The Poetry Challenge

I've taken up the poetry challenge - I have to read a collection of poetry by a different poet every month for twelve months and review it on my blog. I already read loads of poetry anyway, but I want to take part publicly because anything that encourages people to read more poetry is a good thing. You're not allowed to include anthologies - each collection has to be by an individual poet - and there has to be variety as well as cultural diversity. You have to include male and female, national and international, public post award holders (poets laureate etc) as well as lesser known names. The idea is to move out of your 'comfort zone'. So I'm starting with Sharon Olds' Selected Poems, because that's the book that's on my bedside table at the moment, and I'm looking forward to finding new poets I wouldn't otherwise have read. This is going to be fun!

For full details read 18th August entry on www.bookgazing.blogspot.com
Image: Joel Harrison, ‘grace 2’ (2005) Auckland University, NZ