Well, here we are in the strangely appearing and disappearing spring we have here in the Northeastern U.S. No leaves or even buds yet, but the sun is shining today. And here I am, at the beginning of Poetry Month, with my usual exhortation.
Exhortation, you say? Yes, I say. Keep poetry alive!
But how? So many ways, and I will now tell you exactly what to do.
Step away from your desk. Throw open the door and go to your nearest book store – preferably an independent one, but if you are not lucky enough to have such a thing where you live, then to a large chain. Enter, and in a loud voice, ask, “Where, please, is the poetry section?”
Find it, browse through its sparsely-occupied shelves, select a couple of individual, Collected or New and Selected volumes, or even an anthology or two and take them up to checkout for purchase. See how easy it is, and perhaps you will remember that the next time you go to a bookstore.
Do the same thing at a used book store and at every library you can easily walk or drive to. Check out some poetry books at the library, and while you’re at it, look for biographies. One I can suggest is the thick biography of the late James Wright, by Blunk. It may be too expensive to buy, but you can certainly keep renewing it at the public library.
Now take a look at your local newspaper to see if any poetry readings are taking place where you can get to them when you’re free. Go to a reading!!! If you never have, you’ll be surprised at how enjoyable it is and how many interesting people you’ll meet there. And just because the reading is free and open to the public – and especially because it is, if the poet has books on display, it’s common courtesy to buy one and take it up for signing. That’s what is meant in the ad that says, “Books available for signing,” even though it doesn’t say “and for purchase.”
While we’re talking purchase, do consider buying some of the books by and about our Poetry Monday poets. One I highly recommend is Everywoman Her Own Theology: On the Poetry of Alicia Suskin Ostriker, Edited by Martha Nell Smith and Julie R. Enszer (University of Michigan Press, 2018). I invite you also to dig into our archives and find others. May I also – dare I (yes, I do dare) recommend my own newest collection, Rehearsal (IP Books, 2018), especially for those of you who are widows or widowers, because it might help you deal with loss.
Speaking of loss, many of still mourning the loss of another great poet, W. S. Merwin, may not have read the fine obituary for Linda Gregg, in the New York Times last Friday, March 28.
So there you have it. Consider yourself duly exhorted and reminded:
KEEP POETRY ALIVE!
Have I left anything out? Oh, yes. If you write poetry yourself, or would like to, consider taking a workshop. Not only would you find needed support there, but also improve your skills. Yes, writing a good poem is not easy. Some poems have to be revised and revised, often over a period of years.
And how could I forget K-12 education? If you’re a parent, ask about poetry at your next parent-teacher conference. Make sure it’s not eliminated in the rush to testing.
Finally, of course, if you have any funds to donate, then of course do that. The Poetry Foundation is a good place to start. But your local non-profits could also benefit from your largesse, no matter how limited.–
–Irene Willis
Poetry Editor