I’m not sure why I first started reading memoirs by major poetic figures, but I recently read two that struck me as particularly significant in the development and history of what we consider contemporary poetry.
Poems to Listen By: Buoyancies—4: Lilt
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Poetic Voices: Jessica Gigot and the Land
Poet Jessica Gigot draws inspiration from farming and the land for both her memoir “A Little Bit of Land” and her poetry book “Feeding Hour.”
Edward Hirsch and “The Heart of American Poetry”
In “The Heart of American Poetry,” Edward Hirsch has written both a personal memoir and a love letter to American poetry.
“Making Peace with Paradise” by Tania Runyan
In “Making Peace with Paradise,” Tania Runyan reflects on her upbringing in the state that gave us suburbs and the Beach Boys.
Children’s Book Club: ‘Homesick: My Own Story’ by Jean Fritz
How much of writing comes from narration? Our Children’s Book Club reads Jean Fritz’s “Homesick: My Own Story,” a Newbery Honor-winner.
Children’s Book Club: ‘Once Upon a Camel’
In middle-grade stories the journey can happen Anywhere. Even to a camel, far from home. Join us for Kathi Appelt’s “Once Upon a Camel.”
Poetry Prompt: Be Your Own Professor — Haiku for Understanding
Something magical can happen when you read a challenging story and then become your own professor — with a summary and haiku.
Reading Generously: ‘How We Fight for Our Lives’ by Saeed Jones
This month our book review column becomes Reading Generously. We begin with Saeed Jones’ open-handed memoir.
Taking a Scottish Road Trip with Jorge Luis Borges
What was supposed to be an “author-sitting” stint turned into a Scotland road trip for a young grad student and Jorge Luis Borges.
Poetry as a Way of Ordering Experience: “The Music of Time” by John Burnside
Poetry can be a way to bring meaning and order to one’s life, writes John Burnside in “The Music of Time: Poetry in the Twentieth Century.”
Memoir Notebook: The Minors
What does it really mean to be an adult? Guest author John Mitchell Morris’s haunting story challenges us to consider.
Poets and Poems: Mary Karr and “Tropic of Squalor”
“Tropic of Squalor” by poet and memorist Mary Karr demonstrates Karr’s well-earned reputation for excellence in imagery and metaphor.
Memoir Notebook: Three Summers, Part One: The Seed
A city boy goes to spend the summer on a farm in rural Ohio, and the experience stays with him into his golden years, still surprising him with the way it reveals plain and not-so-plain truths.
Memoir Notebook: A Courtyard in Queens
Dheepa Maturi reflects on her little Queens, New York, courtyard and its open-minded, open-hearted embrace, which welcomed and encircled and protected her.
“The Joy of Poetry” by Megan Willome
“The Joy of Poetry” by Megan Willome tells the story of her mother and herself, what poetry can do in a person’s life, and what it does in all of our lives.
Memoir Notebook: Molly and the Thieves
In our latest Memoir Notebook, Richard Maxson remembers his beloved German Shepherd Molly, in a tale of love, loss, and a band of thieves.
Memoir Notebook: Sweet Talk
In this Memoir Notebook, Darrelyn Saloom recalls watching her stepfather raise his right arm. This time, his open hand curled into a fist.
Memoir Notebook: Too Close for Comfort
Darrelyn Saloom reveals childhood fears, both macro–the Cold War–and micro–her stepfather’s anger–in this entry in the Memoir Notebook.
The Writing Life: The Writer’s Delusion and Telling it Slant
How does a writer tell the truth in her writing when it doesn’t line up perfectly with the facts? Charity Singleton Craig considers the writer’s delusion.