JUDITH ROITMAN WRITES EMOJI VERSE

For fun on a July afternoon, here are two poems made from emoticons or emoji. In 2008, I guest hosted an Academy of American Poets poetics forum. The program was discontinued after hackers attacked. But from that archive I found this commentary from Judith Roitman and her poems: 

Judith Roitman: "I find emoticons very strange, yet here they are to the left of me for my use, so I will try to write an emoticon poem. Why not?"

Cry oops Mr. Green.
Mr. Green roll wink.
Laugh. Smile. Frown.
That way.
That way.
!

Evil, very evil

Joy & happiness

The confusion of the world.

I know.

Embrace!

Copyright 2016 Judith Roitman. Reprinted with permission

Judith Roitman has published poems in various journals, including First Intensity, Black Spring, Locus Point (on the web), Bird Dog, and Wakarusa Wetlands in Word & Image (Lawrence: Imagination and Place, 2005). She has published: The Stress of Meaning: Variations on a Line by Susan Howe (Morris, Minn.: Standing Stones Press, 1997); Diamond Notebooks (Buffalo, New York: Nominative Press Collective, 1998); Slippge (Elmwood, Conn.: Potes and Poets Press, 1999); No Face: New and Selected Poems (Lawrence, First Intensity 2008); Slackline (Hank’s Original Loose Gravel Press, 2012).  See JudithRoitman’s essay about Susan Howe on the Poetry Foundation’s Harriet blog (scroll down). She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a BA in English (1966) and the University of California-Berkeley (1974, mathematics Ph.D.).

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH ACTIVITIES

In addition to the Ad Astra Poetry Contest (see details below or on the Kansas Arts Commission site), here are Academy of American Poets April Poetry Month projects:

• - Poem-A-Day: Great poems from new books emailed each day of National Poetry Month. Sign up for your daily dose of new poems from new spring poetry titles at www.poets.org/poemaday
• - Poem In Your Pocket Day: Join thousands of individuals across the U.S. by carrying a poem in your pocket on April 30, 2009. Find out details at www.poets.org/pocket
• - NaPoWriMo Pledge Drive: Challenge yourself to write a poem every day in April. Learn more at www.poets.org/napowrimo
• - Free Verse Photo Competition: Capture and share ephemeral bits of verse for a chance to win jewelry and book prizes, at www.poets.org/freeverse
• - Spring Book List: Check out the new books of poetry available each spring by visiting www.poets.org/npmbooks
• - National Poetry Map: Find out what is happening in your state by visiting the National Poetry Map at www.poets.org/map
• - Poets Workshop: Get inspired with generative writing exercises and reading assignments. You can also participate in peer critique workshops by posting poems in our discussion forum, at www.poets.org/workshop

Academy of American Poets posts photos

See Nov. 6 AAP Poetry Forum photos of Gary Snyder, C.K. Williams, U.S. poet laureate Kay Ryan, Sharon Olds, Gerald Stern, Louise Gluck, Frank Bidart, Victor Hernandez Cruz, Susan Stewart, Ellen Bryant Voigt, and others at this website:
http://flickr.com/photos/poets/sets/72157609475092986/