About Speculative poetry
Speculative Poetry and Me
I wrote my first speculative poems in the sixth grade at P.S. 156 in Laurelton, NY while studying with the wonderful Mrs. Sylvia Parver. I had read Animal Farm in the 4th grade, 1984 in the 5th grade an was granted permission by my evolved parents to read Brave New World in the 6th grade. Alice in Wonderland was also an influence on the second of my poems as it incorporated the language of Jabberwocky. But the very first verse I remember was about post apocalyptic love:
We'll run, and find a sacred place
where I will kiss your burnt-off face
and you will touch my non existent lips
as the bomb continues to rip
this doomed world
I've written speculative verse ever since, though my speculative verse didn't find a home for itself until the 80s and then not again for 20 years.
Speculative Poetry is:
the primoridal verse, the first verse, the poetry of possibilities. Our earliest recorded literature is speculative poetry:Gilgamesh, Ramayana, The Iliad and Odyssey, and Beowulf for example.
Speculative poetry’s engagements include: aliens, alternate history, cryptids, cyberfunk, cyberpunk, dystopia, fairytales, fabulism, fantasy, folklore, futurism, horror, magic, monsters, mythology, occult, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, robots, science fiction, shifters, slipstream, solar punk, space opera, steamfunk, steampunk, superheroes, supernatural, sword and sorcery, sword and soul, time-travel, and weird. All poetic forms and scifaiku are welcome.
Speculative Sundays Poetry Reading Series
To fulfill my commitment to SERVE VERSE, I created a speculative poetry reading series.
Speculative Sundays Reading Series
on Facebook live and Via Zoom
7 to 8 p.m. ET
- Bryant O’Hara 9/13/20
- Wendy Van Camp 9/27/20
- Vince Gotera 10/11/20
- Sheree Renée Thomas 10/25/20
- André O. Hoilette 11/8/20
- Linda Addison 11/22/20
- Bryan Thao Worra 12/6/20
- Akua Lezli Hope 12/20/20
- John W. Sexton 1/3/2021
- Wendy Low 1/17/2021
- LindaAnn LoSchiavo 1/31/2021
- féi hernandez 2/14/2021
- Jacqueline Johnson 3/14/2021
- Terese Mason Pierre 3/28/2021
- Jennifer Crow 4/11/2021
- Holly Lyn Walrath 4/25/2021
- Juan Manuel Perez 6/20/2021
- Soonest Nathaniel 8/15/2021
- Jean-Paul L. Garnier 9/12/2021
- Adele Gardner 10/10/2021
- Mary Soon Lee 11/14/2021
Nombono: an Anthology of Speculative Poetry by BIPOC creator
Won the Pitch Contest!
Now I get to edit an anthology of speculative poetry!
NOMBONO (Zulu for visionary) was my first and the first of two for 2021! https://sundressblog.com/2021/01/04/2020-anthology-pitch-contest-selection-announced
My second was the historic Eye to the Telescope Issue #42 on the sea.
https://eyetothetelescope.com/about.html