Saturday, October 20, 2007

Totally Optional Prompt by Ted Kooser

This week's prompt is from Kooser's book 'Delights and Shadows', published by Copper Canyon Press. Kooser often presents a straightforward view of the ordinary, something I appreciate and occasionally try to emulate.

Horse

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As per the sidebar we welcome suggestions on prompts and modifications to the site that will make it more useful.

Remarks on the prompt, your latest poetry discovery, or this 'poetry exchange' blog can be made as comments to this posting. Late Wednesday night, between Letterman and Conan O'Brien, I'll post a Request For Poems, where you can leave a link to your poem inspired by the prompt, or any other poem you want to share.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here are two sites to check out. Poets Who Blog has an extensive sidebar list of poetry blogs. Wild Poetry Forum offers critiques, among other forums. I haven't registered there yet so I don't know if they want your credit card number, but the critiques look useful.

Anonymous said...

It's great that you are using poems as the basis for prompts, but you should be careful about copyright laws ~ the poem "Horse" is under copyright by the book's publisher, and sharing a poem from the book even on a blog is considered a copyright infringement. Just trying to be helpful and give a heads up.

Anonymous said...

One thing you could do if you want to include contemporary poetry as prompts is have TOP register at This American Life in Poetry. If you do so, and you follow their guidelines for publishing the poems housed there (as detailed on their site), you can use any of the pieces in their archives without violating copyright laws.

Cassiopeia Rises said...

Well, I like the post anyway...Very interesting

love-bd

Norma said...

Love Kooser. Solid. Simple. Fine.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with Ceridwen. I would go further and say that I am sad to see a site that claims to promote poetry and poets disrespecting both. Breaking copyright laws might seem small and insignificant, but it's harmful--in the same way that it harms musicians--especially independent musicians--when people pirate their music. It actually hurts the whole craft--one that I love, and one that is struggling for survival. I hope that you will reconsider.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Fair use of work for purposes of prompts or reviews allows a certain percent of a work to be quoted, not the whole thing. I've just had someone copying and posting a poem from my poetry journal Bolts of Silk without asking me or the poet. I'm sure both of us would have been happy to say yes if we had been asked but we weren't - its the same thing, its politeness really.

Andy Sewina said...

Hi, I actually asked Ted Kooser what he thought about all this copyright stuff. The following is his reply:
Dear Andy: Federal copyright law says that one must secure permission to reprint or publish a poem in its entirety. There are lots of
violations of this law on the web, of course, but the law does stand.
The publisher of the book or journal in which a poem appears takes care of permissions releases, and this is the case with most poets and most poems. Horse was published in my book, Delights & Shadows, by Copper Canyon Press. You'll need to contact them. I am not sure which staffer is now handling permissions but I suggest you start with Joseph Bednarik, at
joseph@coppercanyonpress.org
Best, Ted Kooser

Anonymous said...

I have Copper Canyon's phone number: 360.385.4925.

Jo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jo said...

I didn't know Kooser's work till I read this piece, but on the strength of it I have just ordered Delights and Shadows from Amazon --so Mike has made him some money. This aspect of 'reproduction' should not be overlooked, though I accept fully the other points made here.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Jo has a point but the same effect for an individual poet can be made by offering a link to their work or an excerpt from their work, which would not violate copyright.

Pauline said...

There is an excellent informational site about blogging and copyright infringement here: http://www.llrx.com/features/bloggersbeware.htm

Jo said...

True Juliet -- I had come back to make that point :)

fuquinay said...

But now what was the prompt? When you removed the poem (which is good), you didn't leave the prompt. :(