BIG THINGS COME IN THREES? ON THE POETRY HORIZON

Note: Please click on photos to enlarge for better viewing 

I’m sure lots of people do lots of things for poetry, for those who write, read, and listen to it, for those who ingest it through their pores, who sip it like morning tea or coffee or chug it like a shot of whatever your favorite shot substance is. I know a few such people and Rick Lupert and the Poetry Super Highway (PSH) certainly fit the bill.

But I don’t expect you to take my word for it…in fact, I hope you won’t take my word for it and will “fact check” my contention. All you have to do is click here and travel. This super highway has many lanes so you can zip through in the IAH (in a hurry) lane- which I wouldn’t recommend- or take in the sights in the preferred TYT (take you time) lane- which I do recommend. So much to absorb!

It’s not Xmas time- or more apropos, Hanukah time- yet, but the PSH is bringing more poetry gifts. More? Well, yes more. The recently concluded poetry contest surely brought gifts a-plenty. The newest shiny gift basket is the 18^th E-Book free for all where you can give the gift of your creative expressions (i.e., your poetry) and receive similar gifts from others without it costing you a cent! 

In Rick's words, this is "A crazy project in which your poetry e-books will be freely available to all interested humans on Earth for a 24 hour period." You can submit your poetry from now through the end of November with the big giveaway happening on Thursday. Dec. 1.  

So if you’ve got a treasure trove of poems you think might enhance a life or two and/or wouldn’t mind wallowing in someone else’s trove, then I’m thinking you might want to take the next exit onto the Poetry Super Highway and see where it leads.

There are two more tidbits of enhancement I hope you’ll consider. In a similar vein, a while back, I shared the news that Quilled Ink Press is accepting submissions for the inaugural edition of The Quilled Ink Review, a new international literary journal featuring poetry, essays, and short stories.

Perhaps by now you know that I get a kick out of extraordinary people and things. After perusing Quilled Ink Press website, and Adiela Akoo’s (founder & editor-in-chief) work, and backstory, I am convinced that she is an extraordinary individual and that The Quilled Ink Review will be an extraordinary literary journal.

Again, I’d rather you not take my word for it and check things out yourself. I’m hoping that if you do that you’ll want to submit your poetry, essays or short stories for publication in

the inaugural edition of The Quilled Ink Review (submission deadline is November 20, 2022). I don’t often submit my expressions for publication, but I think I will do so for this occasion. If something I’ve written makes the cut, I’d be thrilled to be a part of this initial offering from Quilled Ink Press.

Finally, and at least as important as the other two opportunities above, is the charitable collaboration between Poetry X Hunger (Hiram Larew, founder) and The Poartry Project (JC Wayne, founder). From December 3 – 17, 2022, an ekphrastic poetry fest with a twist will be available for your consumption, AND if you participate you will contribute to some young, tender bellies emitting fewer hunger grumbles.

The ekphrastic twist is that rather than poetry being written in response to visual art, this project consists of art having been created in response to poetry published on the Poetry X Hunger website. What’s truly exceptional is that the artists who created works in response to the poetry have agreed to allow their work to be auctioned, with proceeds going to Feed the Children, the international organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and their families in the US and eight other countries around the world.  

Don’t you just love win-win situations? Poets, visual artists, and poartists reap exposure for their work, children and families are fed, and those who offer winning bids get an original piece of art and a bellyful of satisfaction for making a significant contribution to the lives of those in need.

I’m all over this project and will be helping Hiram and JC maximize the effort. Oh! And if you don’t want to participate in the auction itself, there will be a sister donation campaign for those who just want to contribute to the effort. Stay tuned for more info on this initiative as we approach the auction opening on Saturday, December 3, 2022.