Let's do something....

ajc · Aug 9, 2010

Let's splash water on our faces! Let's have a contest or some strange prompts or let's vote for our favorites each week with a poll or use photos/pictures/paintings to write our poems (a person could pick a new one each week). Let's do something.

Steppe · Aug 9, 2010

I agree. We had a Spring contest that did very well I think. We talked at that time about a Summer, Autumn and Winter contest as well. Summer's gone and Autumn's upon us.

We could forego Summer (lots of folk on vacations) and kick in an Autumn contest ( my favorite time of year anyway).

Or some other contest theme.

ajc · Aug 9, 2010

So Steppe and I want to do something. Anyone else?

I know Steppe writes a lot of his poems from photographs. Anyone interested in trying the photograph/painting inspiration idea?

poetinahat · Aug 10, 2010

Steppe said:
Summer's gone and Autumn's upon us.

I thought you northern hemisphere folks were about halfway through summer...

KTC · Aug 10, 2010

SUMMER IS STILL ON!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys sound like my daughter. She asked us for 'turned leaves' yesterday...so she could shellac them for her wedding table centre pieces. I almost hit her. And I will hit you too...don't make me do it. AUGUST is summer! Christ, half of September is still SUMMER. Stop it!

But, yeah...I'd love to do something. Doesn't have to be a contest. I'd like to get back into poetry...if I'm capable of it.

Xelebes · Aug 10, 2010

But - but the leaves are just starting to turn yellow!

I live too far north, don't I?

Steppe · Aug 10, 2010

The mornings are cloudy and cold here around Port Orchard. Almost every day someone will say, "well, there went our summer". At least we get a little sun in the afternoon.

Feiss · Aug 11, 2010

It's 95F (40-ishC) here consistently. If you ask me, summer's not over till october

Dichroic · Aug 11, 2010

Feels like autumn here too, and I've seen fallen leaves, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get another hot spell. Dutch weather is unpredictable.

What about another collaborative effort, instead of a contest? We could set up a scene - I don't know, how about a bunch of old friends getting together, in a big rambling old place, for an end-of-summer house party weekend? There's a pool, and a grill, and some comfy spots to lounge alone or together..... There's an eligiac end-of-summer mood, a lot of people who are glad to see each other and a few absent who should have been there.

I figure the writers of The Big Chill got a whole movie out of a similar set-up - we should certainly be able to milk it for a bunch of poems!

KTC · Aug 11, 2010

Dichroic said:
Feels like autumn here too, and I've seen fallen leaves, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get another hot spell. Dutch weather is unpredictable.

What about another collaborative effort, instead of a contest? We could set up a scene - I don't know, how about a bunch of old friends getting together, in a big rambling old place, for an end-of-summer house party weekend? There's a pool, and a grill, and some comfy spots to lounge alone or together..... There's an eligiac end-of-summer mood, a lot of people who are glad to see each other and a few absent who should have been there.

I figure the writers of The Big Chill got a whole movie out of a similar set-up - we should certainly be able to milk it for a bunch of poems!

Ooh! Could I be Kevin Costner's character!!!? Pretty please.

Just kiddin'. Sounds good!

Steppe · Aug 11, 2010

so much for small poems

ajc · Aug 11, 2010

Steppe said:
so much for small poems

Why couldn't the poems be small?

Steppe · Aug 11, 2010

ajc- I was just having fun with Dichroic's post.

poetinahat · Aug 11, 2010

We're halfway through winter here. Humph.

So, let's do something. I've been thinking we could do something other than a contest - maybe another Blue Rock or Hollis Brown project, on a summer sort of theme. Say, Summer on 96th Street, or What I Did Last Summer - pick a town, a school, something like that, and just write poems to build the scene. Maybe it ends up as a book, like Hollis Brown.

And a contest if we want.

What's anybody think?

milly · Aug 11, 2010

so, we all think yes...we need to do something...but what?

I like the initial idea of using photos or something....prompts of some sort perhaps

who wants to take the lead?

amy???

poetinahat · Aug 11, 2010

Ganesha starts threads with photo prompts all the time -- it's a great idea. Have a look at some of her threads for ideas. There was a great thread using paintings as prompts too.

If anyone wants to do that, just go for it.

ajc · Aug 11, 2010

poetinahat said:
Ganesha starts threads with photo prompts all the time -- it's a great idea. Have a look at some of her threads for ideas. There was a great thread using paintings as prompts too.

If anyone wants to do that, just go for it.

I like this idea. I will find a neat pic and see how many join in.

KTC · Aug 11, 2010

i want to make crepes. soft fluffy crepes. and share them with the rest of the community. i want to hand my crepes out on street corners...surprise people with my crepes. i want to drop my crepes into city streets and office buildings and roundtables. i want to spread my crepes.

Priene · Aug 12, 2010

KTC said:
i want to make crepes. soft fluffy crepes. and share them with the rest of the community. i want to hand my crepes out on street corners...surprise people with my crepes. i want to drop my crepes into city streets and office buildings and roundtables. i want to spread my crepes.

You're a crepe, you're a weirdo.

Dichroic · Aug 12, 2010

poetinahat said:
We're halfway through winter here. Humph.

So, let's do something. I've been thinking we could do something other than a contest - maybe another Blue Rock or Hollis Brown project, on a summer sort of theme. Say, Summer on 96th Street, or What I Did Last Summer - pick a town, a school, something like that, and just write poems to build the scene. Maybe it ends up as a book, like Hollis Brown.

And a contest if we want.

What's anybody think?

Pretty much what I said. I'd much rather do a collaborative sort of thing than a contest, because I think it's a lot of fun when artists get fired up and start building on each other's work. But I do think that to do that you need a more fleshed-out theme than just a picture - fine for a game but you need a stronger foundation to build something bigger.

I'm not wedded to the scenario I suggested; it was just one possible summery idea.

poetinahat · Aug 12, 2010

Priene said:
You're a crepe, you're a weirdo.

Win.

To quote a friend misquoting Jello Biafra:

You still think spatulas look cool - the REAL hibachis run your school

KTC · Aug 12, 2010

seriously, i'm excited to see what comes out of this. i know it will be something cool.

Kevin, the crepe.

ajc · Aug 12, 2010

I like it. What's the theme?

And I love crepes!

caseyquinn · Aug 12, 2010

I like the idea of a neighborhood or life on 96th street that was suggested. Each of us are so different yet could be living next to each other - how are lives are close phyically yet in reality very far apart.

Steppe · Aug 12, 2010

Could be something to do with childhood. No, No, I'm not talking just escapism. It could be "stream-of-conscious", dream, a wonderful or dreadful happening, a place visited as long as it contains in it something to let the reader feel childhoodish about the poem. Something as simple as a red wheelbarrow.

Let's do something....

What do I know?

...

What do I know?

Numbers are beautiful

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Delerium ex Ennui

...

Sleeps during the day

that's di-CROW-ick

Stand in the Place Where You Live

...

What do I know?

...

Numbers are beautiful

seeing sparks

Numbers are beautiful

What do I know?

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Out to lunch

that's di-CROW-ick

Numbers are beautiful

Stand in the Place Where You Live

What do I know?

Just happy to be here

...