What is punk?
That’s an interesting question, one that doesn’t lend itself easily to an objective answer. At punkpoetry.com the term ‘punk’ is applied loosely to convey an attitude of rebellion. More than that, it speaks of a rejection of the status quo. It celebrates the power of the individual, and philosophies of personal freedom. Punk can be expressed in terms of aesthetic preference (as in Steampunk), it can be expressed musically (as it was in divergent ways in the 1970s) and it can be expressed in literary terms, as we try to do here on punkpoetry.com
What is poetry?
In fact, that question is every bit as interesting, and the answer may be every bit as nebulous when you really drill deep enough. Poetry in broad terms is about ideas and feelings put into words. Often feelings predominate over ideas, but not always. Sometimes the measure of great poetry is how it is able to convey personal realities in ways that no other art form can. Sometimes the measure of great poetry is how it can activate the rhythm of language. There are often expectations that poetry adheres to certain metric forms, but that isn’t strictly necessary. Poetry can be verse. Poetry can be prose. Sometimes poetry can be a series of burps and farts and whistles set to 4/4 time.
Punkpoetry.com
Just because you may be a punk poet bristling with indignity and individuality does not mean you have no tribe. We invite you to submit your work, whether it be verse, or prose, spoken word or lyrically focussed music in the bardic tradition. The intent is to give you a voice online, and a presence in a corner of the internet where like minds gather, and curious minds coagulate.
At punkpoetry.com you retain control of your own work and full copyright. You can also request us to remove a published piece from our site at any time, and we’ll happily comply. We play no mind games, we indulge in no power trips, and by and large we confine our egos to the written word.
So, send us your work if that works for you. We accept ordinary word docs, or wav and mp3 audio files if you, like me, choose to put your work to audio. You’ll join some well-represented authors and poets, some of whom are making quite a name in various corners. Old contributors of course are also always welcome.
Submit through this wordpress blog or just email me directly at ronlawrenceanderson@gmail.com
Ron L. Anderson 