Saturday, October 2, 2010

Reaping The Harvest

Maxine Kumin
Lots of poetry events are happening locally this fall. Eight poet laureates are reading at the Library of Congress this Wednesday, October 6th. What an abundance of riches that will be!

The Library is also offering a Fall 2010 Poetry at Noon Series starting October 19th.

The Folger Shakespeare Library has scheduled "The Hardison Poetry Series" for 2010/11. It began September 28th with Edward Hirsch making the case for poetry and continues once a month into May 2011.

Georgetown University has a 2010/11 Reading Series at the Lannan Center, featuring a plethora of poets.

Who said D.C. was just a government town?

Speaking of Poet laureates, former poet laureate, Charles Simic posted (LC site) a list of things to keep in mind when writing a poem. I thought I'd share a few of them with you.

"Don't tell the readers what they already know about life and don't assume you're the only one in the world who suffers."

"Don't overwrite, but do consider what you are writing down a draft that will need additional tinkering, perhaps many months, and even year of tinkering."

I invite you to consider this your mantra for the month of October.

Tinker, tinker, tinker.

Reap, reap, reap.