A few months ago I started a new blog for reading poetry. I invited some friends I knew from my various poetry programs to read and write about our reading. Long story short--or short story short, really--I just deleted the blog. Despite what I think was true enthusiasm for the project, both from me and my recruits, it never got off the ground.
Why is it so hard, even for poets, to make time to read poetry? Is it just me or do others have this problem too? When I manage to stop myself from using Amelia's naptimes to clean the house, I am much more likely to write than to read, and when I read, it is much more likely to be fiction than poetry...
I want to change this. One of my goals for the fall is to read more poetry. Ideally, I would like to read a book a week. By "read," I don't necessarily mean sit down and read every page from beginning to end, the way one reads a book of fiction, but instead to spend time with the book, a good chunk of time, and read as much of it as I can depending on what else is going on that week and my interest in the volume. And then I would like to write a brief review or comment on the book, here on this blog.
Since I will be using this space to comment on the books I read, I thought I would invite all of you lovely blog readers to join me in the reading. Then you can comment too, if you want.
I found a guiding hand to help me get started, too. Poets.org, a website I really enjoy, has this list of groundbreaking books of poetry. I am going to go down the list. I have read some of these books, not every one, but I am going to reread the ones I have read, and comment on all of them.
So the first one is Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phyllis Wheatley. I have never read this one, and she looks like a very interesting author. Realistically, a book a week might be a lot for me, but to get started, I am going to make a trip to the library to get this book by Monday, and I will write a comment on it sometime the week of October 25. Yikes! Now I am committed. I hope some of you will go find this book in your library or local bookstore too!
P.S. You should explore poets.org. They have great stuff, including a list of poet Halloween costumes.
1 comment:
I used to teach/teach about Phyllis Wheatley in my women's American history class. She is a very good poet, but her life story is even more interesting.
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