Why I’m Switching to Vocal

 

I have always been concerned about the erasure of Black memory. That's why I began blogging at Geoffrey Philp's Blog Spot.

In some of my earliest blog posts, "Why I Continue to Write" and “Why I Continue to Blog,” I explained the reasons for starting the blog and what I hoped to achieve. The blog has served as an important platform for Caribbean literature and culture, connecting Caribbean writers, artists, and a wider audience. It has played a significant role in raising awareness of Caribbean literature and culture.

I'm particularly proud of several posts that I have written:

·         Posts About Marcus Garvey: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=Marcus+Garvey

·         Posts About Bob Marley: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=Bob+Marley

·         Posts From Caribbean and South Florida Writers: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=In+My+Own+Words

·         Posts About Caribbean Writers: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=Caribbean+Writers

·         Interviews With Caribbean Writers: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=Five+Questions+With

·         A Conversation With: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=A+Conversation+With

·         Birthday Posts: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search/label/Happy%20Birthday

I have also participated in a few podcasts, although some of them have been lost in the ether: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search/label/podcast

In the next few days, I will switch many posts to Vocal, where I have written haiku, a short story, and a few bad limericks. I've decided to make this switch for several reasons:

·         Active community:

Vocal has a large and engaged community of writers and readers, meaning others are likelier to see and read my posts. It provides me with a broader reach than I would have on a personal blog.

·         User-friendly interface:

Vocal's interface is designed to be easy to use, making it simple for me to create and publish my content. But most importantly, Vocal compensates writers for their work. For every 1,000 views my posts receive, I will earn $3.80. Additionally, I will earn $0.10 for every share my posts receive. Vocal also offers readers the opportunity to actively support writers by tipping. I plan to use the earnings to help with my travel expenses for research, book promotions, and especially for Archipelagos.

I will continue writing One Minute Book Reviews, announcements about book publications and fairs, and interviews with Caribbean Writers. You can find them on my blog at the following links:

·         One Minute Book Reviews: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/2023/05/one-minu

·         Book Publications and Fairs: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=Book+launch

·         Interviews with Caribbean Writers: https://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/search?q=Five+Questions+With

In the meantime, I invite you to visit my page on Vocal. If you enjoy a haiku or story, you can subscribe, share it on social media, or leave a tip.

See you on Vocal!

#BlackMemoryMatters 

#CaribbeanCulture

 #CaribbeanLiterature 

 #VocalPlatform 

#SupportWriters 

#AmplifyBlackVoices

One Minute Book Review: On Poetry

 

What is the name of the Book?
On Poetry

Author: Roger Robinson

Who is Roger Robinson?

Roger Robinson is a writer, musician, and performer who splits his time between England and Trinidad. He won the T. S. Eliot Prize in 2019 for his book A Portable Paradise published by Peepal Tree Press. He is the second Caribbean writer to win this prestigious UK poetry award after Derek Walcott in 2010. In May 2020, A Portable Paradise became only the second poetry book to win the Ondaatje Prize.

Publisher: Roger Robison

What is the book about?

On Poetry focuses on the art of creating poems and presents fresh perspectives on the writing process. Roger provides candid and pragmatic guidance on pursuing poetry as a calling and includes prompts to inspire creativity.

Why am I reading this book?

I am always looking for new ways to think about the craft of poetry, and veteran poet Roger Robinson has a lot to offer, especially in structuring and orchestrating poems.

Favorite quote from On Poetry:

“Poems Are Empathy Machines Poets don’t get into poetry for money, they do it for vocation at least I feel like that anyway. Poets can touch hearts and minds; they can translate trauma into something people can face. Sometimes there’s a cost for the poet to do that as it takes looking at the trauma right in the face and then allowing others to bear the idea of trauma safely. That’s why I write poetry. It is a chance for me to practise being radically vulnerable and as a result poems can become empathy machines. Poetry when it's read is a valuable chance to practise empathy towards the stories, sensation and concerns of the writer and with that practice of empathy hopefully one can go out in the wider world and be more empathetic. Poetry is my serious attempt to create change in the world.”

Where to buy: https://rogerrobinson6.gumroad.com/l/wrbcu or visit his web page: https://rogerrobinsononline.com/

Earth Day Launch of Archipelagos

I am thrilled to announce the release of my eighth book of poetry, Archipelagos. Published by Peepal Tree Press, Archipelagos explores the effects of climate change on the Caribbean and the Global South, specifically focusing on my home country of Jamaica.

The archipelagos of the Caribbean and Global South are already feeling the devastating impacts of climate change, from rising sea levels to more intense hurricanes and storms. Through my poems in Archipelagos, I hope to raise awareness about the existential threat of climate change and the importance of taking action to mitigate the effects on our vulnerable communities.

Here is Peepal Tree Press’s description of Archipelagos: “Philp’s powerful and elegant poems span past and present and make it very clear that there cannot be a moral response to the climate crisis that is not also embedded in the struggle for social justice, for overcoming the malignancies of empire and colonialism and the power of global capitalism.”

But what has me screaming from the roof tops is the praise from Roger Robinson, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize in 2019: “This may well be the book that Geoffrey Philp is remembered by. Get it.”

I cannot wait for you all to read Archipelagos, and I am eager to hear your thoughts on the poems.  

Archipelagos can be preordered from my favorite Indie bookstore,  Books and Books, which will be hosting the official launch of Archipelagos on Earth Day (April 22, 2023)  at 7 p.m. during National Poetry Month: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9781845235505 or from Peepal Tree Press: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/archipelagos

Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy the book!

#Archipelagos #PeepalTreePress #ClimateChange #Caribbean #GlobalSouth #Jamaica  #SocialJustice #NationalPoetryMonth #EarthDay2023 #BooksAndBooks #PeepalTreePress #OfficialLaunch #SupportPoetry #EnjoyTheBook