Hope, it seems, is increasingly hard to come by. It is, therefore, more necessary than ever: to have, to hold, to share.
Which brings us to the 1455 Young Poets Anthology.
Hope, as it happens, was the theme of the free call for submissions: all poets, 21 and under, were invited to send us a poem dealing with what Hope means today. I was expecting some good work, but was gob smacked by the diversity, variety, emotions, and eloquence I read. My only regret is that I couldn't publish every single writer, but I have my own hopes and goals about how to make this project bigger and better.
That’s where you come in. If you are a reader, if you love poetry (thank you!), if you aren’t especially a fan of the arts or non-profits, but lament how sterile and soulless everything seems, how bifurcated our politics are, how apathy seems to be kicking empathy’s ass, culturally speaking, I want you to know about the 1455 Young Poets Anthology. Yes, you can help!
You should buy a copy and get another for a friend.
You can spread the word.
You can post about this (just share this link!) on social media.
You can leave reviews at Amazon, or Goodreads (or both).
You can donate, help ensure we can keep doing this work.
But I mostly encourage you to read these poems so you can be assured that not only are the kids alright, but they are also a lot smarter, savvy, and clear-eyed than we typically give them credit for being (guilty as charged). We won’t improve our sociopolitical and creative quagmires unless we commit to getting involved, doing something. I can’t think of a better way to make a modest difference than publishing and promoting our next generation of poets, the folks Percy Bysshe Shelley famously declared our unacknowledged legislators. They can’t be expected to save us, but they can show us the way forward.
Thank you!
Pick up your copies now!