Planning ahead for Word of the Month Poetry Challenge

Hi everyone,

Becca, Susan, Joy, Carol-Ann, and Jeanne

In a few more days it will be time to post a word for the September Word of the Month Poetry Challenge. For the past many months I’ve posted each new word myself, but I think it’s time to share the fun again.

The first Highlights poetry workshop I gave in Honesdale, in 2011, was attended by the following good people CORY CORRADO, JEANNE POLAND, KEN SLESARIK, SUSAN CARMICHAEL, JOY ACEY, HEIDI MORDHORST, BECCA MENSHEN, and CAROL-ANN HOYTE. In previous posts I’ve mentioned this group of poets, most of whom came to the workshop as strangers and left friends. Many have remained in touch over these past eleven years.

Cory and Carol-Ann

With that original group in mind, I’m going to ask each in turn to provide the Word of the Month word for the coming months of September (Cory), October (Jeanne), November (Ken), December (Susan), January (Joy), February (Heidi), March (Becca), and April (Carol-Ann). If someone would rather not or can’t be located in time, we’ll always have me as Plan B.

Ken, Carol-Ann, Heidi, Joy, and Susan

So Cory, you’re up first. Send me a note in the next few days at davidlharrison1@att.net with your word for September and I’ll post it on September 1. Thank you in advance!

The Awesomesauce Nine

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I got a look at A TREASURY OF MEMORIES, POEMS BY THE AWESOMESAUCE NINE. It’s a handsome booklet being prepared to distribute to the poets who joined me at The Barn this year and I’m impressed by it. It’s a private collection so if you want to see the work of any of these poets, you’ll need to get in touch with them and beg for a look!

As soon as it’s officially available, I’ll show you the cover and maybe a teaser poem or two, with permission of course. It will be great fun to put these in the hands of the creative and talented people who participated. My thanks to one and all. Some of these poets traveled across the country to spend time together and work on new ways to develop their skills.

I reminded them at our first meeting the Olympics show us that sometimes the difference between winning gold and finishing out of the winners’ circle can be measured in fractions of a second. I think it’s often the same way with writing. The difference between being published or rejected may be far smaller than one might imagine. To have tried at all should be a source of pride. The AWESOMESAUCE NINE have every right to look at their collective works with pleasure.

The contributing poets are:
Jeanne Poland
Charles Waters
Jim Wise
Lisa Wise
Susan Bickel
Rosi Hollinbeck
Juli Mayer
Thomas Ohl
Jesse Anna Bornemann

Updated description of Poetry Workshop 2014

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I completed the agenda for the 2014 Highlights Poetry Workshop in September at the Barn in Honesdale. This will be posted on the Highlights Foundation Workshop page shortly but I see no reason not to share it now. Sign up if you’re interested. Tell a friend. It’s a great venue and I promise you an experience that you’ll remember.

Workshop Description

Date: September 29 – October 2, 2014
Arrive Monday, September 29, at 3:P.M. for a tour of HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN and Boyds Mills Press. Ends Thursday, October 2, after lunch.

Skype Guests: Kenn Nesbitt, U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate (via Skype) and Jane Yolen Guest Presentation: Rebecca Davis, Poetry Editor-at-Large for Boyds Mills Press/Highlights.

Designed For: From budding poet to published veteran, we learn and teach at every stage. If you like to think, talk, write, and share poetry, this one’s for you.

Maximum Capacity: 15 participants

How we’re organized:
SESSION 1: THE STUDY OF POETRY
SESSION 2: VERSE
SESSION 3: ARE YOU FUNNY?
SESSION 4: SKYPE GUEST KENN NESBITT
SESSION 5: REVISING AND REWRITING
SESSION 6: SKYPE GUEST JANE YOLEN
SESSION 7: PERFORMING YOUR WORK
SESSION 8: TIPS ON MARKETING
SESSION 9: SELF PUBLISHING
SESSION 10: POETRY EDITOR REBECCA DAVIS
SESSION 11: BECOMING AN EXPERT
SESSION 12: OPEN FORUM
SESSION 13: THE BIG PERFORMANCE
SESSION 14: SETTING DOABLE GOALS
WRAP UP, PICTURES, GOODBYES

Individual activities will include time to:
• Practice writing what you’re learning
• Be still with your thoughts
• Start at least three new poems
• Meet one-on-one with your workshop leader
• Have your work critiqued by your workshop leader
• Fun, impromptu gatherings by the fire to share poems
• Chance to learn from others

What you will accomplish:
• Write poems
• Practice fundamental elements of poetry
• Return home excited about the new poems you will write

What we will accomplish:
• Make you a better poet
• Create a community of poets