Sunday, April 11, 2010

National What EVer Month

April is National Poetry Month, a concept of course eagerly embraced by our local library district.  First of all, I generally find that anything starting with "National" and ending with "Day," "Week" or "Month" to be gratuitous and annoying. 

But (second of all, and SCANDALOUSLY) I spent most of my life thinking generally of poetry as affected and effete.

Then in my masters program, I took a class with a local educator who was an alumnus of the same creative arts program.  It had so affected her that she ended up publishing this book.  In the... two?... weekends I spent with her, we created at least 30 poems, and at least 10 finished visual arts pieces as companions.  I have never been the same.

I was so "meta" about my first poems.  They were coy and ironic.  The work just sucked me in, however, and now I kind of wallow around in poetry.  In fact, (and in spite of the fact that I do not teach literacy in my current job assignment) when teammates think of me, describe me, plan birthday celebrations for me, or create some kind of tribute to acknowledge a career anniversary, they go straight to art and poetry. (not drama, and not science)

Isn't it a strange world?

1 comment:

Einstein's Relative said...

Unfortunately for Laurie, she is stuck with three teammates whose ideas of poetry are limericks and haikus.

Laurie, it's Sunday
Oy, tomorrow is Monday
Back to the squirrel cage