Newsletter for the World of Words by Elias Tobias

Buy the book

The World of Words by Elias Tobias is proud to announce poems and photographs from the web blog will be available in a library quality book as a gift item.  The site has more than 150 poems in its catalog and all of these can be in one book for $49.95, or just  about 30 cents per poem.   Since the web blog is organized into books, all poems in a certain collection can become your custom book based on work online.  Make a book of your favorite poems. It is up to you. If you are interested, contact Elias Tobias at contact@eliastobias.net for details.

Theme for month is people and places

There is a saying that goes something like, “Who you are is where you are.”  This where includes a physical component, as well as well as a mental condition. Who you are also implies dealing with the present or the immediate future.  As the popularity of Twitter goes, a nation is excited about what a person is doing now in 140 characters or less, and the thoughts are recorded or broadcast for all to see. Then the moment changes. Who you are with changes, and these changes correspond to where you are.  It’s all about people and places.  That is the poetry theme for May.

New record set for new visitors, pageviews

A new record of more than 5.5 million unique visitors came to the World of Words by Elias Tobias on April 10, and these people had more than 12.5 million pageviews, setting another record for the poetry blog.  The numbers were a great improvement of the three previous days, which had no activity.

Tobias said this probably due to a problem with the tracking code with the blogging website (the site doing the tracking) on the poetry website. The characters for the code were changing, once imported into the poetry website, and for those days with no activity, a code without a tracking number was used. Once the old code was used, the tracking was working.  Since that day with the higher views, the numbers have returned to a normal pattern of more than one million unique visitors daily and 2.5 million daily page views.

“This shows that a goal of an average of 2 million average daily unique visitors is possible by the end of the year,”
Tobias said.

New poetry book started- Boys of Lambda Sigma Chi

In my first year of college at Ball State University, I got to know a group of writers and poets that pledged to keep in touch and maintain each of the talents. To make it “unofficial,” we decided to create an unchartered fraternity called Lambda Sigma Chi. We do, however, have a secret handshake and code of honor. It has one chapter and the the six original members are still alive and corresponding with our creative writing.  Throughout this month, I’ll introduce the other members of Lambda Sigma Chi and selections of their poetry along with their backgrounds of where they are now and what they have been doing the last 25 or so years. The other brothers are Adrian Parker, Bill Kelso, Paul Abernathy, C.J. Chatham III, Rufus McDougal and Christopher Benedict. Go Lambda Sigs.

Editors Note: Since the release of this newsletter, we have learned that there really is a Lambda Sigma Chi organization, a national service sorority. However, there are no chapters of this organization listed with Greek organizations at Ball State University. So the boys and I will keep on going, like we have the past 30 or so years, with all respect for the real Greek group. We just want to share our writings.

Top Spanish-language poem chosen

The best Spanish-language poem  from the collect on the World of Words by Elias Tobias is Mi Compás. Palabras de Inspiración, has been associated with the World of Words by Elias Tobias for seven months now, and new poems will be added to the group this month.  Thanks for all those who voted with their e-mails.

 Poem of the Month

Sun Spots

Scientists say they saw spots on the sun, and
changes in the solar system have begun.
High energy bands will alter their course
Due to the strong electro-magnetic force.
There will be changes throughout the night,
And even during the day, however slight.
My brain will feel different, too
For the power shift will make me do
Things that are not usually done.
My day at work could really be fun,
Or the radio waves could help me smile
Or encourage me to get the phone and dial
Someone I haven’t talked to in a long time.
I could write a poem that rhymes, but
Changes take a while to get to earth
Since other planets absorb the blast first.
My life will remain as the same routine,
And sun spots aren’t really a big deal,
Just something I read in the newspaper
After I finished eating my evening meal.