Create Art Podcast NaPoWriMo 2022 National Poetry Writing Month 2022 April 23rd 2022

National Poetry Writing Month 2022 April 23rd 2022


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History of National Poetry Writing Month

National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.

NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April.

This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.

My History with National Poetry Writing Month

I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova’s in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don’t Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.

April 23rd Poetry Prompt

And now for our daily (optional) prompt. Today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem in the style of Kay Ryan, whose poems tend to be short and snappy – with a lot of rhyme and soundplay. They also have a deceptive simplicity about them, like proverbs or aphorisms. Once you’ve read a few, you’ll see what I mean. Here’s her “Token Loss,” “Blue China Doorknob,” “Houdini,” and “Crustacean Island.”

April 23rd Poem

Unwanted Solicitation 

23 April 2022 

When I pick up the phone 

I can tell by the tone 

That the person on the other end 

Is trying to be a friend 

But they want to sell me 

On some loan with a fee 

And I tell them 

That they are not welcome 

To call me again 

Opps I lost another potential friend 

When they knock on my door 

I find it a bore 

That the person outside 

Is stepping away from the door to hide 

Does your grass need 

Our special anti-weed 

It’s safe for pets 

And will get rid of spider nets 

When I tell the fool 

I don’t need their liquid tool 

I like my spiders 

They are an excellent source of fiber 

They turn around and leave 

Giving me time to breathe 

Walking in the bulk store 

They walk up to me and implore 

That I need to get new windows 

And when I ask for a price, they blow 

Maybe you need a new deck 

And I say what the heck 

I give them the number 

To the plumber 

Whom I just met 

And made my floors wet 

Maybe they can be friends 

While I listen to music peacefully in my den 

Reaching Out

To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let’s start that conversation.

Transcripts of the Show

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