Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday Roundup & The Sealey Challenge

July 28, 2022 /

I’m hosting Poetry Friday! If you are sharing your post, you can add your link below.

The Sealey Challenge

 
As you may have guessed by now, I love a good challenge. I often create challenges for myself in writing and in reading. When I recently read about The Sealey Challenge in another poetry post, I knew I had to give it a try.
 
The Sealey Challenge encourages participants to read a book of poetry every day in the month of August. I have been reading at least 3 poems a day for months. But three poems a day is a far cry from reading a book of poetry a day. Thus the challenge! 
 
August is a busy month for me. It’s always the start of school and long, long days getting everything ready for students. The only way I can make this work is to form a strategy. So here is my plan:
 

Gather More than 31 Books

I had a huge stack of poetry books on my floor that I’ve been slowly collecting. At three poems a day, I don’t read incredibly fast. If the day turns out to be a mess, I will need to pick the shortest book possible.
 
 

Read Longer Books First

I have a lighter schedule the first two weeks in August. See those thick books in my stack? I’ll read those first.
 

Include a Variety of Books

 
I have chap books and picture books in my stack for days when I don’t have much time to read. I have novels-in-verse to read on days when I have a bit more time. 
 
I’m also including audio. I have a few days in August when I’ll be traveling. I have several Libro.FM credits that I haven’t used. I will queue up some audio poetry books on those days to help me complete the challenge.
 
All poetry books count! 
 

Change How I’m Reading Poetry

I usually read 3-5 poems a day and take notes. I won’t be able to take the time to do that and complete a book a day. I’m going to take quick notes about poems I want to revisit later. I’ve got a new journal dedicated to this. It will be lists of books I read each week and lists of poems I want to revisit later and really study. 

Give Grace

I know my August schedule is BUSY. I plan to give myself some grace if I skip a day or two.
 

Useful Links:

Look up #thesealeychallenge hashtag on social media to get a bunch of book suggestions.
 
I’ll keep you posted on my progress each week.
 
Are you planning to do The Sealey Challenge? I would love to know your strategies!
 

Haiku of the Week

 
July’s heat
spills with lotus blossoms
over a dull pond
 
Photo and Haiku ©2022 Marcie Flinchum Atkins 

 

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48 Comments

  • Susan Thomsen

    July 28, 2022 at 1:27 PM

    A lovely haiku! Thank you for rounding up the poems this week. I posted about the Sealey Challenge, too! I can’t wait for it to start, but I have more books to collect from the library.

    • Carol Varsalona

      July 29, 2022 at 4:32 PM

      Marcie, thank you for hosting Poetry Friday. I plan on submitting a post but have been in slow mode again so mine offering will come shortly. Your July haiku is another stellar look at nature through the eyes of a photographer-poet. I love your stack of books but don’t think I will be able to meet the challenge in the same way you are. Best of luck. I always look forward to your posts.

  • Linda Mitchell

    July 28, 2022 at 5:59 PM

    spills/lotus blossoms is just the most delightful way to describe a hot July day. Wonderful tips for the Sealy challenge. I will “think” about it. I’m also super busy in August — opening up the library August 1st, hosting a PD for my local professional group on August 5th, reporting for duty August 8th. So, 3 poems a day is much more my speed!

    This week I’m in with haiku–you inspire haiku, YOU! Thanks for hosting.

  • Molly Hogan

    July 28, 2022 at 7:05 PM

    I can’t wait to read about how the Sealey Challenge works for you. I’m a bit daunted by it, so I’m spectating this time around. Your summer haiku is lovely–I love the pairing of heat with spills. I’m in with a haiku as well, and a couple of poems from the Summer Poetry Swap. Thanks for hosting this week!

  • Michelle Kogan

    July 28, 2022 at 7:27 PM

    Wow, all the best with the Sealey challenge, sounds like you have a surefire out plan and I love your book pic! Thanks for the summery haiku and for hosting!

  • Mary Lee

    July 28, 2022 at 9:48 PM

    Thanks for hosting, and thanks for sharing your strategies for the Sealey Challenge! Last year I checked a bunch of books out of the library, but I decided to mostly read and re-read from the books I already own this year. Lots of children’s poetry books and skinny volumes for the one-a-day, but I think one day a week (maybe Sundays or Wednesdays) I’ll read for a certain amount of time (maybe an hour) from a couple of longer collections I own but haven’t dug into yet. I like the idea of a dedicated notebook. I ran across one just this morning that has only a couple pages used that can easily be removed. I look forward to seeing how this challenge goes for you!

  • Alan j Wright

    July 28, 2022 at 9:56 PM

    Marcie, I recall a quote from american poet, Ted Kooser-‘You need to read at least 100 poems before you write one.’ Ted reminds us of thee importance of immersion. Your highlighting of the Sealey Challenge further adds to this. It sounds like a worthwhile way to build a strong relationship with poetry. Your post is neatly rounded off with a summer haiku. Thank you for hosting…

    • Marcie Flinchum Atkins

      July 29, 2022 at 8:00 PM

      Alan, yes. I really love Ted Kooser. When I was in grad school, I think my professor encouraged me to read well more than 100 picture books before writing. I have a big list of them somewhere.

  • Tricia Stohr-Hunt

    July 29, 2022 at 12:45 AM

    Thank you for hosting and for sharing your lovely haiku. It almost makes me want to like summer (my least favorite month). Almost.

    I have more than 500 poetry books on the shelves in my office. I’m planning to pull a stack each week for the challenge. I’m going camping for 3 days and am going to take along some small, well-worn (well-loved) copies to read. I plan to include at least one or 2 verse novels each week. I’m looking forward to revisiting some collections I haven’t picked up in a while.

  • Irene Latham

    July 29, 2022 at 7:24 AM

    Marcie, ow much do I love that you love a good challenge? 🙂 Thanks for including that deceptively thick D-39 in your stack — hope you enjoy it. And your haiku/photo is a gift to us all. Thank you! xo

    p.s. I am serving on a book award committee and have far too many reading commitments already, so no Sealey Challenge for me until after November! Please let us know what you learned & loved? I may do a Sealey January!

    • Marcie Flinchum Atkins

      July 29, 2022 at 8:02 PM

      Irene, I DO love a challenge. 🙂 And I think being on a book award committee is a GREAT reason not to do the Sealey Challenge. That would be overload. I’m up for a January Sealey Challenge. All I want to do in January is sit under the covers and read anyway.

  • Liz Garton Scanlon

    July 29, 2022 at 7:42 AM

    Gosh, I don’t have the room for a book each day this August but I LOVE the challenge. I might try some version of it (a few poems from a new book each day? a picture book of poems each day? a book of poems each week?). Thanks for the inspiration and for the haiku and for hosting today!

  • Sara Lewis Holmes

    July 29, 2022 at 7:53 AM

    Hi, Marcie! Your July haiku is brilliant. Have you been to Kenilworth Gardens for their lotus and water lily festival? We rode our bikes there last year and it was beautiful. When I visit again, I’ll be thinking of your poem. Thanks for hosting, and best of luck with the Sealey Challenge. I’m curious to see how you feel about it as you go. For me, I get so “full” from one poem that I have to digest it all day!

    • Marcie Flinchum Atkins

      July 29, 2022 at 8:04 PM

      Sarah! So great to hear from you. I have been to the Kenilworth Garden lotus festival and it was AMAZING!! Parking was a beast, so bikiing seems really smart. They have SO many! I took this photo at Meadowlark Gardens. I also really love the lotuses at Green Spring Gardens. I took pics there last year.

  • Margaret Simon

    July 29, 2022 at 8:01 AM

    With my school year beginning next week, I know that I cannot possibly take on this challenge. I love how you included “grace”. There will be days that you have to give yourself a break. But I also imagine that the poetry will offer you peace and inspiration each day. Thanks for hosting today. I hope you will blog about your immersion into poetry books.

  • Carol J. Labuzzetta

    July 29, 2022 at 12:52 PM

    Marcie,
    Thank you so much for hosting this week and sharing your strategy for compleing the Sealey Challenge. I will have to consider doing this. I very much like your strategy and it will get me to read some new poetry (which is what my post is about today, coincidentally). I hope you succeed! I will check back to see how you are doing! In the meantime, I think a trip to the library is in order for this afternoon! Thanks for the inspiration! ~ carol~

  • PATRICIA J FRANZ

    July 29, 2022 at 5:51 PM

    I don’t know HOW you do it, Marcie! I’m amazed that you can take notes and then return to the ones you’re more interested in later… that “later” NEVER comes for me! I’m constantly bookmarking sites to revisit and then realizing that I rarely go back! Meantime, thank you for the beautiful haiku. I giggled about “a dull pond” because I saw so many gorgeous ponds in the U.P. (Michigan) covered in lilypads — and always thought of you!

    • Marcie Flinchum Atkins

      July 29, 2022 at 8:07 PM

      Patricia, Yes, sometimes it takes me a long time to go back to my notes. I just finished going back through my notes from the spring. I think the writing of the notes forces me to slow down. This pond was definitely dull. A few days after I was there, they posted on their Instagram about why the ponds looked so “scummy.” LOL

  • Denise Krebs

    July 30, 2022 at 12:22 AM

    Marcie, thanks for the strategies and ideas you are going to use. You know I have not seriously considered the Sealy challenge before reading your post. I have a half a shelf of poetry books to add to my pile, plus a great library in town. I think I am going to attempt it, or at least a modified version. I’m also doing a challenge I wrote about on my blog today using Irene Lathan and Charles Waters book Dictionary for a Better World. You are welcome if you are interested! Thanks for hosting today.

  • Laura Purdie Salas

    July 31, 2022 at 8:14 AM

    Marcie, I always have such a crush on your strategies and systems. You’re so smart to really think about this big challenge ahead of time, since you know it’s gonna be exactly that–a challenge. I only just heard of the Sealey about a week ago on Twitter. It’s the last day of July, and I’m wondering if I can do it. I think I’m going to try, though mine are going to be almost all poetry picture books. PERHAPS a novel in verse or two on audio. And I will likely be rereading. Reading a whole book of poetry in a day–a first read–doesn’t feel that enjoyable or insightful for me, given my own reading process. I’m a super fast reader–except with poetry. So I’m going to mostly revisit books already on my shelves for this. Thank you for nudging me to take the time to think about this! Also, thank you for the lovely haiku and for hosting!