A POET AT YOUR TABLE - FOR NORTHWEST BOOK GROUPS

This table just needs A POET AT YOUR TABLE and some poetry lovers...

I love the serendipity that led to the launching of this new program. For me, it's a sense that good ideas often generate more good ideas. Three years ago this month, I contacted a handful of women writers I knew to see if they would like to meet and share ideas on book promotion. The Alchemist's Kitchen was about to come out and I knew I needed to somehow make book marketing fun this time around. Today, our small and intimate group is comprised of poets, fiction writers, non-fiction writers, and photographers. We meet once every other month and offer support to each other in whatever way we can. And then we drink wine (or hot water with lemon) and laugh a great deal. This is how Booklift was born and how today, it is still thriving.

Last June I listened as novelists and memoir writers in our group waxed poetic (!) about how much fun they had visiting local book groups. The writers spoke of smart women (and men) who "got" their books and in turn offered a new understanding of the work for the writers themselves. The women  also mentioned  good food and laughter. I wanted to join in. 

Today, I'm delighted to announce a brand-new program to connect book groups with poets. It’s called “A Poet at Your Table” (a sub group of Booklift) and is offered in cooperation with the Seattle Arts and Lectures Poetry Series and Crab Creek Review.

A Poet at Your Table

Join our first annual A Poet at Your Table season and receive an evening with an award-winning Pacific NW poet each time your book group chooses to read a book by one of our writers. A poet will visit your book group to discuss the process of creating her book, read poems, answer questions. We will design a presentation that best fits your needs. In addition, your group can receive a 15% discount on subscriptions to the Seattle Arts and Lectures Poetry Series.It’s one thing to enjoy an evening out to hear a poet perform in a large auditorium, but what if you could listen to a poet talk about her work in the comfort of your own home?  Washington state boasts an impressive group of poets who want to connect with readers and book groups.

Featured Poets:

Kelli Russell Agodon
Elizabeth Austen
Sheila Bender
Kathleen Flenniken
Jeannine Hall Gailey
Susan Rich
Annette Spaulding-Convy
Katharine Whitcomb

For more information please contact: PoetAtYourTable(at)gmail(dotcom)

1) What do we have to do to prepare for A Poet at Your Table ?

~  Besides reading the chosen poetry book, no other preparation needed.  Whatever your book group usually does is fine. Just let us know what works for you.

 2) How far in advance do we need to book our poet?

~ A month in advance would be great but you can contact us on shorter notice and we’ll try! We travel, we teach, we write, so give us your top three choices of poets, and we’ll do our best to accomodate your schedule.

3) Do you have a web site where we can review the books and learn about the poets?

~ We encourage you to check out the websites of our eight poets and see which of us seems the best match for you. The links are "live" for the poets just above these these questions.

 4) Our book group is in Kitsap County — is that too far for A Poet at Your Table?

~  We have poets throughout Washington! We will do our best to match a poet with your location.

 5) Can we choose more than one poet to visit?

~   Absolutely! You could invite two poets to come on the same evening or one poet per month.

6) What if the poet we want is busy?
 It is true; we  teach, we travel, and we write.  We ask that you give us your first, second, and third choices. This way we have a better chance of finding the right poet for you on the night of your group.