I won't be one of the many imbibing on St. Patrick's Day this Sunday. But as a fan of Irish poetry - at least that written in English - I wanted to share a few of my favorite moments. Contemporary Irish poet Eavan Boland beautifully extracts a place from its political past in "How … Continue reading My Favorite Irish Poets
Category: publishing poetry
A season of waiting
This winter, most of my quests for excitement have collided with a paralyzed will, or body. Yesterday, my mom offered to babysit the girls so Jeff and I could enjoy a kid-free outing. Jeff now has the cold I had a week ago (and older daughter ('OD') had a week before that), so we decided … Continue reading A season of waiting
My top five anti-love poems
After last week's Valentine's Day love poem offerings (which you can read here), I thought a look at the flip-side was in order. So let's get a little Alanis Morissette for a moment, and look at how some of the masters have handled the uglier moments. Because we've all been there. 🙂 1) Afraid to make … Continue reading My top five anti-love poems
“Between Gods” news
Happy New Year! My book, Between Gods, is one of seven featured first books in the latest issue of Beltway Poetry Quarterly, here. It's worth a read!
The Harvest
Yesterday we went apple-picking in the Virginia countryside, bringing home 16 pounds (!) of apples. Looking for recipes... I've been reading Little House in the Big Woods to my daughter, and l love the details of the family's preparation for the winter: stocking the cellar with home-grown root vegetables; hanging smoked, wild game meat from pegs … Continue reading The Harvest
Fall for the Book lineup: Danielle Cadena Deulen’s “Lovely Asunder”
This week, I'm talking about some of the poets who will be reading in next week's DC-area literary festival, Fall for the Book. (You can find the schedule here.) I've been reading Danielle Cadena Deulen's Lovely Asunder, which was the 2011 winner of the Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize.  Deulen's graceful lyric voice draws us into these … Continue reading Fall for the Book lineup: Danielle Cadena Deulen’s “Lovely Asunder”
Fall for the Book lineup: Brian Brodeur’s “edging through the fog”
Fall for the Book is an annual literary festival starting next week, with events throughout the DC area, sponsored by George Mason University. (The complete schedule is here.) There are some major poets there this year, including Pulitzer Prize winner and former National Poet Laureate, Rita Dove. I wanted to share the work of one poet, … Continue reading Fall for the Book lineup: Brian Brodeur’s “edging through the fog”
In the dark
After spending the last 30 hours without electricity due to the tornadoes that swept the area (after giving thanks that we had no damage to property or person), I've learned the following: Someone has to be last to have their power restored (we were among the last 200 households in Northern Virginia), and if you … Continue reading In the dark
Back to school – and back to basics
Today, my older daughter started first grade, and ended a summer that had deteriorated into hours of her watching tv, fighting with her younger sister, and repeating "I'm bored" many times a day. I worried that she would balk at getting ready to go this morning, but when I woke, she was already dressed with … Continue reading Back to school – and back to basics
Sitting still
Yesterday I slipped while heading down the stairs and fell squarely on my ankle on a hardwood step. My ankle is swollen and throbbing today, and walking is difficult. I'm on the couch with an icepack and my laptop, trying not to move. In my daily life, I move almost constantly. When you're at home … Continue reading Sitting still
Between Gods 