Emily, Lived By:

Dear Emily,

I miss talking about and working on poems with you.  Also, I’m a little stuck creatively and I think you can help.

I’d like us to read a book(s) of poetry together, write some poems, and collect them at the end of the week into a little chapbook.

So on Sunday afternoon (rather than Monday, since I’ll be traveling), please choose a poetry book you’d like us both to read all week.  It can be more than one, if you prefer.  (Email or text me your choices.)

Every day we’ll write a poem and email it to each other.  I’m thinking first thing in the morning might be nice, since it’ll be a busy week and all, but I’m going to leave the specific directives up to you.  Please set a few parameters/prompts (like “heroic couplets about your favorite Greek myth” (please no)….this is why you’re coming up with the prompts) for each day’s poem (email or text me the night before), and we’ll each use your prompts for our poems.

We can include photographs or illustrations or outside sources—whatever you want.  I’ll have my camera with me.  And, uh, the internet.

On Saturday, please combine our week’s poems (and anything else you’d like) into a chapbook and give it a title and take it to a copy shop (or just print it off) and make two copies and fold them up into books.  Keep one and send one to me ([address redacted]).

(One last thing: put Sophie Calle’s book M’as-Tu Vue? on your Christmas list.  Please get your paws on it this week if you don’t find it in your stocking!  I just want to talk about it with you.)

As far as whatever else you do all week, it’s entirely up to you.   You can even give me directives if you want.

Absolutely!

xoxo

E.