In a city that's less than literary, O, Miami, is a beacon of eloquent verse, scriberly (did we just invent a word?) skill and the power of prose. This ode to all things poetic is back for its third incarnation, and like a good canto, it gets more epic with time.
For its 2014 run, the poetic party is offering an overwhelming array of events. There's everything from a parade, to a poetry wallcast, to a pool party. But let's be real, no matter how ardent your love for poetry, there's no way you can get in on it all. So if you're pressed for time, here are five fun and easy ways to get involved.
See also: O, Miami: A Month of Verse In Our Paradise of the Perverse
5. Make some people poetry.
When your feed is full of porn spam and Justin Beiber fan art, Twitter might seem pretty pointless. But even 140 characters can be creative when you think outside the app. This project asks you to search "Miami" on Twitter, choose one posted pic and a series of Tweets -- then turn those Tweets into a poem. Then, take your poetic genius, place it on the picture via Microsoft Powerpoint (or whatever software you prefer), then hashtag it #omiami and credit the feeds you sourced. You can get a little more guidance from creator Quinn Smith at @quinnsmith2 (or email him at [email protected]).
4. Be part of a paper chain.
Remember when paper was a thing? Back before touchscreens, we cut it, colored on it, made long chains out of it. We were all kinds of inventive.Those were the days. And in honor of O, Miami, the Bass Museum of Art is bringing the chains back. They'll be setting up tables stocked with recycled paper throughout the county from April through July where you can write a message of peace or inspiration on an individual paper link. Then, they'll string 'em together to construct a Monumental Paper Chain of cheer.
3. Take a poetic selfie.
Selfies are already part of your daily routine -- why not give 'em a literary twist? This mobile, DIY photo booth created by artist and programmer Willie Avendano asks participants a series of quick pre-photo questions. Then, it'll create several lines of verse compatible with you personality profile. The booth will pop up announced at O, Miami events throughout the month, so be on the lookout!
2. Compose and Tweet a micro-poem during a coffee break.
This isn't 1956, and you're not E. E. Cummings. Who's got time to devote to penning pages and pages of verse? In the interest of making poetry quick and easy (and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lunch Poems by poet Frank O'Hara), the Arts & Business Council of Miami is asking biz pros to compose short poems during a lunch or coffee break. Then, tag 'em #lunchpoems, mention @ArtsBizMiami and participants can score promos and special offers from restaurants like City Hall, The Cypress Room, Toro Toro, The Federal, My Ceviche, and Fratelli la Bufala. There'll also be a lunch poet happy hour on Thursday, April 24th.
1. Score an original poem scratch-off ticket.
The lottery is great and all, but if you aren't one in 10 million, it's a losing proposition. O, Miami's poetry scratch-offs, however, are all winners. A total 5,000 of these will be distributed across Miami, and each one can be scratched to reveal the words of an original poem by poet Mary Ruefle. The endeavor is a joint project between her and local artist Agustina Woodgate. Plus, there's another layer of potential win. If the words in the poem match the words at the top of the ticket, you can win a prize. 1 out of 100 tickets is a winner. You can pick up your tix at La Promesas Discount, 637 SW 12th Ave; Lotus House Thrift Shop, 203 NW 36th St; Gramps, 176 NW 24th St and La Latina, 3509 NE 2nd Avenue.
You can check out the full O, Miami, schedule and other deets on their website.
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