NPN and NaPoWriMo -- What's the Deal?
Need a refresher on the acronyms?
NPM: National Poetry Month. Founded by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, NPM has become a community effort to raise awareness of poetry and poetry events across the country.
NaPoWriMo: National Poetry Writing Month. Started by a group of rag-tag poets … hmmm … I don’t know how NaPoWriMo started. I just know that I’ve been writing a poem a day in the month of April for the last three years. And, NaPoWriMo has taken on an international appeal in our global poetry community, so the effort is a far-reaching one (read: I'm not the only one daft enough to do this!).
In this ever-changing economic climate, poetry is needed now more than ever. Poetry is where we go when nowhere else will do. What better way to make a contribution to the larger literary community than to participate in April poetry activities?
Here are a few suggestions.
Give me your feedback. Let me know if you’re participating and I’ll keep a running list. And let me know what else you’re doing during National Poetry Month. At the very least, stop lurking and say hello to the poet/writer bloggers you’ve been reading—you'll be glad you did!
NPM: National Poetry Month. Founded by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, NPM has become a community effort to raise awareness of poetry and poetry events across the country.
NaPoWriMo: National Poetry Writing Month. Started by a group of rag-tag poets … hmmm … I don’t know how NaPoWriMo started. I just know that I’ve been writing a poem a day in the month of April for the last three years. And, NaPoWriMo has taken on an international appeal in our global poetry community, so the effort is a far-reaching one (read: I'm not the only one daft enough to do this!).
In this ever-changing economic climate, poetry is needed now more than ever. Poetry is where we go when nowhere else will do. What better way to make a contribution to the larger literary community than to participate in April poetry activities?
Here are a few suggestions.
- April 1 - Upload video or audio of you reading an original poem. Let's see the faces and hear the voices behind the blogs. OR, post a picture of your writing space or bookshelves. Show us a bit of your creative space.
- Write a poem a day in April. NaPoWriMo is extreme, but what better what to kick-start your writing than with a month-long writing challenge. Even if you don’t make it to month’s end, tell us about the experience. You can make your poems public, or not. That's up to you.
- Support a print publication or Web zine by buying a subscription. I know money is tight, but many quality journals may go out of print without our help during this recession. Consider buying a subscription or making a donation to your favorite literary publication or arts organization in April.
- Take a poet to lunch. I’m just throwing it out there! (Are you reading, coworkers?!)
Give me your feedback. Let me know if you’re participating and I’ll keep a running list. And let me know what else you’re doing during National Poetry Month. At the very least, stop lurking and say hello to the poet/writer bloggers you’ve been reading—you'll be glad you did!
Comments
i love the video post you added above!
http://readwritepoem.org/2009/03/19/in-case-you-were-wondering-napowrimo-2009/
And there's a new button, too! wOOt!
(Love the video & idea, but I can barely write. :-) )
Woo hoo! NaPoWriMo, baby!
I'm supporting a print publication by keeping their accounts in order, I've been doing that for quite a few years now. (It's amazing how many creative people - among whose ranks the editors are generally selected - just can't keep the books straight).
I'm finding that keeping a blog on a regular basis is similar to my experience writing a poem a day: I'm much more alert as I go through the day, always on the lookout for raw material (to turn into a blog posting--and a poem a day, during April).
(Thanks for the de-lurking prompt!)