Farewell, "Teach Poetry"; Hello "Say Something Wonderful: the Listserv"

Well, today was the last day of "Say Something Wonderful," the 2005 NEH Summer Seminar. Although the seminar itself was a blast, I feel I failed miserably at "blogging the seminar" as I planned and promised. By the time I got home from most days, at least after the first two weeks, I was just too talked-out to post, well, just about anything! On the other hand, this does mean that I have lots and lots of material saved up to post over the rest of the summer, so I suppose it's not really a loss.

My son is peering over my shoulder as I type this, either hoping to get on the computer to visit MLB.com or to challenge me to a game of foosball, so I'll keep this brief. As a way to continue the discussions of our seminar more broadly, and to draw in as many poetry teachers as possible, from whatever level, I have started up a Yahoo Group called (what else?) "Say Something Wonderful." Here's the description posted for that group:

"Say Something Wonderful" is an on-line forum for anyone who teaches poetry, whether at the K-12, community college, or college level. On it you can share poems, lesson plans, study questions, creative writing exercises, and other poetry-related resources. You can also ask questions about poems and poets you currently teach, or would like to teach, or have been suddenly asked to teach (help!), from the most elementary to the most arcane. Think of this group as a teachers' lounge with one heck of a bookshelf in reach.

If you teach poetry, this group is for you!

Pull up a chair, join the fun, and tell your colleagues, too.

My goal is to start a conversation that spans the various grade levels that currently divide the poetry-teaching community, so that we can all draw on one another's interests and expertise. If you're reading this, you should probably sign up--and if you don't want to, for whatever reason, I bet you know a colleague / lover / student / teacher-of-your-own-cute-kids who would! (Prospective teachers are welcome, too.)

"Say Something Wonderful: the Listserv" replaces my earlier attempt to start a listserv: "Teach Poetry." I'm about to send a message to everyone on the earlier discussion board encouraging them to switch over; actual messages on the new board should start tomorrow. This blog, however, isn't going anywhere. It's too much fun, even if it does occasionally drive my children crazy.

OK! OK! It's yours!
--E