New Year’s resolutions have never been my thing. I’m one of
those people that makes a goal to go to the gym regularly on January 1st
and conveniently forgets how to get there by February 15th.
So when Jessica Bell asked me if I’d be willing to write a
poem a day in 2011, I thought she was nuts. A
poem a day, are you freakin’ kidding me?
“I can write one poem a month,” I responded.
“That’s fine too,” she said before adding me to a secret
facebook group of underground poets who’d committed to share their work for the
next year.
My goal had been to write one poem a month, but with the
constant inspiration of seeing what others could produce, the unquenchable
desire I suddenly had for their feedback, and the opportunity to read a
plethora of styles and voices, I ended up writing about two poems a week.
Poetry Pact was the first place I visited in the morning and
often the last place I clicked on at night. I began to make friends from around
the world—Great Britain, Greece, India, and Cyprus. As we took our work out
into the big scary world and shared our stories of rejection and success, I
grew to love my poet friends even more than the poetry itself.
They deserved something for all their hard work, for all their
hours struggling to find the perfect words to express themselves. For their
courage to put their babies up for honest scrutiny and evaluation even though
they knew they may have to start again from scratch. They deserved a chance to
get their work out there and change the world in some small way. And so, the
Poetry Pact 2011 anthology was born.
I am proud of the individuality and variety in this anthology.
I am proud to be associated with a group as talented and diverse and supportive
as this one. I want to shout out to the world how lucky I feel and have come up
with a blogfest to do just that.
Because good things come in threes, I’m asking my wonderful
readers who have their own blogs to put up a story about a secret pact they have
made, a friend they are close to, or a close knit group that has helped them
through hard times on any day between June 27th and June 29th.
On Saturday, June 30th, I will make sure I’ve read everyone’s
stories and will announce six winners.
I am giving away the following:
One copy of “Leaving the Hall Light On” by Madeline Sharples
Two must read writing books, “Save the Cat” and “On Writing”
by Stephen King
Three signed copies of my chapbook “Cleave”
And yes, this is open internationally.
In addition to these prizes, I will enter the name of anyone
who uses social media to promote the Poetry Pact 2011 anthology into a random
drawing for two $15 Amazon gift certificates. Just tell me what you did to get
the word out via email here.
The more you do, the more times your name will be
entered. I’ll announce the winner of those two gift cards on June 30th
as well. Now, I'm running my eyes up and down this blogpost to see if there's anything I've left out. Oh yes, here's the link to the anthology on Amazon. Another link to the goodreads giveaway sponsored by Jessica Bell.
The list of contributors: Angela Felsted
(Author),
Jessica Bell
(Author), Jim Murdoch (Author), Laurel Garver (Author),
Lydia Kang
(Author), Madeline Sharples (Author), Richard Merrill (Author),
Kerala Varma
(Author), Glynis Smy (Author), Alaine Benard (Author),
Artemis Grey
(Author), Roslyn Ross (Author),
Angie Ledbetter
(Author), Caleb Mannan (Author), Emily Kruse (Author),
February Grace
(Author),
Janice Marie Phelps
(Author), J.R. McRae
See what a totally awesome group of writers this is? Yes, I'm getting side tracked, go figure. All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to Direct Relief International, a charity which provides humanitarian aid all over the world.
And now for the blogfest. I'm so excited to read people's entries. Remember to put up your story on either June 27th, 28th, or 29th if you enter. Please, please, please sign up.
