Mad Libs Poetry

I recently contributed a post about Mad Libs Poetry (a form of erasure poetry) to the Literatures in English blog. It’s a great programming idea for teachers and librarians of all stripes!

Feed Your Soul presented by 826michigan and InsideOut at the Detroit Public Library

I strongly encourage any poetry-loving Metro Detroiters to attend this free event at the Detroit Public Library in a few weeks:

Feed Your Soul presented by 826michigan and InsideOut at the Detroit Public Library

WHAT: Feed Your Soul, an afternoon poetry conference featuring workshops taught by poets Brent Smith, Bryan Lackner, Catherine Calabro, francine j. harris, Justin Rogers, and National Student Poet Natalie Richardson

and

A public poetry reading featuring the participating poet instructors and participants as well as 2012 Detroit Poet Laureate Naomi Long Madgett

WHEN: Saturday, April 20. Workshops begin at 1pm, community reading at 3pm.

WHERE: Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue

WHO: 826michigan and InsideOut Literary Arts Project, two nonprofits offering creative writing programs in Detroit

HOW MUCH: Free and open to the public

1pm to 1:50pm
Explorers Room: Justin Rogers and National Student Poet Natalie Richardson//
Conference Room: Catherine Calabro//A Poem Mix Tape for Road Trips

2pm to 2:50pm
Explorers Room: francine j. harris//The Postcard Poem
Conference Room: Brent Smith and Bryan Lackner//What’s Inside A Word

3pm Public Reading and food from Detroit Vegan Soul

Project 5am

Today guest contributor Jason Haye shares his Project 5am.

Jason writes, “Project 5am is about capturing and following the essence of being in the moment. It is an interdisciplinary project which can be viewed as a celebration of creativity or as a 5 year old diary of exploring a moment of enlightenment. The allusive aspect of the site reflects the Allen Ginsberg poem “5am” that it was inspired from and the mystic of the people, stories and philosophies that I have encountered on my journey. The aim is for the viewer to signify with references that are on the site and to put into their own context because …questions answers life.”

5am…

A moment that can happen at any time.

when everything falls into place,​
clarity is at clearest,​
confusion transforms into oneness​
and when fate…​
Welcomes you with open arms

“on a day like this”

“A lazy sailor at heart”

Jason Haye (b. 1978) is an Ipswich based artist and is currently studying a BA (Hons) Fine Art at the University Campus Suffolk.

To share your own “five am” moment as a video or Soundcloud file, email thatklickitat [at] gmail [dot] com. Submissions will be accepted throughout April.

UPDATE: Jason pointed out that today is the anniversary of Ginsberg’s death, making this post particularly apropos.

Ann Arbor District Library Summer Game: West Branch Scavenger Hunt

This post is part of my on-going series on the Ann Arbor District Library’s (AADL) Summer Game. 

Yesterday, I covered the Branch Explorer badges. Today I thought you might enjoy a virtual field trip to AADL’s West Branch and the chance to spy over my shoulder as I complete the scavenger hunt there.

State of the Book this Saturday in Ann Arbor

Credit: State of the Book website

Looking for something to do this weekend? Consider celebrating Michigan’s contributions to literature at The State of the Book this Saturday, October 6th, in the University of Michigan’s Rackham Auditorium (915 E. Washington). Special guests include Dave Eggers, Charles Baxter, and Philip Levine.

“This day-long series of public events will showcase the state’s leading literary stars, in partnership with several of the state’s leading non-profit literary organizations: 826michigan, Dzanc Books, InsideOut Literary Arts Project, The National Writers Series, and The Neutral Zone.” Full press release here. Day’s schedule here.

Ann Arbor District Library’s Summer Game: Branching Out

This post is part of my on-going series on the Ann Arbor District Library’s (AADL) Summer Game.

So far it might seem like the AADL Summer Game was almost completely on-line. Au contraire. Yet another clever thing about the 2012 AADL Summer Game: it encouraged you to actually visit the library and explore. I’m ashamed to admit it, but, before playing the Summer Game, I hadn’t visited two of AADL’s branches. And even at my home branch it’s usually in the door and out again, as soon as I’ve picked up my holds. That was remedied when I decided to go after the two badges that required you to visit each of AADL’s five branches to collect codes.

Ann Arbor District Library’s Summer Game: Points-O-Matic

This post is part of my on-going series on the Ann Arbor District Library’s (AADL) Summer Game. 

Points-O-Matic is a module that the AADL staff devised to crowd source cataloging and evaluative tasks within the Library’s various databases. Unlike the Summer Game, it is accessible year round.

I hesitate to call it a game, necessarily. It’s more “an ends to a means” kind of deal, although getting to spy on old photographs and read a wide swath of your fellow citizens’ reviews can be quite a hoot. Players earn Points-O-Matic points (separate from Summer Game points) that, like the Summer Games Badges, have no “real world” value apart from bragging rights. They can’t be exchanged for Summer Games merchandise. But! when a player reaches certain levels (100 tags, 1500 helpful review evaluations), they receive badges which are worth Summer Game Points.