Dial 1-900-Poem-A-Lot

Writers House, the loveable Locust Walk hippie commune masquerading as a campus hub for writers, recently launched 6-POEM, a phone number you can dial whenever there's a poetry emergency, e.g. "Hello, operator?  I need some Elizabeth Bishop, stat!"  You can also call in non-emergency situations: 215-746-POEM.

Ah phones, what a quaint throwback to the 20th century!  It reminds us of the "Homework Hotline," a voicemail system our teachers used in middle school to record our daily assignments. Today the number is featured on the website for the magazine Poets & Writers.  Our quibble: you have to listen to a little intro menu and press a number before you can actually hear the day's poem.  This is poetry, people, not refilling a prescription at the pharmacy!