for those of us literate creatures who look at books as friends and a new publication as a serious event, the following is a more exciting touring concept than the latest earnest boy band's wanderings: beginning september fourth, wave books will be shuttling over one hundred poets all over the country in a giant bus. this sounds like a party i don't want to miss.
poetry has always been a love of mine, but like anyone worth getting to know, it doesn't show all its cards right away. i have employed lots of tricks to make poetry mean something to me; my favorite is flipping through hafiz's the gift until i feel like stopping, thinking "left" or "right" and then reading the corresponding page is usualy uncanny advice. i also like to type up poems on my old typewriter and hang them up as decoration. billy collins is particularly good for this. poems make great gifts, fodder for homemade cards, and letters when we need the help of someone more articulate to eek out what we desperately want to say.
the beauty of the poetry tour is the delight of the tour mixed with an effort to bring such a beautiful mode of communication to people directly and show how much it can impact anyone in his or her daily life. be the first to hear some of these poets, or enjoy hearing ones you have found in books come alive as they read their own words aloud. one of my greatest memories has been to be lucky enough to hear nikki giovanni read publicly three times. each was a unique experience.
don't miss this event, as the publisher, while excited about the tour said in poets and writer's magazine this month, "we're absolutely not going to do the bus tour again. i wish i could say, 'maybe,' but not a shot. we have lots of other ideas."
to see when the tour comes to you:
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