Honorably Mentioned
I began writing poetry several years ago and still think of myself as a literary fiction writer, not a poet. Not really. Poetry is something I dabble in and play with. Even after publishing a few poems, I still hesitate to call myself a poet. Yesterday, I learned that I received second honorable mention in [...]
From Prose to Poetry and Back
‘m sad that I’m not participating in the poem-a-day madness of National Poetry Month. That’s what pulled me into a poetry last year. I hoped to discover new ways to bring music and imagery into my prose, never thinking I’d fall in love with writing and reading poetry itself (something I’d always avoided)….
My Gaelic Name
I revised my St. Patrick’s Day post from last year and posted it at Fictionaut. A commenter there bestowed on me the Gaelic version of Elizabeth….
Wild Turkey: Species of the Week
Unlike my stepfather and his clan, numerous cousins, the son I spawned, and many friends; I don’t usually look at wild animals and think: meat. Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), indigenous to North America, have become a recent exception….
Sediment
I’m trying to catch up on all the work I didn’t do during National Poetry Writing Month, but I found it hard to resist the Read Write Poem wordle prompt this week. It’s a pretty rough attempt that has not faced much reflection or revision. Now back to working in the garden. I gather the [...]
Experiments with Poetry
I overcame a lifelong fear of writing poetry on April Fool’s Day. It happened by accident. I had grown tired of my stale prose habits and surfed the web looking for distraction….
Whys
The NaPoWriMo prompt at Read Write Poem asked us to ponder metaphysics, while the one at Poetic Asides asked for some reflection on miscommunication. This seemed like a good time to try a fibonacci poem. The words I had only filled out a shorter sequence at the end. I decided I liked it that way. [...]
Master the Art of Writer’s Block With Strunk and White
I wrote (or rather, pirated) this for the “How-To” prompt at Read Write Poem with inspiration from Geoffrey K. Pullum’s recent essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education. _______________________________________________ Master the Art of Writer’s Block With Strunk and White Avoid a succession of loose sentences. Use definite, specific, concrete language, place yourself in the background [...]
Protected: A Career Path Not Taken
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Morning Headlines
This follows the prompt at Read Write Poem to take 50 words and make “word salad.” My words came from book titles, news headlines, and various objects around me this morning. I used all the words, changed the form of some, and added a few articles, conjunctions, and prepositions. I also added the subheadings. I [...]
Floating
Based on a recent trip I got dragged into, this image came immediately to mind when I considered the random words given for NaPoWriMo at Read Write Poem. It also vaguely fits the “hobby” prompt at Poetic Asides, although it’s not my hobby. ___________________________ Floating Impugned by eco-warriors the Star Princess – a floating hotel [...]
Mastering the Art of a Tweet
Bored with coughing and sniffling last week, I began surfing the web to sample various social networks. I’ve spent the last few months learning how to use WordPress and its various plugins. Hours of back and neck pain have helped me sympathize with those who verb the noun widget. But Facebook? Delicious? Linked In? I [...]
