Visit the charming (and real) Brass Pineapple Inn through the eyes of fictional characters Mildred and Cindy (from the novel Mildred’s Garden)!
Search Results for: Life Notes
‘Spoon River America’: Jason Stacy on the Myth of the Small Town
“Spoon River America” by Jason Stacy explains how the myth of the small Midwestern town supplanted the myth of the New England village.
Poetry Prompt: Love In Algebra
Join author Callie Feyen for a poetry prompt as she considers the many ways (some mathematical) to say, “I love you.”
Reading Generously: Sacred Reading with Jane Eyre
Some books bear up under rereading generously, like Charlote Brontë’s “Jane Eyre.” Especially with sacred reading.
Reading Shakespeare: King Lear & the Mystery of Things
Callie Feyen’s year-long “reading Shakespeare” experience takes her to King Lear, and the moment of crossing the place where mystery and empathy intersect.
Poets and Poems: Yrsa Daley-Ward and ‘bone’
The poems of “bone” by Yrsa Daley-Ward create discomfort, jolting the reader into an awareness of a very different and personal experience.
Poets and Poems: Paul Willis and ‘Somewhere to Follow’
“Somewhere to Follow,” the new poetry collection by Paul Willis, invites the reader to find the sacred in the everyday.
Home is Where the School Is—A Pandemic’s Eye View of Homeschooling Vs Virtual Learning
An exploration of homeschooling vs virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes interviews with 15 parents, students, and educators!
Poets and Poems: John Martin Finlay and “Dense Poems & Socratic Light”
“Dense Poems & Socratic Light” by John Martin Finlay is the best collection of the poet’s published and unpublished work available.
Poetry Prompt: Notebooks Trying To Tell
What have you been trying to tell yourself? Callie Feyen finds patterns, threads, and whispers in an old journal and “Kristin Lavransdatter.”
Poet-a-Day: Meet Susan Rothbard
When you think you’re grounded in reality, a form like the sonnet might lead you to the imaginary. It did for Susan Rothbard in her apple poem!
Poet-a-Day: Meet David Wright
How can you discover your poetic habits and create new ones that change your poetic music? Poet David Wright’s cello-based sonnet shows the way.
Poets and Poems: Osip Mandelstam and “Poems”
Osip Mandelstam (1891-1938) was a leading poet in the Silver Age of Russian poetry, until ran afoul of the Stalinist regime.
Poets and Poems: Chandra Gurung and “My Father’s Face”
The 47 poems of “My Father’s Face” by Chandra Gurung point to the contradictions of life inherent in all cultures and societies.
Generosity of Perspective: Not So Scared
Callie Feyen reflects on Frankenstein, Auggie and Me, and the generosity of perspective in understanding another and being human together.
Fiction Prompt: Chapter 5, Hank Aaron, Sugar Cookies, and Romance
Our fiction prompt series continues with sugar cookies honoring Hank Aaron, sort of. Join author Callie Feyen for chapter 5 of her YA story.
A Book of Poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay Finds Its Way Home
A 1927 book of poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay finds its way home to the family of the original owner.
By Heart: ‘Everything Is Going To Be All Right’ + New W.H. Auden Challenge
A pandemic is a perfect time to learn a poem By Heart, especially Derek Mahon’s “Everything Is Going To Be All Right.”
The 7 Principles of Making Friendship Work-Part III: Love and a Little GPS
There are methods of relationship guidance that have turned out to be not quite what we need when we hit a relational rocky road. So, what *do* we need? You might be surprised.
James Sale and “HellWard” – Writing an Epic Poem in English
Few poets would attempt what James Sale is doing — writing an epic poem in English inspired by Dante’s “The Divine Comedy.”