National Poetry Month
The Adventures of Book Waitress
Eve Stern tells the story of National Poetry Month selling books at Barnes & Noble: 'I have been stationed in Suburbia... to teach Literature as a Foreign Language.'
Eve Stern tells the story of National Poetry Month selling books at Barnes & Noble: 'I have been stationed in Suburbia... to teach Literature as a Foreign Language.'
AAP National Poetry Month page
The Academy of American Poets began National Poetry Month in 1996 & its NPM page is a clearinghouse for information on related activities every April.
The Academy of American Poets began National Poetry Month in 1996 & its NPM page is a clearinghouse for information on related activities every April.
“Against National Poetry Month As Such”
Charles Bernstein, Gray Professor of Po at Buffalo and author of the new indefinable My Way, wrote a hilarious sendup of the foibles of NatPoMo in 1999.
Charles Bernstein, Gray Professor of Po at Buffalo and author of the new indefinable My Way, wrote a hilarious sendup of the foibles of NatPoMo in 1999.
American Poetry & Literacy Project
Andrew Carroll & Joseph Brodsky’s American Poetry & Literacy Project gave away poetry books in National Poetry Month projects like 1999’s “Great APLSeed Giveaway” & 2000’s gift of Songs of the Open Road to American Airlines’ international flights. (Brodsky said, “a poem on the page is like a plane in the sky,” after all.)
Andrew Carroll & Joseph Brodsky’s American Poetry & Literacy Project gave away poetry books in National Poetry Month projects like 1999’s “Great APLSeed Giveaway” & 2000’s gift of Songs of the Open Road to American Airlines’ international flights. (Brodsky said, “a poem on the page is like a plane in the sky,” after all.)
“Catch the Poetry Bug”
Instigated by Andrew Carroll’s American Poetry & Literacy Project, Volkswagen placed a book of poems in each new VW delivered in April 1999 & sent a trio of magnetic-poetry-encrusted VW Beetles to schools, libraries & parks across the country.
Instigated by Andrew Carroll’s American Poetry & Literacy Project, Volkswagen placed a book of poems in each new VW delivered in April 1999 & sent a trio of magnetic-poetry-encrusted VW Beetles to schools, libraries & parks across the country.
Knopf Poetry Center Daily Poems
Opened on the Web in celebration of National Poetry Month 1999, the Knopf Poetry Center has broadsides, craft essays, profiles of Knopf poets & its catalog of poetry books. You can sign up for a daily email poem from a different Knopf poet each day during April.
Opened on the Web in celebration of National Poetry Month 1999, the Knopf Poetry Center has broadsides, craft essays, profiles of Knopf poets & its catalog of poetry books. You can sign up for a daily email poem from a different Knopf poet each day during April.
League of Canadian Poets National Poetry Month page
April is National Poetry Month in Canada, too (since 1999) -- & the League of Canadian Poets keeps it all together in a National Calendar of poetry events.
April is National Poetry Month in Canada, too (since 1999) -- & the League of Canadian Poets keeps it all together in a National Calendar of poetry events.
Library of Congress CyberCast
April 3 - 4, 2000 launched NatPoMo with “Poetry in America: A Library of Congress Bicentennial Celebration” -- readings of favorite poems by Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Rita Dove, Louise Glück, W.S. Merwin, Joshua Weiner & Naomi Shihab Nye, plus recordings from the Favorite Poem Project, all cybercast live & later archived at the Library of Congress site.
April 3 - 4, 2000 launched NatPoMo with “Poetry in America: A Library of Congress Bicentennial Celebration” -- readings of favorite poems by Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Rita Dove, Louise Glück, W.S. Merwin, Joshua Weiner & Naomi Shihab Nye, plus recordings from the Favorite Poem Project, all cybercast live & later archived at the Library of Congress site.
“The Millennium Poem”
Beginning in April & continuing through the end of 1999, Amazon.com enlisted 40 poets to contribute lines extending the poem begun by Philip Levine & Eavan Boland, & the first & second sets of 6 poets' lines are still readable at the site. Somewhere between art and commerce, the exact location towards which the Beast is slouching and twitching!
Beginning in April & continuing through the end of 1999, Amazon.com enlisted 40 poets to contribute lines extending the poem begun by Philip Levine & Eavan Boland, & the first & second sets of 6 poets' lines are still readable at the site. Somewhere between art and commerce, the exact location towards which the Beast is slouching and twitching!
National Poetry Almanac
For NatPoMo 2004, AAP launched a year-long almanac of poets, poems, poetry books, poetic forms & poetic interaction with the other arts, organized in monthly themes. Now the almanac is complete online -- worth bookmarking to read each daily entry.
For NatPoMo 2004, AAP launched a year-long almanac of poets, poems, poetry books, poetic forms & poetic interaction with the other arts, organized in monthly themes. Now the almanac is complete online -- worth bookmarking to read each daily entry.
National Poetry Map
The National Poetry Map was a 2003 NatPoMo project: a comprehensive state-by-state directory of poets, literary organizations, festivals, lit journals & small presses, writing programs, poetry-friendly bookstores & local events culled from the AAP’s national calendar.
The National Poetry Map was a 2003 NatPoMo project: a comprehensive state-by-state directory of poets, literary organizations, festivals, lit journals & small presses, writing programs, poetry-friendly bookstores & local events culled from the AAP’s national calendar.
Poems for April
The Electronic Poetry Center & the hypermedia poets of WebArtery collected the newest manifestations of poetry for spring of 2000 (if not specifically for NatPoMo) -- “the writer’s engagement with the cogs and wheels of the microprocessor, the arc of the mouse trail, the angst of the error message... figuring out what one can make here that one cannot make in any other place.”
The Electronic Poetry Center & the hypermedia poets of WebArtery collected the newest manifestations of poetry for spring of 2000 (if not specifically for NatPoMo) -- “the writer’s engagement with the cogs and wheels of the microprocessor, the arc of the mouse trail, the angst of the error message... figuring out what one can make here that one cannot make in any other place.”
Poetry Book Club
AAP’s project for NatPoMo 2005 was a comprehensive set of resources intended to seed poetry book clubs across the country: suggested formats, book lists & reading guides for the classics.
AAP’s project for NatPoMo 2005 was a comprehensive set of resources intended to seed poetry book clubs across the country: suggested formats, book lists & reading guides for the classics.
Poetry Daily Email Poems
Poetry Daily’s usual weekly email newsletter came daily Monday through Friday during April of 2001, offering “Poets’ Picks” (poems selected by 21 invited poets from “The Greats”) -- & not incidentally, doing a little fundraising while they were at it.
Poetry Daily’s usual weekly email newsletter came daily Monday through Friday during April of 2001, offering “Poets’ Picks” (poems selected by 21 invited poets from “The Greats”) -- & not incidentally, doing a little fundraising while they were at it.
Poetry Daily collaborative poem
In 2002, Albert Goldbarth permitted his poem “Library” to be posted at Poetry Daily as the seed of a collaborative poem for National Poetry Month. Invited poets added lines in March & in April it was opened up to any willing contributors.
In 2002, Albert Goldbarth permitted his poem “Library” to be posted at Poetry Daily as the seed of a collaborative poem for National Poetry Month. Invited poets added lines in March & in April it was opened up to any willing contributors.
“Poems Against Poetry”
To mark National Poetry Week in 2005, Slate published each week “a poem that derogates poetry itself or kvetches about bad poetry or denounces public taste in poetry,” selected by Robert Pinsky: Ben Jonson, Louise Bogan & Stevie Smith, Alexander Pope & Marianne Moore.
To mark National Poetry Week in 2005, Slate published each week “a poem that derogates poetry itself or kvetches about bad poetry or denounces public taste in poetry,” selected by Robert Pinsky: Ben Jonson, Louise Bogan & Stevie Smith, Alexander Pope & Marianne Moore.
Scholastic Teacher’s Guide on National Poetry Month
For preschoolers, kindergartners, 1st & 2nd graders, Scholastic provides step-by-step activity descriptions and a good bibliography.
For preschoolers, kindergartners, 1st & 2nd graders, Scholastic provides step-by-step activity descriptions and a good bibliography.
Teachervision.com National Poetry Month lesson plans
Exercises, quizzes, activities & references for teachers to use in the classroom during National Poetry Month are all gathered on Teachervision.com’s theme page.
Exercises, quizzes, activities & references for teachers to use in the classroom during National Poetry Month are all gathered on Teachervision.com’s theme page.
Traci’s list of 10 National Poetry Month activities
For teachers, educational consultant Traci Gardner (she works for the National Council of Teachers of English) offers this list of 10 poetry activities ranging from “Poetry by Committee” to “Auden’s system” to “Matching Song.”
For teachers, educational consultant Traci Gardner (she works for the National Council of Teachers of English) offers this list of 10 poetry activities ranging from “Poetry by Committee” to “Auden’s system” to “Matching Song.”
Young People’s Poetry Week
One week of poetry’s month is devoted to kids & teens in events sponsored by the Children’s Book Council each year.
One week of poetry’s month is devoted to kids & teens in events sponsored by the Children’s Book Council each year.