The Graduate Writers Club is selling custom- made Valentine poems available for students to send to friends, parents, lovers, or enemies.
The sale, currently in its fourth year, is sponsored by the Mid-American Review (MAR), a literary journal published by the English department and the Creative Writing program of the University. Founded in 1981, MAR is an international publication containing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations.
The poems, which will be sold through next Thursday, are lovingly created by graduate students, many of whom are English instructors at the University.
Students are required to fill out a questionnaire, indicating the person who will receive the poem, and the delivery address of the individual. Poems can be sent to on and off-campus locations. Appropriate postage must accompany all off-campus poem requests.
Students are encouraged to buy these poems because they are “a creative gift and are personalized” Mike Czyzniejewski, graduate student said.
Other information requested in preparation for the creation of the poems include distinctive physical characteristics, memorable events with the individual, as well as a description of an activity or object that is meaningful to both the Valentine and the sender.
Students are also encouraged to provide details about what might embarrass their Valentine, what animal, superhero, or plant is most like them, and any special nicknames. Creativity and details are the main focus of the questionnaire, to provide poem writers with as much information as possible.
The poems are written by “graduate student writers who do this (write) for a career,” said graduate student Seth Berg.
Students can complete the questionnaire and purchase a custom-made poem at designated tables set up in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union or Olscamp. Forms are also available in room 230 East Hall.
Five dollars will cover the charge of a standard 12-line poem, while students can purchase a Shakespearean sonnet for $20. All poems are bursarable, or can be purchased with cash.