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Thursday, February 28, 2008

What We Write About

Remember being in school and having to bring in current event news clippings? Did you loathe these assignments? How would you describe your awareness level of current events today? Do you regularly read the paper, news blogs, watch news programs or ipodcasts? Do current events impact your writing?

Please answer the poll and feel free to elaborate here.

5 comments:

Crafty Green Poet said...

I regularly read newspapers and their websites, I also read The Ecologist magazine. Current affairs often impact my poetry, specially environmental issues. I am not blogging about the US elections but would do so if I were from the US

Anonymous said...

I think environmental issues most often influence my writing. I do read and listen to newspaper, news programming, and of course The Daily Show. I have a soft spot in my heart concerning issues of poverty and environment.

Anonymous said...

I keep my ear to the ground in different ways. I listen to what my sons talk about, especially social issues. My husband is a journalist, and reads several newspapers a day, so I rely on him to keep me up to date with major political trends.

I'm mostly concerned with human rights and the humane treatment of animals. Of course this means the wellbeing of the planet is involved.

From what I've read here, Susan, you have a strong social conscience, which inspires me.

I like Nikki Giovani's way of incorporating history and politics into her poems. She makes it personal, and not a tract.

Anonymous said...

current events do offer a muse, but they are events that occur in my immediate, almost private world. the way a wind tangles itself in bare oak limbs. a coffee pot's perk. my poems start in the my everyday and hopefully rise as poetry allows.

interesting question. thanks.

hope you're happy and well.

January said...

I think I read too many newspapers and periodicals. I want to write more political/socially conscious poetry, but only when the urge moves me. The story must be compelling no matter what.