Poetry Hikes is my new YouTube channel in which each episode I go on a hike somewhere, show off the woods and any interesting features, and then sit down to read a few poems to viewers. That’s it. Nothing complicated. But why?

I’ve been thinking of ways to share poetry with more people, especially people who maybe aren’t already on my “friends” list or follow me on social media, and people who may not regularly read or even seek out poems. Exposing people to new poets is one of my favorite things about teaching. Poetry readings at colleges, bookstores and other venues are great, but they tend to have limited audiences—mostly people who are already eager poetry readers (or are friends with the poet).

And somewhere along the way I was inspired by several YouTube creators who post videos of their hiking and camping trips. The Wondering Woodsman, Maxim Outdoors, Walter Zolna, and Chimfwembe are among some of the accounts I follow. These channels have helped me find new places to hike, offered useful tips, and are just relaxing to watch.

I don’t have much to offer on hiking and camping that those creators don’t already do, but the outdoors is a big part of my poetry life, and I thought maybe if I combine the two interests, I could open up new readers for some of my favorite poets. And there are lots of good poetry podcasts, so I didn’t want to start another.

So I bought an inexpensive GoPro camera, picked a poet for my first hike, and headed to a local trail to see if this was something I’d want to keep doing. The result is Episode One, which takes place on Haycock Mountain in Bucks County PA, and I share two poems by Todd Davis. Episode Two continues that hike with two poems by David Budbill. I also get a little lost.

So far I’ve recorded five episodes (to date I’ve only edited and posted four of them) and hope to create a new one at least once a month, and each one will feature at least two poems by a different poet. I may sometime share a poem of my own.

I’m not a great video editor, and the camera isn’t the best available, but I’m keeping it basic because I don’t want this to turn into a job. Low-stakes and fun is the plan. Also, this is not a revenue-generating project. I don’t want to make money off it through sponsorship, patrons, merch, advertising, or affiliate fees. I just want to enjoy the woods and enjoy the poems, and share them with others.

On the Poetry Hikes tab on this website you’ll find links for more information about the poets and their books in each episode.

I’m not sure how long I’ll be interested in this project. It might be 2 months or 10 years.
Please like, subscribe and comment on the videos. Let me know if you think this is something I should keep doing.