handwritten snippets of poetry wherever I can find the space to write.

Poetry has been my best friend, seconded by writing prose (some fiction!), and then taking to the kitchen like a mad scientist for catharsis. I never had any friends who compose poetry - I was the only one in class ALWAYS - and so I took to the Internet to find me some blogger pals who were as crazy different as I was. It took me a while to figure out that I was composing Gothic poems and that element still finds its way into my present day writing. 

 

For Letters and Pieces I intend to write couplets (mostly) - sometimes one, or two - or take to freestyle which is my favorite type of poetry. The LAST that you find here is boring poetry that makes no sense. I give a strong visual component to my poems so you can hope to find graphics, photographs, and artsy bits used for creative expression. ENJOY.

See you on April 1st, 2017.