Curiosity that finds its outlet in fiction could be the best way we have of crossing barriers and coming together in society. Our Curious book club continues.
Hanging by a Thread: Poetry Prompt
The tale of the Sword of Damocles offers a moral that is sometimes misunderstood. We promise not to leave you hanging by a thread. Come write a poetic tale with us!
Thank You Notes: Ice
Thank You Notes is a monthly prompt that focuses on expressing our thanks to a particular person, place, or thing—in poems, paragraphs, or pictures. This month, we’re crafting thank-you’s to ice.
How My 5th-Grade Reading Challenge Opened Doors
As a preteen, a reading challenge at school brought Bethany Rohde into a new world of reading unfamiliar titles and finding new worlds.
Curious Book Club: How Curiosity Works
Curiosity thrives in the sweet spot Ian Leslie calls the “curiosity zone,” right between what you already know and knowing too much. Follow along in our Curious book club.
Gordian Knot: Poetry Prompt
With the swoosh of his sword, Alexander cut the Gordian knot. Learn a bit about this fabled tale and its use in today’s lexicon. Write some poetry with us. Consider it a challenge.
Teach It: Mixed Emotions in Civil Rights
To teach civil rights is partly to teach how to deal with mixed emotions. Callie Feyen uses a striking picture book to help you teach with depth & clarity.
The Writing Life: Paterson’s Blank Page
In the film Paterson, Charity Singleton Craig finds the routine of doing the same thing in the same place day after day forms a canvas on which to create.
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.
Animate: Thread Poetry Prompt
This week’s poetry prompt asks you to imagine yourself a winding thread. Join us, animate yourself into a long, thin strand, and create poetry.
Make It: Poetry Hearts at the Table
A lovely glass milk jug becomes the inspiration for a beautiful poetry hearts activity. Join Callie Feyen and make a few thoughtful hearts for Valentines or just for fun.
Top 10 Best Ship, Sail & Boat Poems
From the drifting of free verse to the mooring of form the sea is just waiting for poetry to sail in. Enjoy ten great poems about ships, sailing, and boats.
Love Knot: Poetry Prompt
A single strand of dark red ribbon winds its way around the ebony locks of Bess, the innkeeper’s daughter, creating a love knot. Entwine a poetic knot of love this week and write your own clove-hitch of the heart.
Life Notes: Tea is Necessary
With both hands wrapped around a steaming mug, Ann Kroeker recognizes that life needs pauses. And life needs tea.
Eating and Drinking Poems: Barbara Crooker’s “Ode to Olive Oil”
Laura Lynn Brown offers a reflection on Barbara Crooker’s “Ode to Olive Oil” and a tasty recipe of white beans with sage to go with it.
Dark Times Filled with Light: Crestfallen
In our final discussion of Dark Times Filled with Light, we look at Juan Gelman’s masterful manipulation of language and the challenges of translation.
Horizon Line: Poetry Prompt
The simple string marking the space between earth and the sky is much more than it seems. It’s a line of possibility. Come with us on a journey along a horizon line and write some poetry exploring its potential.
Interview with an English Teacher, Pt 2: The Heroic in Literature
English teacher Diane Flint reflects on “the heroic” and “the hero’s journey” as a central theme taught in most English curricula.
Poets & Writers Toolkit: 10 Must-Know Website Tips & Tricks for Writers
Web designer LW Willingham has 10 great tips and tools to keep the sparkle (and security) in your WordPress website or blog.
Dark Times Filled with Light: The Art of Poetry
Juan Gelman’s poems express both the power and impotence to effect change, all the while making clear poetry is not for the faint of heart.