From bridges to baseball, to fun food at the fair, Iowa’s got something for everyone. Sandra Heska King will meet you there.
50 States of Generosity: Montana
From wild flowers to mountains that tower, it’s Montana. Plus, catch an old photo of our very own Sandra Heska King’s hubby in Montana when he was a boy.
50 States of Generosity: Idaho
Visiting Idaho was never on my bucket list. Until now. And when I go, I might want to try some “ice cream potatoes”—vanilla ice cream coated with cocoa and slathered with whipped cream to look like a sour cream topped baked potato. Or maybe I’ll try an Idaho Spud—a marshmallow covered in chocolate and coconut.
Pandemic Journal: An Entry on Caring from a Distance
One of the great challenges of the pandemic is connecting with loved ones, especially our elders. Sandra Heska King reflects on caring for her father from 1500 miles away.
Together: The Grenfell Fire, a Cookbook, and a Community
A kitchen fire in Grenfell Tower tore peoples’ lives apart. Now it’s the fire of friendships forged in a kitchen that’s bringing them back together.
Literary Friends: Keeping Anna Akhmatova Alive
Anna Akhmatova’s friends memorized her poems to keep her work alive when it was too dangerous to put pen to paper. Sandra Heska King spotlights this life and death role of literary friends.
A Poem in Every Heart: John Borling, John McCain and the Hanoi Hilton
The late John McCain and his fellow prisoners of war tapped poetry and story between the walls of their cells, making a poem in every heart (and a story in every soul) a key to helping each other live.
Commit Poetry: Romeo & Juliet’s Two Households
Sandra Heska King winds up her memorization of selections from Romeo & Juliet among crayfish and shoulder-high ferns, considering the divisions of two houses.
The Color of Your Creativity
Sandra Heska King finds her creativity in the color chartreuse. What color is your creativity?
Commit Poetry: Romeo and Juliet
Sandra Heska King takes a dare to commit more poetry for National Poetry Month. This time, it’s Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Commit Poetry: “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Sandra Heska King continues her poetry memorization journey by committing Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias.”
Regional Tour: Of Alligators and Everglades
Sandra Heska King has all the adventure—and alligators—she could ever want right in her own backyard, in the Everglades.
Commit Poetry: Edgar A. Guest (Michigan’s First & Last Poet Laureate)
Sandra Heska King finds some old, inscribed Edgar A. Guest collections, muses about their curious inscriptions, and commits a little poetry to heart.
Regional Tour: The Metz Fire of 1908 (Metz, Michigan)
The historic Metz Fire at the turn of the 20th century connects Sandra Heska King to the story of a place.
Committing Prufrock: The Path to Frost
Memorizing The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock took Sandra Heska King on the road not taken (or, at least less frequently taken) and to memorization of Robert Frost as well.
Committing Prufrock: Taking a Stand Against Forgetfulness
Sandra Heska King concludes her Committing Prufrock poetry dare with the completion of memorization of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
Chinese Lanterns: Art by Day, Magic by Night
Stumbling onto a colorful Chinese lantern festival while out on a bike ride may hold a key to answer Mary Oliver’s question about your one wild and precious life.
Committing Prufrock: 10 Reasons to Say Yes to Memorizing Poetry
Why would someone take a dare to commit The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock to memory? Sandra Heska King has 10 great reasons to say yes to a poetry dare.
Committing Prufrock: Poetry Memorization Tips & Memories
Sandra Heska King uses her Phone-a-Friend to crowd-source poetry memorization tips and memories as she continues her Committing Prufrock Poetry Dare.
Committing Prufrock: 6 Great Ways to Memorize a Poem
Sandra Heska King continues her poetry dare, memorizing T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Today, she shares her tips for memorizing a poem.