Poetry Book Giveaway for National Poetry Month 2010

UPDATE, MAY 2: Congratulations to #14 and #25 (Kelly Luce and newzoopoet), who won the Random.org lottery! Please e-mail me with your mailing addresses and your title preference–whoever writes to me first will get “dibs.” Congrats to the giveaway winners, and thank you all for playing along!

MANY thanks to Practicing Writer “Jublke” whose comment on a previous post prompted me to mosey on over to Kelli Russell Agodon’s blog, where I learned more about a Poetry Book Giveaway project for National Poetry Month 2010.

Briefly, Kelli is encouraging the reading and sharing of poetry by building a community of bloggers willing to give away two books of poetry to readers who comment on their blogs. One book can be the blogger’s own, and one must be by another poet. (Thankfully, I’m writing this post just in time: Kelli is only taking new blogger names and posts until midnight tonight [April 10], so if you’re interested in participating as a blogger-who-will-give-books-away, hurry on over to Kelli’s blog for instructions.)

Now, let’s get down to business: I don’t have a book of poetry to my credit (yet!), so the two books I’ll be giving away are:

Here, Bullet, the important, multiple award-winning book by Brian Turner which I finally had the opportunity to read earlier this year. To learn more about this collection, described by its publisher as “a harrowing, beautiful first-person account of the Iraq War by a soldier-poet,” click here.

and then, there’s

Poetry magazine’s April 2010 issue. Now, I know that this isn’t technically a book of poetry, but it is a sort of mini-anthology (in this particular case, complete with Q&As with the published poets), and anthologies are allowed. I just subscribed to Poetry for the first time this year, and I’m hoping that sharing this issue will encourage others to subscribe as well (if not to Poetry, then to another journal that publishes poems).

And, honestly, it may be only because Here, Bullet is my latest purchase that I’m able to give that one away. I’m simply too attached to all the other poetry books–it may be significant that I own considerably fewer books of poetry than of prose, and many the poetry books I received as gifts or bought at readings–to give any of them away.

So, if you’re interested in receiving either Here, Bullet or the April issue of Poetry, please simply leave a comment here. I’ll be selecting the winners (with the help of the ever-handy random number generator) on May 2, so leave a comment by 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern) that day. Books will be mailed (anywhere in the world!), at my expense, after that.

One final note: Do check Kelli’s blog for a list of other participating bloggers–you may want to make some other blog visits and comment elsewhere, too.

Good luck to all!

P.S. Please remember to check back to see if you’ve won. Any prizes that aren’t claimed by Wednesday, May 5, will be forfeited. (I’ll be traveling the weekend of April 30-May 2, so if I don’t get to post until the end of the day on May 2, don’t worry! I will post!)

39 thoughts on “Poetry Book Giveaway for National Poetry Month 2010

  1. margosita says:

    I love this idea! I hope I win- both look like great reads.

  2. jublke says:

    I hope your post generates a lot of interest in the contest! Glad to see that you are participating & thanks for the opportunity to win. 🙂 I also don't have a poetry book to my credit (yet) which is why I'm giving away books by Edward Hirsch & Lucille Clifton over at my poetry blog, Stars in my Sugar Bowl. Please feel free to drop by. It's fun to visit so many blogs enthusiastic about National Poetry Month!

  3. Jenny Price says:

    That is a nice idea. I sure like to participate and win the books.

  4. joannejohns says:

    I'm in!

  5. Eldritch00 says:

    Thanks for doing this! Please count me in!

  6. Carol says:

    Please count me in as well, and thanks so much for doing this!

  7. Erika D. says:

    I'm posting this for "The Night Writer," who left a lovely comment which Blogger, for some mysterious reason, seems unwilling to let me approve (error, error, error).

    "What a great idea for National Poetry Month! I am writing a poem-a-day this month which has really helped in developing my daily writing practice in just 10 days, now I have a chance to win a book of poetry! Can't get better than that!"

  8. Chloe says:

    me too please! Thanks!

  9. dandan.cc says:

    I've been interested in National Poetry Month for a while, and subscribed Poem-A-Day through poet.org. This book give-away is nice idea, though being a Chinese study in the UK, maybe I'm not eligible to enter.

  10. Erika D. says:

    Anyone with a mailing address–not just a mailing address within the U.S.–is eligible.

  11. Lisa Romeo says:

    What a great idea. I'm in.
    Too bad I didn't see this in time to be one of the official give-away bloggers, too. I'll have to concoct something else.

  12. Sandy Longhorn says:

    Please count me in. Feel free to sop by my blog for a giveaway there as well.

  13. Darla Himeles says:

    I'm in! I love this concept.

  14. Kelly Luce says:

    Love it! Thanks for injecting some excitement and anticipation into my life 🙂

  15. Evelyn says:

    Please include my name in your giveaway too. Thanks, Ev
    evfhanna[at]yahoo[dot]com

  16. drew says:

    Excellent book choices! Please enter me in the drawing.

    Thanks Erika, for taking part in the Giveaway.

    I'm also giving away books, at http://www.drewmyron.com

  17. Erika D. says:

    There was an anonymous post I accidentally deleted! Please repost, anonymous poster! My apologies!

  18. Matthew says:

    I'd love to be included. Thanks! (mattnienow(at)gmail(dot)com)

  19. Lisa Jean says:

    Hi Erika, I'd love to be in your drawing.

    Lisa

  20. Teresa says:

    Please include me in your poetry giveaway. I read a borrowed copy of Here, Bullet. It is a powerful book of war poetry.

  21. Valerie says:

    I already have the April issue of Poetry magazine; it is a wonderful mag and since I started subscribing I've been slowly adding back issues to my collection. They are really like little poetry books!

    Anyway, the poetry book by Brian Turner does looks intriguing.

    Thanks for hosting this give-away and glad I discovered your blog.

  22. Molly says:

    Please count me in – thanks

  23. Carl Palmer says:

    Thank you for your generosity, Erica, I'm on your newsletter list. Please put me in for a chance to get Brian's book.

  24. Jé Maverick says:

    Hi Erika! I'd love an opportunity to win your book. Please consider my name for it, and thanks for such a generous donation. 🙂

  25. newzoopoet says:

    May I enter, please?
    newzoopoet@aol.com
    Thanks!

  26. evelyn.n.alfred says:

    The April issue of Poetry looks interesting. It be cool to win.

  27. kelly@thebluemuse says:

    Both look like wonderful choices, this is such a fun way to discover poets I have not read yet…

  28. Anonymous says:

    Would love either book! Dear Random Number Generator, please pick me. Thanks, Kelley kjhbunny@yahoo.com

  29. Anonymous says:

    Please count me in. Thanks,Nandini Dhar
    nandinikolkata@gmail.com

  30. Kristin says:

    Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!

  31. Lindsay says:

    Thanks very much for this opportunity!
    Would make some great post-exams reading 🙂

    you can contact me at,

    lindsay.veenstra(at)gmail(dot)com

  32. Ronald says:

    Thank you so much for this opportunity – such a great idea! I produce the Vermont Poetry Newsletter & Poetry Event Calendar, so if I'm lucky enough to be a winner of Brian Turner's book, I'll give your site a shout! Ron Lewis

  33. Cara Holman says:

    What a great idea for National Poetry Month! Count me in the drawing.

  34. Grant & Rebekah says:

    Thanks for the great idea and kind contest.
    –poetry lover

  35. Sam says:

    thank you for your generosity!

    boydst@plu.edu

  36. Michael says:

    Please enter my name as well. Thanks!

  37. Stacy Lynn Mar says:

    thanks so much for hosting this giveaway.

    please add me!

    stacylynnmar@yahoo.com

  38. Kells says:

    Erika,

    Late to your party, but please enter me. I have only read parts of Brian Turner's book and would love to read it! And somehow my Poetry subscription has lapsed, so yes, please enter my name.

    And thanks for participating!

  39. Con says:

    Great to see another person participating in this generous giveaway!

    cj.anythingeverythingnothing@gmail.com

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