National Poetry Month 2009
I've purposely given myself about two weeks distance before writing an epilogue.
Originally I was planning to tie everything together via sweeping prose poem, one where I would re-explore recurrent themes and where the characters from each poem would bleed into my musings: the repressed socialite and con-artist (4th), the Bill Clinton look-a-like and his admirer (11), even that ill-fated beetle (25). I planned on discussing my real experiences wandering aimless in the Bowery during Christmastime or spending the night across from a barfly fortune-teller, albeit far from Biloxi, MI (you know what I'm talking about, J.P.). But each time I started on this tack, things seemed forced. So I decided to shelve the idea for the time being - who knows, maybe it will pop up on these pages in the future. This project needs some sort of wrap-up however, so here it goes:
What a great experience. I wore myself thin towards the end - at one point I had three nights in a row of seeing the sun come up - but it was worth it. I'm happy with a months' worth of output, of course (less doggerel, than expected), but the process was what I'm really excited about. This project's mix of structure and chance, combined with the pace of the poem-a-day schedule helped me to get a tighter grasp on my strengths, limitations, habits, and needs as a writer. And it was fun. There were a few moments of doubt certainly, a few times I breathed a sigh of relief when I rolled an 11 (tweet), a few poems that, admittedly, were mailed in, but on the whole it was a thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable (and feverish) month. Y'all should try it sometime.
Will there be more poetry on here in the future? Certainly. Not at the same pace as April, maybe, but some smaller-term projects are already in the works. I'm leaving the country for the rest of May starting tomorrow, but there will most definitely be some updates when I return. So stay tuned.
I would never have been able to discipline myself enough to finish this project without the obligation to consistently put out something others would enjoy. So thanks again for your readership and support, kids!
I've purposely given myself about two weeks distance before writing an epilogue.
Originally I was planning to tie everything together via sweeping prose poem, one where I would re-explore recurrent themes and where the characters from each poem would bleed into my musings: the repressed socialite and con-artist (4th), the Bill Clinton look-a-like and his admirer (11), even that ill-fated beetle (25). I planned on discussing my real experiences wandering aimless in the Bowery during Christmastime or spending the night across from a barfly fortune-teller, albeit far from Biloxi, MI (you know what I'm talking about, J.P.). But each time I started on this tack, things seemed forced. So I decided to shelve the idea for the time being - who knows, maybe it will pop up on these pages in the future. This project needs some sort of wrap-up however, so here it goes:
What a great experience. I wore myself thin towards the end - at one point I had three nights in a row of seeing the sun come up - but it was worth it. I'm happy with a months' worth of output, of course (less doggerel, than expected), but the process was what I'm really excited about. This project's mix of structure and chance, combined with the pace of the poem-a-day schedule helped me to get a tighter grasp on my strengths, limitations, habits, and needs as a writer. And it was fun. There were a few moments of doubt certainly, a few times I breathed a sigh of relief when I rolled an 11 (tweet), a few poems that, admittedly, were mailed in, but on the whole it was a thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable (and feverish) month. Y'all should try it sometime.
Will there be more poetry on here in the future? Certainly. Not at the same pace as April, maybe, but some smaller-term projects are already in the works. I'm leaving the country for the rest of May starting tomorrow, but there will most definitely be some updates when I return. So stay tuned.
I would never have been able to discipline myself enough to finish this project without the obligation to consistently put out something others would enjoy. So thanks again for your readership and support, kids!
