So much has changed since I first started sending my work out two decades ago. Publishers are more open to simultaneous submissions, and I seek out (rather than avoid) online publications. But the biggest shift has been the number of pieces I get accepted each year. Take a […]
I couldn’t be more delighted to be appearing on the Ask ALLi Advice Podcast for Self-Publishing Poetry! Orna Ross is a lovely host and human being, working hard to help poets and writers alike on their self-publishing journey. In this podcast we cover art and craft of self-publishing […]
There is perhaps no greater mystery than ordering a poetry collection. The decisions can be nerve-wracking: debating which poems will open and close your book, asking which poems pack the most punch to hook the reader, questioning if these poems should sit next to each other for the […]
When I was in art school, I once had a poetry professor who, on the first day of class, introduced himself as a failed painter. Immediately, that proclamation (and others) rubbed me the wrong way and I ended up dropping the class in favor of a film course […]
I’m pleased to announce I’ll be teaching a poetry workshop for the International Women’s Writing Guild for their Digital Village series! In this workshop, participants learn how to create poems using writing prompts focused on expression of the self, then revise and prepare the poems for submitting to […]
It might be self-defeating to say this, but you should know it going in: My poet friend Jesse Parent has a list poem about why he doesn’t like List Poems. That’s pretty funny, and it shows you that not everyone is into this form. But I am, and […]
I. Who is Diane? Are you Diane? I channeled Diane—I don’t know from where. I’ve had Diane in me since I was a child. When I was six, I sat on the top bunk and ripped a twenty dollar bill in half (just like Diane would later […]
Last year for Christmas I asked for An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo, Poet Laureate of the United States. I’m an avid reader and a proud lit. major, but I’ve never asked for a book of poetry in my life. If I could take you back in time, I’d […]
As I brood over my newest batch of poems, and cast a crabby eye on the previous batch, as yet unpublished, it seems to me that editing can be focused on three levels. There’s the level of the text on the page: Are the verbs active and surprising […]
Imagine that you are an athlete, and you’ve been preparing to try out for a soccer team. You’ve worked on your fitness, your directional changes, your speed, your dribbling, your passing, your penalty shots for weeks, for months, and you have a strong desire to be on the […]
