Five Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month + A Giveaway

April is National Poetry Month!

To get festive, here are a few things you can do:

  1. Subscribe to Poem-A-Day through the Academy of American Poets. Free verse delivered to your inbox. 
  2. Read this poem by Wendell Berry. It will inspire your writing. 
  3. Brush up on Philip Levine, the current Poet Laureate
  4. Has the Poetry in Motion project appeared in your city? Consult the atlas!
  5. Watch this brief TED video featuring Billy Collins discussing his animated poetry project.

Also, I'm giving away two copies of the April edition of Poetry Magazine, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

To enter, leave a comment sharing what your favorite poem is. I'll put everyone's name in a bowl and choose two winners on Saturday, April 7th.

"The Bagel" by David Ignatow + Avocado Wasabi Bagels

When was the last time you felt unabashedly silly? When did you run down the street, skipping, or scream on a roller coaster, or trip and fall in a public place? Most of the time we're buttoned up, trying to do everything we can to remain poised, but today's poem removes us from all the formality a bit and reminds us of those rare moments when you realize you're in the midst of a potentially embarrassing moment but choose to laugh instead of burrow away. (Also, I must thank Kelsey for sending this poem my way!)

"The Corn Harvest" by William Carlos Williams + Farmer's Egg Sandwich with Basil Aioli

Today I'm collaborating with fellow blogger Megan from Feasting on Art. We both take a similar approach to our food blogs. She creates recipes inspired by paintings, and I do the same for poetry. It seemed like only a matter of time before our paths crossed and we decided to pursue a joint venture.When Megan and I first started discussing this post, William Carlos Williams immediately came to mind. He wrote a series of poems titled Pictures of Brueghel, in response to Brueghel's paintings. If you're curious about Brueghel, head over to learn more about the painting, too.