We talk a lot about the strong poetry community that we have here in upstate New York, but we are not the only ones who keep the art going. Here are some of the things that caught my eye this morning.
Poetry Slam giving back…
Buffalo Poetry Slam Gives Back to Vive, Inc., – The Buffalo / Niagra International Poetry Slam took place a couple of weeks ago and winning the compeition was not all that was on the minds of those on stage. The organizers of the slam send part of the proceeds to Vive, Inc., an organization based in Buffalo dedicated to supporting refugees from around the world.
Teens getting involved in poetry and spoken word, even in the summer…
The key to keeping poetry and spoken word alive in the future is to get the youth involved as soon possible. One of the organizations that is really making this a priority and doing it right is Youth Speaks. Their annual youth poetry slam event, the Brave New Voices 2012 festival is kicking off this week in San Francisco and both the Albuquerque Journal and the Des Moines Register have articles up talking to some of the yung poets who will be participating in the 15th annual event.
A very good question…
Inside Higher Ed has an interview up on their site author with John Timberman Newcomb about his new book, How Did Poetry Survive?, where he “traces the genre’s changing fortunes at the turn of the 20th century, arguing that poets’ engagement with modern topics and “ordinary life” played a key role in their works’ return to widely acknowledged cultural relevance.”
And this is what we do…
The La Canada Valley Sun has a story about a small press that has published some of the biggest names in poetry starting a new reading series in California.
The funny thing about poetry is this: It is easier to get paid for a screenplay than for a poem. It is also easier to collect on a debt than to get paid for a poem. In 1994, the magic happened: Alan Fox, a successful businessman and Realtor, started a poetry journal. His journal, Rattle, has the following mission: “We love poetry and feel that it’s something everyone can enjoy.”
