The signup is now complete for the 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest. We have 423 participants & they come from: Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Australia, British Columbia, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, France, Germany, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, India, Indiana, Japan, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, New Zealand, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Singapore, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, UK, USA, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wales, Washington, West Virginia & Wisconsin.

Comment below if I have missed something. I have added all postcard participants to the twice-weekly email so they can be informed about developments and next year’s call. Unsubscribing is easy, as there is a link at the bottom of every email.

Peru: Kingdom of the Sun and the Moon (Montreal Museum of Fine Art)

Directions:

Tomorrow (Sunday, July 27th) look at the list you were emailed to find your name. (Control F is a handy tool.) See the three people listed below your name. Write them each an original poem on a postcard, put their address on the card and affix the necessary postage. $1.15 for international cards leaving the U.S. Consider scanning your cards or photographing them to document each poem/card before you send them out. Do not recycle old poems for this. Do not compose a long poem in advance and cut it up into hunks for this. It is an experiment in composing in the moment and your poem has an audience of one. This is designed in part as a conversation.

(If you are near the bottom of the list, send a card to anyone below you then start again at the top.) Ideally, you would write 3 different short poems — remember they are being composed on a postcard and please keep your handwriting clear. If your handwriting is lousy, typing the poems is ok. After the first 3, you only have 28 more to go. Some write more, but please do commit to 31 total IDEALLY sending them by August 31. And please wait a month before posting poems online.

Write about something that relates to your sense of “place” however you interpret that, something about how you relate to the postcard image, what you see out the window, what you’re reading, a dream you had that morning, or an image from it, etc. Like “real” postcards, get to something of the “here and now” when you write. Present tense is preferred… Do write original poems for the project. Taking old poems and using them is not what we have in mind. You may want to use epigraphs. One participant last year used his daily I Ching divination to inform his poems.

As you begin getting poems on August 1 (ideally) incorporate a tone, an image, some content or ignore them if uninspired and start writing a poem a day to at least 28 more people. Write at least 31 poems and send at least 31 cards. (These would be the 4th through 31st people below you on your list.) Hopefully you’ll get something that inspires. If not, you’re on your own. Some people get few cards for all they send out. Some people send out more than 31. If you are not getting cards, or are traveling, you can still participate. Don’t worry.

This is also an experiment in community consciousness. Try to respond to cards that you get with subject, image or any kind of link if possible. Often newsworthy events happen in August. How would our community respond?
Letting a card that you receive linger for a while before you respond to the next person on your list is the preferred method. When you go to your mail box each day, put the bills aside, read the poems you get and think about them as you compose to the next person on your list.

A workshop handout for the poetry postcard writing exercise is here: https://paulenelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Postcard-Exercise.pdf

2014 participants:

A. Hayes
A.R. Perez
Aaron Deutsch
Aaron Severance
Abeo Tisdale
Abhaya Thomas
Alison Jennings
Alley Greymond
Allyson Boggess
Amanda Dowd
Amanda Rose Adams
Amorak Huey
Amy Miller
Andrew Bell
Andy Berisford
Andy King
Andy Meyer
Aneata K. O’Brien
Angela La Voie
Angie Tsiamas
Ann Hudson
Anna Elkins
Anna Mavromati
Anne Rutland
Anthony Kolasny
Arlene Naganawa
Arlo Jacob Smith
Art Tulee
Athena Nation
Avis Adams
Ayelet Amittay
Barbara Faust
Barbara Jean Walsh
Barbara McMichael
Becky Liebman
Benjamin Cook
Beth Pietrzak
Beth Severson
Beth Weaver-Kreider
Bethany Bennett
Bette Lynch Husted
Bev Fesharaki
Bhakti Watts
Bill Freind
Birgit Heidorn
Bree Rolfe
Brenda McVey
Brendan McBreen
Bridget Nutting
Bronwen Tate
Bruce  -/:}>  Greeley
Bucky Rea
C. Stewart
C.J. Prince
Camille-Yvette Welsch
Carla Shafer
CarlaJean Valluzzi
Carlton Johnson
Carol A. Stephen
Carol Brockfield
Carol Dorf
Carol Frischmann
Carol Keslar
Carol McMillan
Carol Zubick
Carole Evelyn
Caroline M Davies
Carolyn A. Dragon
Carolyn Adams
Carolyn Everett
Carolyn Maddux
Catherine (Cathy) Kigerl
Catherine Alice Michaelis
Catherine Daly
Catherine Lewis
Cathleen Miller
CD Williamson
Celeste Oster
Cezanne Hardy
Charlie Stobert
Cheryl Waitkevich
Chris Jarmick
Christine Clarke
Christine M. Kendall
Christopher Moore
Cinda Hocking
Colleen Coyne
Connie Peters
Courtney Birst
Cristine Naylor
Czandra/ Sandra Stephenson
Dairine Pearson
Dana Bennett
Daniel L. Smith
Darlene Costello
Dave Stankowicz
David Nelson
Dean Pfaender
Deb Drotos
Deb Stone
Deborah Brandon
Deborah Crooks
Deborah Hauser
Deborah Miranda
Deborah Osborne
Deborah Sevett
Denise Hill
Denise Tsiamas
Desiree Morales
Desiree Wright
Dheepikaa Balasubramanian
Diane Cammer
Diane Vogt
Dino Shiatis
Dona Michelini
Donna Dakota
Dr. Nurit Israeli
Edee Lemonier
Eileen “Lucy” M-Babbitt
Eileen Elliott
Elena Akers
Elena Coe
Elise Ficarra
Elizabeth Aamot
Elizabeth Beck
Elizabeth Carroll Hayden
Elizabeth Woods
Ellen O Setteducati
Ellen Shaman
Eugenia Petty
Evan Farnsworth
Gabriella M. Belfiglio
Gah-Kai Leung
Gail Goepfert
Giancarlo Campagna
Grace Liew
Greg Johnson
Gregory Chamberlin
Guy Holliday
H.V. Cramond
Hannah Fox
Hannah Kuechler
Hannah Marshall
Hannah Thomassen
Heather Mydosh
Heidi Buchi
Helen Kerner
Helen Waits
Helene Berlin
Helga Fernandes
Hera Suganthy
Ina Roy
Irene J. Walker
J R Turek
J. Phillip Walker
Jacqueline Hallenbeck
Jacyra Guard
James Williams
Jamie Robinson
Jan Weston
Janelle Maloch
Janet McCann
Janine Fitzgerald
Janka Hobbs
Jean Blakeman
Jean Urciolo
Jeanna Motmans
Jef Blocker
Jeff Oaks
Jen Karetnick
Jenni B. Baker
Jennifer Chushcoff
Jennifer Lemming
Jessica Booth
Jessica Goodfellow
Jessie Lyle
Jill Crammond
Jilo Tisdale
Jim Smith
Jim Teeters
Joanne Clarkson
Joanne Diaz, Dept of English
Joanne Sunshower
Jodie Curtis
Jody Brooks
Jody Plant
Joe Chiveney
John Burgess
Josh Medsker
Judy Jensen
Judy Kleinberg
Judy Mayhew
Judy Wapp
Julie Biggs
Julie K Eastland
Julie Swarstad Johnson
Kaili Doud
Kala Zanis
Karen Lee Lewis
Karen Marshall
Karen Vande Bossche
Karie Wilkerson
Karima Bondi
Kate Wylie
Kathleen Miniely
Kathleen Miniely
Kathy Paul
Kathy Shoemaker
Katie Kurtz
Katie Woodzick
Katrina Roberts
Katy June Abrams
Kay Kinghammer
Kazumi Chin
Keli Osborn
Kelleyanne Pearce
Kelly Andrews
Kelly Terwilliger
Khadija Anderson
Khara House
Kim Clark
Kim Grabowski
Kirsten Miles
Kit Ayars
Kristin Cleage Williams
Kristina McDonald
L. Lisa Lawrence
L.A. Nichols
Lalarukh Lasharie
Laura Hooper
Laura L. Snyder
Laura LeHew
Laura Pena
Laurel Evans
Laurel Radzieski
Lauren Robinson
Laurence Ebersole
Laurice Roberts
Laurie Duncan
Lea Anne Lake
Lea Galanter
Leslie Edwards-Hill
Liana Silva-Ford
Libby Maxey
Linda A Roller
Linda Barnes
Linda Crosfield
Linda Drajem
Linda Fideler
Linda Hofke
Linda Lee Harper
Linda Malnack
Linda Russo
Linda Saccoccio
Lindsey Martin-Bowen
Lisa Choi
Lisa Grable
Lisa Janice Cohen
Liz Wiley
Liza Case
Lorri Kennedy
Lowell Murphree
Lucinda Huffine
Lydia K. Roberts
Lydia Swartz
Lylanne Musselman
Lynne Shapiro
M Jean Busch
Maitri Sojourner
Mallory Hamilton
Marc Thompson
Marc Tretin
Marga Webb
Margaret Santhanam
Margaret Watson
Margarette Wahl
Marge Merrill
Margo Jodyne Dills
Margo Solod
Mariama Salon
Marian Devney
Marie Buckley
Marissa McNamara
Marjorie  Rommel
Marjorie Norris
Mark S. Kenzer
Martha Kaplan
Martha Kreiner
Martha Scoville
Martina Robinson
Mary Beth Frezon
Mary Ellen Bertram
Mary Ellen Wade
Mary Healey
Mary MacDonald
Mary Sexson
Matt Trease
Max Motmans
Maxine Lang
McArthur Gilstrap
Meena Rose
Meg Eubank
Megan Muthupandiyan
Megan Reed
Mel Lam
Melissa Borries
Melissa Eleftherion Carr
Melissa Schuppe
Meredith Holmes
Merrill Farnsworth
Michael Eddie Anderson
Michael Haeflinger
Michaela Drapes
Michelle A. Ladwig
Michelle Ballou
Michelle Lin
Michelle Oakes
Mik Everett
Monica Schley
Ms. Gay Guard-Chamberlin
Nadia Szara
Nancy Canyon
Nandini Seshadri
Naomi Lloyd
Nessa Jay Meraki
Nicholas Kolasny
Olivia Olivia
Paige Polcene
Pam Teufel
Pat Kennelly
Patricia Hale
Patricia McCann
Patricia Oliman Longoria
Patricia Smith
Patsy Shepherd
Patti White
Paul E Nelson
Peggy Miller
Phebe Davidson
Polly Esther
Rachel Barton
Rachel Wysocki
Rachelle Cruz
Raúl Sánchez
Ravenna Taylor
Raymond Maxwell
Rebecca Coale
Rebecca Fullan
Rebecca Lincoln
Rebecca Robinson
Rhoda Neshama Waller
Rich Maschner
Rita Chapman
Robert L. Cox
Robert Lee Haycock
Robert Zverina
Robin Moore
Rooze Garcia
Rosanne Braslow
Ruby Kane
Russ Golata
Ryki Zuckerman
S.E.Ingraham
Samantha Solomon
Samantha Solomon
Samar Abulhassan
Sandra Guerreiro
Sara Aranda
Sara Fargo
Sara Jameson
Sara Mwagura
Sara Parrell
Sara Stolpe
Sarah Arnold
Sarah Baker
Sarah Koenig
Savonna Johnson
Sean & Katy Wallace
Shae Savoy
Shaindel Beers
Shannon Frech
Sharon Auberle
Shaun Solomon
Shauna Potocky
Shayla Hawkins
Shelley Nameroff
Shelley Peters
Skaidrite Stelzer
Sohini Basak
Somdutta Sarkar
Sonja Hansard-Weiner
Stacy Christie
Stephanie Cawley
Stephanie Motz
Steve Woodall
Susan M Troccolo
Susan Pigman
Susan Tuzzolino
Susan Tuzzolino
Suzanne Villegas
T. Clear
Tamesa Williams
Tanya Korigan
Tanya Neumeyer
Taylor Brooks
Tegan Swanson
Teresa Jarmick
Terry Holzman
Theresa Pappas
Tiffany Schramm
Tim Mateer
Toni Hanner
Tony Iovino
Trisha Miller
Trudy Stern
Upasna Saha
Urvashi Bahuguna
Vera Naputi
Violet Juno
Virginia Bach Folger
Virginia Shank
Walter Lowe
Wendy Friel
Wendy Sarno
Wendy Vardaman