I love kids. They’re like adults, but with no boring filters like civility or conversational norms. Sometimes what pops out of a five-year-old’s mouth is rude, sometimes it’s sad, but it’s usually funny. My youngest is in kindergarten and I got a chance to help them with their fall science fair this week and let… Read more »
Hello, my lovely poets and poem-tinkerers, my fellow word wanderers. This week, I am coming to you with a special guest, Lesley Wheeler, author of the brilliant and warm nonfiction work of art, Poetry’s Possible Worlds. I had the pleasure and good fortune to interview her, and I can’t wait to share the insights and… Read more »
Welcome back, poets! In my last post, I talked about confessional poetry—a brief history, defining characteristics, and a couple exercises to get you started writing some confessional poetry of your own. Today, I’d like to talk about poetry of witness, a mode that I’d argue is a close cousin of the confessional (with some key… Read more »
Everyone should play around with poetry. Period. Your hairdresser. The mail delivery person. The landscaper, the hummingbird feeder refill person. The person who diligently washes, folds and presses your socks. And, for sure, writers should play around with poetry. I’m talking to you, non-fiction writers. I’m talking to you, business and copywriter, you life coaches… Read more »
Welcome back, poets! Today, I’m excited to talk about confessional poetry: a brief history, some defining characteristics, and a couple of exercises to help you get started writing confessional-style poetry of your own. A (Very) Brief History of Confessional Poetry In 1959, Robert Lowell’s Life Studies was published, a collection that would later be described… Read more »
April 2022 Leisure Learning Spring greetings, leisure learners, and word nerds! I hope this April has found you immersed in the power of individual words, a la National Poetry Month. Now, what happens when you put a whole bunch of words together, complete with punctuation? Hopefully, a short story. Pair it with the month we… Read more »
Happy Sunday, leisure learners! Can you believe that it’s almost reading outside time?! (It’s like swimsuit season, but for word nerds.) As you probably know, we are heading into National Poetry Month for April. The selections below are in the spirit of throwing grammar temporarily aside, focusing on individual words and even individual letters. In… Read more »
I love a crisp new…anything, don’t you? Like a fresh new dollar bill, a chocolate bar wrapper still tucked snug against the corners, and don’t even get me started on the stiff, unyielding spine of a brand new book. There is also the comfort of a folded dollar you’ve saved, the crumbs on the wrapper… Read more »
Welcome back, poets! I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting as 2021 comes to a close and I head into my final (yay!) semester of grad school. As I read through some of the poetry I wrote at the start of my studies, I’m amazed by how much I’ve learned about the craft of poetry,… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ashanti Anderson. But first, I am excited to announce the launch of DIY MFA Radio Insiders program, a monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Each month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes… Read more »
