Poetry Project: Prompts

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Tupelo Press Poetry Project

In 2007, the Tupelo Press Poetry Project was established to provide poets and creative writing teachers with engaging, challenging prompts or provocations for writing new poem. Periodically we invite a poet to propose a set of prompts or provocations for writers. Our guest editor’s selections are then featured in an online gallery.

Check out our new anthology of erotic poetry, Myrrh, Mothwing, Smoke, the culmination of the Winter 2012 Poetry Project. Congratulations to our 30 contributing poets and a special thank you to all who submitted entries to the contest!

Click the links below to read our previous selections:

• Winter 2012
• Spring 2011
• Spring 2010
• Fall 2009
• Summer 2007
• Spring 2007

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A note on Writing Prompts:

Some people dislike prompts, while others enjoy them and use them with students and in writers’ groups. We’re interested in hosting an ongoing discussion of the utility and pleasures of writing in response to arbitrary or serendipitous occasions. Please feel welcome to send us your thoughts. Recently we posted three prompts from poet Karen An-hwei Lee, which elicited a circumspect response from poet Dan Beachy-Quick, whose comment sparked poet Paul Bone to reply in defense of prompts. Follow the links to read these commentaries.

What do you think?

• Karen An-hwei Lee: “Ten Prompts for Writers” (excerpted from the Reader’s Companion for the book Ardor
• Dan Beachy-Quick: “Some (Skeptical) Thoughts on Prompts”
• Paul Bone: “A Defense of Writing Prompts”