If this is your first visit to Being Poetry, welcome! I’m a poet, writer, and artist that lives at the end of the road in Alaska. This blog is meant to be a reflection of the myriad ways writing poetry can influence the way a person lives his or her life, as well as compendium of book reviews and interesting ideas culled from the web. While, you’re here, please have a look around.
This will be my third year taking part in the Big Poetry Giveaway! My first collection of poetry, Pause, Traveler, will be published by Boreal Books, an imprint of Red Hen Press, next year, so I’ll be giving away two books by other poets that I love.
My first selection is Steam Laundry by Nicole Stellon O’Donnell. Steam Laundry is a novel in poems available from Boreal Books. It tells the story of Sarah Ellen Gibson, the sixth woman to arrive in Fairbanks in the gold rush of 1903. With her two children, she followed her husband to Dawson City, Yukon Territory in 1898. As their relationship faltered and her business opportunities dried up, she fled to Fairbanks with hopes of opening her own hotel. The book weaves persona, with poems in the voices of many characters, lyric poems, and historical photographs and documents to trace her path.
My second selection is Space, in Chains Space by Laura Kasischke published by Copper Canyon Press. Space, in Chains speaks in ghostly voices, fractured narratives, songs, prayers, and dark riddles as it moves through contemporary tragedies of grief and the complex succession of generations. In her eight book of poetry, Laura Kasischke has pared the construction of her verse to its bones, leaving haunting language and a visceral strangeness of imagery. By turns mournful and celebratory, Kasischke’s poetry insists upon asking hard questions that are courageously left unanswered. It was definitely my hands-down favorite poetry book last year.
If you’d like to be entered, please leave your name and email address by midnight, APRIL 30th, 2012 in the comment section of this post and I’ll be randomly choosing 2 lucky winners on May 1st, 2012.
To see a list of other blogs that are also participating, pay a visit to the site of the lovely Kelli Russell Agodon. She’s the mistress of ceremonies each year for this romp through the poetry world. Thank you Kelli for starting this, and for continuing to host it!
What the world needs is more giving-away of poetry! I’d love a copy of either of these books.
By the way, I’m on the lookout for wonderful, accessible poems about poetry (to be read aloud to people who aren’t accustomed to writing or reading poems). Other than “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins, do you have any suggestions?
Happy National Poetry Month!
Kathleen [underscore]Kirk[at]msn[dot]com
Hey, there! Wahoo for poetry!
sandy(dot)40(dot)longhornATgmail(dot)com
Happy National Poetry Month! Both these collections sound wonderful. doctorvivATyahoo(dot)com
Cheers to poetry!
Lynne Mixson
lynne.mixson@gmail.com
Woohoo! katy@knology.net
I’d love to be part of your give away!! thanks! ~katrina
Yay! Sign me up! Jessica Goodfellow
http://www.jessicagoodfellow.com
Nice to meet you, Erin!
Allyson Whipple
whipple[at]gmail[dot]com
sign me up! ( and i’m doing a giveaway on my blog too!)
Renee
thisquiethour AT gmail DOT com
Count me in!
Tara Mae Mulroy
taramaemulroy@gmail.com
To win either book would be a gift. Thank you for your generosity!
Your suggestions of poetry have always been spot on. Both books sound marvelous!
Steam Laundry sounds fascinating! Thanks for sharing it.
I’m in Erin, and congrats on your book deal! Can’t wait to read it.
I just read about Laura’s book and would love a chance to win a copy. Awesome, thank you!
Falling in love……..with poetry.
Count me in! And stop by my blog, too!
Karen
Would love to enter! I am having a free giveaway at my blog as well!
http://www.tawnyshagreene.blogspot.com
Erin, I’m so intrigued by Steam Laundry and have been wanting to read Laura Kasischke’s new book. Please add my name to the drawing! Thanks.
I’ve ben to a reading by Laura Kasischke and have her first poetry book. She is awesome! Please add my name to the drawing.
Thanks!
Michael
Erin: Please sign me in for a chance of winning one of your books through this year’s Big Poetry Giveaway. If I’m lucky enough to win either book, I will promise you I’ll read and review it for my popular, monthly online newsletter, which is read by many of this state’s serious poets.
Thank you!
Ronald Lewis
vtpoet@gmail.com
Vermont Poetry Newsletter
& Poetry Event Calendar
Hi Erin,
Count me in — I’d love to win either book. This is my third year too –
All best,
Susan
Yes! Please count me in.
I am also giving books away via my blog, so please feel free to stop by: http://www.catiporter.com/tidbits
Cati_Porter (at) yahoo (dot) com
I’d love to be included!
- Molly
http://www.mollysuttonkiefer.com
http://www.mapsandpoetry.blogspot.com
Thanks for doing this! I’ve long wanted to read Space, In Chains, but Steam Laundry looks interesting, too.
Thank you, Erin. I am enjoying your posts and your prompts.
Please count me in! Thanks! Nandini
Erin, please add my name to your drawing. Would love either book. Thanks.
I’d like to enter.
Stephen S. Mills
stephenscott22@gmail.com
http://www.stephensmills.com