More Great Links to follow. . .

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Online Workshops 

Important:  UPDATED!

click here to Things to be (a) ware of - Scams, etc.  

 
Links with much to offer . . .

(from heavy duty and the sublime to excellent forums for all but the narrow-minded)

See Home for links of inspiring women and friends

Able Muse

This is an invaluable site on meter poetry with several forums and  one for free verse.  Highly competent, guided critique on those forums.  Read their guidelines.  Very inspiring site, serious but not without humour (see Tipsy Muse Contest).  Much to learn here.  (Thanks to Kay Day for pointing me there!)

 

American Academy of Poetry

This is a serious site with excellent and experienced critique in the forums.  Not for the timid or dilettantish poet, lurk for a while before joining the forums.  Excellent guidelines.  Read them.

 

Craft of Poetry  

An excellent, comprehensive and highly useful site by the University of Iowa.

 

Kalliope Online WS - (see below) various forums, invaluable online workshops.

 

Poetry Archives - an educational resource for students and educators.  A very large database of classical poetry, discussion forum and more.

 

Poetry Magic - an excellent, large UK site for beginners and advanced.  Much to learn there.

 

Poetry Portal - directory of poetry worldwide. A huge site!

 

Taverner's Koan

Another serious site, this is one of the best along with the AAP.  Wonderful place for those looking for qualified help and critique.  be sure to look at their  workshop (forum) and the writing exercises

 

Unicorn Pen

This is a multilevel site by Anitra Freeman and links to her other sites Street Writes Writing Workshop and Kalliope.  Many tips for writers of poetry, essays, fiction humour as well as great reading!  

 
Simple Pleasures . . .

(non-caloric, light weight, good for getting started on posting) 

United Poets

A  place to play, this site was created with much heart. No forum guidelines, no qualified on-board critique. Good starting place to try out posting your poetry without fear.  Critique is from other members, usually more fluff than stuff (constructive critique).  This site changes hosts and may be temporarily inaccessable.  If so try back later. 

Online Workshops 

(for the fearless seeking to hone and improve...)

exercises - challenging games, a means to improve for some, for others intimidating hard work.  And you?

Kalliope Online WS - If you are looking to improve in general or just work on specific areas of poetry - meter, form, free verse - this is the place.  Highly recommended exercises and guidelines.  Also has various forums.  Site is by prolific writer Anitra Freeman and links to her Unicorn Pen and Street Writer sites.

 

Taverner's-Koan - see above

 

 
Things to be (a)ware of . . .

Faux contests and Scams

 

Please do have a look at the links listed as the information there says it all.  I would suggest creating a 'Scam' folder in your favourites list and bookmarking the following addresses.  Pass these links on to other writers.  A Yahoo! search on The International Society of Poets will bring up more than 404 listings...most of them complaints or web pages of the naive who actually include them sites as their 'publishers'.

 

One address to be particularly aware of is Poetry.com and any so-called poetry contest that has that address but operate under the following aliases:  The National Library of Poetry changed its name to The International Library of Poetry, The International Society of Poets (ISP), The International Poetry Hall of Fame, Watermark Press - the name change grows  This is by far the most unscrupulous with slick, convincing junk mail, and has gone beyond the American borders into the UK.  School children are encouraged to send in their poetry which are accepted as exceptional.  Of course, parents are expected to pay handsomely for their darlings works included in an anthology.  So, 'My dog is black.  He swallowed a tack.' will cost the parent $49.95 US plus this fee, plus that fee....  They make millions per year with their 'anthologies'.

 

Two special reports on the International Society of Poets 'convention' scam that bilked 4,000+ participants internationally for hundreds of dollars each (and made over $2,000,000 on one convention for the ISP):

 

The ISP doesn't keep promises  (frauds never do)

 

The ISP 'convention' in Washington, DC an eye opening report and a class action law suit.

 

More interesting links:

How To Spot a Scam  excellent advice!

 

The Worst Poetry Contests  (the worst contests, not worst poetry)

 

The Literary Contest Caution  an excellent list!!  

 

Poetry Contest Scams  also a very good list.  See ABC's 20/20 Exposé and NBC, 'National Library of Poetry', etc.

 

Caution - The National Library of Poetry  read more information about the most notorious of the scam artists (seems they've also branched into photography)

 

Mary Tries to Scam the Scammers  more on poetry scams and ripoffs