National Poetry Month NAPOWRIMO Challenge

The Cruelest Month

I leave it to you to find out which poet called April "the cruelest month," forever disparaging the month of my birth. For those of us who will be once more signing ourselves up to the Poem-A-Day writing challenge, I hope April is kind. and fun. and poetic.

Remember, a rhyming couplet or a limerick can count as a poem. (That is my opinion anyway, I don't know if there are any "rules" or Poetry Month Police to enforce them. If so, I have miraculously escaped a citation for Limerick Larceny so far.)

If you want to join in on the fun, go to http://www.napowrimo.net/ 

"Oh Sandy" Anthology Released - To Raise Funds for Hurricane Relief

Proud to be part of this anthology to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief. Available as an e-book and in print. http://www.ohsandybook.com/

World Storytelling Day March 20, 2013

World Storytelling Day logo by Mats Rehnman

Each year, on the Spring Equinox, World Storytelling Day is celebrated globally. Events are held to promote storytelling as an art form, and there are many famous and accomplished storytellers who are keeping alive folk traditions, oral history, and presenting new work to honor the craft.

However, one does not need the title of Professional Storyteller to incorporate this skill into your life. Every time we sit around the holiday table and reminisce about the past, we are storytelling. Each time we sit down with a child or grandchild and tell them about what life was like before they were born, we are storytelling. Marketing and advertising are based on storytelling, not to mention the multitude of books, shows, plays, movies, puppet theaters, dance, religious rituals, job applications — the list is endless — that incorporate storytelling.

So, this year, take a minute, take 5 minutes, take an hour to sit down with your family, your friends, your coworkers, your students, your clients, your customers — anyone!— and tell a story. Fact, fiction or something in between. All you need is an opening line — Once upon a time.

For more information: Google Results: World Storytelling Day

The Smile Side of Life Laughter & Happiness Club March Newsletter

March 27, 2013 is the next meeting of the Smile Side of Life Laughter & Happiness Club in Jamesburg, New Jersey. Read all about it and other fun information in my latest newsletter:

Check out Smile Side of Life March 2013 Newsletter