I more or less stumbled into poetry during my undergraduate days. I didn’t write poetry when I was growing up. I didn’t even read that much poetry. Prior to college, the extent of my exposure to poetry was found in school assignments and was paired with teachers who didn’t much care to explore “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” or Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Poetry
National Poetry Month 2013
This National Poetry Month, I’ve decided to focus on a few poets who have contributed to the way I write or to the way I think about writing. It should be an interesting exercise because it’s difficult to limit myself to a few poets. I start with one and find myself referencing another. I start with a single idea and end up with ten or more. The ideas proliferate, like rabbits or the never-ending, multi-colored scarf.
Why I Studied Poetry
I could name a number of reasons for why I chose to study poetry in graduate school. I could say I was lost, and it would be true. I didn’t know what to do after some job opportunities closed during my final semester as an undergraduate. Where was I to go? What work was I to do? Such questions haunted me. They found some alleviation in the suggestion from my college mentor: apply for graduate school.
When Life Hands You Lemons
When life hands you lemons, the usual response is to make lemonade or to squirt lemon juice in someone’s eye. I say to forget the typical responses. Try something new.
When I Have Fears
When my friend Yuvi Zalkow challenged his readers to write about their fears or failures, I knew I would take part. One, he’s a friend. Two, the assignment is a creative challenge. Three, said assignment frightens me. I know I write about my fears on this blog at times, but Yuvi’s challenge seems of an entirely different caliber.
Eight Poets for Communicators
Spin Sucks has been having entirely too much fun celebrating fiction. I’ve enjoyed the celebration – I enjoy fiction – but I feel as though poets and poetry need some attention. Thus, I’m writing my own post about poetry and posting it here.