Once a week in the name of poetry, Hila Ratzabi opens her living room to strangers. They lounge, snug on the red wraparound sofa in her West Philadelphia home, and discuss, over wine and homemade vegetarian food, how to become better poets Ratzabi, 34, is their teacher. A poet and freelance editor, Ratzabi has held … Continue reading Red Sofa Salon nurtures poets in a home setting (via Philly)
The 24-year-old has had many supportive messages on social media since telling the story of how she was racially abused and hit on a train on Friday. But while the internet has rushed to defend her, Siana says the people who actually witnessed it did nothing. "I'm sure most people on that train were good … Continue reading I was racially abused on a train and no-one helped me, says poet (via BBC)
A week after Marlon James became the first Jamaican to win the Booker, the Jamaican-born poet Claudia Rankine has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot prize for poetry. Rankine, whose collection of prose poems examining everyday racism, Citizen, has already won the Forward prize in the UK along with the NBCC award in the US, … Continue reading TS Eliot poetry prize shortlist stretches to Jamaica and beyond (via The Guardian)
The Auburn YMCA Writer's Voice Program’s Fall Poetry Reading took on many subjects Friday, including poems about politics, pets, love and lemon bars. Within the many themes, Donald Trump beat out Wegmans for multiple mentions. Founding director Jim Delaney opened the reading, saying he was not going to do any of his “problems with girls … Continue reading Poets share their personal reflections at reading in Auburn (via The Citizen)
“I always had a wild, weird voice,” the poet John Wieners once told an audience in San Francisco. That was 1990, and he was referring to his speaking voice — which he joked Martha Raye had left to him in her will — but he could as well have been accounting for his odd, belatedly lauded place … Continue reading Two new books give poet John Wieners an overdue look (via Boston Globe)
The poet and novelist Ben Okri has repaid the compliment of being cited as an inspiration in Jeremy Corbyn’s first major speech as Labour leader – in a poem celebrating a new dream of political power bringing peace, health and happiness. Corbyn, in his first speech as leader to a Labour conference, namechecked Okri, along … Continue reading Ben Okri salutes Jeremy Corbyn in poetry with A New Dream of Politics (via The Guardian)
Everywhere Matt Mason goes in the world, the story is the same. Young people love poetry. They just hate the stuff they’re taught in school. Mason, an award-winning slam poet and executive director of the Nebraska Writers Collective, has heard it from the students he works with in Omaha. He heard it in Belarus in … Continue reading Poet brings slam to countries’ budding young wordsmiths (via Omaha)
SWMS = Sturgis Williams Middle School The second annual Sturgis Williams Middle School poetry contest was held recently, with the 20 best poems selected based on creativity and originality. The winning writers were then treated to a hike to Poets Table near Harney Peak in Custer State Park. Those students were seventh-graders Gabby Bertalot, Jade Breidenbach, … Continue reading Winners named in second SWMS poetry contest (via Rapid City Journal)
In 1994, frustrated that such a thing didn’t already exist, philanthropist and poetry lover William Sieghart founded National Poetry Day and started campaigning for institutions, broadcasters and like-minded people to celebrate it every October. Last Thursday, on the festival’s 21st birthday, Radio 4 welcomed it into full adulthood with We British, which aimed to explore … Continue reading Radio 4’s celebration of National Poetry Day was beautiful (via The Telegraph)
First Lady Michelle Obama honored five young American poets at the White House this morning, including one Alaskan: Anna Lance, a 17-year-old from Eagle River, who represents the West. But being named a National Student Poet isn’t just about glory. It comes with an obligation, too. “I look forward to this event every year,” Mrs. Obama said, at … Continue reading Alaskan girl receives White House honor, appointment as poetry ‘ambassador’ (via Alaska Public Media)
