Sequel to COVID Poetry Anthology (new submissions deadline)

 

New deadline for anthology submissions! (We're including a youth poets' section in the anthology & wanted to give NH's young writers time to submit.) Exciting news: the North Country Young Writers' Festival will be offering a special workshop on Friday, May 14, 4:30-5:30 PM, on writing pandemic poetry! More details soon at the festival webpage: North Country Young Writers' Festival

National Poetry Month in the Granite State
April 2021

Hobblebush Books and New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary are proud to partner once again to offer unique ways for Granite Staters to safely celebrate National Poetry Month (April 2021) during COVID-19.

30 Days of Poetry Writing Prompts

To encourage writers to create, Alex is curating a set of 30 poetry writing prompts—one for each day in April. These COVID-related prompts can be found each day for the entire month of April at NH Magazine (Facebook and Instagram).

·     Workshop Your Writing

A   We are hosting free virtual workshopping sessions where poets can discuss their pandemic poetry and offer actionable feedback. Registration required—more info to come: Register at Hobblebush Books

        Two workshops:

          #1 Sunday, April 25 at 3 PM (Moderated by North Country Young Writers' Festival             Intern Lily Greenberg)

            #2 Tuesday, April 27 at 7 PM (Moderated by North Country Young Writers' Festival         Intern Brooke Delp)

Get Published

The world has changed immensely since the poems included in COVID Spring were written last April. At the conclusion of this year’s National Poetry Month, we invite you to submit your work for consideration in a follow-up anthology. The submission period will run from April 1, 2021 to May 23, 2021. Submissions must be from New Hampshire residents and must in some way address the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation in the workshopping sessions and use of the daily prompts are not required—nor are they a guarantee—for publication.

Stay Tuned for More Info

 Please visit hobblebush.com/national-poetry-month to stay up-to-date with our National Poetry Month festivities.

Gibson's Bookstore Reading from COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems

Gibson's Bookstore will be sponsoring a reading from COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems (published by Hobblebush Books, edited by Alexandria Peary) on Zoom, at 7 PM on October 8, 2020. Twelve fabulous poets will read work from the book: Anna Birch, Bill Chatfield, Heather Crowley, Margaret Johnson, Grace Mattern, Patrice Pinette, jennifer Edwards, Heather Radl, Joyce Ray, Carla Schwartz, Maren Tirabassi, and Susan Zelie.

Registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/121762939229/

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New Hampshire in March, it became clear that April—National Poetry Month—would not be celebrated with live poetry readings and writers’ workshops as in past years. In an effort to provide a channel for creatively navigating our common experiences, New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary set out to host two virtual poetry writing groups each week in April. At the end of the month, New Hampshire residents were invited to submit their work for consideration in an anthology of poems addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 writers submitted their work—each with a unique voice and a fresh perspective on the pandemic’s impact in New Hampshire.

In her introduction, Alexandria writes, “Fifty-four of the state’s poets are represented in this anthology, writing of job loss, loneliness and love, masks, social distancing, surreal visitors, uncertainty, graduations deferred, grief, neighborly and less-than-neighborly acts, observing the beginning of the pandemic and making projections about the future, recalibrating or confirming what it means to be human, to be a resident of this region. In a remarkable range of poetic form and style, these writers provide a thirty-day snapshot of what life was like in the Granite State in April of 2020.

To help support New Hampshire residents impacted by COVID-19, Hobblebush Books will donate $2 to the New Hampshire Food Bank for every copy of COVID Spring sold.

New Hampshire State Library Reading from COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems, September 21, 2020

Save the Date! 

On Monday, September 21, 2020, at 7 PM, join writers from across New Hampshire as they read from COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems, the anthology edited by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary, published by Concord's own Hobblebush Books. 

This event is sponsored by the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library. Mary Russell, Director of the Center for the Book, will give opening remarks, joined by Kirsty Walker, publisher of Hobblebush Books, and Alexandria Peary. Plus a possible surprise guest appearance! Our readers for the evening are Marie Harris, Mark Decarteret, Dianalee Velie, S. Stephanie, Amber Rose Crowtree, Ala Khaki, Katrina Grella, Marjorie Moorhead, Andrew Periale, Melanie Chicoine, John Lindberg, Jody Wells, and Carol Westberg. This reading will be held on Zoom. Space is limited to 300 audience members. Save your spot early! Please follow these exact steps for RSVPing:

• Email Alex at Balconyofwords@gmail.com
• In the subject line, put "RSVP for September 21 Reading." 
• Alex will email you a Zoom link between today and Monday, Sept. 21.  (Please don't inquire before then; Alex will be unable to respond.)

 If you do not receive a link it's because we've reached full capacity, and we're sorry we missed out on seeing you. 

Online Reading from COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems (Anthology)

On Friday, August 21, at 7 PM, the Poetry Society of New Hampshire will be sponsoring a reading from COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems (forthcoming early September).

Twelve poets will read from their work published in the anthology and talk about their experiences as writers during the pandemic.

Readers: Jimmy Pappas, S. Stephanie, Peter Craig, Mike Nelson, Jennifer Tirrell,  Rodger Martin, Barbara Bald, Dan Szczesny, Marie Harris, Kyle Potvin, Brenda Beardsley, Jessica Purdy

Space is limited and on a first-come-first-serve basis, so log on earlier than 7 PM.

To join this event on Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3651964289?pwd=MTEvRmIxWUxtL2JIeEhXN3c3RmNnUT09

Meeting ID: 365 196 4289
Passcode: 878591