It's National Poetry Month, So Read Some Poetry
It's April, which means I'm reading a lot of poetry, because it's National Poetry Month. I think that this month should remind us that we should not only be composing poetry, but as poets we should be reading lots of poetry. I'll admit that I've pushed that aside for other pursuits lately; knitting, writing and fiction, yelling at my children. Well, the last one not so much.
Reading poetry, however, does offer brief moments of silence in an otherwise chaotic life. It's also important to note what others do with language and to get out of our own heads for a bit. As a fiction writer, I read poetry to see what language pared down to it's most elemental of parts can do. Sure, we fiction writers need plot and character and story arc and all that, but some of my favorite fiction writers are equally strong poets and I can tell it's their practice of poetry that helps them describe the landscapes they create in just the most unique ways.
I'm thinking of writers like Laura Kasischke and Margaret Atwood. Right now, I'm reading a stack of poetry books that I will be reviewing at my other blog at www.tecumsehherald.com. It's a project to promote the poetry shelved at the Tecumseh District Library. My first selection is Luck Is Luck: Poems by Lucia Perillo. I've only just begun to read it, but already I'm noting her use of humor, something I'm hoping to explore when I pick up the pen again to write a poem.
As a writer, I've always heard that the best way to learn to write is to read, read, read. I'll be another in yet a long line of writers to echo that and that includes reading poetry, especially if you are poet!
Reading poetry, however, does offer brief moments of silence in an otherwise chaotic life. It's also important to note what others do with language and to get out of our own heads for a bit. As a fiction writer, I read poetry to see what language pared down to it's most elemental of parts can do. Sure, we fiction writers need plot and character and story arc and all that, but some of my favorite fiction writers are equally strong poets and I can tell it's their practice of poetry that helps them describe the landscapes they create in just the most unique ways.
I'm thinking of writers like Laura Kasischke and Margaret Atwood. Right now, I'm reading a stack of poetry books that I will be reviewing at my other blog at www.tecumsehherald.com. It's a project to promote the poetry shelved at the Tecumseh District Library. My first selection is Luck Is Luck: Poems by Lucia Perillo. I've only just begun to read it, but already I'm noting her use of humor, something I'm hoping to explore when I pick up the pen again to write a poem.
As a writer, I've always heard that the best way to learn to write is to read, read, read. I'll be another in yet a long line of writers to echo that and that includes reading poetry, especially if you are poet!
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