I’m in the middle of an eight-week poetry workshop with Kim Addonizio and wondering why I haven’t done this more often, maybe once a year. I’ve found few things more stimulating of my creativity than participating in this fun, low-key (we meet in her living room and share snacks and wine), fascinating, and informative workshop. Among the exercises we’ve considered are anaphora, odes, and syntax. Copying the syntax of another poem’s line was an exercise…
Cheryl Dumesnil: Falling Into Place Poet Cheryl Dumesnil talks about why her children are her gurus, San Francisco as a font of poetry, and how she knows when a poem is ready to publish. It was a lot of fun to talk and email with Cheryl about poetry, her new book, winning a major award, the writing life, and some of the poems in her collection. Visit https://racheldacus.net for more information and writing by Rachel…
New quarterly zine that looks interesting: Corium Magazine. They publish short and very short fiction and poetry. Mary Biddinger’s Word Cage is always entertaining, and so is Barn Owl Review’s blog (Mary is an editor of BOR). Amy King’s Alias asks “Who are the most innovative poets today?” Head over and cast your vote (or list). I would have done more bloghopping, but have been riveted by the Olympics. Yes, it’s the curling. Visit https://racheldacus.net…
I have a new job: interviewing poets for Fringe magazine. I have already done some interviews for Umbrella, and found it a fascinating job. You get to ask all the poets you admire how they do what they do! And what poetry means to them, what poetry can do, who their favorite poets are. It’s a license to be nosy. It’s like taking a workshop. It’s like speed dating. It’s a chance to make new…
I just posted a status update on Facebook about how it has widened my horizons, both in terms of poetry and friendship, and in making new friends among poets. A lot of people complain about social networking sites (mostly about Facebook) and how distracting it is for poets and writers. I have found it the contrary. It’s so easy for me to switch between screens when I’m working on something and want to take a…
I told myself I wouldn’t, I couldn’t spare the time this year away from writing, no, not turning on the Olympics … and OMG, did you see the Russian skating pair? The American woman who got the Gold for freestyle skiing? Hear about the young man who died practicing for the luge? I can’t stay away from this stuff, not after so many years of studying ballet, trudging to class mornings and nights when I…
Stay strong, Green Movement: you will prevail. The world is watching! Visit https://racheldacus.net for more information and writing by Rachel Dacus.
I’m reading Kim Addonizio’s new book on craft and the writing life, Ordinary Genius. In it, she makes a statement that really caught me. To paraphrase her, most writers allow fear of failure to block their creativity and keep them from finishing a poem, a book, or persevering in the writing life. I know I have abandoned promising drafts because I became stuck on the tide-lashed rock of that fear, the feeling that I’ll never…
On Facebook, someone started a chapbook swap page, and so far I’ve sent and received seven books. Seven poets whose work I can really get to know, and seven new readers of my chapbook and work. I think the idea of swapping poetry books, especially chapbooks, is a wonderful way to broaden your reading and acquaintance in the world of working poets. I have at time swapped full-length books too, though those cost more to…
I have a new job of interviewing poets for Fringe magazine (whose subtitle I adore: “The Noun That Verbs Your World”). Interviews upcoming will include Cheryl Dumesnil, author of In Praise of Falling, and Kim Addonizio, author of too many books to name, but most especially the brilliant, new collection Lucifer at the Starlite, with a nice review at Rattle by Jeannine Hall Gailey via the link. Interviewing poets about their work, poems, process, and…