I’m very pleased to have two poems, “Dirt Cheap Queen” and “Don’t Carry the World”, in the new issue of Muddy River Poetry Review. Big thanks to Zvi A. Sesling for giving these works a home. It’s a beautiful issue with lots of great poetry so I urge you to click over and read. Continue reading Two Poems in Muddy River Poetry Review
I met Sally Houtman via Fictionaut, an online community of writers and readers. Before that time, I really didn’t have any writing buddies. I was writing singularly, without encouragement or input from anyone within any writing community. I took the plunge of submitting my poetry and prose to this community of fledgling and accomplished writers. I just closed my eyes and jumped in, so to speak. Sally, along with Matt Dennison and Frankie Saxx(thanks, y’all!), made me feel welcome and valued. They encouraged and critiqued. Sally had a gentle way of making her points that I appreciated. She let me … Continue reading My Prose in Flash Frontier Tribute
*** Nothing was next to enough. Rubbed the wrong way was comfort. Most of all, conquered worlds prepared her to live her life a burned queen wearing pearls. *** This set of wonderful found poems in Thrush inspired me to go looking for my own. Continue reading Found Poem: Lessons
Lucille’s mother was a gifted poet with only an elementary school education. Her poetry was offered publication but Lucille’s father wouldn’t allow it and forced her to burn the poems in the fireplace. It’s said Lucille never forgot it and I’m sure it shaped much of her own poetry. About the incident, she wrote a poem called “fury”: “her hand is crying. / her hand is clutching / a sheaf of papers. / poems. / she gives them up. / they burn / jewels into jewels.” She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for two separate books in the … Continue reading Happy birthday, Lucille!
Atomic Theory Micropress has printed up my poem “Bravado” on postcards, with art by Jon Butterworth, for purchase on their website. I am thrilled! It never occurred to me that it might be possible for my words to fly around the country (world?!) in this way. Proceeds from the postcards will help Atomic Theory finance the publication of their limited edition handsewn chapbooks. If you love poetry, small press, and/or the art of bookmaking, please consider purchasing a postcard or two. Support poets, support art, support small presses! Continue reading My Poem on Postcards: Support Small Presses!
One night in April I stumbled on the livestream of a poetry reading program on Twitter, put together by Maria Popova, named The Universe in Verse. For over an hour and a half I listened in wonderment to a clatch of beautiful poetry read by some wonderful writers. Now the program is available as a video which I’ve posted here along with the playlist. I loved the whole thing but especially the readings by Diane Ackerman and Tracy K Smith. I hope you’ll find some time to listen to at least some of the readings. It will inspire you, I … Continue reading Poetry Wonderment
Ran out of steam Slid off the sunbeam Curdled the cream Lost the dream Thought I could Turned into dead wood *** Prompt via NaPoWriMo.net: Write a poem using Skeltonic verse. This is how I was feeling about NaPoWriMo this morning, lol. Two more days! (Although I believe I have one make up poem to write. Have to check on that.) Continue reading NaPoWriMo 28/30: Drained
Eve of a Cold Moon So briefly, so briefly – a few days of awareness, then you were gone. Still, there’s a space for you that no other ever filled, the abandoned home of a whisper-life not ready for a world such as this. *** Prompt via NaPoWriMo.net: Write a nocturne. In music, a nocturne is a composition meant to be played at night, usually for piano, and with a tender and melancholy sort of sound. Your nocturne should aim to translate this sensibility into poetic form. Continue reading NaPoWriMo 17/30: Eve of a Cold Moon
On Wednesdays at 6:00 pm Poet Fida Islaih facilitates a chat for poets called #PoetteerChat on Twitter. I’ve been participating for a couple of months and have enjoyed chatting and getting to know other poets. Two weeks ago Fida had poet Nicole Gilotta, author of Eat This Poem, as a guest on the chat. (Transcript here.) I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her book and the inspiration for writing it, so much so that I invited the other participants to join me in writing a collaborative poem about food. I’d always wanted to do a collaborative poem and the subject piqued … Continue reading Writing With Poet Fida Islaih
I began working on a CNF piece a few months ago based on an interaction I had with a woman in the jury lounge when I was called up for Federal jury duty. The first three paragraphs flowed out easily. The next couple came weeks later. Now I can’t stand the thought of going back to work on it at all. There are memories of the aftermath of Katrina interspersed and I just don’t want to think about it. It’s Spring, new beginnings, a time of optimism. The thought of revisiting that time is just abhorrent. Hopefully, this is just … Continue reading Brain Dump
