Poetry Giveaway!

The following is the statement from this year's coordinator of the BIG POETRY GIVEAWAY:

"National Poetry Month is HERE and for those of us who love poetry, poets, and their books, it's time for us to share our favorite books (and our own books) with you.

Anyone with a blog can give away 2 books of poems. Anyone with an email address can enter any or all of the giveaways. Yes, poetry is that easy! You can give it away and you can also sign-up to receive it! You don't need a blog to participate, you just need to visit different participating blogs.

What is the BIG POETRY GIVEAWAY?

Bloggers give away 2 books of poems-- the first can be your own; the second book must be of another favorite poet of yours.

The goal is to share our favorite poets with others as well as to visit different blogs and see who others are reading. There is also a benefit for those who participate as it will bring people to your blog and share your work and/or the work of a favorite poet with them."

For additional information, and the list of participating bloggers, visit:

http://thealchemistskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/03/sign-up-now-to-participate-in-big.html

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And now, for my part:

If you are not one of my friends or family, let me introduce myself. I am Mary McElveen, a former poet laureate for the city of Alexandria, Virginia. I have written 'occasional' poetry for everything from a cemetery dedication to a birthday celebration for the city to an awards ceremony for the arts. And of course, I write for my own enjoyment. I am an unexpected poet-- a biochemist by training, and, for a time, a teacher of high school chemistry. I even worked in tech support for a major financial organization. Which only proves that poetry is indeed for everyone. Even scientists and chemistry teachers and tech people and moms and grandmas.

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY:

You've heard what it is. This is how it works: 

• You visit my blog and see what books I'm giving away (see below.)
• If you want to be included in the end-of-month drawing, leave a comment with your email address. 
• At the end of April, I will draw a name (or email), contact you requesting your mailing address, and send off the book you've won. It's that simple.

1. I will give away a copy of my own book: Cheerfully Lost. You can browse through this blog site to see the sort of work I do. If you already have this book, I'll substitute another, better poet from my collection. 

2. The second book is Billy Collins' Sailing Alone Around the Room, one of my favorites. (It is only fair to say that I have an entire SHELF-FUL of favorites...) The only reason I am willing to part with this one is that I received a signed copy of the same book, so this unsigned one is superfluous...If you have not read his work, run, don't walk to your nearest library or bookstore. A former U.S. Poet Laureate, he is accomplished, witty, and insightful. His poetry is accessible and down-to-earth and I wish I could be him. 

One of the most common questions that people asked of me as poet laureate was: where do you get your ideas? And the answer is "absolutely everywhere"--and usually out of the clear blue sky. I've been merrily driving down the road and have seen a road sign that jumped out at me. Or heard a phrase on the radio that made me think. Sometimes I will be drifting off to sleep and think of something. Or--particularly when I have an assignment to write a poem for a specific occasion--I will try to think of a metaphor that I could use for a comparison. 

Another big question is: how do you write? Or where? Or when? You might as well ask how I think or when or where. All the time--or when I'm not doing something else. Or when I AM doing something else. Some of the poems I've liked best happened while I was driving to work or on some errand. While I was filling up at the gas station. I've been known to scribble a line down at a stoplight so I won't forget it. 

It is very strange to be asked about these things because I am no example or authority on poetry. I just write. And I read what I've written to other people. You should too.