Contributed by Caitlin M.S. Buxbaum, founder of Red Sweater Press
As we look for ways to connect with each other and attempt to understand what our world is going through, more poetry is being read than usual, perhaps more than ever. But if we truly find value in the power of a poem, we need to support the creators.
If independent publishers aren’t funded now, they might not be around when we need them most. Sure, you can share many poems on your social media channels and at virtual open mics, but what about the experience of poetry, in person? Zoom is a game-changer, but how often have you found yourself, or someone else, nodding off or trying to multitask during a meeting?
I refuse to believe readings and in-person events are a thing of the past, and I can’t be the only one who appreciates the feeling of being surrounded by fellow poets and poetry-enthusiasts as I watch a person perform their poems (or someone else’s). I don’t think I’m the only one that likes to hold a paper book, rather than a tablet or an e-reader, with its myriad distractions, in my hands, either. The convenience of Amazon is great, but does it preserve and promote beauty and communication the way independent publishers, bookstores, creative writing programs and writers themselves do? I hope you know the answer, and recognize it’s significance.
You say you want a revolution - read (and buy!) and write more poetry.
Join me for the month of August as I and seven other poets across the country write a poem a day as part of a fundraiser for Tupelo Press, an independent, non-profit publisher based in Massachusetts. Although this press is far away, it has published the work of Alaska’s own Chaun Ballard, who recently departed his Anchorage home, along with partner and poet Tara Ballard, to obtain their PhDs in creative writing in Nebraska. This fundraiser also has the potential to be a great encouragement to me, as a writer and indie publisher, by promoting my work and the work of my fellow Alaskans. (I’d like to thank Make A Scene also, for contributing to this cause in a similar way by sharing the Valley’s creativity over the years.)
If you want to support independent publishers and poets, please get online and visit bit.ly/CMSB4TUPELO to donate today. Then, enjoy fresh poems daily at bit.ly/8tupelopo.
To learn more about Red Sweater Press, visit redsweaterpress.com.
