Forward Prize winner Vahni Capildeo and her “Measures of Expatriation” challenge our notions of what a poetry collection is and can be.
Don Paterson: Poet of Light and Dark in Life and in Ourselves
Don Paterson is an important voice in British poetry and letters. He writes of both the light and the dark in life and in ourselves.
What the Book Needs: Creating The Joy of Poetry – Part 4
Megan Willome ends her 4-part series about creating The Joy of Poetry with a simple admonition for writers: be open to what your book needs.
Poets and Poems: Mohja Kahf and “Hagar Poems”
In “Hagar Poems, ” poet Mohja Kahf tells and retells the biblical story of Hagar, Abraham, and Sarah, weaving threads between ancient and contemporary times.
R Is for Rewriting: Creating The Joy of Poetry – Part 3
As Megan Willome approaches the task of rewriting The Joy of Poetry, she finds a different rhythm to her work.
What to Do with the Elephants: Creating The Joy of Poetry – Part 2
In Megan Willome’s second installment about writing The Joy of Poetry, she wrestles with the problem of not one, but two elephants in the room.
10 Great Ideas to Create Your Dream Reading Nook
Gather your books, a comfy blanket and a cup of tea. Andy Hayes has 10 great ideas to inspire you to create your dream reading nook.
On Being Asked: Creating The Joy of Poetry – Part 1
When people ask Megan Willome why she wrote The Joy of Poetry, they are usually shocked when she tells them: “I was asked to.”
Jen Karetnick: Pondering the Often Invisible
In two new poetry collections, poet Jen Karetnick asks us to consider the reality behind what is often invisible, be it illness or climate change.
More than a Broken Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen
Songwriter Leonard Cohen is also a poet, and in “Songs and Poems, ” he mixes song lyrics with poetry, suggesting there’s little difference.
Reading & Books Prompt: Lose Yourself in a Book
Put down the device and journey with us as we learn more about our attention span and the joy of getting lost in a book. Then get lost in your poetic thoughts and write them down.
A Mistake Becomes a Discovery: John Holmes
A wrong shipment by Amazon turned into a discovery of poet John Holmes (1904-1962), who wrote his own poetry and encouraged other poets.
Reading ‘Spoon River Anthology’ for the Third Time
“Spoon River Anthology” is one of the great works of American literature, and reading it a third time yields new insights.
Memoir Notebook: Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech
Kate DiCamillo listened to the approaching siren and thought it was the first time in her life she had heard that sound and not wondered who it was for.
Book Club Announcement: The Magician’s Elephant
Join us for our new book club coming up in September. We’ll be asking “what if” with Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant.
Norman Nicholson: Poetry of Landscape and the Environment
British poet Norman Nicholson deserves to be remembered for his beautiful poems of the Cumbrian and western Lake District landscape.
Finding Edna and Winifred in the Antique Shop
For 75 cents, Glynn Young purchases a book of poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay and considers both the poet and the woman who wrote her name on the inside cover.
Poets and Poems: Tina Barry and “Mall Flower”
In “Mall Flower, ” poet and writer Tina Barry combines poetry and short fiction to tell the story of a life – childhood, youth, and adulthood.
Canada’s 2016 Griffin Prize: Norman Dubie and Liz Howard
Canada’s 2016 Griffin Prize was awarded to Norman Dubie for “The Quotations of Bone” and Liz Howard for “Infinite Citizen of the Shaking Tent.”
Understanding the Life and Art of William Blake
Two books on William Blake, “Eternity’s Sunrise” by Leo Damrosch and “Blake: A Biography” by Peter Ackroyd, provide an in-depth look at the artist and poet.