Come out, come out, wherever you are...

Whatever your interest in poetry might be... whether you want to find an audience, improve your writing, unblock your creativity, network with other poets, learn some stuff about poetry, teach some stuff about poetry, bond with your weird friend whose poetry you don't get but think is cool anyway, find a place to be published, support it because you know how awesome it is, connect with other creative oddballs, or any of the other zillion other reasons there are to be into poetry, Lake View Poetry Initiative is on a mission to encourage you to be a part of this effort to develop a thriving poetry collective in the southernmost coastal area of Delaware & North Ocean City, Maryland.

Though the Delmarva Peninsula is relatively small, always having to drive 30 to 45-minutes to an open mic, or a workshop, or a spoken word event gets old fast around here. Dark back roads, 2-lane traffic, the unfamiliar surroundings... it can be a bit much for those of us who live and work in the 19975 and surrounding areas. There are a whole lot of talented and creative people between Bethany and Fenwick. There are a lot of talented and creative people between Fenwick and Selbyville. And there are a lot of talented people in all the neighborhoods, towns, cities, and communities from Selbyville to Ocean View. And it's time we have a poetry presence of our own.

It isn't easy to drive a long way to a poetry event only to feel like the outsider in an already established clique. Having to work, and meet all the challenges and responsibilities of daily life leaves little time to recharge, and spending an hour or more driving to & from a poetry event upstate (or out of state), does more to deflate the motivation to write poetry than it does to inspire it.

And for those who don't have easy access to transportation, getting anywhere to do anything can be more of a hassle than it's worth - including some poetry event that's a half-hour away (or longer).

There is a wonderful opportunity to start from scratch and build a fascinating & unique group of individual who share an affinity for poetry in its many forms. Whether through open mics, spoken word & reading, constructive writers' round-tables, contests, poetry festivals, book releases, pop-up street events, mixed-media poetry art, free poetry in public places, workshops, or supporting local poets & artists, there are an abundance of ways we can come together as poets & creatives and enrich our are through the power of poetry right where we already live.

#LVPI is a grassroots effort to find others who want to be a part of such a mission.