Poetry Rules

I do hope you are all celebrating World Poetry Day in a way or another. I sincerely wish everybody would at least read a poem today, buy a poetry book, write some lines, take part to a reading or visit a poet's tomb. I hear the panther roaring in Emily's glove summoning me to go back to work. I wrote 80 lines already today, it's a good start.

The story behind my chapbook,  Guerrilla Blues , that has just been released is kind of amusing. In a way, it starts with SF poet laureate Jack Hirschman giving a reading in writer Olga Campofreda's living room last May here in Rome. (I'd met Jack in SF the previous Summer in Caffé Trieste. It was a cathartic encounter. It changed me in so many ways). So, that night I met several roman poets/writers who read their poems there: Marco Cinque, Marco Lupo, Angelo Zabaglio aka Andrea Coffami, Roberto Mandracchia, Olga and more. It was a lively experience. But, at that time, I could hardly imagine what that evening would lead to. In September, Jack was back in Rome for a few days on his way to Sarajevo for a poetry reading, as we, the poets who had met in May, were organizing a reading for the World Poetry Movement's planetary event "100,000 poets for Change". Jack wished to involve those of us who had read the former May in his second international Revolutionary Poet...

Well, since it's going to be printed tomorrow, I think I may as well tell you its title. The cover is a marvelous photograph by my friend and fellow poet, Marco Cinque. I'll be happy to show it to you soon. Have a look at the pictures below. Yes, those two words are the title!

I am so happy to report of having reached my first poetry and personal goal of the year. I have only started  submitting my poems last February 28, 2011 and today I have achieved the goal of submitting them to 101 different journals and anthologies. I am quite proud to report that, so far, I have had over 50 poems accepted as well as my good dose of rejections, naturally. I have met wonderful Editors in the process, one in particular I am indeed more than grateful to for all the support and the positive feedback. Thank you, Cooper! I have received lovely rejections too. The best is probably Beloit Poetry Journal 's: " Dear Alessandra, we shall not be using your manuscript. Thank you, however, for giving us the opportunity to consider it. Thanks also especially for the Akhmatova poem. That image that leads to "Requiem" is among the most powerful in all twentieth-century poetry." WOW, I really loved this rejection! I have sent out 314 poems in total and I sti...

I am so happy to report that my first bilingual poetry chapbook will soon be published here in Italy. A series of fortunate events made it possible. Sometimes life surprises you in unexpected ways. I met the publisher last December only! I am even more lucky because poet Jack Hirschman loved the book and was happy to write its introduction. His words really made me cry out of joy. Last but not least, I will have a photograph by my friend and fellow poet Marco Cinque as the cover. What else could I ask for? Well, some readers   I   suppose... The title? I will divulge that soon!

Here is my first published prose poem in 2012. Ms. Karenina makes it to TrainWrite. My thanks to Editor Karen Eileen Sikola. http://trainwrite.tumblr.com/post/16349548359/tolstoys-muse

I have been writing poetry since I was a teenager. One day I discovered Arthur Rimbaud and Dylan Thomas and I was hooked. The bad lad with the soles of wind has haunted me for a long time and still does. So does the Welsh Bard. But, over the years, many other poets have become part of my literary Pantheon. From all of them I have learnt a lot. To all of them I owe something.  It took me way too long to decide to market my poems. The main reason being that I dare write them in English which is not my mother tongue. Here below you may find a list of published poems since end of February 2011. I am indeed thankful for all journals that have accepted my work and I am very grateful to all the editors who have been willing to spend their time providing me with precious feedback.  But, I am also thankful to all journals who have rejected my work too. I have really learnt a lot from my rejections.  Beloit Poetry Journal rejected one of my poems in a way that made me rejoice as ...