The SDMB Poetry Sweatshop, Mar. 2011 edition - Logistics Thread.

Cafe Society
1

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the logistics thread for the March 2011 Poetry Sweatshop. These have been tremendous fun in the past, and have produced some top notch work from the participants.

I would like to begin this month’s Poetry Sweatshop on Friday, March 25th at 9:00 AM EDT, and close it on Thursday, March 31st at 10:00 PM EDT.

As with the past Sweatshops, any interested poets will have one hour to write a poem - any style, form, length, rhyme scheme (or no rhyme.) - but the poem must incorporate three words chosen at random. The words will be in an auto-reply message that can be received by writing to sdmbpoetrysweatshop at gmail dot com after 9 AM EDT on Friday, March 25th. (Please remember to mention your SDMB username…) Send the poem in a reply to the auto-reply, and the time stamps will show whether the poem was completed within the hour or not. Sorry, lurkers - entry is restricted to those who are permitted to post on the SDMB, be they Guests, Members, Charter Members, Mods, Admins or other interesting titles. (Though if you have been reading here for a while and have always wanted to join, this would be an ideal opportunity.)

In the last hour of the Sweatshop, an Anthology Thread is started and the words are announced in its Original Post; at the end of the Sweatshop (i.e. at 10 PM EDT on Thursday, March 31st) a poll is established, in which readers are encouraged to vote for their favourite poem. At the close of the poll, the poet with the most votes is acclaimed Poet Laureate of the SDMB.

The Roll of Honour of Past Poets Laureate reads -

tracy jo - October, 2009
Maserschmidt - December, 2009
The Hamster King - January, 2010Pandoranoid - February, 2010
Maserschmidt - March, 2010
Elendil’s Heir - April, 2010
mauxlicious - May, 2010
Elendil’s Heir - June 2010
Serenata67 - July 2010
Le Ministre de l’au-delà - August, 2010
Le Ministre de l’au-delà - September, 2010
Maserschmidt and Elendil’s Heir - Joint winners, November 2010.
Woeg January, 2011

Since the April 2010 Sweatshop, we have used a multiple choice poll, and I’ve been very pleased with the results. Unless there are any strenuous objections, I’d like to keep the poll multiple choice.

And, of course, if there are any logistical considerations, this is the place to bring them up. I’m hoping lots of you can find a spare hour sometime this weekend.

Best wishes,
Le Ministre de l’au-delà

2

I’m in! :slight_smile:

3

So that would be 3-4pm GMT?

4

On Friday, March 25th at 1PM (13:00) GMT. Just to confuse the issue, this will be the weekend when the UK springs forward… As I write this, it is 4:27 PM EDT, and 8:27 PM GMT.

5

Count me in! Thanks, Ministre. These are always fun.

6

Hope I can find the time (and motivation) this weekend!

7

How’s this for motivation? Oglaf - the blank page (NSFW)

the blank page

:smiley:

8

Well now I have to remember to check this again from home tonight (not clicking that link from work).

9

The words are chosen, the auto-reply is set and we are off.

Good luck, everyone.

10

Done, with about .0006 seconds to spare.

11

Just a friendly reminder bump - so far, I’m the only entrant. Somebody send me a e-mail just so I can be reassured that the auto-reply is working properly…

12

Okay, the Poetry Sweatshop has been up and running for almost 72 hours now, and I’m the sole entrant. What’s happening, everyone?

13

I was quite ill Friday and over the weekend - but I am back on my feet again today, and will take a crack at it over lunch! :slight_smile:

14

Alas, I ran out of time - my lunch was interrupted by a pressing legal matter, and I was unable to focus on composing. My best to those who fair better than I!

15

Out of town at the moment. Hope to be able to submit something by the Thurs. deadline.

16

Oh man, I just realized that this one is running through this Thursday. Too bad I didn’t notice on Monday–I could have done something then. Argh.

17

Last day, everyone!

Come on, I wrote a good poem - I don’t want to win by default!

18

I think short notice + a shift in the writing period from the usual without any particular attention called to it threw a bunch of people off (I know it did me).

19

Angel of the Lord - got that. Well done!

Yes, I’m rather surprised that more poets haven’t submitted this round - I’m not sure what went wrong. For anyone else interested, though, there’s still just over 5 hours in which to write something. So far, we have two participants - I would always welcome more!

20

And there’s a poem from Elendil’s Heir, whose work I always enjoy reading.

I’m about to start the Anthology Thread. I also found someone else writing to get the words in my gmail spam box, so I’ll hold off on the poll and the official close of the Sweatshop until I hear back from that correspondent.