Happy Holidays from Poets.org
Familiar Carols: Poems for Christmas
Bright Dedication: Poems for Chanukah
Inaugural Poet: Elizabeth Alexander
Snowbound: Poems for Winter
Popular Count: Poems and Profiles of 2008
Support Poetry: Make a Year-End Donation
Great Affiliations: Amazon & IndieBound
Familiar Carols: Poems for Christmas
While it may be difficult to imagine the Christmas season without a jolly, plump, and white-bearded Santa Claus, it was actually a poem published in 1823, with the now-famous first line "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," which first depicted this emblematic characterization. Read a selection of classic and contemporary poems that revere and celebrate the Christmas season.
On the web at: www.poets.org/christmas
Bright Dedication: Poems for Chanukah
"In a world where each man must be of use / and each thing useful, the rebellious Jews / light not one light but eight— / not to see by but to look at," wrote Charles Reznikoff. Chanukah's themes of redemption, rebellion, and rededication have found rich expression in the work of many poets; read an essay and a selection of poems for the holiday online.
On the web at: www.poets.org/chanukah
Inaugural Poet: Elizabeth Alexander
Poet Elizabeth Alexander has just been selected to read next month at the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama. "She is a superb choice for the inauguration," explains Tree Swenson, Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets. "She is from Washington, she represents Obama's generation, and she has written about the Civil Rights conflict and other historical events that have shaped the character of this country. At the same time, her intense personal vision reveals the commonplace life illuminated from startling new angles—as good poetry always does." Read Alexander's profile, a sample of her work, and an interview on Poets.org.
On the web at: www.poets.org/ealex
Snowbound: Poems for Winter
 The falling snow is a "poem of the air," wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, where the "troubled sky reveals the grief it feels." Read a selection of poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Anne Porter, Wallace Stevens, Shakespeare, and others, that explore the frozen landscape, long nights, and crisp days of winter.
On the web at: www.poets.org/winter
Popular Count: Poems and Profiles of 2008
Over 10 million people visited Poets.org in 2008. Find out which poets and poems were most sought out this year. Discover which married couple found a spot on the list and read the vil***lle which topped the count after being read nearly 200,000 times in 2008. Look for your own favorites and discover new ones.
On the web at: www.poets.org/poems & www.poets.org/poets
Support Poetry: Make a Year-End Donation
As plans begin for another year of great poetry programs, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Academy of American Poets by December 31. It's a great way to increase your tax refund and support the ongoing growth and maintenance of Poets.org. Pledge or renew your support now. Thanks and best wishes to you and your loved ones for the holidays and the year ahead.
On the web at: www.poets.org/donate
Great Affiliations: Amazon & IndieBound
If you are buying books and ordering last-minute gift certificates this season, remember that Amazon will contribute up to 7% of your total purchase to the Academy of American Poets if you start your shopping through Poets.org. Or, support the network of independent booksellers through IndieBound and the Academy will earn 5% on your purchases. Whether books or appliances, you pay the same price, and the Academy receives a percentage of anything you buy after clicking the links below.
On the web at: www.poets.org/amazon & www.indiebound.org/aff/poetsorg9
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