I just returned from my first AWP writing conference in Chicago, at 1:30 a.m this morning. I'm exhausted, but feeling flush with new ideas. I attended presentations on blogging and book publicity, meeting the dynamic writer Brendan Constantine at the latter, who told stories of stuffing publicity postcards in newspapers, and on brochure racks at … Continue reading Change will do you good
Category: soon-to-be-published
Spinning straw into gold
Like many writers, I am a collector of words. For years, I kept a notebook of lines from poems that I loved, sometimes even the whole poem. There is something about writing down beautiful words, even if they are not yours, that changes you. That changes your writing as well, or so it has for … Continue reading Spinning straw into gold
Rilke, on how to avoid writing “toward the median”
Now that the holidays are over, I have time to dig into some of the books I received. Last night, I re-read Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, which I first read in college. What I needed to hear most was Rilke's view on how to preserve your unique voice, despite your critics: You ask … Continue reading Rilke, on how to avoid writing “toward the median”
A Christmas Poem
At Christmas time, I always think of the final section of H.D.’s “The Flowering of the Rod,” which describes so beautifully the wonder of God’s greatest gift: But she spoke so he looked at her, she was shy and simple and young; She said, Sir, it is a most beautiful fragrance, as of all flowering things … Continue reading A Christmas Poem
Juicing up your writing with a dose of randomness
This week I’m taking part in an exercise with SPARK, an organization that pairs visual artists and writers so they may create work based on each others’ work. I was sent a .jpg file of a painting, which I will write a poem “about.” Although I have written a number of poems inspired by paintings … Continue reading Juicing up your writing with a dose of randomness
Another reason why printed books aren’t going away: kids
The New York Times published an article last week about how parents who are huge proponents of the e-book reserve it for themselves – and give their kids the “real thing.” When I was young, my mother took us to the library every week, and we returned home with armloads of books. To this day, … Continue reading Another reason why printed books aren’t going away: kids
“I don’t understand it…but I can tell it’s good!” – Explaining poems to non-English majors
I have a friend who’s very smart and educated – but like many people I know, has a mental block when it comes to reading poetry. I don’t know why this happens. Maybe being exposed to Shakespeare or T.S. Eliot too early (really, did any among us have the maturity to appreciate Hamlet or Prufrock … Continue reading “I don’t understand it…but I can tell it’s good!” – Explaining poems to non-English majors
Creating the book cover for “Between Gods”
The book cover for "Between Gods" is now on display on the publisher's website here, along with blurbs and sample poems. The cover was designed by graphic designer Terri Edillon, featuring artwork (“The World”) by German artist Catrin Welz-Stein. (The print is available for purchase here. ) My publisher usually designs book covers in-house, but I … Continue reading Creating the book cover for “Between Gods”
Submitting poems to journals: the mathematics of yay or nay
Now that my book publication date is six months away, I want to see more of the poems in print before the book comes out. So I am searching my Poet's Market book for the right places. Submitting poems to journals can be an agonizingly slow process. I have waited nine months for responses from … Continue reading Submitting poems to journals: the mathematics of yay or nay
Putting it all together: creating a manuscript
Now that I've emailed my ready-to-publish draft of "Between Gods" to the publisher this week (yay!), I'm thinking about what it took to get it to this point. I'd been writing poetry for years, but hadn't really thought about trying to put together a book until 2007, when the sad events at Virginia Tech took … Continue reading Putting it all together: creating a manuscript
Between Gods 