What Makes #LVPI Different

This image denotes areas where it sucks to drive in Delaware at night, during the day, on weekend, all summer long, most of the winter, and every Leap Year.

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#LVPI is about building a multi-faceted collective of poets in the southern-most coastal communities of Delaware and North Ocean City, and whether you live, work, or visit here full-time, seasonally, or occasionally, you're invited to be a part of this grassroots effort.

Hoping to appeal to residents in Fenwick Island, Williamsville, Selbyville, Roxana, Frankford, Dagsboro, Millville, Ocean View, Bethany Beach, North OC, Bishopville, and surrounding areas, Lake View Poetry Initiative recognizes the benefits of creating as many collectives as possible, and organizing common interests around non-individualistic aspirations.

The area south of Bethany, north of 90, and east of 113 is replete with talented poets, artists, and musicians, and the time to have our own group seems to be right. And there are so many other events that could be possible: festivals, spoken-word, open mics, book releases, music releases, video screening, contests, publication, charity fund-raising, pop-up poetry, podcasts, performance art... and best of all: all-inclusive. Novice to Seasoned, drop-out to PhD, and everyone in between. It's all about encouraging everyone to express their creativity.

This is a grassroots effort, meaning #LVPI is not getting any assistance, financial or otherwise, from grants, or non-profits, or anything. I was fortunate enough to have the directors at Freeman Arts respond to my public poetry display proposal for National Poetry Month, and for their enthusiasm to be so far reaching, but Lake View Poetry Initiative is not a part of Freeman in any way. We just worked together on our poetry month project because we understand the importance of art in our community. Having their support has been a dream come true. And it underscore the value in taking a shot even if you think you have no shot.

Also, driving around coastal Delmarva can suck. Especially if you have somewhere to be, at a particular time.

Living here has it's share of ups & downs just like anyplace else, and getting to poetry events outside our little corner of Delaware can be challenging & frustrating. So it would be nice to have a hub for poets & poetry events that's closer to "home" and not such a hassle to attend or support.

After 22 summers of living between Ocean City, Bethany, and "West-West Fenwick, I can tell you without hesitancy that it sucks to drive around here. That's not a judgement call, it's just a simple fact. As you can see on the map, when you live on the thin stretch of a barrier peninsula, surrounded by water and 2-lane evacuation routes, there's bound to be a downside. In this case, it's driving anywhere.

It's no disrespect to the well-established writers groups there are in the area, but none of them are near "home." Over the years, having been happy to travel to support those other groups, it's become increasingly cumbersome to have to drive 45-minutes or more (one way), only to have to drive home in the dark, on very dark rural back roads. And on more than one occasion, the event started over an hour (sometimes two) later than the scheduled time. I mean, a camel's back can only bear so much. I have a neurological element that is not conducive to that level of stress. I made several attempts to do so, and that has been my finding.

For years, I wished there were something closer to "home," and in the wake of a global pandemic, a local community of poets doing positive things in their nearby neighborhoods sounds like a pretty great idea. You don't have to live here to be a part. But for those of us who do live here, we now have this wonderful opportunity.