My set of three poems, called "Klimt & Time," appeared in the Notre Dame Review in 2010. They now appear in the online journal Redux, edited by novelist Leslie Pietrzyk. Not only does this journal reprint amazing work from prestigious print journals, but the editors encourage authors to write commentary about the poems or story. … Continue reading My previously-published poems (“Klimt & Time”), now online!
Category: Writing life
Writing While Female: Remembering Adrienne Rich
On Saturday, several days after the death of poet Adrienne Rich, I read with other female poets in celebration of SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day in Washington D.C. It could not have been a more beautiful spring day in Georgetown, and we read in the intimate sanctuary of Grace Church. The voices were diverse; … Continue reading Writing While Female: Remembering Adrienne Rich
Watching the night sky
March - especially with the balmy weather we enjoyed this month in DC - was a lovely time to observe the planets and stars in rarely-seen configurations. (A guide to what you can see is here.) Sometimes I spend so much time on my laptop that I need to be prompted by newspaper articles to … Continue reading Watching the night sky
Passion and Work
Today, I'm holding my first book in my hands, fresh from its Barnes & Noble packaging. It contains nearly twenty years of work: poems that were edited over and over, pushed into envelopes, some accepted and some rejected by journals. Some were loved, some not. Now they will reach a wider audience. And now I … Continue reading Passion and Work
Change will do you good
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
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”
“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
From paper to Kindles to iPads to…hay?
This week, Lindesay Irvine of The Guardian describes how the first 300 copies of Margaret Atwood’s newest book are being printed on a new type of paper, made completely of recycled paper and straw (read article here). Given her enormous influence in the literary world, it is heartening that Atwood chose this type of paper … Continue reading From paper to Kindles to iPads to…hay?
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”
Between Gods 