And The Winners Are....

April has come and gone. Hopefully, you were nourished by a daily supply of poetry.  But poetry is not just for April.

I've drawn names from entries in my Poetry Month Drawing, using a random number generator and I am happy to announce that two persons will each be receiving a poetry book so the poetry can continue.

The winners are - Allyson Whipple and Brian Wong.  Congratulations to both of you. I will be emailing you for your snail mail address.

• Allyson receives a copy of Alter Ego of the Universe by Amy Leigh Davis
• Brian Won will receive  a copy of The Country Between Us by Carolyn Forche

Thank you all to everyone who participated in the drawing and thanks to Kelli Russell Agodon for once again spearheading this annual event among a number of other bloggers. 

National Poetry Month Drawing

For the second year I am participating in the Big Poetry Month Giveaway.  This event started 6 years ago by poet & writer  Kelli Russell Agodon. There are a list of participants at the at the link above so there are many opportunities to win. But as the say, "You can't win if you don't play."


I will be giving away two books - one to each of two lucky winners. The poetry books are:


BOOK ONE - Alter Ego of the Universe- by Amy Leigh Davis

Amy is a local poet in my community that I have know for a number of years and this is her first published work, a chapbook from 2011.

More about Amy and the book can be seen here in an interview I did with Amy soon after publication.










BOOK TWO -. The Country Between Us - by Carolyn Forche

In my mind Carolyn Forche is one of the premier poets of witness poetry living and writing today. This was her second book of poetry published
but brought her international notoriety. If you have never read this book it is a must read for those especially interested in writing from the vantage point of sharing the complexities of social strife.

These are the two books I am giving away. If you are new to this blog site here s a little  about myself.


My name is Michael Allyn Wells. I live with my wife and three dogs in a suburban community of  . Kansas City, Missouri. (That's the big city. Surprisingly many visiting the city for the first time think they are in Kansas. Our smaller sister city is on that side of the of the state line).

I've been writing poetry ad reading locally for more years than I care to count. You can find publication credits at my web site michaelawells.com

I'm an avid baseball fan  and to be more specifically a San Francisco Giants fan for nearly 40 years which made for an interesting situation during last year's World Series when the Giants met the Kansas City Royals.

I love reading and writing, sipping an occasion glass of wine. I prefer my wine white and my coffee black.

If you would judge me on the basis of my musical preferences you would think I was stuck in the 60's-80's. I loved music by Chicago, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bread, Three Dog Night, Air Supply, etc. I love the saxophone and I'm a big fan of Kenny G (much to the dismay of my grown children).

Some of my favorite desserts are German Chocolate Cake, Cheese Cake (no Raspberry sauce please) and Black Walnut Ice Cream.

Thanks for stopping by and God Luck!

_______________________________________________

If you've gotten this far then surely you want to enter the drawing. It’s simple too. All you have to do is just leave your name and email in the comment section of this post. This drawing is open to everyone through ALL OF APRIL 2015, National Poetry Month!

If you'd like to be entered, please leave your name and email address by midnight (Hawaii time), APRIL 30th, 2015 below in the comment section of this post and I'll be randomly choosing all lucky winners the week of May 1st, 2015.

You can find a list of all the participating  blogs here. 

Check it out and fully enjoy National Poetry Month 

May Day - May Day, We have Winners!

The 2014 Big Poetry Give-a-way is now over.  I had 16 people enter the drawing for one of two great books!

• Unmentionables by Beth Ann Fennelly
• Saint Monica by Mary Biddinger

These  two books are among some of my very favorite poetry collection by real live modern day poets that if you pinch them they will say, "Ouch!" (in other words these are living poets)

A brand new shinny copy of both books was just delivered to my door  yesterday (great timing) from Amazon. 

I put the slips of paper into a hat (a San Francisco Giants baseball cap to be exact) and drew each name assigning it a number in order drawn. Then I used the random number selector on line to pick numbers a number 1-16. The first one was Marianne Mersereau  who  will receive Saint Moninca by Mary Biddinger. I then repeated the same process. If the same number were to come up in the randomizer I was prepared to run it again to assure we had two separate winners but this was not necessary as the second draw matched the name Andrea Beltran. Andrea gets the copy of Unmentionables by Beth Ann Fennelly. Congratulations to both of you! I will be emailing both winners tonight. I will need them to respond with the address they wish their  book sent.

It was really nice seeing  new people come by the my blog. I wish I could send each a book but those who entered and did not win, if they would like to e-mail me their snail mail address I will be happy to mail each one a Poetry Month  Limited Edition Broadside with one of  my previously published poems.

Thanks to everyone for participating. And a special thanks to Kelli Russell Agodon who master minded this event 5 years ago. It has grown and become as much a part of April as Poem-A-Challenge, or Poem in Your Pocket Day.

I will be mailing  both books within the next couple of days. 

The Big Poetry Give Away - 2014

It's The 5th Annual April  Big Poet Give Away.

This year I've decided to participate as a "giver" in the Annual Poetry Month Big Poet Give Away.

All this month there are a whole host of blogs that are participating  in giving away poetry book from poets that are among our favorites.  Each blogger participant is selecting two books to give away, one of their own (if they've had one published and the second from another poet. I'm giving  away Saint Monica by Mary Biddinger and Unmentionables by Beth Ann Fennelly

All you have to do is leave a post  with your name in the comments below and you will be entered.  This has to be done before Midnight  (PST) April 30, 2014.  At the conclusion of the month there will be two winners drawn at random. The lucky winners will me announced the week of May 1, 2014.  Each will receive one book. Make sure you  provide an e-mail address so that you can be contacted for mailing address if you are one of the winners.  There are over 40 bloggers participating. Here you can find a complete listing of  all the participating blogs. This annual event was started by poet Kelli Russell Agodon and continues to provide a way each April (National Poetry Month) to enrich the the lives of more people through poetry.

I've selected  books from two poets that are among my  favorite. I hope that you  will find their work as awesome as I have.

My selections are:

 Saint Monica
by Mary Biddinger.  "Mary Biddinger evokes the patron saint of female abuse victims in narrating  the adolescence of a latter day  Saint Monica. Ironic humor illuminates the poems as in 'Saint Monica Stays the Course,' a hilarious catechism of teeth-gritting endurance. Biddinger crisply narrates these memorable tales that entwine horror and sensual discovery, using deft rhythms, head-snapping line  breaks, and highly original imagery."  - Rachel Dacus, author of Femme au Chapeau and Earth Lessons.

Unmentionables
by Beth Ann Fennelly   "Fennelly's poems are as noisy as a rat in a coffee can. They twich, scramble and all but turn themselves inside out on the page....You get an entire bookful of images in just a page or two." - David Kirny, PASTE

Leave your name in the comments below
if you wish to be entered in in the drawing.
It's that easy! 

If you are new to my blog let me tell you a little about myself-

My name is Michael Wells. I'm married and have 4 grown children. I'm in love with baseball and wish it were played year round. I think of the game as a form of  poetry.  My favorite team is the San Francisco Giants.

I enjoy a good wine. My favorite Chardonnay. I like my wine white and my coffee black. I readily acknowledge I drink way too much Diet Coke.

I do not  have a published book but have a manuscript nearing completion. I have been published in a number of  print and online venues.

I have a number of varied artistic interests.  While I have a full time job, I am serious about my writing and work it into my evenings and weekend writing daily.

Some Favorite Writing Related blogs I read are

• Suzanne Frischkorn  - Litwindowpane
• Kelli Russell Agodon - Book of Kells
• Nic Sebastian -  Very Like A Whale
• Martha Silano - Blue Positive 
• Susan Rich - The Alchemist's Kitchen
• Tara Mae Mulroy - Poetry & Effontery

Wishing everyone an enjoyable month of poetry - and good luck!

Leave your name & email in the comments below to be entered in the drawing.