Diane Lockward's Blog, page 10

Bits and Pieces

Last month I attended the AWP Conference in Washington DC. I wanted to introduce the world of writers to my new press, Terrapin Books. So signed up for a table in the Book Fair, packed up all the books the press has published in the past year, and drove myself to DC. Three of my poets were there to sign their books. Jessica de Koninck, Patricia Clark, and Christine Stewart-Nunez each had a signing at the table on Friday morning. I also booked a room in the Methodist Church across the street from the Marriott Marquis and on Thursday evening hosted a Terrapin reading there. Each of the three poets read from their books. They were followed by 14 poets from The Doll Collection. I also participated in a panel on small press anthologies. This included four other publishers and was moderated by Lucille Lang Day. Each of us spoke about our press and our anthologies. This was the first time I ever served on an AWP panel. I enjoyed it and wasn't particularly nervous. I sold a bunch of books at the table and met lots of people.


Speaking of anthologies, Terrapin Books has committed to publishing another one. This one will be co-edited by Jason Lee Brown and Shanie Latham. The topic will be donuts! Our submission window at Submittable will open on April 1 and will remain open thru May 31. So think donuts, eat donuts, and write donuts. And check out the Guidelines.


One last thing that I found quite delicious—my poem "For the Love of Avocados" was featured by Ted Kooser on American Life in Poetry, week of February 20. Please pay a visit. The poem is from my most recent poetry book, The Uneaten Carrots of Atonement.  I've also had a lovely new review of my book. It's by Sherry Chandler and appears in Phoebe.

Heading to AWP

Terrapin Books
On Wednesday I'll be driving to Washington DC to participate in this year's AWP. I haven't been since 2007 when it was in NYC. I thought that one time would suffice for a lifetime, but then I didn't have Terrapin Books. Also, I was invited to be on a panel this year and since I have never served on one, I thought I should give it a try. Then I thought, too, that this would be a good opportunity to introduce my press, some of our books, and some of our poets to the poetry world. So I forged ahead. I have a full schedule.

I'll be driving as I wanted to take the books with me rather than have them shipped. I'll be staying at the conference hotel, the Marriott Marquis. Hideously expensive so it better be nice. It's at least very conveniently attached to the conference center—there's a covered concourse leading from one to the other. Once I arrive on Wednesday, a valet will park my car; I'm not allowed to park it myself. That's $55 per day! Outrageous! Then I can't go into the garage to get anything out of my car—have to have a valet bring the car out and then back in—so I'll have to unload all my stuff when I arrive. I hope I can find someone to help me lug my stuff inside and then up to my room. Books are heavy.

In order to facilitate introducing the press, I booked a table in the Book Fair. I'll be sharing that with Storyscape, a journal. The table is #525T. Come visit and check out our books.

The panel I'm on is on Thursday, 4:30-5:45 PM. It's called "The Independent Press Anthology: Focusing, Editing, Organizing, Designing, Publishing, and Marketing," and will be moderated by Lucille Lang Day. I'm one of five editors/publishers. The others are Wendy Barker, Bryce Milligan, and Claire Ortaldo. Look for us in the Supreme Court Room (level 4), Marriott Marquis Hotel, 901 Massachusetts Ave.

Then I also booked a venue for a Terrapin reading. It was very challenging trying to find a place in DC when I'm in NJ. I found quite a few—but was not willing to pay $1000. Finally, though, I found the Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW, which is right next door to the hotel. Perfect!  The reading will be on Thursday from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Three of my poets will first read from their new books:
       Patricia Clark, The Canopy
       Jessica de Koninck, Cutting Room
       Christine Stewart-Nunez, Bluewords Greening
These three poets will be followed by a group reading for The Doll Collection. Poets include Kim Bridgford, Jessica de Koninck, Lori Desrosiers, Roberta Feins, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Kelly Fordon, Alice Friman, Donna Hilbert, Julie Kane, Lori Lamothe, Christina Lovin, Kim Roberts, Hayden Saunier, Enid Shomer, Lauren Goodwin Slaughter, Elaine Terranova, J. C. Todd, Kristin Zimet.
Please join us! Should be fun.

I hope I survive Thursday—very full day.

Friday three poets will have book signings at table #525 as follows:
       Christine Stewart-Nunez, Bluewords Greening, 11:00 - 11:30
       Jessica de Koninck, Cutting Room, 11:30 - 12:00
       Patricia Clark, The Canopy, 12:00 - 12:30

Please stop by, get a book, and have it signed.

Last Chance to Submit Your Poetry Manuscript

Our open reading period will close end of day on Tuesday, January 31, so if you're planning to submit, the time is now. There will be no deadline extension. We have some really fine manuscripts already, but would love to see your work, too. We plan to accept 2-4 manuscripts.

We charge a minimal reading fee of $12 to help defray costs. We carefully edit each accepted manuscript, work closely with each poet, and do not forget about you once your book is in print. We do a bit of advertising and make efforts to get a readership for your book. We pride ourselves on our responsiveness to questions and concerns.

We are also committed to getting books into print within a reasonable amount of time. We do not keep a backlog but accept only a limited number of manuscripts during each open reading period. We then put out those books before we again open for submissions. So far we've been able to get accepted manuscripts out within 6 months or less.

We provide each poet with 15 review copies, offer additional copies at a substantial discount, and pay a royalty fee each year.

We have thus far published books by Neil Carpathios, Lynne Knight, Jessica de Koninck, Christine Stewart-Nunez, Patricia Clark, and Carolyn Miller. Our titles have been receiving wonderful attention and praise from such places as Verse Daily, Poetry Daily, The Missouri Review, and the Washington Independent Review of Books.

Please carefully review and follow our Guidelines. And read our FAQs.

We look forward to reading your work.

Print Journals That Accept Online Submissions

It's been more than a year since I last updated the list of print journals that accept online submissions. This list includes 6 additions. I expect that before too long all print journals will be accepting online submissions; most do already. I've deleted information about fees as a submission fee seems to be the norm these day. Many submitters feel that a small fee is worth it as it saves paper, stamps, and a trip to the post office.

Journals new to the list (not necessarily new journals) are indicated with a double asterisk. 

The number of issues per year appears after the journal's name.

The reading period for each journal appears at the end of each entry.

Unless noted otherwise, the journal accepts simultaneous submissions.

As always, please let me know if you find any errors here. And good luck.


Adanna: a journal about women, for women—1x
Jan 31 - April 30
Agni—2xSept 1 - May 31
The American Poetry Journal—1xFebruary 1 - May 31
American Poetry Review—6xall year
Another Chicago Magazine—2x
Apogee—2x
two submission periods—check website

**Arcadia Magazine—4x
Sept 1 - April 30
Barrelhouse—2xcheck website to see if open for poetry submissions
Bat City Review—1xJune 1 - November 15
Bateau—2xall year

Bayou—2x
Sept 1-June 1
Bellevue Literary Review—2xall year
Bellingham Review—1xSept 15-Dec 15
Beloit Poetry Journal—4xall yearno sim
Black Warrior Review—2xall year
Boston Review—6xSept 15 - May 15
Boulevard—3xNovember 1-April 30 
Breakwater Review—2x
November 15 for the January issue;
April 15 for the June issue

Burnside Review—every 9 months
Caesura—2xAugust 5 - Oct. 5
Caketrain—1xall year
Carbon Copy Magazine—2x
May 1st through September 1st, November 1st through March
The Carolina Quarterly—3x       all year

Cimarron Review—4x
all year

The Cincinnati Review—2x
Sept 1 - May 31
Columbia—2xSeptember 1 - May 1

The Conium Review—2x
Jan 1-April 1

Copper Nickel—2xAugust 15-October 15 January 31-March 31

The Cossack Review—3x
All year
Crab Creek Review—2x
Sept 15 - March 31
Crazyhorse—2xall year
Cream City Review—2xAugust 1 to November 1December 1 to April 1
CutBank—1-2xOctober 1 thru February 15
Ecotone—2xAugust 15–April 15
Edison Literary Review—1x all year
Fence—2xcheck website to see if open for submissions
FIELD—2xall yearno sim
Fifth Wednesday—2xno Jan, Feb, June, or July
The Florida Review—2xAugust thru May
Fourteen Hills—2x
September 1 to January 1
March 1 to July 1

The Fourth River—1x
July 1-Sept 1

The Frank Martin Review—1x
all year

Gargoyle—1xreads month of June

**The Georgia Review
August 16 - May 14
 
The Greensboro Review—2x   September 15 deadline for the Spring issueFebruary 15 deadline for the Fall issue
Grist—1xAugust 15 - April 15
Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review—1x All year
Harpur Palate—2xdeadlines: Winter issue: November 15Summer issue: April 15

Hartskill Review—3x
all year

Harvard Review—2xSept 1 - May 31
Hawk and Handsaw—2xAug 1 - Oct 1
Hayden's Ferry—2xAll yearpays
The Hollins Critic—5xSept 1 - Dec. 15
Hunger Mountain—1xall year
The Idaho Review—1x
Sept. 1 to April 15

Iron Horse Literary Review—6xrolling for 3-4 weeks at a timecheck website for dates
Jubilat—2xSeptember 1 - May 1

Kenyon Review—4xSeptember 15 - January 15no sim
Knockout Literary Magazine—1xcheck website for submission dates

The Laurel Review—1x
Sept 1-May 1

The Lindenwood Review—1x
Jul 15-Dec 15

The Literary Review—4x
Sept 30-May 31
Little Patuxent Review—2x
submission period varies—check website

The Los Angeles Review—1xSubmit to Poetry Editor: lareview.poetry@gmail.comSept 1 - Dec 1
The Louisville Review—2xall year
Lumina—1xAugust 1 - Nov 15
The MacGuffin—3xall year

Mantis—1x
currently open for submissions
Send all poems to: mantispoetry@gmail.com
The Massachusetts Review—4xOctober 1 - April 30
Measure—2xno simall year
The Mom Egg—1xJuly 15 - Sept. 30
Meridian—2x ($2 fee)all year
Mid-American Review—2xall year
The Minnesota Review—2xAugust 1–November 1 January 1–April 1
The Missouri Review–4xall year

The Mom Egg—1x
June 1- Sept. 1
National Poetry Review—1x  December, January, and February only or all year if a subscriber
Natural Bridge—2xAugust 1-May 1
Naugatuck River Review—2xfor the Summer issue January 1 through March 1for the Winter issue July 1 through September 1 (contest only)
New England Review—4xno simSept 1-May 31
New Madrid—2xAugust 15 - November 1
New Ohio Review—2xSept-May (summer okay for subscribers)
New Orleans Review—2xAug 15 - May 1
New South—2xall year
The New Yorkerweekly magazineall year
Ninth Letter—2xSeptember 1 - April 30
The Normal School—2xSeptember 1-December 1 January 15-April 15
**Off the Coast—4x
all year

Parcel—2x
all year

Parthenon West Review—1xJan 1- May 1 (but on hiatus for 2012)

Phoebe—1 print issue, 1 online
March 9 - Oct 31
Pleiades—2xAugust 15-May 15
Ploughshares—3xJune 1 - Jan. 15

PMS—1x
Jan 1 thru March 31
(women only)

**Poet Lore—2x
all year

Poetry—11xyear roundno sim
Poetry Northwest—2xSeptember 15 - April 15
Post Road Magazine—2xFebruary 1 to April 1 for the winter issue
June 1 to August 1 for the spring issue
Potomac Review—2xSept 1-May 1
Prairie Schooner—4x
Sept 1 - May 1
no sim
Puerto del Sol—2xSeptember 15 - March 31

Quiddity—2x
all year

The Raintown Review—2xall yearconsiders previously published
The Raleigh Review—1xAll year
Rattle—2xyear round
Redactions—1xyear round
Redivider—2xall year
Red Rock Review—2xNo June, July, August, or Decemberno sim
Rhino—1xApril 1 - Oct 1
Rockhurst Review—1xSept. 15 through Jan. 15
Rosebud—3xAll year
Sakura Review—2xyear round

Salmagundi—4x
February 1—April 15

Salt Hill—2xAugust 1 - April 1
San Pedro River Review—2xJan 1 - Feb 1 / July 1-Aug 1
Saw Palm—1xJuly 1- October 1

**Sierra Nevada Review—1x
Sept - mid-FebSlice Magazine—2xFeb. 1 - April 1
January 1 - March 1
Smartish Pace—2xAll year
Sonora Review—2xAll year
So to Speak—2xAugust 15-October 15 for the Spring issueJanuary 1-March 15 for the Fall issue
South Dakota Review—4xAll year
The Southeast Review—2xAll year

**Southern Poetry Review—2x
all year

The Southampton Review—2x
September 1 to December 1 and from March 1 to June 1

Southern Humanities Review—4xAll year

Southern Indiana Review—2x
Sept 1-April 30

Southwest Review—4xNo June, July, August
Sou’wester—2xAugust 15 - May 15
Spinning Jenny—1xSept 15 - May 15No Sim

Spoon River Poetry Review—2x
September 15 to February 15

The Stillwater Review—1xSept 1-Dec 15
Subtropics—3xSeptember 1 - April 15
No Sim       
Sugar House Review—2xAll year
Tampa Review—2xSept 1 - Dec. 31no sim
Tar River Poetry—2x
Sept 15 - Nov. 1no sim
Third Coast Review—2xSept 15 - April 30
32 poems—2xvia emailall year
The Threepenny Review—4x       Jan 1 - June 30
Tiferet—1xSept  - December
Tinhouse Magazine—2xSeptember 1 - May 31
Upstreet—1xSept 1 - March 1
Versal—1xSept 15 - Jan 15
Verse Wisconsin—4xAll year
Washington Square Review—2xAugust 1 - Oct 15Dec 15 – Feb 1
Weave Magazine—2xApril 15 - July 31
West Branch—2xAug 15 - April 15
Willow Springs—2xall year
Women Arts Quarterly Journal—4xall year  
Yemassee—2x        All year

Terrapin Books: The Year in Review

   First, I want to let you know that Terrapin Books will open for submissions of full-length poetry manuscripts on Sunday, January 1, and will remain open thru Tuesday, January 31. Please carefully read and follow the Guidelines. Also be sure to read our new FAQs; hopefully, any questions you might have will be answered there. If not, then use the Contact form or email address and ask your question. I will quickly respond. I look forward to reading some great submissions.

The press celebrated its first birthday in October. We are very proud of the books we’ve published in our first year. They include the following titles, each linked to its page at the website:

One Anthology:
The Doll Collection, including 89 poems by 88 poets such as Alice Friman, Kelly Cherry, Richard Garcia, and Jeffrey Harrison.


Six Poetry Books:
Confessions of a Captured Angel, by Neil Carpathios

The Persistence of Longing, by Lynne Knight

Cutting Room, by Jessica de Koninck

Bluewords Greening, by Christine Stewart-Nunez

The Canopy, by Patricia Clark

Route 66 and Its Sorrows (forthcoming very soon), by Carolyn Miller


Two Craft Books:
The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop, revised edition, edited by Diane Lockward
The Crafty Poet II: A Portable Workshop, edited by Diane Lockward


For more information about any of the above titles, please visit the website page.


We are thrilled by the attention and appreciation that titles from Terrapin Books have received thus far. We hate to brag, but can’t help ourselves. Here’s what we’re bragging about:

3 Verse Daily features
1 Poetry Daily feature
1 Missouri Review online feature
3 reviews in the Washington Independent Review of Books
1 poet featured at the South Dakota Poetry Festival
1 poet featured at the College English Association National Conference in Hilton Head, NC (March)
6 Pushcart Prize nominations (and hoping for a win)

And as if all that weren't enough, Terrapin Books will make its first appearance at AWP in February with a table in the Book Fair, a reading on Thursday evening featuring three of our poets with new books along with a group of poets from The Doll Collection, and 3 book signings. But more about that next time.

Yes, Virginia

Each Christmas I like to revisit the following essay from the The Sun. My grandmother read it to me many years ago. I've always remembered it. If you don't already know this piece, I hope you'll enjoy it. I also hope you'll have a Merry Christmas if that's what you're celebrating. And I hope you'll have a wonderful New Year. Thank you for being a Blogalicious reader.

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's The Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial on September 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.


Here's Virginia's letter:

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."


Here's the reply:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Holiday Gift Books for Poets

Since I posted these recommendations two years ago, both The Crafty Poet and Wingbeats have been joined by companion volumes, so this seems like a good time to update my recommendations.

Poets love nothing more than books. A book is always the right gift for a poet, and if it’s a poetry book, then it’s the perfect gift. We poets devour books of poems, but we also love craft books and prompt books. Why? Because we’re always honing our skills and always looking for new ideas for poems. So I have two pairs of books and a singleton to suggest for you and your poet pals.

Now some of you might wonder why I’d be recommending craft books other than my own. Here’s why: Most poets need and want multiple books on craft. We can’t get enough of them. My own shelves are loaded with craft books. Each one has something to offer that the others don’t. That’s certainly true of the ones I’m about to recommend. Together, they should keep you and your friends growing and writing for a long time. I have them arranged here in what seems to me a logical order, from craftiest to promptiest.

Click Cover for Amazon1. The Crafty Poet II: A Portable Workshop. Edited by Diane Lockward, Terrapin Books, 2016.

This sequel to the original The Crafty Poet picks up where the first book left off, but it also can stand by itself. It is a poetry tutorial ideal for use in the classroom, in workshops, or at home. It includes craft tips, model poems, prompts, and Q&As. Contributors include more than 100 of our finest poets, among them 16 current and former state poets laureate. You will find work by such poets as Tony Hoagland, Laura Kasischke, Alberto Rios, and Ellen Bass.

Like the original, The Crafty Poet II is organized into ten sections, including such topics as "Revising Your Process," "Entryways into Poems," "Expanding the Material," and "Revision."

All ten sections include three craft tips, each provided by an experienced, accomplished poet. Each of the thirty craft tips is followed by a Model poem and a Prompt based on the poem. Each model poem is used as a mentor. Each prompt is followed by two Sample poems which suggest the possibilities for the prompts and should provide for good discussion about what works and what doesn't. Each section includes a Poet on the Poem Q&A about the craft elements in one of the featured poet's poems. Each section then concludes with a Bonus Prompt, each of which provides a stimulus on those days when you just can't get your engine started.

Comments:
The biggest reason to read her books? They're fun. Poetry is fun. And the poems in The Crafty Poet II will leave you Wowed. They will jazz you up, compel you to write your own poems. There are many poems and prompts to get you started writing, using the same tools our finest poets use.—BB

The Crafty Poet II, like its predecessor, is full of a wide range of inspiring prompts, tips, and examples. In a large market of books on the craft of poetry, both Crafty Poet books stand out in their clarity, dynamic suggestions, and fun. And I really mean fun. One can see the joy both the contributors and the editor, Diane Lockward, have in poetry and that makes this book a vital source to have on one’s shelf, whether you are a new poet or a seasoned one.—MTY


Click Cover for Amazon 2. The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop, Revised Edition by Diane Lockward, Terrapin Books, 2016.

This book includes craft tips, model poems, and prompts based on the craft elements in the model poems. In addition, each of the ten sections includes a Q&A with one poet about the craft elements in a single poem. Each section ends with a short bonus prompt that can be used over and over again. The material is organized by craft concepts such as Diction, Imagery / Figurative Language, and Line / Stanza / Syntax. Fifty-six poets, including 13 former and current state poets laureate, contributed the craft tips, model poems, and Q&As. An additional 45 accomplished poets contributed sample poems written to the prompts, two for each prompt. The book is craft-oriented and is ideal for classroom, workshop, or individual use.

This Revised Edition includes a full Table of Contents and an Index.

Named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers Magazine
In this resource for poets, Lockward offers practical advice and insights about establishing sound, voice, and syntax in poetry while also providing writing prompts and other poems as inspiration.

Comments:
I received your The Crafty Poet in the mail today and found that I was only a few pages in when I was compelled to go get a pen. Not sure why, since I just held it in my hand while I read, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with sitting down to a feast without a fork.—JE

Writers and teachers of writing: If you’re looking for a book that illuminates the nuances of poetic craft, then you’ll find The Crafty Poet to be a terrific teaching tool. It’s also a powerful text for individuals seeking to break through creative blocks. You’ll encounter model poems with accompanying prompts, interviews with poets, discussions of process and inspiration, and more.—CD 

Click Cover for Amazon1. Wingbeats II: Exercises & Practice in Poetry, edited by Scott Wiggerman and David Meischen, Dos Gatos Press, 2014.

This eagerly awaited follow-up to the original Wingbeats is an exciting collection from teaching poets. It includes 58 poets and 59 exercises. Whether you want a quick exercise to jump-start the words or multi-layered approaches that will take you deeper into poetry, Wingbeats II is for you.

The exercises include clear step-by-step instruction and numerous example poems, including work by Lucille Clifton, Li-Young Lee, Cleopatra Mathis, Ezra Pound, Kenneth Rexroth, Patricia Smith, William Carlos Williams, and others. You will find exercises for collaborative writing, for bending narrative into new poetic shapes, for experimenting with persona, for writing nonlinear poems.

For those interested in traditional elements, Wingbeats II includes exercises on the sonnet, as well as approaches to meter, line breaks, syllabics, and more. Like its predecessor, Wingbeats II will be a standard in creative writing classes, a standard go-to in every poet's library.

Comments:
Whether pursuing the poetic muse on one's own or with a writing crew, Wingbeats II will be an accessible, surprisingly fun bag of tricks, toolbox, serious simulator for those who want to play. I'd suggest purchasing Wingbeats II, today.—MW

This book belongs on every writer's shelf! A wide variety of voices and approaches, with sample poems in every essay, this teaching collection has something for everyone.—anon


Click Cover for Amazon2. Wingbeats: Exercises & Practice in Poetry, edited by Scott Wiggerman and David Meischen, Dos Gatos Press, 2011.

This is a collection of sixty-one prompts contributed by fifty-eight poets, including Naomi Shihab Nye, Ellen Bass, and Oliver de la Paz. The book is organized into seven sections under such concepts as Springboards to Imagination, Exploring the Senses, and Structure and Form. The exercises range from quick and simple to involved and multi-layered. Prompts include such intriguing titles as "Metaphor: Popcorn, Popcorn, Leaping Loud," "Aping the Masters: Poems in Imitation," and "My Mother's Clothes." The book's focus is on prompts, but most of them are preceded by some discussion regarding purpose and benefits; you will find some craft material included in those discussions. The contributing poets were asked to follow a suggested format, so you will find clear step-by-step instructions and sample poems that were written to the exercises. Ideal for the classroom, workshop, or individual writing space.

Comments:
Wingbeats is a fabulous toolbox of innovative and practical ideas that literally every teacher of poetry workshops and at every level, from elementary poets-in-the-schools through the graduate MFA, will find indispensable. Covering a vast range from image to sound to form, the exercises are all concrete and clearly presented—a marvelous way to mine the imaginations and experiences of today’s most dynamic poets. Invaluable!—CS

No teacher, no aspiring poet should be without the gentle guidance of this book.—GR


Click Cover for Amazon3. The Daily Poet: Day-by-Day Prompts for Your Writing Practice, by Kelli Russell Agodon and Martha Silano, Two Sylvias Press, 2013.

The 365 prompts in this collection were all written by the two authors, both of them well-published poets. The book evolved out of several years of their regular writing dates during which they challenged each other with prompts. The book is arranged like a calendar with one prompt for every day of the year, though the user is free to skip around. Quite a few of the prompts begin with a reference to some historical event that occurred on that day. While the book is strictly brief prompts, many of them ask you to employ craft elements. This book is suitable for a beginning poet or one with a lot of experience but in search of some new ideas. It can be used in a classroom to supplement assignments, in workshop groups, or at home by the poet working alone.

Recommended by The Huffington Post Books:
. . . you could use The Daily Poet year after year and track how your writing evolves. Or you can just crack open the book, pick one out at have at it. They're all equally thought provoking.

Comments:
The variety of prompts also encouraged creative exploration of topics I might not have considered fertile ground for poetry (candy cigarettes, anyone?). For me, this is the book’s greatest gift to its user: its power to dig deep inside the rabbit holes of your poet’s brain and/or subconscious and pull out work that might never have been pulled out without it.—MS

Whether you write to prompts on your own or you use them when you meet with writing groups or with a friend at a coffee shop, there is something here for everyone.—DV


If you need to select just one of these books, I hope I've given you enough of a description that you can choose. But what I really hope is that you will choose all five.

By the way, Scott Wiggerman, co-editor of both Wingbeats books, has work in both of my Crafty Poet books; I have a lesson and prompt in Wingbeats II; Martha Silano, co-editor of The Daily Poet, has work in the original Crafty Poet; and both Kelli Russell Agodon and Martha Silano, co-editors of The Daily Poet, have work in The Crafty Poet II. 

Book Launch for The Crafty Poet II: An Invitation

It's a Book Launch for The Crafty Poet II: A Portable Workshop. We'd love to have you with us.

Terrapin Books News

Turtle slowly making its way to AWPThe first and only time I attended AWP was in 2007 when the conference was held in NYC. Though I had a good time, I didn’t think I’d ever go back. However, this year I was invited to be on a panel: "The Independent Press Anthology: Focusing, Editing, Organizing, Designing, Publishing, and Marketing," moderated by Lucille Lang Day, with Wendy Barker, Bryce Milligan, Claire Ortaldo, and me. Since I had recently begun Terrapin Books and had done our first anthology, The Doll Collection, I thought I might have a thing or two to say and also thought this seemed like a good opportunity to introduce the press to a larger group, so I said yes. I’ll be heading to the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, DC, in February. The panel will be on Thursday from 4:30 - 5:45 PM.

Since I was already going to be there, I decided to book a table in the Book Fair. I’ll be sharing the space with Storyscape Journal. Having the table entitles Terrapin to hold book signings for its poets, so on Friday, I’ll be having signings for Christine Stewart-Nunez with Bluewords Greening, Jessica de Koninck with Cutting Room, and Patricia Clark whose book, The Canopy, will debut at the conference.

Then I also thought that as long as I was going to be there, I should also try to schedule a Terrapin reading. That was a significant challenge as I’m not at all familiar with the area. I contacted poet Kim Roberts, one of the poets in our anthology. She lives in DC and gave me a list of venues to try. They were all prohibitively expensive. One place on the list was the Methodist Church which seemed promising, but the person in charge of booking space was away. Weeks later Sandra Beasley and some other poets sent out a list of venues. I saw the Methodist Church listed so decided to try again. This time I got hold of the person in charge and was happy to learn that they had space and it wouldn’t put me in debtors’ prison.

So there will be a Terrapin Books reading on Thursday, 7:00 - 9:00 PM. The reading will include Christine Stewart-Nunez, Jessica de Koninck, and Patricia Clark, all reading from their Terrapin books. They will be followed by a group reading of close to twenty poets from The Doll Collection, each poet reading one poem. The poets scheduled to read include Meg Hurtado Bloom, Kim Bridgford, Jessica de Koninck, Roberta Feins, Kelly Fordon, Alice Friman, Richard Garcia, Meredith Davies Hadaway, Donna Hilbert, Christina Lovin, Jennifer Perrine, Susan Rich, Kim Roberts, Hayden Saunier, Enid Shomer, Elaine Terranova, J. C. Todd, and Kristin Zimet. Should be a fun, poetry-packed evening.

That’s going to be a very busy Thursday as I’ll be setting up the table and lugging in books in the morning, manning the table all day, doing the panel late afternoon, then hosting the reading in the evening—all in that one day.

Please come to the reading on Thursday evening! And stop by the Terrapin table. We'll be at table #525T. Stop by and say hello, especially on Friday around noon. All three poets will be doing their book signings on Friday.

Poetry Update

Since starting up Terrapin Books, my new small press for poetry books, I've been giving scant attention to my own poetry. The bulk of my time has been spent learning how to make the books happen, i.e., how to obtain the manuscripts, how to format a book, how to make a book cover—and a score of other tasks. But I've got the basics covered now, our first four books have been published and two more are underway, the original The Crafty Poet has been published in a revised edition by Terrapin, and the new The Crafty Poet II is out in the world. So I find myself with some free time! Time for poetry.

First an update on my own still new poetry collection, The Uneaten Carrots of Atonement.

Click Cover for Amazon I've had several nice reviews to boast about.

Satire on the Menu
by Zara Raab  

Better View of the Moon
by Karen Craig 

Washington Independent Review of Books
by Grace Cavalieri, includes the poem "Your Blue Shirt" 

Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene
by David P. Miller


I was also interviewed about the book, about how it fits in with my earlier books, what my intentions were, and some craft issues.

The Schuylkill Valley Journal
by Adele Kenny


In September I drove up to Manchester, New Hampshire, to participate in The New Hampshire Poetry Festival organized by Jennifer Militello. I'd sent in a proposal to give a presentation about Terrapin Books, a kind of behind-the-scenes look at what's involved in beginning a new small press. The presentation was called "Terrapin Books: From Seed to First Fruit." The culmination was a group reading with poets from The Doll Collection, Terrapin's first publication, an anthology, the first-ever to focus on dolls. I had a great time!

In October I participated in the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in Newark, NJ. As a Dodge poet, I worked there on Thursday and Friday, hosting a few events. That's a great opportunity to hear some poets and do a bit of service for the poetry community. Friday was the most populated day as it was Student Day. Look at all these teenagers!

That's inside the Performing Arts Center. If the weather had been more cooperative, many of these kids would have been outside enjoying the food court, walking around, and sharing poetry. But trust me, they had a great time!

The highlight of the festival for me was reading on Saturday. I read in the beautiful Trinity & St Philips Cathedral, one of several festival locations. My co-readers were Robin Becker, Marty McConnell, Christian Campbell, and Aaron Smith. I last read at the 2006 festival, a whole decade ago. That time the venue was the Waterloo Village in Stanhope, NJ, a rural setting.

I was also happy to see that I sold a boatload of books in the B&N bookstore at the festival. Sold a bunch of my poetry collections and completely sold out of The Crafty Poet and The Crafty Poet II.

Here's a onesie I couldn't resist buying for my new granddaughter. Poet-in-training?

Now, of course, it's also time to pick up the pen and get back to writing new poems. I'm happy to say at least that these past few weeks have seen the completion of two poems that I started long ago—one 3 years ago and one maybe a year ago. That feels very good. I need more.