Gift ideas for a poet
June 10, 2016 12:16 PM   Subscribe

My best friend recently had her poem published for the first time (and got paid!). I'm very excited for her! I'm seeing her tonight for dinner and would like to give her a nice congratulatory gift. I was planning on a simple bouquet of flowers but I'm wondering if there are other ideas? Ideally something I could pick up after work and give tonight but I would also consider something to give her later if it was special enough to wait for.

Some more details about her - she is the nerdy feminist type, into art, politics, Star Trek, history, poetry and writing, museums and libraries. She is a picky eater so I typically don't give her food items.
posted by daisies to Shopping (6 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I think flowers or a plant is perfect! Another nice thing to do is buy the specific issue of the magazine/journal/whatever she's been published in. Sales count!
posted by kate blank at 12:22 PM on June 10, 2016


Best answer: You know what's great, in addition to flowers and what-have-you? Reading the poem and coming with some specific, thoughtful questions about it.

Poetry can be isolating. We all have non-poet friends who are supportive but afraid of actually talking or asking questions about it.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:33 PM on June 10, 2016 [3 favorites]


A book of Leonard Nimoy poems, if you can get it. Kind of jokey, kind of affectionate.

If you give flowers, it would be nice if you could choose two or three or so stems that you particularly like, rather than a generic (and more expensive) commercial bouquet. That's kind of a flower poem, rather than the usual spring bouquet prose.
posted by amtho at 12:33 PM on June 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


A moleskine (and optionally, and depending on your budget, a really nice pen) is the perfect gift in this scenario.

source: am poet.
posted by 256 at 1:20 PM on June 10, 2016


Best answer: Am also a published poet and would never use a Moleskine or a nice pen. I write on legal pads with whatever is available. She probably has a system that works for her already.

I think the flowers sound perfect. And roll truck roll is right. Specific comments on the poem would be great - you don't have to be an expert in critical reading. Just saying something about a line or phrase you particularly liked would be good.
posted by FencingGal at 1:29 PM on June 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


Maybe a line of the poem inscribed inside a silver bracelet?
posted by NorthernAutumn at 2:47 PM on June 11, 2016


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