National Poetry Month Gets High Tech Boost

Posted on April 1, 1999

Knopf Publishing Group (a division of Random House) launched its first large electronic distribution of poems to readers across the world and celebrates the opening of the Knopf Poetry Center and National Poetry Month. Knopf uses the Lyris.net email list hosting service for its email "poem-of-the-day" project that delivers the poetry into readers' email boxes during the month of April.

Sonny Mehta, President of the Knopf Publishing Group, states: "E-mail distribution gives us a wonderful opportunity to increase awareness of our authors' works and of poetry in general across a broad spectrum of readers."

John Buckman, CEO of Lyris Technologies states, "The need for reliable and sophisticated email technology will continue to grow as publishers increase their efforts to reach out to readers by delivering traditionally print- based literature via email." Knopf will continue its use of the Lyris.net service after National Poetry Month to introduce new publications and new poets.

The distribution of electronic poems highlights the importance of National Poetry Month, and increases awareness of the Knopf Poetry Center as a new literary resource those features 33 poets during the month of April. The Poetry Center also provides readers with easy access to poetry critiques, letters, and the nearly 200 volumes of poems, which the imprints of the Knopf Publishing Group currently have in print. To join the Knopf poetry list, visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/poetry/