I was first introduced to Alice Knotley in my second semester of graduate school. I read the book Grave of Light and it had a radical impact on how I viewed poetry. Wanting to read more long poems and especially poems that blend genres together, I decided my next book of hers to read would … Continue reading Book Review – Disobedience by Alice Knotley
All the Things this is Not by R.J.D.D.
I am consistently pulled forward into a mentality of expansion during the autumn season, but especially in the month of October. There's a very literal as well as metaphorical blending of the lines between life and death in the October weeks. Summer is over. Leaves, impacted by the colder temperatures and the decrease of sunlight, … Continue reading October Inspiration
Books of poetry that tackle a woman's sexuality and love life are some of my favorites to read. They're all so different, they focus on different themes, different types of love, different expressions of sex, etc. And the styles of writing are always so interesting. Cisneros' approach to writing about female love and sexuality is … Continue reading Book Review – Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
I have loved everything Rupi Kaur releases since I first read her debut collection, Milk and Honey. I waited eagerly for this book. I saw Kaur perform live after her second book was released and her performance art and poetry are truly stunning. As is she. This book, her third, chronicles the struggles she faced … Continue reading Book Review – Home Body by Rupi Kaur
I have loved sonnets ever since I first read Shakespeare's sonnets in high school. Although I haven't always understood how varied and diverse sonnets can be, I have been fascinated by the form, the styles, and the ways in which poets have utilized sonnets in the modern world. In my second to last semester of … Continue reading Book Review – American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes
Well, last week a really big thing happened. I've been submitting my chapbook to publishers and literary journals to try and increase my publication portfolio. I've had many individual poems published, which is exciting all on its own, but the hurdle that feels like it'll be really difficult to conquer is to get a manuscript … Continue reading Excitement in Late September Rain
A few days ago, I took another beautiful first step in my dream of being a published poet. I've been submitting my individual poems to a lot of literary journals and magazines, especially to those that are larger and more renown. I've also sent out a chapbook with some of my poems called Elegy of … Continue reading Beautiful First Steps
I'm trying to breathe in the sun, let my body hold the heat, the blue sky, and the summer wind. Because right now, I feel fragile. Last week, my EMDR therapy reached the traumatic events that occurred during my M.F.A. program. I'd been having nightmares about what happened and the people who put me through … Continue reading August Sunshine
Matt Hart's poems read like prophecy, and this collection is no exception. Each poem examines a physical as well as emotional state of being, sometimes blending the two until you're not sure which one you're reading about. It's a stunning way of capturing the ways in which the lines between interiority and exteriority can blur … Continue reading Light-Headed – Matt Hart
Some poetry books move mountains of language and meaning. This is one such book. According to Greywolf Press, the word blackacre originally meant a "legal fiction, hypothetical estate." They also say this word is a kind of code among lawyers "marking one's initiation into...a tradition of legal indoctrination." This fascinated me at the outset of … Continue reading Book Review – Blackacre by Monica Youn
It's nearly the end of July. It's been one month (approximately) since I graduated with my M.F.A. I feel like a huge part of my writing future is being shaped right now. Meaning that everything I do with my writing, everything I read, everything I revise is helping to shape the writer I am, as … Continue reading End of July Musings
Now that I have my MFA, I want my publishing experience to soar to new heights. Last night I started the process of researching the top literary journals for publishing poetry. There aren't a ton of publishers for poetry, like there are for fiction and nonfiction, but there are still some really well known publishers … Continue reading Post-Graduation Motivation
After taking a week or so to allow myself a break from writing and reading, I decided that this week would be a return to what I'm hoping will be a summer of dedicated creativity. I finished two books of poetry yesterday and today worked on one of my chapbooks a bit before sending it … Continue reading Some First Steps After Graduation
“Acceptance and Refusal” - RJDD