Tupelo 7/30: My Skunk Hour

Dear Reader, 

Confession: If I was not doing Tupelo's 30/30, I would not have written/finished a draft for today. 

I write complete each of the poems the night before they're do, like having read the assignments before class (I can't escape the student/teacher in me). 

And last night, I *started* working on a poem around 8:15pm, after a preschool field trip, which included an accident (read: pee-soaked sneakers, etc), trying to work on an end-of-year report during my three-year-old's one-hour nap, and the general chaos of running a household. 

If I was doing a private poem-a-day challenge, as I've done in the past, I would have given myself a pass. I had done some research, sketched a few notes, made a noble effort on a day that had sapped so much physical and emotional energy. 

Because this is a public challenge and so many people are reading (and rooting for me!), my own pride/ego/ambition/persistence/vanity/etc. refused to bail. 

And by midnight, I had finished a draft. Is it a great poem? No. Is it something that I didn't have before and could totally work with? Yes. 

This 30/30 challenge is asking me to give my writing an attention that I give almost everything else in my life. If there were essays I had to grade or an end-of-year report deadline or a sick child or, or, or, I'd stay up and push through it. Because those things have a more visible and tangible payoff, I make time for them, even when there is no time. 

Last night, I did that for poetry. 

Here is an excerpt of "My Skunk Hour" (read the full poem on Tupelo Press' 30/30 blog):


"Let me be the skunk. Lady of the mercaptan

rich musk. Medusa of the trash heap,
a smell that hits you like stone."

Like Robert Lowell's infamous "Skunk Hour," this is a confessional poem; however, I am interested in presenting the skunk as a type of spirit animal.

The poem is a celebration of our ripest body, a type of reclamation of natural self, and it is arguing against the commodification of women’s beauty. Well, it may not be doing all of this yet, but it has plans.

I am so thankful to be doing this project, and I am astounded by the support my friends, family, and colleagues have shown. 

Twenty-four (24!) people have donated to support my participation and independent publishing, and though I have nineteen incentive requests to fill (since I've completed two), I can take many more, as it's possible for me to use five words, a title, and a topic or formal request on one poem. So if you're inclined, donate and send me your request. 

Yours in poetry,

Emari

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project (June 2016): 30 Poems in 30 Days!

Dearest Readers, 

Join me for an incredible adventure this June, as I write 30 poems in 30 days as one of seven poets participating in Tupelo Press' 30/30 Project. 

Tupelo Press is an amazing independent press, which supports many programs, ranging from a Teen Writing Center to publishing literary works of emerging and established writers. 

To this end, they've created an innovative fundraising program: the 30/30 Project, where a group of poets pledge to write 30 poems in 30 days and to raise funds by soliciting donations from sponsors (like many other nonprofits and funding campaigns do). This June, I am one of the participating poets. 

I invite you to join me on this wild ride: reading, commenting, encouraging, chop-busting (when appropriate), and if circumstances allow, sponsoring me and donating funds (to Tupelo Press, not me!). 

Our poems will be posted online daily, some with their stitches still showing. Yes, you will see our first/early, unpolished, sometimes unfinished drafts. 

My good friends know that this is a double challenge for me: 1) pursuing a daily writing practice and 2) permitting the public to see work that is unvetted. Yes, I will be wrestling my inner perfectionist. 

I am excited about the personal challenges, and I am excited to promote poetry, independent literary publishers, and Tupelo Press. 

Like previous participants, I am offering incentives for certain levels of donations. The donations are tax deductible. Please consider donating any amount, but I'm offering these incentives at the specified donation levels:

Five for Five For a $5 donation in my honor, you can provide me with up to five words that I'll include in a poem during the marathon. The words can be a complete phrase/sentence or individual words to include throughout the poem. Zany and mundane are welcome! 

What's in a Name? For a $10 donation in my honor, you can provide a title, and I'll write a poem with your title during the marathon. Make the title as long or as interesting as you wish. This incentive is limited to thirty titles, and reduces by one each day, so reserve your poem title soon. 

Occasional Verse For a $25 donation in my honor, you can name the subject of the poem. Yes, I will write a poem about anything you want during the marathon. Try me. 

The Formal Duel For a $35 donation in my honor, you can pick any traditional form (as long as it can be written in English and you or the Internet can provide a description and example). I will write a poem in the prescribed traditional form during the marathon. 

She-rex Sampler For a $50 donation in my honor, I'll design and send you, in July, a unique, signed, mini-chapbook consisting of any six poems (your choice) I've written during the marathon. 

If none of these incentives appeals to you, but you'd still like to help, I'm open to suggestions, particularly for larger donations. I'm happy to share crockpot recipes, mail you cookies and/or homemade soap, and/or disclose the secret to growing your hair past your waist (that one is kind of a scam, sorry!). 

If you choose to sponsor me, please visit the 30/30 donation page. Scroll down, complete the form, and find the "Is this donation in honor of a 30/30 poet?" Select my name, "Emari DiGiorgio," from the pull down so that Tupelo knows to credit the donation to me. Then, please inform me of your donation and provide incentive details (ie. five words, title, etc) via email at edigiorgio@gmail.com or through Facebook so that I can acknowledge, write to your requests, and thank you profusely. 

You might also consider a $129 subscription to Tupelo's regular subscription series, which includes ten books from one of the country's top literary presses! If you choose this option, please specify "in honor of" and insert my name, "Emari DiGiorgio," to show your support for my efforts. Click here to subscribe. 

For more information on the 30/30 Project and to read the daily poems, please follow our progress. I plan to post updates on this project, including how I'm generating ideas and the impetus for individual poems. Maybe I'll even share excerpts from my notorious audio drafts!

I look forward to reading your comments! 

Yours in poetry,

Emari
aka. She-rex Tango