Fall for the Book - a DC-area literary festival - began Sunday and will run through Friday night. On Tuesday night, poet Robyn Schiff will be reading at George Mason University from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts). I have been reading Schiff's second book, Revolver, in which she examines … Continue reading Fall for the Book lineup: Robyn Schiff’s “Revolver”
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Fall for the Book lineup: Shara Lessley’s “Two-Headed Nightingale”
Next week, the Fall for the Book literary festival takes place at various venues in and around Washington, DC. (The full schedule is here.) One of the many fine poets featured at the festival is Shara Lessley, whose book Two-Headed Nightingale won the 2012 New Issues Poetry Prize. She will be reading at Old Firehouse … Continue reading Fall for the Book lineup: Shara Lessley’s “Two-Headed Nightingale”
Melanie McCabe’s Poetry of Summer
I first read Melanie McCabe's beautiful first book of poetry, History of the Body, last year, but it seems right to talk about it now, in this season of heat and harvest. As the title suggests, this is a book that revels in the visceral and bodily, and in the poems she writes about summer, … Continue reading Melanie McCabe’s Poetry of Summer
Our Favorite Teachers
Last Thursday was the last day of elementary school in our city, and my first-grade daughter alternated between summer-fun-anticipation and heartbreak about no longer seeing her adored teacher every day. I picked her up from school, and seeing all the teachers waving goodbye to the kids as we passed was more than we could take. … Continue reading Our Favorite Teachers
Art and architecture in Pittsburgh
Jeff and I spent Memorial Day weekend sans kids in Pittsburgh. We decided that since east-bound beach traffic would be heavy, heading west was a good idea, and Pittsburgh is only about four hours from DC. So off we drove, in the stunned silence of burned-out parents of small children, into the real world. Pittsburgh sits at … Continue reading Art and architecture in Pittsburgh
Poems for Memorial Day
As I did last Memorial Day, I'm posting excerpts from poems that especially speak to me today. I hope you enjoy these, and will share some of your favorites in the comments. 1) "It is Dangerous to Read Newspapers" by Margaret Atwood (full text here): ...Now I am grownup and literate, and I sit in my … Continue reading Poems for Memorial Day
The Basket of Curiosities
I have trouble getting anything done when there is visible clutter. This morning, the house was overrun with scattered toys, cuttings from various papers, books, and game pieces. So I spent twenty minutes getting everything back to its container and shelf. Unfortunately, there are always items that defy classification, don't really have a place: kid's meal … Continue reading The Basket of Curiosities
My Top Five Poems about Motherhood
With Mother's Day coming up next Sunday, I'm adding to last year's list of poems that I love about motherhood. Enjoy! 1) From "Thanking My Mother for Piano Lessons" by Diane Wakoski (full text here): I want to thank my mother for letting me wake her up sometimes at 6 in the morning when I … Continue reading My Top Five Poems about Motherhood
Kids at poetry readings
Last night, I took an enormous leap of faith and took my first grader to her first poetry reading. This particular reading - part of the Iota Reading Series curated by Miles David Moore and hosted by Iota Club & Cafe in Arlington, Virginia - seemed a good fit. I promised her a brownie sundae, … Continue reading Kids at poetry readings
Connections
As I write this, I'm on hold with a Verizon representative, who has left me on hold for six minutes as he investigates why our internet connection keeps dropping every five minutes. For every minute that goes by without hearing his voice, I know (from prior experience, unfortunately) my chances increase for being hung up … Continue reading Connections
Between Gods 