Kicking Off 3rd Annual Verse Novel Week!

It would be impossible to be more excited about kicking off a third celebration of verse novels on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves. We conceived of this project in our first year as a way to shine a light on a format we loved, but I am certain that we never thought that it would grow and become our one big tradition here on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.

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To folks who aren't verse novel enthusiasts, it may seem strange that we devote so much page space, as well as time and effort, to spreading the word about a specific format of novel. And, I guess, it kind of is weird. 

Verse novels are often the red-headed stepchildren of book formats. If you peruse the Goodreads reviews for verse novels, they're peppered with complaints about the very existence of the format, and many readers seem to expect verse novels to prove themselves at a higher level than those written in prose.

How many times have I seen a review with a line akin to, "The verse format wasn't necessary," or "Why couldn't this be written normally?"

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Verse novels get beat up before the story is even revealed.

And while I don't expect everyone to like the format, it makes me sad that so many folks seem to view them as gimmicky. This is even sadder, since epic stories in verse are an ancient tradition, and there's something extremely cool about modern writers carry on this tradition. 

We celebrate Verse Novel Week for people who love to read and/or write verse novels and we hope to pique the interest of folks who maybe thought verse novels weren't for them. As part of Verse Novel Week 2014, author Stasia Ward Kehoe wrote a great essay (it'll be posted here on Tuesday) in which she claims that verse novels can be about anything and I couldn't agree more. It sounds a little nutty, but I really believe there's a verse novel for everyone, and maybe we'll help you find your perfect match this week. 

I hope y'all enjoy Verse Novel Week!

The next few days are packed with loads of wonderful guest posts from verse novel authors and readers that I couldn't be more thrilled about. And, we're launching Verse Novel Week 2014 with a podcast episode featuring special guest Lisa Schroeder, who's written several wonderful novels in verse and incorporates verse and poetic elements into her prose novels as well. 

If you can't wait to read all about verse novels, be sure to check out our Verse Week archive from 2012 & 2013.