Community Poetry Project

Purpose: To get poetry out to people who might not ordinarily be exposed in different ways. In short, to shove poetry in faces - but in a friendly way (quoting the great Kevlar Mc"Fear"son).

Project: Creating "appetizer" cards to entice readers to learn more about poetry. Just a nibble, a taste, to leave them wanting more.

Synopsis: So, it might not be the most original idea, but I pulled together 30 cards, painted a picture on the front (so people wouldn't think it was garbage and throw it out) and sticker a few lines of poetry on the back with a link so they can read more. My intention is to place the cards inside of library books - those that poetry people wouldn't read (like mechanical textbooks, science books, biographies, etc.).

Photos of project putting-togetherness:

stickers of poem-ness!

gotta have some india ink

fun paintings to capture attention (yes, i'm no artist)

dear blogger, why don't you let me rotate photos?

finished product

lookit all those great poem-y cards!

Delivery: Sneaking into the library like a ninja with squeaky shoes, I crept up to the Vernon Okanagan Library branch's second floor and wafted into the non-fiction sections. My first target: Biographies! Here I met an interesting challenge - avoiding artsy-type biographicals, as presumably these people have had some exposure to poetry.

Funny story - I was so intent on getting this project completed successfully that I didn't notice that the bathroom I used on the way out had urinals ; )

My first target:

"AHHHHrnold says, read this poem, fool!" - Wait, that's Mr. T.

Good 'ole Arnold. Next I thought "who else probably isn't expose to a lot of poetry?" Answer - sports people! Probably a bit of stereotype, but alas:

Ahh, nothing goes together like poetry and baseball

Nearby I located another source of poetential new poetry fanatics, anime readers! Hop out of your crazy righty-lefty reading books and come check out some Emily Dickenson!

hi-ya!

My quest continued...books on knitting, books on pets, my card pile dwindiling by the minute as I kept an eagle eye out for crafy librarians who could sabatoge my plan.

My final stealthy submission:

Cancer and...flourine? I might have tried to
match the poems to the text a bit better...

Maybe a bit macabre, but I thought if anyone needs a bit of distraction, it's probably people with cancer, right?

GO POETRY!