The stats are now final for the 2022 Poetry Postcard Fest.
Participants: 544
The highest fest participation in 16 years, matching the pandemic year, 2020.
Countries, 12: Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, U.K., U.S.A.
Canadian Provinces: 5
U.S. States: 44
Top Ten U.S. States:
1. Washington: 128
2. California: 78
3. Oregon: 30
4. (tie) Colorado: 18, Massachusetts: 18
6. New York: 17
7. New Mexico: 16
8. Texas: 15
9. Florida: 14
10. (tie) Alabama, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
I know that Great Britain and the U.K. could be put together, but I defer to the way the address was given by the participant. Remember the post-fest prompt you’re encouraged to try on Sept 1, 2 or 3. There will be some news about that before too long.
I can’t begin to tell you how joyful this makes me. If you have any questions, email, text or call me. Please be kind. Consider our Fall workshop if you think there is something more you’d like to learn about spontaneous poetry composition and its largely post-WWII history. See: https://paulenelson.com/poetics-as-cosmology/ Classes offered via Zoom in the fall and capped at 12 participants.
Registration for the 2023 Poetry Postcard Fest will begin September 1. Get in an early group to be with other passionate postcard poets!
Yay us! Glad to be part of a brotherhood/sisterhood/personhood/people hood. Let us spontaneously combust! (You know what I mean.)
Wonderful news in the sign ups. I like , Colette, am excited to receive my list. I seem to get on list number two often; it’s all good since I find comfort there. This year lots if new names & friends from past years. Thank you for all your hard work, Paul.
535 Participants! Just WOW!
It has been fun watching the success of the Postcard Poetry fest over the past few years. Getting my list(s) always gives me a little thrill. Then come the cards full of amazing poetry and art!
Is it too late to join for 2022? Can I be on your mailing list for 2023?
See the link above for group 17 where he says there is still room for a few
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/splabman
Impressive! This makes my heart happy.
I was so very excited to write all 32 people post card poems, and was finished before the end of July. It’s now August 7th and I have only received 7 post cards from my list. I expected to be getting more than that by now. Overly excited to receive, I guess. Please send mail !!! I can’t wait !!
I see encouragement to sign up for September 1 for the 2023 Fest which I do not see where exactly that is. Am I blind or computer unhandy or is it just encouragement so far ? I don’t want to miss this exciting fun by missing the button to click !
I see where I can sign up for the Spontaneous poetry class which I could use I’m quite sure. I’ve just been ‘shooting from the hip” so far….an untrained hip. That’s what was only one thing that was so appealing to me, spontaneity.
Please pay no attention to the last poorly constructed sentence in my lengthy comments today! Proofreading was not done well on that sentence……the keyboard meant to say………The one thing Miss Priscilla finds very appealing is the spontaneity of what is speaking to one at the moment. I find that Beautiful, noncritical & judgemental. It’s encouraging and empowering to some.
Again,Poets! Send mail !! Bills and Ads fill my box until my birthday rolls around once a year. And Christmas.
Hi All,
Just mailed my last three postcard poems! This was my first year at the Poetry Festival but definitely not my last. Was fun and easy to do.
Like Priscilla, I have only received 7 poems in return. So sad. Please send me what you got—my big mail box eagerly awaits your fresh-off-the-press poems!
Thanks and happy poem-making,
Laurie
Laurie, many people wait until August to send postcards and some send them late, in September. Thanks for your inspired participation!
Paul
As in my two previous years with the fest this year the fest has provided a lot of enjoyment for me. In July mini-Art rules my daily world. I work on the cards with the hope of sending out an original piece to everyone on my list in August. Roughly speaking, the July process involves establishing a theme and style, finding the appropriate images from a cache of thousands of photos and doing the initial assembly work. In August I finish each card, lable and address and do the spontaneous writing. The writing; calling it poetry is a stretch, is the quickest part. I try to link the poetry with the image and the receiver who is just a name and address to me, of the card. Since there is no feedback loop I have no idea if any of this works. It’s just fun. Only eight cards received on 08/20. It is true that many arrive in September. LP
I sent 32 and I have received 17 by Sept. 8th. Fifty-five percent is a little lower than the past, and while some of us get all cards out in August, some take longer. This year I got 2 additional “August” postcards from my 5-year old grandson which I will add to my count. I am always delighted at the range of artwork and wordswork that arrives. It’s a gift to share around the world and across the country. I really enjoy the cross pollinating of ideas both spontaneous and as responses to each other’s expressions. Thanks to all. CS
Thanks for this report Carla. I believe there is a higher degree of participation by folks who sign up earlier.