Writing for a Cause!

Welcome to my 30/30 page! Thank you for stopping by. Your support gives me vital inspiration as I write a new poem every day during the month of April. Please scroll down to see more about the perks you can get for donating!

But first, a link to the blog, where you can follow along and see all the poems that I write this month: https://www.tupelopress.org/the-3030-project-april-20/

Poetry is a refuge in times of distress, and Tupelo Press does the important work of bringing exquisite, diverse voices to the page and the public. The 30/30 Project is a fundraiser for them, yes, but it is also a way for you to become directly involved in the process. If you agree that we need poetry now more than ever, please consider donating today! Every dollar gives me confidence to write more, and helps the press place more gorgeous poems in more gorgeous books.

And what about me? Who the heck am I, anyway, and why am I participating in this project?

I'm a Southerner (born and raised in Louisiana) who lives, works, and writes in Southern California. I stumbled into poetry during my teenage years (as I'm sure many others can relate), and I never looked back. After earning my MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University, I moved back to SoCal, where I work as a Lecturer in Composition. Over the years, I have published poetry in some of the most exciting, dynamic journals out there: Beloit Poetry Journal, Cimarron Review, Redivider, Zócalo Public Square, and PANK, among others. I'm hard at work on a full-length collection, and I look forward to sharing that with the world one day.

For now, I wanted to do something to give back to the community that has given so much to me. I have long admired the work that Tupelo Press has done to support and publish the poets whose voices we need to hear. Every April, to celebrate National Poetry Month, I have used my social media to share a new poem every day--poetry from others, that is, ranging from Maggie Smith's incredible "Good Bones" to Nazim Hikmet's "On Living". This year, I have the opportunity to share my own poems instead, and to do so not just to celebrate National Poetry Month, but to support the poetry world more concretely. It's my honor to do so!

And if you're someone who likes an interactive fundraiser, I've got plenty of perks for different donation levels! These are strictly voluntary--you don't have to take advantage of a perk, if you don't want to--but for those who are interested, here are the different levels:

$5+ - Make your mark. When you donate, I'll send you an email to request three words from you. At some point during the month of April, I'll use the three words you suggest in a poem. When that poem goes live, I'll email you to let me know!

$10+ - Looking to kickstart, revive, or diversify your own poetry practice? Donate $10 or more, and I'll email you at the end of April with FIVE poetry prompts.

$25+ - Your choice: TWELVE poetry prompts (enough for 3-4 poems a week for a month), OR my written feedback on 3-5 poems of yours.

$50+ - Everything in the $25 perk, PLUS a specially-curated Poetry Playlist, which I'll share with you on Spotify at the end of April. This will be a mix of great songwriters and music you can work to.

$100+ - Poetry manuscript consultation*, up to 75 pages. I will email you at the end of April to coordinate that-- and as a bonus, you'll get access to the Poetry Playlist, too!

Thank you for reading! I look forward to sharing my work with you this month, and I hope that you enjoy.

~ Darby

*Because this is difficult work to do thoughtfully and well, this perk is limited to the first five people who donate $100 or more. Thank you for understanding!