Month: August 2015

As a poet, it is almost impossible for me to read literature not centered on the language itself – which is why I have severe difficulties reading most crime fiction. A good plot or great story is not enough for me. I need the language to be precise, sensual, intense, and distinctive. I love novelists … Continue reading 10 Best Novels by Poets (via Publishers Weekly) →

New Zealand. Te Kahu Rolleston admits he has "always loved words". Now the Slam Poetry winner is visiting schools, such as Te Aroha College, to promote poetry as a way of learning. Influenced by Kapa Haka and "battle rap", Rolleston said his winning poems were a mixture of these. Battle rap is a type of … Continue reading Poetry an outlet for learning (via Waikato Times) →

Santa Clara County is looking for the right person to share poetry with its more than 1 million residents. The county announced earlier this week its plan to again partner with Silicon Valley Creates to search for the 2016-17 Santa Clara County Poet Laureate. The laureate's role is to elevate poetry awareness among county residents … Continue reading Santa Clara County searching for new poet laureate (via Mercury News) →

When it comes to performance poetry, nothing quite compares to the National Poetry Slam (NPS). Every August, more than seventy teams from across the United States and abroad gather for the five-day tournament, each with hopes of attaining the coveted championship. According to previous competitors, the NPS is like the World Series of poetry — … Continue reading The National Poetry Slam Returns to Oakland (via East Bay Express) →

For the last seven years, several Longmont residents have met as part of a private group, solely to write poems. Some of the 20 active members are engineers, one works in finance, another is a therapist. Only two are full-time writers. But once a month the group meets, most recently at Que's Espresso, to write … Continue reading Longmont poetry group releases anthology (via Times-Call) →