Join author Callie Feyen as she considers silence — what it is, what it does, and whether it’s useful. Then write a poem about it.
Poetry Prompt: What Grows From Bright Darkness
Join author Callie Feyen as she considers how the month of January and how the bright darkness can help usher in our hopes and dreams for the new year.
Wisdom Literature: The Aphorisms of Yahia Lababidi
“Signposts to Elsewhere,” a collection of aphorisms by poet Yahia Lababidi, is a beautifully rendered work, full of poetry and wisdom.
Poetry Prompt: What Kind of Quiet?
How many kinds of quiet do you find (and feel) in your day? Join author Callie Feyen as she explores the many kinds of quiet that seep through our days.
Poets and Poems: Juliette van der Molen and “Anatomy of a Dress”
“Anatomy of a Dress” by poet Juliette Van Dermolen is a short collection of poems that are strong enough not to need the author’s explanation.
Listening to Poets in the Sounds of Silence
The Shaw Nature Reserve southwest of St. Louis is a place where silence reigns, and good conversations can be had with poets.
Writing Prompt: December
December can be a dark, lonely month. Join author Callie Feyen as she finds beauty in the last month of the year and prompts us to write along.
Poet Laura: Lauras Poetica
In the latest Poet Laura installment, Tania Runyan tells of famous Lauras in history and writes poems to less famous — yet noteworthy — Lauras.
Prompt: A How-To Story
What rituals do you practice in your writing routine? Join author Callie Feyen in following how-to poetry prompts (or journal entries, stories, or collages).
By Heart: “Come, Night” + New Thomas Hardy Challenge
Join author Megan Willome as she learns William Shakespeare’s ‘Come, Night’ from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ By Heart while savoring this season of extra night.
Poets and Poems: Edward Holmes and “Bravery & Brevity”
“Bravery & Brevity,” the new poetry collection by Edward Holmes, is written from a place of transformation, moving from pain to hope.
Poetry Prompt: Thanksgiving Poems
Join author Callie Feyen as she recalls Thanksgiving beauty that spilled over into her wedding. And write your own Thanksgiving poem.
Poet Laureate Joy Harjo: Grace, Rain, and Other Mysteries
Author Megan Willome considers grace, rain, and other mysteries inherent in the poetry of Joy Harjo, the new U.S. poet laureate.
W.H. Auden’s “September 1, 1939″ – The Biography of a Poem by Ian Sansom
“September 1, 1939” is one of Auden’s most famous poems. But British writer Ian Sansom sees the flaws. His biography of the poem and the poet is marvelous.
Poetry Prompt: Inventory Poetry
Join author Callie Feyen as she takes an inventory of her kitchen and finds many prompts for poetry.
Poets and Poems: David Russell and “An Ever River”
The poems of “An Ever River” by British poet David Russell remind us that we are part of a larger whole that continues, even when damaged and mended.
By Heart: “South of the Cap Rock” + New Shakespeare Challenge
Join author Megan Willome as she learns Carlos Ashley’s’ “South of the Cap Rock” By Heart. And Mrs. George Reece speaks from the grave in praise of poetry memorization, for truth and beauty’s sake.
Simon Armitage, the New British Poet Laureate
Simon Armitage is the new British poet laureate, and his most recent collection, “The Unaccompanied,” shows a poet at the top of his art.
Nature and “Dream Work”: We Had Mary Oliver for a Time
Poet Mary Oliver showed us how to employ nature to come to terms with where we come from, and to point to where we might be going.
Poets and Poems: Aaron Belz and “Soft Launch”
“Soft Launch,” the new poetry collection by Aaron Belz, reminds to us to stop and take a deep breath, even in the face of the daily apocalypse.