The Sealey Challenge Week #1
Reading a poem a day and supporting The Sameer Project ๐๐ต๐ธ
The Sealey Challenge was started by the poet Nicole Sealey and lasts the entire month of August. The challenge is to read a book of poetry a day, totaling thirty-one books. Iโve wanted to participate in years past, but was daunted by the task of reading a poetry collection a day. I read daily, but one entire book a day... I worried I wouldnโt be able to absorb and spend enough time with each book, which they deserve. This year, the challenge introduced a new initiative. Along with dedicating the month to reading poetry, you could request friends and family to sponsor your reading and donate to The Sameer Project, a donations-based initiative led by Palestinians in the diaspora working to supply aid to displaced families in Gaza. I knew I wanted to participate, but once again, I felt anxiety at the prospect of reading a book a day. I decided a poem a day was worthy enough and would help support a cause I strongly believe in (also, The Sealey Challenge is very relaxed and wants you to do what works best for you and your reading life). I wanted to extend this a bit further since I wouldnโt be reading a book a day, and decided to share each poem as a video on my Instagram daily, along with the donation link. At the end of each week, I will post the poems I read and shared, along with the collection they come from, and repost the donation link for anyone interested in supporting The Sameer Project and sponsoring my reading. It isnโt too late to join The Sealey Challenge! If you do decide to sponsor me, please let me know, as I am keeping track and hoping to reach my personal donation goal!
Iโm theming each week, too!
Week 1: Free style
Week 2: Hybrid Forms
Week 3: Ekphrastic
Week 4: Embodiment
Without further ado, here are this week's poems. Enjoy!
Day1 Collection: Permanent Record: Poetics Towards the Archive, Edited by Naimu Yael Tokunow, Various poets.
Poem: The Collection of Un-Healing by Katharina Ludwig




Day2 Collection: Exploding Head by Cynthia Marie Hoffman
Poem: The Music of Language Is Clamping Down Hard
Day3 Collection: The Sunflower Cast A Spell To Save Us From The Void by Jackie Wang
Poem: The Sunflower Cast A Spell To Save Us From The Void


Day4 Collection: How To Carry Water: Selected Poems by Lucille Clifton
Poem: water sign woman
Day5 Collection: Alight by Fady Joudah
Poem: Mimesis
Day6 Collection: Electric Arches by Eve L. Ewing
Poem: Affirmation
Day7 Collection: Wager by Adele Elise Williams
Poem: New Blooms
๐๐ต๐ธ๐๐ต๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ธ Donate to The Sameer Project ๐๐ต๐ธ๐๐ต๐ธ๐๐ต๐ธ











Thank you for reading Exploding Head! And this looks like an amazing list of books for your Sealey Challenge so far.