April is National Poetry & Jazz Appreciation Month

Take the 2012 WordParty Poetry challenge: Write a poem-a-day.

Yes, we know that is a tall order, so we will be posting prompts throughout the month to get the creative sparks flying. The point is to reset your creative muse, make writing an everyday a habit. Challenge yourself to write a poem whether it be short haiku or a long lyric poem commit yourself and get writing!

Check out our blog for the prompts, commentary and other tid-bits as we go through the month.

If you are a regular at the WordParty, feel free to send your responses to our prompts to wordparty@gmail.com We would love to see what writing comes out of the challenge! Bring your poems with you to read at our open-mic on April 17.

To get us started, let’s begin with this prompt:

• Go to your local bookstore and find the most unfamiliar and strangest section. (Finance? Science? Cooking?)
• Take notice the covers of the books, titles, any photos that catch you.
• Use this as a jumping off point to write a poem about something unfamiliar.
• For example, the weight-loss book with the read and yellow letters. Or, Suze Orman’s startled eyes which promise to get your finances in order.

Get going, April 1st is just around the corner! 

March 2012 WordParty - This One is for the Ladies

We celebrated the month of March with the theme of Women’s History Month, poets came to read their poetry for and about women! Our first featured poet, the luminescent Susan Browne electrified the audience with her reading of “Braless” from her book Buddha’s Dogs. We also especially loved the poem “Dear John.”

Nova Jazz was SMOKIN’ hot and the poets were ecstatic to have them perform during the entire night! Thanks Daniel, Geordie, Leslie, Oliver, Sheldon & Herman.

Our beloved drummer, Geordie Vanderbosch celebrated his birthday with multiple cakes and brownies, and he read a poem by Jayne Cortez “If the Drum is a Woman.” See it here!

In addition, we had many of our other regulars, Rusty Rebar, CaraVida, Nicole Henaras, Ted Walker and Justice Morrighan who read amazing poetry throughout the night. 

We’ll be back in April to celebrate National Poetry Month with a poetry challenge, and our featured poet, Jack Hirschman!