Laurel Snyder Rocks the Poet Party

Did you miss tonight’s poet party? The Poet Party takes place every Sunday night at 9 pm on Twitter with the hashtag #poetparty.

Laurel Snyder was our special guest tonight. She’s written books of poems, “Daphne & Jim: a choose-your-own-adventure biography in verse” (Burnside Review Press, 2005) and “The Myth of the Simple Machines” (No Tell Books, 2007). Her three novels for children include: “Penny Dreadful,” “Any Which Wall” and “Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains” (Random House) and two picture books, “Inside the Slidy Diner” and “Baxter the Kosher Pig.” (Tricycle).

Laurel has published in the Utne Reader, the Chicago Sun-Times, Salon, The Iowa Review, and American Letters and Commentary. She is an occasional commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered. She is a mom. (bio adapted from Laurel Snyder’s website)

The chat transcript follows below. All times in the transcript are three hours ahead of ET.

 
 
December 20, 2010
12:40 am randalljweiss: If bedtime goes better than last night, I will be at the #poetparty.
1:03 am 32poems: @laurelsnyder joins us for #poetparty tonight! She’s a poet and children’s book author. #kidlit #poettalk #poetry #shewrites
1:04 am LaurelSnyder:

 RT @32poems: @laurelsnyder joins us for #poetparty tonight! She’s a poet and children’s book author. #kidlit #poettalk #poetry #shewrites
1:05 am LaurelSnyder:

 Hey Twitter! Join me for #poetparty tonight? My first time dropping in, and I’m excited to meet new people…

1:22 am

32poems:

@jaytothetee @upittpress @carolinecrew @stephkarto @nidysarria @amyjosprague @welshpoetics Hope to see you at #poetparty @ 9pET tonight.

1:23 am 32poems:

 @johnleeclark @mrsmetaphor @redlockdiva #poetparty starts at 9 pm ET. Hope to see you there. We have a special guest…
1:27 am aimeenez:

 RT @LaurelSnyder: Hey Twitter! Join me for #poetparty tonight? My first time dropping in, and I’m excited to meet new people…
1:31 am ConMartin: RT @32poems: @laurelsnyder joins us for #poetparty tonight! She’s a poet and children’s book author. #kidlit #poettalk #poetry #shewrites
1:33 am veace:

 How do I participate in #poetparty? I don’t know how to work Twitter.
1:36 am

 amyjosprague: @veace I think you just follow the hashtag #poetparty
1:57 am LaurelSnyder:

 Time for #poetparty. This’ll be weird. My first poetry party where I can’t drink too much & show off tattoos I don’t really have. #poetparty
1:59 am RumpusPoetry: @LaurelSnyder Oh, you can do all that this time around too. It’s a lively time. #poetparty
1:59 am

 briankspears: @LaurelSnyder Oh, you can do all that this time around too. It’s a lively time. #poetparty
2:00 am RumpusPoetry:

 It’s a Sunday night, the laundry is spinning, the Roomba is Roombaing, and I’m ready for #poetparty. I live a crazy life.
2:01 am

 LaurelSnyder: @briankspears @LaurelSnyder Not unless someone brings me a drink! <roots around in liquor cabinet with a disappointed sigh> #poetparty
2:02 am ElizabethBastos:

 #poetparty I’m going to stop action animate some of my favorite poems. #wallacestevens The Snowman is first up.
2:03 am jessiepoet: #poetparty #poettalk wrote a poem tonight that mentions the shaggy da. Ah childhood can always be mined 🙂

2:03 am

32poems:

Good evening #poetparty people. Thanks for joining us tonight. Our guest tonight is Laurel Snyder.

2:04 am briankspears: @ElizabethBastos Just bought Adobe Aftereffects for my partner. Plan to animate text for poems. #poetparty
2:04 am 32poems:

 @marthasilano @jpdancingbear Please feel welcome to join in on #poetparty tonight.
2:04 am ElizabethBastos:

 #poetparty question: how to increase poetry’s readership?

2:05 am

LaurelSnyder:

@32poems Hey everyone! I’m happy to finally be here. Upstairs my husband is grumbling as he puts the kids to bed. <snickers> #poetparty

2:05 am

briankspears:

By the way, @RumpusPoetry and @briankspears are the same person. Sorry if there’s any confusion. One account is more Rumpus-y. #poetparty

2:06 am

CollinKelley:

Hello everyone gathered for the #poetparty. It’s happening now! Just follow the hashtag.

2:06 am ElizabethBastos: @briankspears #poetparty so the text itself is animate? Would love to see. Mine more claymation.
2:06 am 32poems:

 @laurelsnyder is author of poetry/children’s books. More about her: #poetparty #kidlit http://ow.ly/3rFDv
2:06 am CollinKelley:

 The special guest at the #poetparty tonight is my pal, the fabulous @LaurelSnyder.
2:07 am briankspears: @ElizabethBastos Have to get the software first, but yes, the text will be animated #poetparty
2:07 am

 32poems: I invite everyone at the #poetparty to introduce themselves w/ brief bio and/or URL to more info.
2:07 am LaurelSnyder:

 @CollinKelley <waves at Collin> #poetparty
2:07 am ElizabethBastos: RT @CollinKelley: Hello everyone gathered for the #poetparty. It’s happening now! Just follow the hashtag.
2:07 am

 32poems: @rumpuspoetry @elizabethbastos We’re happy to have you at #poetparty tonight.
2:08 am 32poems:

 @d_grease Very cool. Feel welcome to share the link in your intro of yourself @ #poetparty .
2:08 am rmfenwick: @32poems Richard Fenwick from Tucson here. I enjoy coming to the #poetparty each week to listen and learn…

2:08 am

CollinKelley:

Hello, #poetparty people. I’m Collin, poet and novelist. You can find out more at http://www.collinkelley.com

2:08 am

 DopeNoire: Hi #poetparty. Melissa McEwen here –poetry editor for Poets and Artists. #poetparty
2:09 am randalljweiss:

 Hey #poetparty, Randall Weiss from Tulsa, OK. Poet and undergrad student.
2:09 am

 DopeNoire: I am also the author of Saturday Pie. #poetparty
2:09 am EvelynNAlfred:

 #poetparty Hey there.

2:09 am

briankspears:

Brian Spears, poetry editor of The Rumpus. Personal site is http://www.brian-spears.com First book comes out in late January #poetparty

2:10 am

 WilliamLSandles: RT @CollinKelley: Hello, #poetparty people. I’m Collin, poet and novelist. You can find out more at http://www.collinkelley.com
2:10 am moondustwriter:

 actually made one #poetparty – I’m co-founder on-line community One Stop Poetry

2:10 am

CollinKelley:

Hello, @LaurelSnyder <waves at Laurel> #poetparty

2:11 am

 ElizabethBastos: @32poems #poetparty I’m www.goodybastos.blogspot.com, SAHM, freelancer, in jealousy Kay Ryan’s rhyme, Anne Carson any way I can get her.
2:11 am LaurelSnyder:

 How long has #poetparty been doing these sunday chats?
#poetparty
2:11 am moondustwriter: @briankspears just followed you #poetparty
2:11 am

 32poems: @evelynnalfred Good evening. Thanks for joining us tonight. #poetparty
2:12 am CollinKelley:

 Hello to @32poems @rmfenwick @briankspears @williamlsandles @EvelynNAlfred @dopenoire & all at the #poetparty
2:12 am LaurelSnyder:

 @ElizabethBastos I’m also a SAHM, though I work more than "stay" and am on the road as much as I’m "home." Ha! #poetparty
2:12 am 32poems:

 @dopenoire @randalljweiss @collinkelley @rmfenwick Thanks for joining us tonight. #poetparty
2:12 am alotus_poetry:

 I’m Kathy (aka Lotus), a Vietnamese American poet, a nursing student, a child at heart, arts&crafts enthusiast, runner, yogi. #poetparty

2:13 am

ElizabethBastos:

@LaurelSnyder I sometimes record my kids, to get my language out of it’s rut. #poetparty

2:13 am

 32poems: I just sent out the 1st Q to @laurelsnyder for #poetparty — staying tuned for an answer. =-)
2:13 am CollinKelley:

 @laurelsnyder I think we’ve been doing the #poetparty for a couple of months now.
2:13 am 32poems: @laurelsnyder Q2: WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? #poetparty
2:14 am

 32poems: @moondustwriter Yes, I remember you from an earlier #poetparty Welcome back!
2:14 am LaurelSnyder:

 A1 Well, I’m a poet first, & have a book & a chap out, but now I do a LOT of #kidlit writing. I live in ATL, hail from Baltimore #poetparty
2:14 am DopeNoire:

 @CollinKelley Hello, there. #poetparty
2:15 am LaurelSnyder: A2: I’m slogging away at a book of (ahem) mommy-poems. Only they’re mostly about resentment, rock music, & weird fairytales. #poetparty
2:15 am

 tarabetts: Hello to everyone at the #poetparty @CollinKelley @32poems @EvelynNAlfred and others!
2:15 am ElizabethBastos:

 Q2 #poetparty project: a podcast interviewing people at the grocery, gas station, etc. about their favorite
poem and why.

2:16 am

CollinKelley:

@laurelsnyder Yay for mommy-poems! #poetparty

2:16 am

 LaurelSnyder: A2: then I’m revising a picture book in verse, a retelling of 10 plagues/Red Sea. Also finishing a novel abt divorce/Springsteen. #poetparty
2:16 am Michie_wuz_here:

 GOSS183 Publications: http://issuu.com/didimenendez/docs/2010?mode=a_p&wmode=0 Some literary work you need in your life #poetparty
2:17 am CollinKelley: @tarabetts Hi, Tara! Happy Holidays, love. #poetparty
2:17 am

 32poems: @laurelsnyder Yes, I started #poetparty a few months ago… Oct 24th was the 1st–> http://ow.ly/3rFNq
2:17 am LaurelSnyder:

 @ElizabethBastos That’s very very VERY cool! #poetparty
2:17 am Michie_wuz_here: #poetparty My chapbook and books I’m in! http://twitpic.com/3hgikp
2:18 am

 32poems: I almost forgot to intro myself. I’m Deborah, your #poetparty host, and my site is http://ow.ly/3rFO4 I’m publisher of 32 Poems.
2:18 am randalljweiss:

 @LaurelSnyder Mommy-poems sounds interesting. Family provides all sorts of material. #poetparty
2:18 am 32poems: RT @laurelsnyder: A2: I’m revising a picture book in verse, a retelling of 10 plagues/Red Sea. finishing novel abt divorce… #poetparty
2:19 am

 32poems: RT @collinkelley: @laurelsnyder Yay for mommy-poems! #poetparty
2:19 am LaurelSnyder:

 @randalljweiss These are half about being a mom, and half about what I gave up to do that. I guess you could say. #poetparty
2:19 am 32poems: RT @laurelsnyder: A2: I’m slogging away at book of…mommy-poems…they’re…about resentment, rock music, weird fairytales. #poetparty
2:20 am

 LaurelSnyder: I think writing about parenting is a weird thing right now (maybe always). It was taboo, and now a lot of people are doing it. #poetparty
2:20 am randalljweiss:

 @LaurelSnyder I’m father of two, so I understand the male side of that dichotomy. #poetparty
2:20 am moondustwriter: Answer to #2 as we speak we (my team) are getting anthology of our poets – pub date in spring #poetparty
2:20 am

 32poems: RT @laurelsnyder: A1 …I’m a poet first…have a book & chap out…I do a LOT of #kidlit writing. I live in ATL, hail from Balt #poetparty
2:21 am RumpusPoetry:

 @LaurelSnyder Any ideas as to why writing about family was taboo? It’s hard to not be sentimental when I write about my daughter #poetparty
2:21 am LaurelSnyder: @randalljweiss It would be an interesting thing for a mom and dad to collaborate on a book. Raise some imaginary kids/poems. Hee #poetparty
2:22 am

 ElizabethBastos: @LaurelSnyder #poetparty yes, like admitting to being a mean exhausted resentful Mommy is an insight.
2:22 am CollinKelley:

 @LaurelSnyder ‘s collection "The Myth of the Simple Machines" from @NoTell is fabulous. Highly recommended #poetparty
2:22 am moondustwriter:

 @RumpusPoetry was wondering that too – our lives so wrapped up in children #poetparty
2:22 am randalljweiss: RT @LaurelSnyder: @randalljweiss It would be an interesting thing for a mom and dad to collaborate on a book. Raise some imaginary kids/poems. Hee #poetparty

2:22 am

ElizabethBastos:

RT @CollinKelley: @LaurelSnyder ‘s collection "The Myth of the Simple Machines" from @NoTell is fabulous. Highly recommended #poetparty

2:22 am LaurelSnyder: @RumpusPoetry Well, there’s that– the push against the sentimental. But also there’s been a gender divide, (con’t)
#poetparty

2:22 am

DopeNoire:

I can’t force myself to write about being a parent, even if I tried #poetparty. I don’t know why that is. I can never get poems out of it.

2:23 am moondustwriter: @ElizabethBastos ha now that is taboo #poetparty – an honest poem —>never
2:23 am 32poems:

 Q3: IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FIND BALANCE BETWEEN HOME LIFE AND WRITING LIFE? @laurelsnyder #poetparty
2:23 am LaurelSnyder: @RumpusPoetry And I think women felt like they wouldn’t be taken seriously if they wrote about vaginas and animal crackers. #poetparty
2:23 am

 Michie_wuz_here: #poetparty A poem I read today: "Weekends, Sleeping In" by Marjorie Saiser http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/ #poettalk #poetry
2:23 am LaurelSnyder:

 @ElizabethBastos Yes. #poetparty
2:23 am 32poems: @tarabetts Hi Tara. Nice to see you here. @michie_wuz_here Wecome to #poetparty
2:23 am moondustwriter: @Dopenoire I wonder if it’s because poetry is energy and kids deplete that #poetparty
2:24 am

 32poems: @laurelsnyder I think #writing mommy poems can be a political act. #poettalk #poetparty #shewrites
2:24 am LaurelSnyder:

 @DopeNoire I couldn’t help it, but then I was embarrassed. Which seems silly now #poetparty
2:25 am 32poems: @dopenoire So far, I’ve been able to write few to no poems (that I’d want to keep) about parenthood. #poetparty
2:25 am

 CarrieMurph: @laurelsynder i also hail from baltimore! #poetparty
2:25 am LaurelSnyder:

 A3 I find no balance. It’s like a tornado of "stuff" happening at once. I have 3 hrs a day childcare. In theory I wrote then. #poetparty
2:25 am 32poems: RT @elizabethbastos @LaurelSnyder ‘s collection "The Myth of the Simple Machines" from @NoTell is fabulous. Highly recommended #poetparty
2:26 am RumpusPoetry:

 @LaurelSnyder Whereas men might get a bit too much credit for writing about tender kid moments #poetparty
2:26 am LaurelSnyder: @moondustwriter Huh, that makes a lot of sense. But also, if you’ve trained yourself not to write confessional work, its hard. #poetparty
2:26 am

 notell: RT @32poems: RT @elizabethbastos @LaurelSnyder ‘s collection "The Myth of the Simple Machines" from @NoTell is fabulous. Highly recommended #poetparty
2:27 am ElizabethBastos:

 RT @32poems: @laurelsnyder I think #writing mommy poems can be a political act. #poettalk #poetparty #shewrites
2:27 am moondustwriter:

 I wonder if when we are inundated with kids there is nothing really sweet or romantic to put on paper #poetparty
2:27 am

 LaurelSnyder: @32poems I absolutely think so! In different ways on different levels. Personally, and in the world too. Poetry world, & beyond. #poetparty
2:27 am DopeNoire:

 @moondustwriter Maybe. But more so, for me, parenting isn’t where my inspiration comes from. I keep the two separate. #poetparty
2:27 am notell: Laurel’s book is here: http://www.notellbooks.org/myth #poetparty
2:27 am

 LaurelSnyder: @CarrieMurph What’s up, Charm City! #poetparty
2:27 am moondustwriter:

 @LaurelSnyder but dont you think most of our #poetry is at some level a confession? #poetparty
2:27 am CollinKelley: RT @notell: Laurel’s book is here: http://www.notellbooks.org/myth #poetparty
2:28 am moondustwriter: RT @notell: Laurel’s book is here: http://www.notellbooks.org/myth #poetparty

2:28 am

DopeNoire:

@32poems Uh huh! Same here. #poetparty

2:28 am

 LaurelSnyder: @RumpusPoetry And also be afraid to be honest about their less tender feelings. For fear of being called too male? Or selfish? #poetparty
2:28 am ElizabethBastos:

 @32poems @laurelsnyder #poetparty agree mommy poems have power, thinking Sharon Olds here, but there is always an uncomfortable line.
2:28 am moondustwriter:

 cool Laurel #poetparty
2:28 am

 RumpusPoetry: @32poems I’ve written a couple, but one was about naming my daughter Brittany Spears 20 yrs ago #poetparty
2:28 am 32poems:

 RT @notell: @laurelsnyder ‘s book is here: http://www.notellbooks.org/myth #poetparty
2:29 am 32poems:

 @notell Thanks for the book link! #poetparty
2:29 am liquidc2: I 2nd it @moondustwriter: I wonder if when we are inundated with kids there is nothing really sweet or romantic to put on paper #poetparty
2:29 am

 LaurelSnyder: @moondustwriter Hmm.. for me, for a long time, it felt far more abstract. Almost mathematical. Now it has become more…sincere. #poetparty
2:29 am CollinKelley:

 @rumpuspoetry Do you have a link to the poem about naming your daughter Brittany Spears? Love to read that! #poetparty
2:30 am moondustwriter: @liquidc2 the question when arent we inundated with demands <—– when we write!!! #poetparty

2:30 am

LaurelSnyder:

@RumpusPoetry Hahah! I have a Brit Spears poem too. From long ago. NOT sentimental, or about parenting. #poetparty

2:30 am

 notell: Save an additional 10% with Coupon Code: PEARTREE on Laurel’s book and all No Tell titles: http://stores.lulu.com/no-tell-books #poetparty
2:30 am 32poems:

 @laurelsnyder Q4: WHEN WRITING POEMS ABOUT MY CHILD, WHAT QUESTIONS DO I NEED TO CONSIDER IN REGARDS TO PRIVACY? #poetparty
2:31 am LaurelSnyder: @liquidc2 I think sweet is the hardest part to write. But I’m a bitch, kinda. #poetparty
2:31 am

 RumpusPoetry: Here’s my Brittany Spears poem at Redheaded Stepchild one of my fave online journals. http://bit.ly/eQv61P #poetparty
2:31 am CollinKelley:

 RT @rumpuspoetry: Here’s my Brittany Spears poem at Redheaded Stepchild one of my fave online journals. http://bit.ly/eQv61P #poetparty
2:31 am Michie_wuz_here: #poetparty I hardly write about parenting. Wait, I think I don’t even have ONE parenting poem.
2:31 am

 LaurelSnyder: A$: Oh! Good question. This issue is something Rachel Zucker and I talk a lot about. What do we owe our kids/family? #poetparty
2:32 am moondustwriter:

 Q4 – great question – maybe that is the main reason I dont write about my kids at all – I feel need to protect #poetparty
2:32 am

 randalljweiss: I write a lot of "observational" poems, so not writing about my kids would be ignoring a big part of my life. #poetparty
2:32 am LaurelSnyder:

 A4: I also write essays, & I find it harder there. Something about poetry as encoded makes it safer. But I think finding (con’t)
#poetparty

2:32 am

veace:

I finally joined Twitter and am already loving what’s happening at #poetparty.

2:33 am LaurelSnyder: A4: … the line between YOUR life and THEIR life is hardest with your kids. And it gets harder as they get older. #poetparty
2:33 am jessicavarin: Writing about family is a truth versus loyalty decision. There’s no right answer. #poetparty
2:33 am

 32poems: @rumpuspoetry Good pt about men getting credit for #writing about kids. Amazes me when ppl say dads "babysit" their own children. #poetparty
2:33 am Michie_wuz_here:

 quick break from #poetparty to say go #PATS !!
2:33 am 32poems: @veace Welcome to Twitter. What good things have happened? #poetparty
2:34 am

 CollinKelley: @veace Welcome to Twitter and the #poetparty
2:34 am 32poems:

 RT @randalljweiss: I write a lot of "observational" poems, so not writing about my kids would be ignoring a big part of my life. #poetparty
2:34 am RumpusPoetry: When it comes to writing about your kids, you can always tell them that very few people read poetry. #poetparty
2:34 am

 32poems: RT @rumpuspoetry: Here’s my Brittany Spears poem at Redheaded Stepchild one of my fave online journals. http://bit.ly/eQv61P #poetparty
2:34 am randalljweiss:

 @32poems I hate when people refer to my time with my kids as babysitting them, like my role in the fam doesn’t matter… #poetparty
2:35 am jessicavarin: RT @randalljweiss: I write a lot of "observational" poems, so not writing about my kids would be ignoring a big part of my life. #poetparty

2:35 am

32poems:

RT @notell: Save an additional 10% with Coupon Code: PEARTREE on Laurel’s book & all No Tell titles #poetparty http://ow.ly/3rG3B

2:35 am

CollinKelley:

I don’t have kids, so I write about my parents instead. They don’t exactly know that yet. #poetparty

2:35 am moondustwriter: @RumpusPoetry LOL – like your reasoning #poetparty
2:35 am randalljweiss:

 RT @RumpusPoetry: When it comes to writing about your kids, you can always tell them that very few people read poetry. #poetparty // lol
2:35 am ElizabethBastos: @32poems @randalljweiss #poetparty I’m trying a less confessional nonnarrative line re: my children.
2:37 am ElizabethBastos: RT @CollinKelley: I don’t have kids, so I write about my parents instead. They don’t exactly know that yet. #poetparty
2:37 am

 LaurelSnyder: @ElizabethBastos Mine are def. personal, but it’s not about THEM, it’s about ME. (con’t) #poetparty
2:37 am LaurelSnyder:

 …But this gets to the root of when is it not yours anymore (both kid and poem) #poetparty
2:37 am

 32poems: @laurelsnyder WHAT DID YOU AND RACHEL ZUCKER CONCLUDE IN REGARDS TO PRIVACY/WRITING ABOUT KIDS? #poetparty
2:37 am lukejohnsonpoet:

 Late to the #poetparty but happy to have made it

2:37 am

amyjosprague:

#poetparty I’ve written one poem about my daughter, and it was sooo hard to capture her magic. It’s like the (cont) http://tl.gd/7jde98

2:38 am

 CollinKelley: @elizabethbastos The ones my parents have heard or read, they don’t seem to realize its them. They think poetry is fiction. lol #poetparty
2:38 am 32poems:

 Q4: @moondustwriter I wonder if that’s why I don’t either…I don’t like talking about her on paper except in abstract terms… #poetparty
2:38 am randalljweiss: @LaurelSnyder There is definitely a difficult tension there. #poetparty
2:38 am

 Iliteratepoet: RT @amyjosprague: #poetparty I’ve written one poem about my daughter, and it was sooo hard to capture her magic. It’s like the (cont) http://tl.gd/7jde98
2:39 am amyjosprague:

 #poetparty & yes me too–it’s about how I see her, my feelings

2:39 am

32poems:

@rumpuspoetry Oh, my gosh. I RT’d it so I can find/read the poem after the #poetparty

2:39 am

 randalljweiss: @CollinKelley I regret letting my dad read a poem in which he is a character. He though I made him "look like an asshole." #poetparty
2:39 am 32poems:

 @lukejohnsonpoet Welcome! #poetparty We have @laurelsnyder as our guest…
2:39 am LaurelSnyder:

 @32poems Ha! RZ and I never conclude anything. But I think we agree that if it feels wrong to you, that’s not a good thing. #poetparty
2:40 am 32poems: RT @laurelsnyder: @ElizabethBastos Mine are def. personal, but it’s not about THEM, it’s about ME. (con’t) #poetparty

2:40 am

32poems:

@elizabethbastos Interesting about the nonnarrative/confessional… #poetparty

2:40 am

 LaurelSnyder: And that f you’re honest WITH your kids, it’s easier to be honest ABOUT your kids, in your public/writer life. #poetparty
2:40 am Michie_wuz_here:

 I’ve read some good poems about pregnancy and conceiving, though. #poetparty
2:40 am

 CollinKelley: @randalljweiss My parents will freak a little when they read my next collection. They are the "main characters" so to speak. #poetparty
2:40 am Paul_Lisicky:

 RT @rumpuspoetry: Here’s my Brittany Spears poem at Redheaded Stepchild one of my fave online journals. http://bit.ly/eQv61P #poetparty
2:40 am 32poems: @randalljweiss Yes, it’s old school to use "babysitting" in reference to dads. #poetparty
2:41 am LaurelSnyder: I actually just went through this with a #kidlit thing too. Wrote my parents divorce into a novel. It’s harder in prose. #poetparty
2:41 am

 32poems: @ElizabethBastos Oh, you are in Baltimore–not too far away… #poetparty
2:41 am CollinKelley:

 @paul_lisicky Hi Paul! Happy holidays. #poetparty
2:41 am RumpusPoetry: And while you don’t want to embarrass your kids, understand that they have a different view of privacy in an online world #poetparty
2:42 am 32poems: RT @laurelsnyder: …But this gets to the root of when is it not yours anymore (both kid and poem) #poetparty
2:42 am moondustwriter:

 @LaurelSnyder I would agree that fiction or non-fiction lends itself to that more than poetry #poetparty
2:42 am LaurelSnyder: I think the non-poet world has an understanding of poetry as sacred sometimes. And also, they don’t understand most of it. 🙂 #poetparty
2:43 am 32poems: New to #poetparty ? Here are guidelines/history –> http://ow.ly/3rGax
2:43 am Michie_wuz_here:

 Really? I thought that was more new school. RT @randalljweiss Yes, it’s old school to use "babysitting" in reference to dads. #poetparty
2:43 am 32poems: @laurelsnyder Divorce is SUCH a good #kidlit idea. #poetparty
2:43 am ElizabethBastos: @LaurelSnyder #poetparty good point, being honest as a parent, that you’re irritated, tired keeps the diary entry out of the writing work.

2:43 am

randalljweiss:

@LaurelSnyder I think there is a pressure sometimes that poetry ‘should’ be sacred. #poetparty

2:44 am

 LaurelSnyder: Man! Now I totally want to find my old Brit Spears poem! But it was in Canary, not online.. #poetparty
2:44 am lukejohnsonpoet:

 @moondustwriter Happy to hear it, and to discover @laurelsnyder #poetparty
2:44 am LaurelSnyder: @ElizabethBastos Well, or just makes it less surprising when the poem is "I’m irritated/I hate my kid" #poetparty
2:44 am 32poems: @laurelsnyder Haha. Yeah, that is a good pt about not writing it if the subj doesn’t feel right. #poetparty
2:45 am

 amyjosprague: #poetparty maybe I’m an ass, but in poems about my parents–it’s an open book, deeply personal, and nothing is (cont) http://tl.gd/7jdhqe
2:45 am CollinKelley:

 @randalljweiss I think trying to make poetry "sacred" takes it further away from the mainstream. It puts it out of reach. #poetparty
2:45 am 32poems: @rumpuspoetry 20 yos are pretty savvy, it seems, re: privacy. Some deactivate their FB accts each time they log off FB. #poetparty

2:45 am

LaurelSnyder:

@randalljweiss A thing can be sacred, without being precious. I think poetry is sacred, in a way. It is essential. #poetparty

2:45 am

 RumpusPoetry: @decouverterre I’m not the right person to ask about that, since my parents haven’t talked to me in 15 years. My poems are harsh #poetparty
2:46 am ElizabethBastos:

 @LaurelSnyder #poetparty the perceived "sacredness" is so close to it’s perceived twee preciousness.
2:46 am 32poems:

 @collinkelley What do you mean by "sacred" in regards to #poetry ? #poetparty
2:46 am LaurelSnyder:

 @32poems I’ll send you a PDF if you want to read it. Actually has poems in it too. Meredith/Dickinson/Wright. #poetparty
2:46 am ElizabethBastos: RT @32poems: New to #poetparty ? Here are guidelines/history –> http://ow.ly/3rGax
2:46 am jessicavarin: @randalljweiss True, I’m writing a persona poem as a crass, 70-year-old curmudgeon. #poetparty
2:46 am

 RumpusPoetry: @32poems True, but my former students are just as likely to stay logged on to a public computer and their friends make them pay #poetparty
2:46 am veace:

 @32poems I remember Beth Ann Fennelly’s book Tender Hooks. I loved it. Some other poet friends called it embarrassing, mostly men #poetparty
2:47 am LaurelSnyder: Sacred like anything meaningful is sacred. But I’m a iconic/iconoclastic sort of gal, so maybe the word is different for me. #poetparty
2:47 am CollinKelley: @32poems By "sacred" I mean that it’s too difficult, too opaque, too out of touch with the now to be enjoyed by modern readers. #poetparty
2:47 am jessicavarin:

 @RumpusPoetry One of my friends went home and found out he was gay by checking Facebook. #poetparty
2:47 am LaurelSnyder: @veace LOVE THAT BOOK! #poetparty
2:47 am

 moondustwriter: @RumpusPoetry don’t you think that harsh is what people need (at times) – I have a friend who was in prison – his rocks #poetparty
2:48 am amyjosprague:

 #poetparty I agree, when it’s sacred it’s written right, you’ve said what you set out for

2:48 am

RumpusPoetry:

What’s most imprtnt about writing abt kids is that they can’t not take it personally. Better to leave it unwritten than hurt them #poetparty

2:48 am 32poems: @paul_lisicky Hi Paul — We’re chatting with @laurelsnyder at #poetparty tonight. 10 more min left.
2:48 am LaurelSnyder:

 Fucking is sacred. Nature is sacred. If sacred feels out of touch, you need a new church! See #ktb and call me in the morning! #poetparty
2:48 am moondustwriter: @LaurelSnyder Think that is true about most of the world not understanding #poetry even if they read it #poetparty
2:49 am Michie_wuz_here: Read this in a poem today: "Our legs spoke a throaty language/as we sauntered down hallways/crossed our legs under our desks…" #poetparty
2:49 am

 RumpusPoetry: @moondustwriter In my case, it was what I needed, and being cut off made it easier to express that. No need to hide. #poetparty
2:49 am LaurelSnyder:

 @RumpusPoetry I basically agree, but I think this is a case by case thing. I was raised in a very LOUD/honest family. #poetparty
2:49 am 32poems: Q6: WE HAVE 10 MIN LEFT. THE FLOOR IS OPEN TO Qs FROM ANYONE… #poetparty
2:49 am CollinKelley: @32poems My idea of "sacred" when it comes to poetry is negative I suppose. #poetparty
2:49 am ElizabethBastos:

 RT @LaurelSnyder: Fucking is sacred. Nature is sacred. If sacred feels out of touch, you need a new church! See #ktb and call me in the morning! #poetparty
2:50 am 32poems: Q7: @laurelsnyder IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD THAT WE DID NOT YET DISCUSS? #poetparty

2:50 am

RumpusPoetry:

@CollinKelley If your definition of sacred means "above criticism," then yes, that would be negative. #poetparty

2:50 am

32poems:

@collinkelley Ah, I get it. #poetparty

2:50 am

 LaurelSnyder: @CollinKelley Yeah, I understand. But these are words I want to take back. I want sentimental back too. #poetparty
2:51 am jessicavarin:

 RT @LaurelSnyder: @CollinKelley Yeah, I understand. But these are words I want to take back. I want sentimental back too. #poetparty
2:51 am LaurelSnyder: @RumpusPoetry @CollinKelley For a new def of sacred: http://killingthebuddha.com/ Its quite the opposite for me! #poetparty
2:51 am 32poems:

 RT @veace ….Beth Ann Fennelly’s book Tender Hooks. I loved it. Some …friends called it embarrassing, mostly men #poetparty
2:51 am randalljweiss: @LaurelSnyder There’s this idea that sentimental can’t be intellectual/artistic. I think that idea is rubbish. #poetparty
2:51 am

 32poems: @veace Yep, I had the same reaction to TH from male friends. #poetparty
2:51 am LaurelSnyder:

 This is funny. As a Jew, criticism is inherent in "sacred" for me. #poetparty
2:52 am trishlet: RT @Paul_Lisicky: RT @rumpuspoetry: Here’s my Brittany Spears poem at Redheaded Stepchild one of my fave online journals. http://bit.ly/eQv61P #poetparty
2:52 am CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry I don’t think any poetry is perfect or above criticism. #poetparty
2:52 am

 alegasso: Ahhh. Was just looking for some inspiration. Found it at the #poetparty
2:52 am tarabetts:

 RT @CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry I don’t think any poetry is perfect or above criticism. #poetparty
2:52 am LaurelSnyder: This is funny.The things I like best to write about: God & babies. And I basically cuss about/love them both more than anything. #poetparty
2:53 am

 lukejohnsonpoet: Tender Hooks is such a wonderful collection #poetparty
2:53 am RumpusPoetry:

 @CollinKelley Me either. And no subject is off limits, as far as I’m concerned. #poetparty
2:53 am moondustwriter: RT @RumpusPoetry: @CollinKelley Me either. And no subject is off limits, as far as I’m concerned. #poetparty

2:53 am

32poems:

RT @alegasso: Ahhh. Was just looking for some inspiration. Found it at the #poetparty

2:53 am jessicavarin: @32poems Q: Is there a #poetparty Twitter list I can follow?
2:53 am CollinKelley:

 @laurelsnyder I think you can take sentimental back with no problem as long as it’s not twee. #poetparty
2:53 am ElizabethBastos: RT @LaurelSnyder: This is funny.The things I like best to write about: God & babies. And I basically cuss about/love them both more than anything. #poetparty

2:54 am

LaurelSnyder:

I have a poem in my new book about my son’s bris. It’s ALL sacred and ALL cussing and all god/babies I hadn’t thought that out. #poetparty

2:54 am 32poems: RT @laurelsnyder …The things I like best to write about: God & babies…#poetparty
2:54 am lubkin:

 @LaurelSnyder ?Not all of us who drink are poets. Some of us drink because we?re not poets? #poetparty
2:54 am jessicavarin: RT @LaurelSnyder: This is funny.The things I like best to write about: God & babies. And I basically cuss about/love them both more than anything. #poetparty

2:55 am

32poems:

@laurelsnyder Let’s take back confessional, sacred, and sentimental… #poetparty

2:55 am

 LaurelSnyder: Somehow I don’t think *this* chat is going to sell many of my books for children. Hee. #poetparty
2:55 am amyjosprague:

 RT @lubkin: @LaurelSnyder ?Not all of us who drink are poets. Some of us drink because we?re not poets? #poetparty
2:55 am CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry The 1st time you make a subject off limits in poetry, then you are denying yourself. It’s self-imposed censorship. #poetparty

2:55 am

alotus_poetry:

@jessicavarin @32poems You can add #poetparty to your list of searches with this #NewTwitter feature.

2:55 am DopeNoire: #poetparty I don’t want to be that kind of poet with only a female following. I want men to "holy shit" about my poems, too

2:55 am

jgpoetry:

#poetparty missed tonight’s. My cat had a 105 temperature. Emergency vet visit. Would have preferred a poetic convo.

2:55 am alotus_poetry: RT @32poems: @laurelsnyder Let’s take back confessional, sacred, and sentimental… #poetparty
2:55 am LaurelSnyder:

 @32poems I used to tell people all my poems are confessional, but they’re mostly spoken in math #poetparty
2:55 am ElizabethBastos: @CollinKelley @laurelsnyder sentimental is diff. from saccharine #poetparty Feeling deep=good, squeezing it=bad.
2:56 am moondustwriter: @jgpoetry aww too bad – glad to see your purrrrdy face #poetparty
2:56 am

 LaurelSnyder: @DopeNoire Ahhhh, me too! But I want them to "holy shit" about my mommy poems. THAT’s the trick. Hmm… #poetparty
2:56 am cheekystarnova:

 RT @LaurelSnyder: Fucking is sacred. Nature is sacred. If sacred feels out of touch, you need a new church! See #ktb and call me in the morning! #poetparty
2:56 am moondustwriter: @rumpuspoetry The 1st time you make a subject off limits in poetry, then you are denying yourself. It’s self-imposed censorship. #poetparty

2:56 am

Michie_wuz_here:

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/100904 Delicious Dangerous by me! #poetparty

2:57 am tarabetts: RT @CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry The 1st time you make a subject off limits in poetry, then you are denying yourself. It’s self-imposed censorship. #poetparty
2:57 am CollinKelley:

 @32poems I will never stop writing confessional poetry. No matter how out of vogue it becomes. #poetparty
2:57 am 32poems: Thanks to @laurelsnyder for coming to the #poetparty tonight. And thanks to all who attended. Next #poetparty is Jan 2, 2011.
2:57 am ElizabethBastos: RT @CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry The 1st time you make a subject off limits in poetry, then you are denying yourself. It’s self-imposed censorship. #poetparty

2:57 am

32poems:

@michie_wuz_here For single-parent households where the mother has the children more often, that makes sense. #poetparty

2:57 am

 LaurelSnyder: @32poems Thanks so much to everyone. This was so fun, and I’ll be back for the next one for sure. #poetparty
2:57 am lukejohnsonpoet:

 RT @CollinKelley: @32poems I will never stop writing confessional poetry. No matter how out of vogue it becomes. #poetparty
2:57 am jessiepoet: RT @RumpusPoetry: Here’s my Brittany Spears poem at Redheaded Stepchild one of my fave online journals. http://bit.ly/eQv61P #poetparty
2:58 am amyjosprague: RT @CollinKelley: @32poems I will never stop writing confessional poetry. No matter how out of vogue it becomes. #poetparty

2:58 am

DopeNoire:

@LaurelSnyder if you can get them to do that, then you have "it". #poetparty. lol

2:58 am

 32poems: @elizabethbastos @laurelsnyder She rhymes left and right of her own volition. #poetparty
2:58 am ElizabethBastos:

 @32poems @laurelsnyder Thank you, thank you. To babies! To sentiment! #poetparty
2:58 am CollinKelley: Happy Holidays, all you fabulous #poetparty folks! See you at the next one! Great Q&A with @LaurelSnyder tonight!
2:58 am 32poems: Next #poetparty is Jan 2, 2011. <— Making sure you all see this… See you again at #poetparty in 2011.

2:59 am

moondustwriter:

best of holidays to all of you #poetparty

2:59 am ElizabethBastos: RT @32poems: Next #poetparty is Jan 2, 2011. <— Making sure you all see this… See you again at #poetparty in 2011.
2:59 am 32poems:

 RT @laurelsnyder: @32poems Thanks so much to everyone. This was so fun, and I’ll be back for the next one for sure. #poetparty
2:59 am 32poems: @collinkelley Good. I don’t want you to stop. =-) #poetparty

2:59 am

D_Grease:

@32poems @laurelsnyder nice! Maybe u’d enjoy "My Letter" http://bit.ly/9ny2fB. Also did I miss a link 4 Ms Snyder’s wrk? #poetparty

2:59 am alotus_poetry: RT @32poems: Next #poetparty is Jan 2, 2011. <— Making sure you all see this… See you again at #poetparty in 2011.
2:59 am CollinKelley: RT @32poems: Thanks to @laurelsnyder for coming to the #poetparty tonight. And thanks to all who attended. Next #poetparty is Jan 2, 2011.
2:59 am randalljweiss:

 RT @CollinKelley: Happy Holidays, all you fabulous #poetparty folks! See you at the next one! Great Q&A with @LaurelSnyder tonight!
3:00 am jessicavarin:

 @DopeNoire "So write … Not like a girl. Not like a boy. Write like a motherfucker." http://bit.ly/cOFljc #poetparty
3:00 am tarabetts:

 @CollinKelley @32poems Confessions will bob up or stifle other poems if you don’t tell the truth that needs to be in your work. #poetparty
3:00 am 32poems: RT @elizabethbastos: @32poems @laurelsnyder Thank you, thank you. To babies! To sentiment! #poetparty
3:00 am amyjosprague: #poetparty enjoyed reading this, ill be here next time!
3:00 am

 veace: Thanks #poetparty. What a fun first Twitter experience!
3:00 am jessiepoet:

 RT @CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry The 1st time you make a subject off limits in poetry, then you are denying yourself. It’s self-imposed censorship. #poetparty
3:00 am ElizabethBastos: RT @tarabetts: @CollinKelley @32poems Confessions will bob up or stifle other poems if you don’t tell the truth that needs to be in your work. #poetparty
3:00 am thestorialist: RT @32poems: Next #poetparty is Jan 2, 2011. <— Making sure you all see this… See you again at #poetparty in 2011.
3:00 am alotus_poetry: Thank you for having me! Looking forward to the next one! Great to meet new #poets! #poetparty (And happy holidays!)

3:01 am

randalljweiss:

The poetry continues for me as I now turn my attention to editing for @judyblackcloud. #poetparty

3:01 am DopeNoire: @jessicavarin I like that!!!!!!!! #poetparty
3:01 am CollinKelley:

 RT @tarabetts: Confessions will bob up or stifle other poems if you don’t tell the truth that needs to be in your work. #poetparty #amen
3:01 am Iliteratepoet: RT @CollinKelley: @rumpuspoetry The 1st time you make a subject off limits in poetry, then you are denying yourself. It’s self-imposed censorship. #poetparty
3:01 am moondustwriter: @randalljweiss have fun editing #poetparty
3:01 am

 32poems: RT @amyjosprague: RT @lubkin: @LaurelSnyder ?Not all of us who drink are poets. Some of us drink because we?re not poets? #poetparty