Poetry 24 Sunday Review

Thanks Martin!

From http://poetry-24.blogspot.com/2011/08/sunday-review_21.html

Fran Hill got this week off to a witty start. Inspired by the digital antics at Grazia, the fashion mag, she penned The royal split. Poor Kate, appearing to be a lesser woman, due to that tweaked waistline.

Karen Neuberg turned her thoughts to Perpetuity, a poem that illustrates the deadly and long lasting effects of radiation, following the earthquake damage to nuclear reactors at Fukushima.

Brent Calderwood's first poem for Poetry24 flagged up Sarah Palin's struggle with American history, with Sarah Palin's Ride, and Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro's sobering account of how famine forces mothers to choose which of their children will live or die, Water over head, is a heart-breaking piece by this prize-winning poet. Meanwhile, Palestinians praying in the Gaza buffer zone, and protesting against land confiscation, set the scene for Lavinia Kumar's Land is an Old Friend.

Philip Challinor rounded out a fairly reflective week of poetry with his, Not Our Sort of People.

To continue that reflective mood, Poetry24 passed the six month mark on 16th August (cue virtual applause), and Clare has come up with a few stats.

In our first six months:

• 4 out of 5 poems were accepted
• 3 out of 4 poets have had something accepted
• 161 poems have been published in 185 days
• 77 different poets - 35 men, 42 women
• 40 Britain, 15 America, 9 Ireland, 4 Australia, 2 Canadia, 2 New Zealand, 1 Puerto Rico, 1 India, 1 Serbia, 1 Netherlands, 1 unknown
• 40+ different news sources
• The strangest keyword search that led someone to the blog was, "custard pie fight porn movies"   

In light of that last one, never let it be said, stats are boring.

Now for the audience participation bit, where we make requests and canvas
opinion. We would like to know your feelings about the positioning of the news-link that accompanies each poem. It has been suggested that people might like to see it before the poem, rather than after. Let us know if you have strong feelings about this.

But don't let us take up all of your valuable thinking time. Leave some for composing those all important poems.

Have a good week.

Martin.