NaPoReMo?
Well, NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) gets more and more popular every year and it’s been a great idea. However, without readers, poems can’t do what they’re supposed to do i.e. be read.
So I’d like to inaugurate June as National Poetry Reading Month (NaPoReMo). The idea goes like this:
1. Buy a new book, preferably before June, by a contemporary poet whose work you are not particularly familiar with. An anthology is also acceptable. You must buy the book. Poetry publishers need your money, especially the smaller ones.
2. Read the whole collection by the end of the month at least once. I know some people will laugh at this, as they will read several collections every month. But for others, this will be a new experience.
3. Each day of June, write a paragraph on a poem from the book, and post it to your blog (if you have one). There’s no minimum or maximum length of paragraph. It could be a short sentence. But explain how you react to the poem and quote your favourite line (or a line to show why you didn’t like it).
*Please note – the sentence you write on the book needn’t be at all sophisticated. It should simply be an honest reaction to the poem, not a long theoretical treatise. So if you’re relatively new to poetry, have a go.
Anyone reading this – please spread the word. I know some poetry bloggers have already indicated their interest, but it would be good to have people taking part who don’t normally read much poetry. I have been known to read novels and non-fiction, and go to cinemas, theatres and art exhibitions, so crossover is possible! If you’re in, let me know in the comments box and I’ll create a link-list of participants.
