April is National Poetry Month, one of my favorite months, obviously. There are a few ways you can celebrate, here’s what I suggest:

1. Read poetry. Go to your local bookstore or library or Amazon and peruse the poetry section. Buy the #1 selling poetry book if you don’t know where to start. Or ask for suggestions from your poet friends. Here’s my favorite books of poetry I read in 2016, and the favorites from 2015. Pick one from the list and read it.
2. Share the poems you like with someone. Send them a link to a poem you especially loved or buy them a copy of your favorite book of poetry.
3. Buy from independent presses. Better yet, buy directly from poets if you can. Most of us poets have copies of our books we’re dying to sign and sell to you. I have copies of both of my chapbooks available for sale. I’d love it if you bought one or two or ten. ($12 plus your shipping address, and tell me which book you want: Siamese Sisters or All in the Family. Or both!)
4. Write a poem. You don’t have to share it with anyone if you don’t want to but take the time to put pen to paper.
5. Go to a poetry reading. You can find them everywhere – libraries, universities, coffee shops, bookstores, open mics. Many are free and almost all are open to the public. Get out there and listen. (I’ve got a poetry reading in Portland, Maine on April 11th – COME LISTEN TO ME READ POEMS!)
6. Contact your representatives and tell them you support the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and want to keep it funded. The NEA funds things like public events at libraries, film festivals, and music, art, and literary courses for underprivileged kids. These are programs that matter. Call, write, email your representatives and tell them you want our arts funded.