It’s that time of the year to celebrate poetry. I do enjoy poetry but tend to stick with poets I love so for me this month is a good reminder to explore new poets.

I’m lucky that there are several events in town so I hope I can attend some of these:
Austin International Poetry Festival – This event is being hosted by the fabulous Bookwoman Bookstore. Social advocacy/social justice is one of several themes interwoven into this festival.

Typewriter Rodeo at Austin Book Arts Center. Give the poets a topic and they’ll whip up a poem on a vintage typewriter. Plus, there’ll even be a bit of bookbinding going on!

Poets Resist: The First 100 Days at Malvern Books. Join local poets for readings and discussion as they gather to voice their concerns regarding the first 100 days of the Trump Presidency.

If you don’t have any events near you, there are many other ways for you to celebrate poetry. For example you can check out some a new poetry collections: 13 New Poetry Collections. I especially like, “Mary Wants to be a Superwoman”. Isn’t that a great title?

You can also go to Poets to sign up for a poem a day or check out their list of 30 additional ways to celebrate poetry.

Last but definitely not least, Serena from Savvy Verse & Wit is hosting a poetry celebration on her blog. Lots of features, blog posts, and reviews focusing on poetry.

So what do you say? Aren’t you ready to jump in and celebrate? Would love to hear if you are reading a new poet or if you are attending an event. Also, if you have a poem you love let me know what it is. I’d love to check it out.

For this week’s First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea I thought it would be fitting to go with one of the books I’m reading.

“Naturally, I wanted to have a friendly chat with Bernadette. So I walked up to her car while she as in the pickup line. Mea culpa! But how else are you ever going to get a word with that woman? She’s like Franklin Delano Roosevelt. You see her only from the waist up, driving past. I don’t think she has once gotten out of her car to walk Bee into school.

I tried talking to her, but her windows were rolled up and she pretended not to see me. You’d think she was the first lady of France, with her silk scarf flung just so and huge dark glasses. I knocked on her windshield, but she drove off.”

From Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

Have you read this book? I know it there was a lot of buzz about this when it came out and I can see why. It is so different – at times hilarious and other times a bit sad.

Looks like there’s also a moving based on the book. So glad I’m getting to read the book before the movie is out. Anyway, what about you, what new book are you reading?