Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” —Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty I love magazines, but I tend to hoard stacks and stacks of them until, even for me, it’s too much, and I force myself to donate or recycle. That happened yesterday, my deep woven basket that holds… Continue reading Finding writing inspiration this summer
Category: Poetry
Consider…
Consider at the outset:to be thin for thoughtor thick cream blossomy Many things are betterflavored with bacon Sweet Life, My love:didn’t you ever trythis delicacy–the marrowin the bone? And don’t be afraidto pour wine over cabbage Lorine Niedecker In both of these poems, I love the poet’s voice; I trust it and want to know… Continue reading Consider…
writing could be the boat
I don’t have nothing to write today―maybe never. Hammer in my blood a giant river swell up inside me and I’m drowning. My head all dark inside. Feel like giant river I never cross in front of me now. Ms. Rain say, You not writing Precious. I say I’m drownin’ in river. She doesn’t look… Continue reading writing could be the boat
Special 📦 Part 2
This year, I subscribed to Poetry magazine and several literary journals as part of my commitment to support my writing and arts communities. While many of the journals are now only online, I love being able to purchase a hard copy. This week was a great snail mail week when I received the current Poetry,… Continue reading Special 📦 Part 2
a “soft word” on the first day of spring
The crocus beckons like homemade liqueur—each one a glassful of sunlight. The crocus is a soft word in my ear Marion McCready’s poem Look to the Crocus. Today is the official first day of spring, but the crocus has been blooming for a couple of weeks, and the grape hyacinth is next. I usually plant… Continue reading a “soft word” on the first day of spring
the connection of language and food
Before I ever cooked professionally or wrote one word, I had a deep connection to language and food because of my first teacher, my nana. “A writing cook and a cooking writer must be bold at the desk as well as the stove.”― M.F.K. Fisher She was an elementary school teacher and a principal for many… Continue reading the connection of language and food
writing in gratitude
One writing practice I did keep up in the last year was a weekly email to a friend. We had started writing every Sunday as a check-in, accountability email, and understanding the power of gratitude; we always ended each email with a short (3-5 item) gratitude list for that week. If I review the 52… Continue reading writing in gratitude
Submitting experimental writing
Years ago, I posted a link to Bernadette Mayer’s poem Very Strong February. I was first introduced to Mayer’s work at Goddard. My advisor suggested that I include Midwinter Day in my book list. At the time, I was struggling to get through Gertrude Stein’s experimental book, Tender Buttons: Objects, Food, Rooms. The book is… Continue reading Submitting experimental writing
I am everything except me
In Conversation with Brendan Kennelly Starting at 4:56, poet Brendan Kennelly discusses his poem Bread and refers to an “old Irish tradition” of the speaker and voice in the poem being anything other than the poet. The language of his words moves me, “I am everything except me.” What does that mean to you? I… Continue reading I am everything except me
Trusted Links for Writers and Poets
16 Ways to Not Win a Poetry Contest: Guest Post by Miriam Sagan | WritersDigest.com Please welcome our guest blogger Miriam Sagan, who has read thousands and thousands of poems submitted to a variety of national and local poetry contests Fellowships for Writers and Poets – No Entry Fees! (… Creative writing fellowships are plentiful… Continue reading Trusted Links for Writers and Poets