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The Beauty of Verse: Celebrating National Poetry Month

April 16, 2024-April is a time when the air is filled with a special kind of magic – it’s National Poetry Month in the United States! This month-long celebration of verse is a joyous ode to the beauty, power, and significance of poetry in our culture and society. As we embark on this poetic journey, let’s take a moment to explore the enchanting world of poetry and the ways in which it enriches our lives.

A Tapestry of Words: Poetry is a tapestry woven from the threads of language, imagery, and emotion. It’s a form of artistic expression that breaks down the complexities of human experience into distilled, lyrical verses. From ancient epics to modern sonnets, poetry has the remarkable ability to capture the essence of a moment, evoke powerful emotions, and spark the imagination. Whether it’s the haunting verses of Edgar Allan Poe or the uplifting lines of Maya Angelou, poetry has a way of resonating with readers on a deeply personal level, leaving an indelible imprint on the soul.

A Celebration of Diversity: One of the most beautiful aspects of poetry is its diversity. National Poetry Month celebrates the myriad voices, perspectives, and traditions that make up the rich tapestry of poetic expression. From classical forms like the sonnet and haiku to contemporary free verse and spoken word, there’s a poem for every taste and sensibility. This celebration of diversity extends to the poets themselves, as National Poetry Month shines a spotlight on emerging voices, marginalized perspectives, and underrepresented communities. It’s a reminder that poetry belongs to everyone and has the power to unite us across cultures, languages, and backgrounds.

An Invitation to Explore: National Poetry Month is an invitation to explore the vast and varied landscape of poetry. Whether you’re a seasoned poetry enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, there’s always something new to discover. Dive into the works of classic poets like Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes, or explore the vibrant contemporary poetry scene with emerging voices like Amanda Gorman and Rupi Kaur. Visit your local library or bookstore to browse poetry collections, attend readings and poetry slams, or join a poetry workshop to hone your craft. National Poetry Month is a time to immerse yourself in the beauty of verse and unleash your creative spirit.

A Source of Inspiration: Poetry has the power to inspire, uplift, and transform. It can provide solace in times of sorrow, courage in times of adversity, and hope in times of despair. National Poetry Month encourages us to draw inspiration from the world around us – from the beauty of nature to the complexities of human relationships, from the joys of love to the challenges of social justice. As we engage with poetry, we’re reminded of the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of the written word to illuminate the darkest corners of our souls.

How to Celebrate National Poetry Month:

– Read a poem every day and share your favorites with friends and family.

– Attend poetry readings, performances, and events in your community.

– Write your own poems and experiment with different forms and styles.

– Explore diverse voices and perspectives by seeking out poets from different backgrounds and cultures.

– Spread the love of poetry by hosting a poetry-themed gathering or starting a poetry book club.

As we celebrate National Poetry Month, let’s revel in the beauty of verse and the transformative power of poetry to touch hearts, open minds, and change the world, one line at a time. Happy National Poetry Month!

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February…

This fantastic poem titled February was submitted by A. Isaacs, I think it captures the spirit of the month perfectly! If you’d like the chance for your work to be featured on our blog, email pandapublishing8@gmail.com

February

Cloudy skies

Blanket the fields in darkness

The sky is gloomy

The rain taps softly on the window pane

Light a fire, snuggle with your cat, and drink in the romance of this moment

Snuggling under covers, turning the pages slowly so that the story is savoured, escaping from this place

Drink in the words, the worlds, the characters, their lives

The scent of pine, the sizzling branches, that pop and hiss and snap

Contented purr and soft fur rises and falls with her breath

February.

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Think, Pair, Share

September 21, 2020-You’re a poet and Daniel Tysdal is about to show it. Daniel will walk you through his writing process to showcase the Power of Poetry to help us remember, grieve and celebrate. Daniel Tysdal has been a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at UTSC since 2009. He is the author of three books of poetry and the poetry textbook, The Writing Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating Poems (Oxford University Press 2014). He is the recipient of multiple awards for his work and his research interests include creative writing and poetry. Check out the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0BUYzMypi8

 

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Photo Writing Prompt…

September 25, 2019-This stunning photo writing prompt is full of inspiration! Look how gorgeous the landscape is! Will your story be romantic fiction? Will it be a mystery or psych thriller? Will it be poetry? There is no limit to creativity with this piece. I challenge you to write a story in 500 words.

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The Four Types of Writing Styles…

September 18 , 2019– Did you know that there are four types of writing styles? Every time we (writers) pick up a pen, we’re on a mission! Knowing all four types of writing styles and how to use them is essential for getting your message across to readers.

  1. Narrative– The style that we all know and love! The main purpose of the narrative writing style is to tell a story. Novellas, Short Stories, Biographies, Poetry, and Novels are all good examples of this style. Simply put, narrative writing style answers the question, “Then what happened?”
  2. Expository-This style explains or informs. The opinion of the writer is usually left out of this type of writing and it’s very subject-oriented. Textbooks, How To Instructions, Manuals, and Recipes are all good examples of expository writing.
  3. Persuasive-Persuasion is the main purpose of this style. It always contains the opinions/biases of the author and it’s meant to convince the reader of something.  Advertisements, Opinion Columns, Resume Cover Letters, and Reviews are common persuasive styles.
  4. Descriptive-Descriptive writing focuses on the details of a character, event, or place and it often incorporates the five senses. Good examples of this style are Poetry and Journaling.

So now that you know the four styles of writing, which style do you use most often? I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and write in a different style this week!
X LLB

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Our Guest Blogger is…

August 14, 2019– Our guest blogger today is Giuliano Enciso, author of On Blank Pages. I had the pleasure of being introduced to him a few months ago and I’m captivated by his poetry and truth. I know that when you read his work that you’ll feel the same way.

My name is Giuliano Blaquera but I publish under the name Giuliano Enciso, I am a poet and author.  My mother passed away from cancer and I publish under her maiden name.  She was always a huge supporter of everything artistic, and everything I did, and only wish she could read and hear my  words today.  Every time my words touch paper or a microphone, they will always be dedicated to her.

The first part of my book, On Blank Pages, is an entire chapter of pieces inspired by my mother.  It’s a short chapter but the pieces speak the loudest in my opinion.  The rest of the book follows love and heartache, self-discovery and personal growth because as writers, one of our aims is to always learn and grow in our craft.  I have a second project in the works, that looks at growth both in the individual pieces and the growth of my words as an artist. 

As a child, I’ve gone through plenty of change and as a teenager, it’s hard to find an outlet or even the right ways of expression.  Moving countries, changing friends, relearning how to start over, all things that went into creating who I am. I went to school for psychology and always enjoyed trying to understand how different people interact with one another and have always been intrigued by the relationships we have.  I started writing while in school, and found myself gravitating towards poetry.

The hope is that anyone who reads my book, can find something that speaks to them, something they can relate to, and something that let’s them know, whatever it is that’s going on in their lives, they’re not alone. 

You can purchase a copy of Giuliano’s work from our webstore https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/on-blank-pages-a-book-of-poetry/

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An Interview with Giuliano Enciso…

August 12, 2019– We’ve got a very special, super-exclusive interview with author, Giuliano Enciso, On Blank Pages. This will NOT be on our podbean channel, you can only hear it here! Click on the link below. Please ignore the intro, we couldn’t edit it out:(

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Publisher’s Corner…

July 19,2019- Let’s check out our Publisher’s Corner question of the week!

Q: “Lacey, I don’t read a lot of books because I don’t have tons of time, I know you’ve said in the past that reading directly influences writing, so I’m wondering what I can do to make more time to read! Any suggestions?” 

 A: “Ah, yes. This is a huge problem in society at the moment! We are living in such a fast-paced world that we barely have time to do anything pleasurable or just for fun. But, making time to read is essential! Not only does reading lend to our ability to write, but it also makes us better writers, better storytellers, and more empathetic toward our fellow humans. The average Canadian adult has approximately 5 minutes per day to read!  That’s it. I admire your commitment to reading more and I’m so happy to help! Here’s how I squeeze in time to read”: 

1) I wake up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later. Carving out this hour to read is essential to my happiness and to my business as I usually read things that are relevant in my field such as trade magazines or what’s trending on the best seller’s list. This hour before or after allows me to be uninterrupted.

2) I listen to audiobooks. Audiobooks are portable and you can listen to them everywhere. I travel a lot so this format of book allows me to get my reading done in the truck, on a plane, in the airport, on the treadmill, or wherever else I am. You wouldn’t believe how much time is wasted while travelling and waiting!

3)I read novellas, short stories, poems, and magazine articles. Reading anything is better than not reading anything at all! I’ll pick up a book shot by James Patterson for a quick, action-packed read that satisfies my craving for a good story in a short time.

Getting your daily dose of reading is only a matter of scheduling and preparing! Happy reading and writing! X LLB

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You are NOT Shakespeare…(Poetry is a hard sell)

January 16, 2019Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.  

Sigh. Talk poetry to me. Another sigh, as I cup my chin in my hands and gaze adoringly into your eyes. Ok, we aren’t Shakespeare, far from it, I’m speaking for myself anyway even though I would beg for a fraction of the talent that he had. What’s the deal with poetry in the marketplace? Why is so hard to sell? Why doesn’t it get published as often as other genres? These are just a few of the questions that I get pretty regularly. Here’s are some answers:

  1. Poetry has a very niche audience. In mainstream publishing, there’s a small market for poetry books. Even established, well-known poets don’t sell thousands of books – maybe not even hundreds. I know what you’re going to say…”But, what about The Sun and Her Flowers or Milk and Honey?” Yes, those books did sell thousands, but they are the exception to the rule.
  2. Poetry doesn’t sell. Let me rephrase that, poetry doesn’t sell as well as mainstream fiction does. I believe that the world needs poetry and poets, but I also believe that I don’t want to take an enormous financial risk in publishing an unknown poet’s poems. The cold, hard truth about traditional publishing is that publishers want to make a profit. This is our business and our livelihood. The cost of publishing a book is in the thousands, to begin with, and as publishers, we want to make damn sure that at the very least, we get our investment back. Publishing poetry is one gamble that I’m not willing to bet on. We are in this business to make money just like anyone who is in any business is.
  3. Poetry is subjective. You may hate Shakespeare (perish the thought, he is an absolute genius and I am a huge fan of his work) but there are those in the world that would fight you to the death defending his sonnets. You may love Robert Frost (again, what’s not to love?), but others may find his poetry dry and outdated. Poetry is art and art is subjective. Yes, writing is art, but mainstream writing is less subjective. You can say, “I love thrillers!” and cover an entire genre, whereas, with poetry, it’s much more specific.

The point is, if you love to write poetry, keep writing! Write for yourself and your friends and family. There are a few publications that are still accepting poetry submissions and a quick Google search will let you know where to send your work if you’re so inclined. Here’s to your success! X LLB

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A Poem…

July 23, 2018- What a beautiful poem about a book and a reader. I wish I could give the poet credit, but I can’t find the writer. Enjoy!