Dana Crum - poet, writer, english-language expert

_The Innisfree Poetry Journal recently published two of Dana Crum’s poems: “The Gods of Darfur” and “Abandoned.” The former examines the genocide in Darfur and the lack of action that allows such atrocities to go unchecked. In the latter, Crum ponders the question of God’s existence.

_Most Americans have heard by now that W.S. Merwin is our new U.S. Poet Laureate; but given the relatively small readership poetry commands in this country, many may know little or nothing about his work and accomplishments.

__Dana Crum won the 2012-2013 Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Writer’s Residency at The Seven Hills School, a pre-K — 12 private school in Cincinnati, Ohio. While at Seven Hills next school year, Crum will spend the bulk of his time completing a collection of poems but will also teach a high-school creative-writing class and organize literary events on campus. The Coombe artist’s residency includes a stipend, free housing and utilities, and complimentary breakfast and lunch when school is in session.

Gerber Analytics, LLC, has determined that Seven Hills is the top school in Cincinnati and one of the top five schools in Ohio.

_April is National Poetry Month. To commemorate the occasion, “30 Poets.30 Days.” will — every day this month — release a video of a poet performing an original poem. On April 3, Dana Crum was featured; he read a piece titled “Coupling.” You can view Crum’s video on the site itself or on Vimeo.

“30 Poets.30 Days.” is the brainchild of filmmaker and photographer David Flores.

_A poem must be powerful indeed to shake the world, for poets, at least in this country, are generally the least-read writers. (And the least-paid. But that is a subject for another article.) A poem can achieve a large readership in various ways—by galvanizing political movements or making political statements; by revolutionizing poetry through the introduction of radically new techniques, forms, or subjects; or even by shaping the language during times of linguistic chaos. Here are seven that shifted our consciousness.

7. “Somebody Blew Up America” by Amiri Baraka
Named New Jersey poet laureate in August 2002, Baraka believes poetry should rattle readers rather than serving as decoration.

_This Easter I posted, on an alumni discussion group for writers, T.S. Eliot’s lines about the events that preceded and followed the Crucifixion. An alum wrote me back and claimed that Eliot’s body of work has fallen out of fashion. The alum was right, of course.