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We’re kicking off a new year of poetry at Reading to the Core. Stop by Catherine’s blog for all of this week’s poetry links.

Happy 2018, poets and poetry lovers. Before you know it, February will be here.

That’s right. It’s almost time for our annual daily writing workout.

A little history: For four years, my blog hosted a community poetry project.

Last year, the project moved to a closed Facebook group to accommodate our growing community of about 60 poets.

  • The 2017 project theme, 10 Words Found in the News, helped us create beauty, humor, and satire in response to current events. This prompt worked so well that, when February was over, we continued to write 10 Words in the News poems throughout the year.

This year, we’re heading back to the project’s visual-prompt roots.

Find a full definition at the Poetry Foundation.

2018 Theme: Ekphrastic At-home

The theme of this year’s project is ekphrastic poetry (writing in response to works of art), but with a twist. Poet Ann Haman suggested that we write in response to art pieces owned by members of the group.

Beginning January 31, a group member will post a photograph of a work of art (loosely interpreted) from their home collection. Art pieces might include paintings, sculptures, kids’ creations, photographs, or beautiful oddities. There will be a sign-up in the group’s files for those who’d like to be in charge of a daily writing prompt.

Special thanks to Kip Rechea, a past participant who will be acting as a group moderator and providing some administrative help.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PROJECT NEWBIES: As always, the point of this exercise is to practice the habit of writing regularly, even if it’s just for one month. Members of the project post response poems the same day so that we can focus on generating ideas and giving positive feedback, rather than polishing for publication.

Interested in joining us? You can request to join the closed 6th Annual February Daily Poem Project here.

Filed: Poetry Friday

55 responses to “Announcing the 6th Annual February Poetry Project”

  1. This sounds wonderful! Will Kip let us know when it’s our turn to post? Or do we post when we feel moved?

  2. Okay, I see that we sign up for day in our closed FB group. I’m slowly getting this!

  3. I’m IN and excited. I love the challenge of a daily product of something. It really helps me get into the habit of writing. Thanks for keeping this going. Writing to art prompts is a favorite of mine! Can’t wait.

    • Laura Shovan says:

      Thanks, Linda. This prompt is so inventive! Ann Haman came up with a great twist on ekphrastic poetry. I think a lot of project members are excited to get writing.

  4. Linda Baie says:

    It is a pleasure to go on this journey again, Laura. Of all, I still loved that Pantone poetry year. Thanks for celebrating with us!

    • Laura Shovan says:

      I did love the Pantone project, Linda. The combination of color and paint names gave us a lot of space to imagine and invent.

  5. I’m looking forward to the art creations that will appear over the month–both visual and written. Thanks for carrying the baton forward Laura!

  6. Sally says:

    I’m keen to give it a go. I’m doing Anastasia’s 30 for 30 challenge in January so by February will be ready for a new challenge!

    • Laura Shovan says:

      Wow — back to back daily writing challenges. I’ll be cheering you on, Sally! I didn’t complete the challenge last year (still working on that!) so I’m hoping to do all 28 days in 2018.

  7. Laura, this project has given me a reason to love February! Ekphrastic poetry is one of my favorite forms, and I can’t wait to see the artworks people share. Thank you so much for creating this amazing project!

    • Laura Shovan says:

      Glad to have you back, Catherine. I’m looking forward to it! Visual prompts are always fun, but these glimpses of people’s treasures will be great.

  8. How fun does this sound? I’m in and I know just the artwork for the challenge, too! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more.

  9. I am looking forward to taking part again this year! It was such a positive experience, even though I didn’t keep up with the monthly prompts through the year. Thank you for supporting this community.

  10. Tabatha says:

    Go, Laura, go!! Good luck to all your Poetry Project participants!

  11. Irene Latham says:

    Yay for poems inspired by art! I am not fond of the word “ekphrasis” (it sticks like a fish bone, doesn’t it?) but I sure do love what it means. 🙂 What a gift you are to the community, Laura… happy writing to all!

  12. This sounds fantastic! My post today was all about looking for more poetry inspiration. Thank you for putting all this together.

  13. Brenda says:

    I’d love to try again this year. Always happy to write poetry. Will we be given permission to use the photos on our sites if we want to post a poem?

  14. Laura, thank you for offering this exciting challenge to all of us again. I am looking forward to searching my house for just the right artwork to use as prompts.

    • Laura Shovan says:

      It’s always fun to read your responses, Carol. If I remember right, you have completed the challenged every year — an impressive feat!!

  15. Molly Hogan says:

    I’m so excited to participate again! This will be my first attempt at ekphrastic poetry–a new year and a new challenge. Your project will warm up these cold winter days!

  16. Mary Lee Hahn says:

    Love the theme for the year! (Wasn’t sure I could do news again…)

    I really need this shot in the arm. I got into a haiku-rut and I need to work the rest of my poetry muscles!

    • Laura Shovan says:

      I loved following along and seeing your #haikuforhealing ripple out through the Poetry Friday community, Mary Lee. Looking forward to writing with you in February.

  17. Hello Laura,
    I found the Facebook group, and requested to join, but did not the DM from you. I will wait and see if it comes later today. Looking forward to joining the group!

    • Laura Shovan says:

      Hi, Dani. Thanks for the message. The group grew so much this year that I capped membership at 100 people. If we manage okay with so many people participating, I’ll open it back up. Will send you a DM.

  18. […] Read more about the history of the February Daily Poem Project on Lauren Shovan’s blog. […]

  19. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

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  23. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  24. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  25. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  26. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  27. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  28. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  29. […] three months of daily posting opportunities. This month it’s National Haiku Writing Month and Laura Shovan’s Poetry Challenge. Next month it’s the daily Slice of Life and April is National Poetry […]

  30. […] Laura Shovan announced that her February Poetry Project would be ekphrastic poetry inspired by art in participant’s homes, I knew I wanted to share […]

  31. […] turn to provide a piece of artwork for Laura Shovan’s Annual February Daily Poetry Project. (To learn more, click here.) While several pieces were in the running, I decided to go with something unique — a […]

  32. […] mountain gorilla mother and child shared by my partner-in-poetry and Slicing, Christie Wyman, for Laura Shovan’s Ekphrastic Poetry Project. For me, the facial expressions of these critically endangered animals brought this carving to […]

  33. […] the month of February I participated in Laura Shovan’s 6th Annual February Poetry Project. On Day  11, Linda Baie provided a pencil drawing as our prompt. Linda received the pencil drawing, […]

  34. […] I participated in a daily poetry writing challenge extended to a FB writing community — Laura Shovan’s 6th Annual February Poetry Project. On Day  22, our prompt was a lovely painting — “Chinook, Hines Emerald Dragonfly, and […]

  35. […] Because of the trip, I moved this year’s February Poetry Project to March. We are a small group this year, with some regulars and some new poets responding to a common poetry prompt every day. If you’d like to join, let me know. This year’s theme — definitely inspired by the incredible Mediterranean cuisine  — is FOOD. If you’d like to learn more about my annual poetry project, please read this 2016 post. […]

  36. […] If you need a little bit more information about the project, here is an overview from 2018. […]

  37. […] Are you thinking, “What is this poetry project of which you speak, Laura?” Read about this year’s project here. And there is background on this project — now in its ninth year! — at this post. […]

  38. […] Are you thinking, “What is this poetry project of which you speak, Laura?” Read about this year’s project here. And there is background on this project — now in its ninth year! — at this post. […]

  39. […] Are you thinking, “What is this poetry project of which you speak, Laura?” Read about this year’s project here. And there is background on this project — now in its ninth year! — at this post. […]

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Laura Shovan

Laura Shovan is the author of the award-winning middle grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. Her second book, Takedown, is a Junior Library Guild and PJ Our Way selection. Look for A Place at the Table, co-written with Saadia Faruqi, in 2020. Laura is a poet-in-the-schools Maryland.

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