Open Write is a community meet-up to write poetry on the third Friday of every month for four days—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem each day or to come and go as you need. You can also read and leave a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—as a way of participating.

On Open Write Sunday, we feature poets we love. Alora Young Alora Young is a poet who has traced her life back through generations of Southern women. She is the 2021 Youth Poet Laureate of the Southern United States. Listen. Inspiration Alora says that when we explore the history of our family, there is no starting place, and she says that her poems "didn't start out about me," and yet they come through her for us, her readers.

Open Write is a community meet-up to write poetry on the third Friday of every month for four days—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem each day or to come and go as you need. You can also read and leave a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—as a way of participating, too.

Open Write is a community meet-up to write poetry on the third Friday of every month for four days—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem each day or to come and go as you need. You can also read and leave a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—as a way of participating, too.

Over the years, one of the questions I have been asked most often is, "Who are your favorite poets?" I never know quite how to answer because my answer changes with the seasons. Some poets stay beside me for years. Others arrive when I need them most, and I find myself reading the same collection over and over until I begin hearing their rhythms in my own thinking.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month. This August, three of the contributors to an anthology for students, Picture Perfect Poetry, have shared prompts related to one of their poems in the anthology. Denise Krebs and Patricia Franz were here and now today, Joanne Emery will help us poem together.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. Today Patricia Franz, one of the contributors to the anthology for students, Picture Perfect Poetry, is our host. Next month the Open Write will be September 18-21. (Learn more here.) Our Host Patricia lives with her husband and her Bernese Mountain dog in two beautiful places: the Arizona desert and California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, both of which inspire her love for the natural world.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month. This August, three of the contributors to an anthology for students, Picture Perfect Poetry, have shared prompts related to one of their poems in the anthology. Denise Krebs, Joanne Emery, and Patricia Franz are here to poem together with you in August.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that we ask is that if you write, you respond to others to mirror to them your readerly experiences — beautiful lines, phrases that resonate, ideas stirred.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that we ask is that if you write, you respond to others to mirror to them your readerly experiences — beautiful lines, phrases that resonate, ideas stirred.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month, today through Monday, we'll be here. The next Open Write will be August 15-17, 2026. Let's write together. Our Host Nothing new to see here. i.e. you’ve seen it all before. 😉 Glenda blogs at…

Last week, while I was on sabbatical and thousands of miles from home, I opened my email to find one of a lovely "Reply All" messages from the Ethical ELA community. A month earlier, we had gathered virtually and asynchronously to celebrate StaceyJoy, a California teacher and beloved poet, retiring after forty years in the classroom. Her retirement speech had been woven together from a beautiful teaching career of "Where I'm From" moments.

Open Write is here for you every month. We are teachers writing poetry in community--mending our souls and bringing the joy of writing in community back to our classrooms. Today is our last day for the June Open Write, but we'll see you again next month beginning on July18. Our Host Leilya lives in Ponchatoula, LA, a small town celebrated for its strawberries.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that we ask is that if you write, you respond to others to mirror to them your readerly experiences — beautiful lines, phrases that resonate, ideas stirred.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We are here every month. We'll be here today, tomorrow and Monday. This month Leilya Pitre has a series on "Summer Escapes & Small Adventures." Next month, the Open Write is July 18-20. Our Host Leilya Pitre lives in Ponchatoula, LA, a small town celebrated for its strawberries.

JUST WORDS: A Gentle Workshop for Writing for Young Readers Recharge Your Writing Life Through Children's Literature, Creativity, and Community Online • Free • Open to Educators, Writers, and Anyone Curious About Writing for Young Readers Looking for a different kind of summer professional development? Step away from data, deadlines, and checklists for a few hours and reconnect with the power of stories.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We are here every month. In May Jessica Wiley and Erica Johnson invited us to celebrate the place they call home (and our own places) with this series: Homage to Arkansas, the “Natural State”. Our next Open Write will be June 20-22.

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We are here every month. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, our friends Jessica Wiley and Erica Johnson invite us to celebrate the place they call home (and our own places) with this series: Homage to Arkansas, the “Natural State”

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We are here every month. Today, tomorrow, and Monday, our friends Jessica Wiley and Erica Johnson will invite us to celebrate the place they call home (and our own places) with this series: Homage to Arkansas, the “Natural State”

Mosaic of Minds shares the writing of Oklahoma State University’s Secondary English education preservice teachers and writing workshop students who enrolled through the Randall and Carol White Reading and Math Center. These pieces emerged during an online semester-long literacy partnership focusing on genre-based, process-oriented writing.

Congratulations! Look what we've made together. This month’s writing has been held in generous company. We are deeply grateful to the hosts who offered their time, creativity, and care—opening space for us to think, write, and listen together. These are humble people who ask for nothing in return, and yet this space would not exist without the steady generosity of their time, care, and presence.

Welcome.VerseLove is Ethical ELA’s celebration of National Poetry Month each April. Please share a favorite moment of your time together this month here. Our Hosts Barbara Edler is a talented and gifted instructor for Keokuk High School, located in southeast Iowa. She is a veteran language arts and college composition instructor who loves to write flash fiction and poetry.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

This post is part of VerseLove, our annual 30-day experience to read and write poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month. Welcome. Learn more here. Our Host: Scott McCloskey Hi, folks, I’m Scott, and I’m at a loss for what new information to tell you about myself. So, I’ll simply say that I’ve been teaching high school ELA in Michigan for over thirty years, and I’ve been reading and enjoying poetry for even longer.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

This is VerseLove. We write poems together every day during April. Glad you are here. Our Host Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana.  Margaret has been an elementary school teacher for 38 years, most recently retired and teaching periodically as a teaching artist in the schools. Her first book of children’s poetry was published in 2018 by UL Press, Bayou Song: Creative…

Welcome. We are on Day 21 of 30 days of VerseLove. Let's circle back to haiku for brevity, but with a new perspective from today's host. Our Host In May of 2025, Sharon Roy retired from 31 years of teaching middle school in Austin, TX where she lives with her husband. Now she enjoys riding her bike to take herself on field trips to swim at Barton Springs, bird with Travis Audubon Society, admire the art at local museums, read outside in parks and take classes with a local lifelong learning institute.

Welcome. The poem writing inspiration is part of VerseLove, our celebration of National Poetry Month. Our Host Corinne lives in Detroit, Michigan, teaching in Detroit Public Schools Community District. She is an Education Specialist Student at Wayne State University. Corinne is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Iota Omega Chapter and the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc.

This poetry idea is part of VerseLove, our celebration of poetry for National Poetry Month. Learn more here. Our Host: Stefani Boutelier Stefani is an Associate Professor of Education at Aquinas College in Michigan. She teaches courses for pre-service and in-service teachers in instructional design, literacy, ed tech, and research methods. Her K-12 teaching was in California prior to moving into teacher preparation. 

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Our Host: Stacey Joy Stacey Joy is a National Board Certified Teacher, Google Certified Educator, and 2013 L.A. County Teacher of the Year. Stacey has taught elementary school for 40 years in Los Angeles Unified School District, and she is imagining life in retirement at the end of this school year. Stacey is a UCLA Writing Project fellow and a dedicated writer here with the phenomenal teacher-poets of Ethical ELA.

Congratulations. We’re halfway. A gentle note for today based on some feedback: remember that we’re in this for the long haul, and there are a range of ways to show up. Some of us write every day, some once a week, some only on Tuesdays—whatever rhythm is sustainable and joyful for you is enough. We’re so glad you’re writing when you can, and offering a few responses (aiming for three) is a beautiful way to witness one another’s lives and meet new people.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Our Host: Ann E. Burg Ann lives in upstate New York with her husband and her scarededy-cat dog. She was a teacher for ten years and is now a mostly-middle-grade author. Drawn to stories of the disenfranchised and voiceless, she usually finds inspiration in little known or too-soon-forgotten historical incidents. Though she’s no longer teaching, Ann continues to be interested in the challenges children and young adults face.

Quick note for a more intentional, easeful experience: You can subscribe on the site (right sidebar) to receive prompts by email; follow a rhythm that works for you—morning or evening, writing or responding (across time zones)—use Ctrl+F to find your comments and the bell to set notifications; take a moment to seek out a new-to-you poet in the group and attend to their work today; and if you’re able, invite a colleague, preservice teacher, or college student to join us.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Welcome to Verselove—a space for educators to nurture their writing lives and celebrate poetry in the community. Each day in April, we come together to explore the power of poetry for both heart and mind. Write with care, for yourself and your readers. When responding, reflect back the beauty you find—lines that linger, ideas that inspire. Enjoy. Our Host Bryan Ripley Crandall lives in Stratford, Connecticut, where he directs the…

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Welcome.VerseLove is Ethical ELA’s celebration of National Poetry Month each April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. New to VerseLove? Learn more: Our Host Luke Bensing is a husband, father, musician, writer, and teacher. He lives in Valparaiso, IN and teaches 9th Grade English in Merrillville, IN. After working in the wrong vocation for nearly two decades, he earned his BA in English from Purdue University Northwest.

Welcome to Verselove—a space for educators to nurture their writing lives and celebrate poetry in the community. Each day in April, we come together to explore the power of poetry for both heart and mind. Write with care, for yourself and your readers. When responding, reflect back the beauty you find—lines that linger, ideas that inspire. Enjoy the journey. Our Host: Wendy Everard…

VerseLove is Ethical ELA’s celebration of National Poetry Month each April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. New to VerseLove? Learn more: Our Host: Jennifer Guyor Jowett What a merry sole lender I am,a giver, a granter of words and ideasand there is everything yet to undoI loudly open my computerand type with fingers spread along the keyboard.

Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space.

Welcome.VerseLove is Ethical ELA’s celebration of National Poetry Month each April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. New to VerseLove? Learn more: Our Host: Melissa Heaton Melissa lives in Springville, Utah--a town nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.  Springville is also known as Art City because of its artistic heritage and dedication to the visual arts.

Welcome.VerseLove is Ethical ELA’s celebration of National Poetry Month each April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. New to VerseLove? Learn more: Our Host: Leilya Pitre Leilya lives in Ponchatoula, LA, a small town celebrated for its strawberries and kind, generous people. She teaches and coordinates the English Education Program at Southeastern Louisiana University. Preparing future English teachers, she hopes they become caring, competent, and effective educators.

Landscapes of Our Lives Every April, VerseLove becomes a landscape—thirty days of poems written across classrooms, kitchen tables, notebooks, and glowing screens around the world. I am Sarah Donovan, founding collaborator of Ethical ELA and Verselove, and we've been writing poetry every April since 2017. Learn more here. We begin this year with a simple idea: our lives are landscapes…

As we prepare to step into the 30-day journey of VerseLove 2026, it feels important to pause here, before the first prompt is posted, before the first lines are written, and consider the people who are holding this space. Because VerseLove does not simply happen. It is made possible by a group of educators, writers, and poets who have said yes—quietly, generously—to showing up for a day in April.