Vanessa Shields's Blog, page 52

Reveals

I did a new moon meditation on Monday, December 14. It was a revelation. Meditating does that, reveals things, I know but this time it was different. This time, when I was led down the path of seeing dreams, of traveling anywhere in the world, of hearing a message, of reading a message…I saw what I see everyday; the view outside my home, the view outside Gertrude’s Writing Room. I didn’t hear a thing. No angel voices, no whispered wishes. There was no life-altering message written on the arrow that I was told to throw but couldn’t. It was Feliz-Navi-Nothing. And the dreams? Um. What dreams?

Deepest gratitude goes to Charis (Cotter – award-winning children’s writer), who listened and held me virtually through the phone as I cried and cried when the meditation was finished. She did the meditation too, and was gleeful and giddy what what she’d felt and seen. Why can’t I feel like her? My heart whimpered. After some necessary blubbering, we came to the conclusion that I was (I am) steeping in fear. That I’m slogging in the foggy world of I-Don’t-Know. That I feel like I don’t belong…and I don’t have a right to write. Furthermore, I seem to have misplaced my courage. And hope…well, hope is like the hardened chocolate icing in the container at the back-back of the fridge. Behind the jar of garlicky pickles…in the shadow of the baking soda box that should have been changed six months ago.

The thing about the arrow in the meditation really stumped me too. I saw a pink arrow. Thin. Metal. It had two fletchings (the little triangle doo-dads at the back end). The metal was smooth and cold to the touch. There was no message etched on its slender torso. And, when I was led to throw it back into the sky…well, I had no desire to do so. I kinda stared at it and then lifted it up, an offering of a sort, and then these two white ropes came from the sky and like little fingers, wrapped themselves around the arrow and held it there. Above my head. Like my own weathervane.

What does it all mean?

I keep thinking back to March. That terrifying week after the break when the virus swooped its black cloak over us. When we barely knew anything about its power. There was something about the not-knowing that stopped us in our tracks. We pulled in. We stayed inside. We faced our fears as a cautious…sometimes panicked collective. How we ‘work’ had to shift and so it did. Our basement turned into a small school. The ‘outdoors’ was an adventurous wonderland. We talked about how we were feeling. We listened to the new rules. We waited. And slowly, as our favourite places and things began to shift into new ways of being loved, we adapted.

It wasn’t long before the mirrors shot up. When things slow down on such grand scales; when groups stop for even a small amount of time and look around – they see differently. What matters is lifted into being differently. That’s because what matters is always mattering…under, inside, around…what matters doesn’t go away. What matters has no concept of time or place – it always is powerfully itself. But in the slowed pace, in the gasping-for-air faces of this never-before-experienced virus, what matters bursted from muddy grounds, from past wounds, from systemic issues, from the warming centre of the planet, from places known and unknown within ourselves as mirrors. Clear. Clean. Reflective.

I chose to write through it at the beginning. I joined tens of other writers through the Firefly Creative Writing team, and we wrote for twenty minutes three times a week. I wrote in my journal a lot. I cried a lot. I talked to friends and family a lot. Slowly, I averted my eyes and heart from the news. And, I got caught up in the rocky terrain of education with my kids. I changed my workspace and work life…And the heat of the summer had a calming affect on me.

But there was also a gigantic loss. My dear Nonna’s soul joined the choir of angels at the end of June. The foundation of me will never be the same. Perhaps that grief…the before, during and after of the loss which continues to shape-shift coupled with the shift in life…well, that can do something to one’s soul, to one’s hope, to one’s ability to dream.

I won’t deny that the US elections also took a role on the stage of my insides. Anxieties heightened to mountainous sizes. The mirror that is the out-going president is enormous no matter where you call home.

I escaped into books. Into television shows and films. Into fitness and health. I poured things that I’d previously poured here only in my journals for fear of…everything. And also…for the space of silence that my words or the lack of my words would offer.

I felt…at home at home. I felt safe in the slowing-down. I felt and feel an unfamiliar peace deep in the heart of the chaos that is all this adaptation. I think that’s why when I was given the opportunity to ‘travel anywhere’, I didn’t leave this place that is home to me. I like it here. At Gertrude’s too. I like it very much. And the arrow…I felt her arrow-ness. She was showing me the simplicity of being her complete self. No messages. No other meanings. She was an arrow.

That I couldn’t throw the arrow…that I didn’t want to? It’s taken me days to wrap my heart around this one. I believe the significance of the arrow’s movement is in the connection to the strings. I’ve reflected a lot on surrendering this year. It’s definitely one of my 2020 words: surrender. It’s tattoo-worthy, in fact. There’s a space on my wrist waiting for the ink. But the point is that the strings attached to the arrow represent a spiritual surrendering to love, to Spirit, to [insert your spiritual word here]. It’s okay to surrender the worry, the anxiety, the fear, the sadness, the grief, the unknowing – to something outside of myself. Something that still is 100% part of me, just outside of my body for the lengths of times it needs to be. The hovering is significant too. It’s not a haunting kind of hovering. It’s a partnership. A commitment to Trust.

Dreams don’t go away. They can’t be ‘given up’. Dreams are patient. Dreams are kind. Dreams know they can exist inside and outside of our hearts. So after months and months of…burrowing…of smacking into mirrors…of reflections big and small and everything in between…of the daily surrendering…what now?

For me…it’s more. More internal navigation. More surrendering. More quiet, private excavation. More reading. More learning. More managing the voices in my head that tell me what I have to say doesn’t matter, doesn’t have a place, doesn’t belong. More facing fears even when I have no idea how, no strength, no hope or energy to do anything but stare at them.

Maybe it means I’ll be writing here more. Maybe it means I’ll have courageous bursts of sharing. Maybe it means I’ll accept more vividly, with more hope and direction, that I am a poet. I’m working on re-igniting this voice. I have to. I want to. I need to.

For me…but also for my Nonna. Her legacy is inked on the pages of poetry I wrote for her…with her.

The cover is revealed! (Thank you and mad props to Ellie Hastings and Nick Shields for the brilliant design!) The release of thimbles gets closer and closer. Soon I will be planning my launch performance. Soon I will be building a tour. Virtual or not, the birth of thimbles into the world will soon have a due date, and I want to be ready heart and soul. It matters. I want it to.

And so…on the edge of the new moon and the hip of the winter solstice, there is much that continues to reveal itself. I will hone my curiosity. I will write. I will read. I will wonder why there’s a bleeding syringe emoji as deeply as I will wonder what words my soul will flutter out tomorrow. It’s dark here in the I-Don’t-Know. But that’s okay. It’s funny, this kind of darkness is not one of my fears. I know that light lives within the dark and that dark lives within the light. Just like I know that to surrender is as much an ending as it is a beginning.

Peace.

Honourable Mentions!

Honourable Mention

I am very pleased to announce that I’ve received an Honourable Mention for my poem ‘Garden’ in this year’s Polar Expressions National Poetry Writing Contest! Yahoo! Thank you judges! And congratulations to all those who submitted and will be published, including the first place winner, local writer Jessie Lee Jennings for her poem ‘An Equalizing Variable in COVID-19’. Windsor represents well! If you’d like to buy a copy of the collection, just click on the link above!

[image error]

2. Poetry class – spots open!

Gertrude’s Writing Room’s ‘The Poetry of Flowers’ class has two spots left. This is a virtual three-week class that runs from 12pm – 2pm on Thursday, December, 3, 10, and 17. We will be learning about flowers and writing poetry together. Each week we’ll tackle a different form of poetry and enjoy the magic of writing together and sharing feedback. You can use these poems as gifts for friends and family for the holidays!

[image error]

3. Worth mentioning…

Gertrude’s Writing Room’s love-themed submission call deadline has been EXTENDED! Yes, lovers, you get an extra two weeks to submit your love writings! NEW DEADLINE DATE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2020!

[image error]




CLICK HERE FOR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

4. Poetry on Demand – for holiday greeting cards!

How about a poem on demand for your holiday greeting cards this season? Be they virtual or otherwise, adding a unique poem to your yuletide greetings will offer an added love bonus to friends and family! Simply send me words you’d like me to use or a few notes on the sentiment you’d like me to create! Email shieldsvanessa@gmail.com with POD Greetings in the subject line. In your email, give me 4-6 words or the vibe you’d like me to write from. You’ll get a fresh new poem within 24-hours! Cost: $20.00 – with $10.00 going to the local charity of your choice.

[image error]

Guest Writer – An Interview with Ellie Csepregi

Who doesn’t love cake? Have you ever bitten into a piece of cake and as it melted in joyous explosions on your tongue, your mind rejoiced with stanzas of poetry? Well, for poet Ellie Csepregi, cake has taken the top tier of her poetry-driven mind and she has gifted readers with her first collection of poetry entitled Tiers. Published by Windsor’s Cranberry Tree Press, Tiers offers readers a tour of Csepregi’s delicious mind and shares with us a feast for our poetic souls.

[image error]

I had the chance to read an early version of Tiers (at that time, it was a manuscript about ‘cake’!), and it was like going on an adventure with Ellie, house-to-house, country-to-country, cake-to-cake. I invited Ellie to answer some questions about her writing process, her life and her *first published collection*! Congratulations, Ellie!

VS: What inspired you to write poetry about cake? 

EC: My inspiration was based on the experiences I had working in the hospitality industry for 13 years and  organizing special events. I  saw how much work went into special cakes and then how they were usually discarded. It really made me think that best efforts and special occasions are not fully appreciated. The thought, the planning, the measuring, the chemistry, the presentation, and the cake is cut up, enjoyed or discarded. Sort of a metaphor for how we live. Every cake has a story.  Also the work of Raymond Carver inspired this idea in his short story, A Small, Good Thing where we learn the baker offers compassion to a grieving family through baked goods. It is a story about community and the passage of time. Baked goods are life markers and they bring people together in times of joy and sorrow.

VS: Is there a connection between culture and food? Why? 

EC: All cultures have traditional recipes and the sharing of food is necessary, joyful and welcoming. Traditional recipes are made from food that comes from the soil on which a people inhabit, it is in their blood and nourishes not just their bodies but also their souls. It is found in folk music and art. Food needs to be respected like an ancient member of the family. One thing I tried to do in Tiers was show how that has been lost in our post consumer society. We have forgotten from where our nourishment comes. Not so much in Essex County because we are so close to the agriculture sector. Now in the pandemic too, we certainly appreciate our farmers and harvesters so much more. So I feel that our cultural connection to food is always shifting on the surface with time and technology but in the roots, it has remained the same. We need to appreciate the beauty of that. Do you know in some cultures Estonia and Central Asia, people kiss the bread and never allow even one crumb to fall on the ground. That’s what we, as modern North Americans, need to rekindle or at least acknowledge. 

VS: You were traveling when the pandemic hit Europe – can you tell us where you were and what that experience was like?  

EC: I was staying in the South of France on my way to Northern Italy when Europe was hit. I could have stayed in France, but my French is weak and the Euro is high, so I went to Hungary where I speak the language and hold citizenship. It made sense and I had to deliver a Rotary flag. It was very strange travelling through France to get to the airport in Barcelona. No one knew what awaited them. I took this very seriously because I was communicating with my friends in China, who told me what they did in the crisis there. So I treated everything and everyone, including myself as if we were all infected and was following the pandemic rules of China to get safely through Europe. LOL…I remember trying to get as many cafe visits in before the lock down began in Budapest on March 15th that’s for sure. Sometimes I was the only one in the cafe enjoying Dobos Torte or Puncs Cake. Near the end of our ‘freedom’ the baker down the street loaded my bag full of pastry and bread because they had no idea when they would reopen and no one was buying their baked goods. Only super markets and drug stores were open. Watching everything shut down was so sad for the businesses. No one really knew what would happen and there was certainly a feeling of fear and dread in the air. Rules were pretty strict there at the time and I was worried about travelling back to Canada, so I stayed as long as I could in Budapest. You see I was living out of a suitcase for months before the pandemic hit, so technically I was a vagabond. I have property in Windsor but it was rented out. My friends couldn’t take me in so I stayed very nicely in the city of my birth and lived like any other Hungarian in that crisis.  The AirBNB businesses were hit hard and suddenly the prices of the rentals fell drastically, so I ended up living steps away from my childhood home and shopped at the Grand Market where my mother shopped before the 1956 Revolution. It was very special and sentimental. I felt spirits. 

VS: When did you write the cake poems?  

EC: Honestly…I call myself the world’s laziest poet. I started them in 2006. Put them away until 2014. Put those away until 2016. Mary Ann Mulhurn encouraged me to complete them. There are many different styles of poetry in the book and that’s because of all the phases it went through. Also I like variety — like a pastry table at a wedding. There is something for everyone. There’s little nibbles of poems along with large slabs of narrative. Finally, before I left Canada in October 2019, I contacted Stuart Ross and said, “here they are – I need to finish and compile these works.” The poems in the book are not recent. In fact I tried adding more recent poems, but they just did not fit the tone. They are ready to be served up, so to speak.

VS: Tell us about the cover design. 

EC: The cover is a painting by the fabulous Judy Chappus, Eat Your Cake, that was a collaboration for Scattered Ecstasies in 2014. The poem on which the painting is based is called Pàomò which means Bubbles and that’s the cute name the Chinese have for people who are less than thin! It’s a poem about hierarchy based on table manners. However, it is not included in the book because, again, it doesn’t suit the tone. I purchased the painting and hoped it would inspire me to finish the works sooner, but life continued to happen so it was put on hold again. I love the cover. It’s pretty wild, but it suits the times. Cake, flames, little devils dancing. Yup. And notice the small oil rig on top of the cake. It’s edgy.

VS: This is your first published book – how are you feeling about it? 

EC: It is my first published book, and I’m happy it’s being published thanks to the wonderful team at Cranberry Tree Press. 

VS: Do you have plans for a launch? Will it be virtual? How do you feel about the shift is ‘celebrating’ since the pandemic is here? 

EC: Since this book has an artistic collaboration with the cover, I imagine a small launch in an outdoor setting. We will be Covid safe and will have — maybe specially made cakes of soap and — cupcakes served in Covid safe containers. All the businesses I approached are owned by women and since the sentiment of the book is based on community and celebration, we are all local. I’d also like to try a virtual launch, so we’ll see what is possible in this new world.

VS: Are you working on a new collection? 

EC: I’ve been working on a series of poems about my life in China in 2016, 2017 and also I am going to explore the refugee experience in my work. I have many ideas and notes.

VS: Have you engaged in any virtual creative writing classes/events? If so, which ones and what was it like to participate?

EC: I have visited some virtual launches, Dorothy Mahoney’s heartfelt book, Ceaseless Rain , the Scary Stories launch, Bookfest Windsor, and I also took Laurie Smith’s outdoor workshop this summer.  I’m keeping my eyes peeled for new workshops online. I also have been doing work with Spittoon Chengdu.  It’s a graphic photo essay online.  

VS: What do you think the role of the poet is in the historical days we’re living through?

EC: We need to document, bear witness, reflect on our inner landscape and the world around us. Depends too on our age because each generation has their own challenges during this era. As an elder, I feel my voice would be one of reflection, and wisdom – the study of patterns throughout our lives. We have overcome many problems, rites of passage, challenges and tend to be calmer than the energetic questioning and determination of the younger voices. Their challenges are more immediate and they are starting out in this new world. We need to listen and support them. It is so amazing too that we have the technology to communicate, share ideas and views globally. Certainly we have the opportunity for much more understanding and appreciation. Let’s hope we become a better society that cares for the environment. Use thoughtful consumption. I’m optimistic that if we can collectively work our way out of the pandemic, we can change our habits and save the planet for our future generations. Then we can share cake. In small slices. 

To stay connected with Ellie as she travels, writes, and eats cake, please follow her wordpress blog at https://swirl-yonders.ca/2020/07/30/the-long-shell/ .  Ellie is also on Instagram at @nomadtiers2020. Congratulations and thank you for sharing with us, Ellie!

If you’re feeling poetic, please consider joining us at Gertrude’s Writing Room for a three-week poetry class where we feature flowers. (Guess what? Ellie is taking the class!) To find out more and register, please click on the button below. Classes begin on Thursday, December 3 from 12pm – 2pm (and follow on the 10th and 17th).

WRITE POETRY TOGETHER! REGISTER HERE!




[image error]

Guest Writer – An Interview with Lorraine Gane

[image error]

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Lorraine Gane on one of her poetry collections. It was a special experience that built a foundation for a relationship that has spanned all these years. We’ve stayed connected over email and gentle support for each other’s blossoming careers. So, when I was asked to write a blurb for Lorraine’s new poetry chapbook, I was thrilled to oblige. After reading, I also felt compelled to invite Lorraine to participate in an email interview to find out more about her process and her work in the writing community.

Here’s an excerpt of my praise for ‘Arc of Light’.

Lorraine Gane’s chapbook Arc of Light is a mirror held to Time as it touches the wings of white herons and grips the edges of the voice of death. Over the last weeks and days of her mother Mary’s life, Gane experiences the shades of grief that spread like a virus over her heart. Exemplifying both her vulnerable courage and her honest witnessing, Arc of Light delivers readers down a path of resilience at death unstoppable. Coupled with her mother’s brilliance and tender acceptance of her fate, each quoted line is like a fractal of Mary’s inner light reaching out.

It seems that Lorraine and I have been writing about the same experiences, as my forthcoming collection ‘thimbles’ grips the same heart and soul parts! Turns out she has several connections to Windsor too!

VS: How long has it been since you’ve been identifying as a ‘writer’? Can you tell us about how/when you started identifying this way? 

LG: I started writing creatively when I was thirteen. By the age of seventeen I was writing poems that were published in my high school yearbook, so I had a knowing I was a writer from an early age. I attended Carleton University for Journalism and worked as a reporter in Windsor and editor in Toronto until I was thirty-five, then I began writing poems again. I committed to poetry during the writing of my first book, Even the Slightest Touch Thunders on My Skin (Black Moss Press, 2002).

VS: Can you tell us a little bit about where you  live and write. Do you think there’s a connection between ‘home’ and ‘creativity’? 

LG: I live on Salt Spring near Victoria, B.C., which is a beautiful island of old growth forests, mountains, and lakes, a haven for deep creativity. On the twenty-acre property where I live I go for walks among the ancient cedars and firs and often see owls, eagles, deer, and other wildlife, which I weave into my poems. I feel a deep sense of connection to the natural environment here, not only for the inspiration it offers, but also for the solace it provides in such abundance. Salt Spring is also home to poets, writers, and artists of every kind and this vibrant community is a wonderful support for creativity.  

VS: Your newest book is a chapbook about your experience with your mother during her end of life. What motivated you to write about this? 

LG: I began writing about my mother in the early 2000s when I became aware that her time with us would not be long as her health began deteriorating rapidly. I started visiting her more regularly at our family home in west-end Toronto and the poems that started coming were a natural expression of my experiences with her. In the last year of my mother’s life, I spent many months with her and the poems became more frequent. It was essential to express the grief I was feeling and the poems became a container for this.

VS: Do you think there’s a healing element to writing? Be it poetry or any other genre? Do you think that there is something ‘unique’ about writing poetry whilst grieving or reflecting?

LG: The poems I wrote about my mother helped release my grief onto the page. With each poem I wrote, I felt a deeper integration of the loss of my mother, and a burgeoning renewal. During the writing of the poems, I was also connecting with the natural environment, which also helped tremendously. I also wrote some essays about grieving for my mother, which expressed the grief in a potent but different way. I began to see that the poems and essays were not just for my healing, but also for the healing of my family and community. During these times of the Covid, we are all in grieving for the loss of the way of life we once knew. The poems in Arc of Light help focus that grieving so the reader can acknowledge and release grief that may be buried or suppressed.

VS: Tell us about your role as ‘teacher’/editor. How long have you been teaching and offering your literary services? 

LG: I began teaching at Ryerson University shortly after I left my full-time job as an editor for Toronto Life magazine in 1989. At the same time, I began offering private workshops in Toronto, which I also enjoyed. When I moved to Salt Spring in 1998, I continued these workshops and also began to teach online courses so I could continue to work with my Ontario students. I now offer courses and mentor writers from around the world.

VS: When did you know you were ‘ready’ to start teaching and offering classes/workshops? 

LG: Once I began writing creatively, I felt a natural urge to share what I was learning with others.

VS: How do you define ‘success’ as a writer? Is this word part of your vocabulary at all? 

LG: Every writer has a unique path. I believe a writer is a success if he or she listens and acts on creative impulses and does her best to work with what she has been given. The publishing is secondary. That said, our writing can inspire, transform, and heal others, which completes the creative cycle.

VS: What book(s) are you reading for pleasure/education right now? 

LG: I am reading Mary Oliver’s Devotions, which I love, plus many other poetry collections and books about poetry, including Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield, which is essentially a master’s course in poetry writing. I am also rereading a book about haiku called Deep Breath, edited by Terry Ann Carter.

VS: What writing projects are you working on? 

LG: I am working on competing my fourth full-length collection of poetry. I am also working on another book of poems and essays, which is about witnessing what we are going through with the pandemic. This writing started in mid-March when I came across a dead fawn in a nearby field. Instead of walking by it, I was urged not to turn away so I went up to the fawn, and looked at it directly in its white and unblinking eyes. On that day Parliament shut down and lockdowns began across the country, so the dead fawn seemed to be an omen for what was to come. In addition to these projects, I am working on two books about writing.

VS: Do you think there’s a place for ‘social media’ for writers? Do you think it’s necessary in order to connect with readers?

LG: Up to this point I haven’t engaged much in social media but I sense this may change as my poems reach a larger audience. Everything helps.

VS: Do you believe there’s a connection between writing and spirituality? 

LG: My poetry and other writing arises from a connection to the creative source. When I am present, writing flows from this source in an easy and effortless way. The source is also instrumental in all the other stages of writing, from knowing which poems and pieces to continue with, to editing and sharing them. With open access to the source creativity flourishes, which is what I experience and teach. 

Thank you, Lorraine! If you’d like to learn more about Lorraine, please visit her website. www.lorrainegane.com.

Arc of Light launches virtually  November 30. Everyone is welcome to join this virtual launch!

Zoom Poetry Reading November 30, 7 p.m. (Pacific) with Lorraine Gane reading from Arc of Light. Join the zoom meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88948023447

Arc of Light is published by Raven Chapbooks.

When Others Do What You Do

A friend just sent me a link to a podcast about a poet who writes poetry for people. Like, poetry on demand. Like, what I do too. Why just this past January, I met another poet-on-demand in Washington Square in New York City. Both he and this woman in the podcast use old typewriters to write poems for people. Both of them have written thousands of poems over the years. Both of them have put together books of this poetry. Just. Like. Me.. Each of us have spoken/written about the magic of writing poetry for people on-the-spot, given little more than a subject or a few words. Each of us has spoken/written about the importance of poetry as advocacy, resistance, love, community and historical significance. Each of us has spoken/written about writing poetry that is inclusive and accessible to as many people as possible because poetry is alive and necessary and magic. Each of us has spoken/written about the trance-like, energy-exchange phenomenon that happens when we write poetry this way. We can’t really explain how it happens or why, we just are grateful that it does, we recognize it as a creative gift, and we do our best to share it. Each of us has travelled far and wide writing poetry for people. One of us currently travels the world writing poetry this way. One of has written for Oprah and the Obamas.

[image error]

Full disclosure here. I clicked on the link to the podcast (as part of Sounds True, a heart-centred multi-media company), and a small feeling of excitement for what I would find fluttered in my chest. I saw the image of the woman. Her name is Jacqueline Suskin. I read the info about her life, her work, and her new book Every Day Is A Poem.

And I froze.

I mean, that feeling of warmth in my centre dropped deep and kind of pushed its way through my lower body. The voices in my head clicked up a few decibels. These were not positive voices. She’s so beautiful, one said. You’re not so beautiful, another voice said. Michelle Obama? She wrote a poem for Michelle Obama?! Another voice whimpered. Who’ve you written a poem for that was so famous, so important? Was the follow up line. She has a book out now? A big, beautiful book filled with her luscious poems – and published by such a fantastic publisher? Still another voice exclaimed. When’s the last time you wrote a poem on demand, Vanessa? When?

Excited heat shifted to cruel cold feet brought on by the flurry of monster voices in my head. Comparing. Comparing. Comparing. Negating. Shrinking. Challenging. Breaking. Down. The. Good.

What the fu&%?

I squeezed my toes to bring back some heat. I looked deep into Jacqueline’s eyes in her photo. I furrowed my brow to close out the damn voices, and I inhaled deeply. Re-centring back into my heart. A voice wanted to reprimand the others, but I stopped that one too. My soul stood up, brushed herself off, and put her hands on her hips. Her perfect soul hips.

“We are all poets,” she said, lifting her right hand and waving it in the air. “We are all on demand. Love this world that puts poetry on a pedestal. Get. Up. On. The. Pedestal, Woman. The typewriter is waiting. So are the people.”

I swallowed back tears. I am still swallowing them down.

Look, the world is filled with people who do the same things. The world is full of poets, thank goodness! The world is full of every kind of creative that needs to be in existence. That. Is. What. Love. Does..That is the POINT.

[image error]

I marvel at the phenomenon that is the tumultuous life of the voices in my head. These voices…these are the same voices that engage with the words when I write poetry on demand. These are the same voices that love me as deeply as they seem to hate me. The reactions to others doing the same thing(s) I do – the painful rigmarole of it all is such an adventure! I am embarrassed by the darkness of it all. And that’s why I knew I had to write about it. To tell you. To open up the window to my mind and show you how it works. Because…I can’t be alone in this experience.

The truth is that I often hold back my mind-chatter. I put it away or write it on the pages of my journal for only my eyes and the slippery goodness of the blue ink to see. There is already so much…vocalized, and whether we’re reading it out loud or hearing it on a tv, computer or radio…I sometimes feel like there is enough. My place in this vocal village is small. It is on a journal page. It is in a room, in a box, on a shelf, in the house of my soul. And mostly I am good with this arrangement.

But I couldn’t not share today. Not when it comes to poetry. Not when the gesture from my dear friend was to connect me with a ‘kindred spirit’ for the love of words, poetry. For the love of love.

Thank you, Penny-Anne. Thank you Sounds True and Jacqueline Suskin. Thank you Marshall James Kavanaugh, Dream Poet for Hire. Thank you for reminding me that ‘purpose’ is a shared, lived and loved experience. Even when it includes the shadows of our own doubt. Even when it takes a moment or four-hundred words to remember that when others do what I do, we are all in it together.

together
like skin around bones like
light under withering leaves
inside outside sidebyside
core connects with core
seeds in apples we leave to
dry on the sticky kitchen counter - seeds
we plant in the garden heart of community

When others do what you do – rejoice! React. Respond. Reflect. Respect. Rejoice.

Time Records & More!

So, you know how there’s that thing that parents can do: live vicariously through their children? Well, it’s happening! Jett, 14-years-old, made a short film earlier this year and it was accepted in the Windsor Youth Film Festival. A short time after it was screened, Jett was contacted by local filmmaker Mike Stasko, who told Jett that he would love to feature ‘Time Record’ on a local filmmaker showcase called ‘WINDSOR SHORTS’ on CBC television! GULP! DOUBLE GULP!

Jett’s first film not only got accepted into a film festival, but now it will be on television!

[image error] Time Recored, a short film by Jett Shields

The third instalment of the short film showcase ‘Windsor Shorts‘ will air on CBC television on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2020 AT 8PM. Windsor Shorts is a “compilation of short, scripted films and documentaries from independent producers and student filmmakers from the University of Windsor as well as local filmmakers. Windsor Shorts is a part of CBC’s ‘Absolutely Canadian’ series which highlights the best documentary programs, short dramas and comedies created by independent producers/directors and student filmmakers from the Windsor/Essex region.” The show also features six other shorts created by local filmmakers.

After this broadcast, the films will be available to stream on CBS’s live-streaming service GEM. Can I get an AMAZING up in here?!

[image error] We had a blast being part of Jett’s first filmmaking endeavour!

We are thrilled for Jett! And, it sure does feel great to be living his dreams of making films vicariously WITH him! (I will always say yes if asks me to ‘star’ in his films. Hmmm…maybe this is how I’ll finally meet Tom Cruise?!) Since he made ‘Time Record’ Jett has written and filmed another short, and is beginning production on a new film for a school competition. Mighty fine, I say, mighty fine!

November is here. With it has come the run-on-sentence that is the presidential election across the border. There is much to say on this topic, however, what I’d like to offer is simple this: the good will prevail. Love each other. Be kind. The cyclical nature of this unfolding is an evolutionary, historical lesson for each of us. #peace

If you’re participating in National Novel Writing Month, the first week is nearly done. By now, you’ve likely felt the following:

frustrationelationexhaustion

And you’ve likely thought the following:

why am I doing this? I can’t do this!I am not a writer!I did it!I can do this!I’m a bad-ass writer!This is the best book ever written!

I’m with you! Meet each day as a fresh start! Whether you’ve prepped your story or not, just.keep.writing. Or not. It doesn’t change what a phenomenal human being you are.

[image error]

VIRTUAL WRITING WORKSHOP ALERT!

I will be leading a three-hour virtual writing workshop on Saturday, November 21, 2020 in collaboration with the Canadian Authors Association – Niagara Branch. This workshop is for writers of all levels. I will be leading writing prompts that inspire and enhance your creative writing process, dipping into different genres and ways to play with your amazing life story!

This workshop is FREE but you have to REGISTER BEFORE WED. NOV. 18TH, 2020.

REGISTRATION LINK:

YOUR STORY MATTERS Writing Workshop

Let’s write together!

In publishing news, I am proud to be a published haiku poet! A haiku I wrote is part of the Moonlight Haiku Challenge Anthology, created by the Consulate General of Japan – Toronto. #socool

As well, one of my poems about travel has been accepted into an anthology called ‘The Beauty of Being Elsewhere’ to be published by Hidden Brook Press.

I received my annual rejection letter for my CBC Poetry Prize. I was only upset for about three minutes, (long enough to write an email of complaint to my writer friend Cathrin – thank you for understanding!) before a new writer friend sent a beautiful email about ‘Look At Her’. Sigh. The good. The good is always alive!

Here is the poem.

Narratives For A Dying Seamstress
 
“Once a story you’ve regarded as true has turned false,
you begin suspecting all stories.” Margaret Atwood
 
Agreement.
 
I want her to die too.
I say it out loud into the FaceTime screen on my cell phone.
My mother’s forehead and eyebrows accept my words.
She opens the battered Suitcase Of Caregiving For Nonna.
My grandmother. Her mother.
 
Unpacking is harder
though less and less of Nonna remains:
         memories in foggy moans
         mamamamamama on her brittle tongue
         coughs – a tightened throat itchy with escaping language
         urine-soaked cotton nightgowns
         movements from bowels chaotic symphonies of loss
         fungus-infected toenails curling toward the light
 
{She’s not eating.}
 
I sigh boulders.
Imagine the prison of someone else’s heaven as my own.
Of my choices chained to distorted faiths.
The sifted loss of self. Mortality as death sentence. 
 
My senses are a beehive – transported.
There is spastic fear, hunting for safety, panic.
I can’t find the queen.
 
{Keep her hydrated.}
 
Energy is another story.
A mysteriously mandatory page on which to heave our words.
The cursives. Curly like scar tissue etchings.
The plot line thread of Nonna’s soul legacy we revise like a doctoral thesis.
 
More boulders.
I’m building the Dolomite mountain range in grief.
(The Dolomites are Nonna’s favourite.)
 
I witness Nonna’s fading.
Her soul was left on the backyard line –
a tattered dish towel she forgot to bring in.
One link-rusted wooden clothespin holds her,
keeping her here in this demented dimension.
 
{I call to question what matters now.}
 
I secretly crumple paradoxes in my fist – an unwanted remnant.
Shove it into my pocket for tomorrow.
 
Tomorrow is another day.
Nonna’s faulty mantra.
Today was always jealous of tomorrow.
Yesterday, well, that’s an example of what doesn’t matter.
 
Another’s death is measured by how much we need them to live.
 
Nonna measured in yards, inches, stitches.
Her land is cotton, polyester blends, lycra, linen lakes,
ikat, tapa, yuzen horizons,
kantha-quilt shelters,
shibori moons,
lotus flower light
she wove into her shoulders.
Other people’s dreams
sewn into pant suits, blouses.
 
Her best work was her wedding dress.
Silk. Chiffon.
Lace for delicate immigrant dreams;
sacrifice and lies;
Jesus and the pope.
For dry red wine.
 
I love her festival of fabrics
even as they lacerate.
It is impossible to love her more
but I can and I do.
 
Suffering, a bowl on the dining room table
with the tall stool chairs tucked around like soldiers.                              
An arroyos constantly flowing.
 
For the first time in our lives, Nonna says she’s not happy.
This is a declaration of war on our ability to accept the enemy called truth.
We exhale fictions to allow grief a wider space in our muscles,
to move into ligaments, lower into lymph nodes.
 
She would come up behind me,
kiss the back of my neck.
Plant her love in my skin.
giardiniere dell’amore
 
She could keep flowers alive on the windowsills.
saintpaulia, impatiens walleriana, spathiphyllum wallisii
Today she doesn’t remember they exist.
obliviscatur
 
I make up reasons why she is still alive,
each a tiny plea that fits in a metal thimble.
I stack them precariously and marvel at
their towering stability.
 
I ponder the words:    passing away.
Decide I hate them.
They are busted seams.
Gatherings undone.
I am raw edge.
 
Suspicions of life without her
impel my fingers to the typewriter.
Inflamed with questions,
metacarpals press out her legacy:
sugo con carne        grappa         sarta
I edge-stitch answers to my tongue.
 
I am a boulder.
Weeping.
A lost honey bee – apis mellifera.
An unworn slip.
 
{Truth is chalk-lined baste stitching.}

Nope. This poem is not in my forthcoming collection thimbles. Which I’m happy to announce is still on track for a Spring 2021 release!

Also, can you write to me about Love? Our submission call is officially open!

SUBMIT TO GERTRUDE’S WRITING ROOM’S NEXT ANTHOLOGY ON LOVE!

Rhododendrons & A Virtual Book Launch

“We were amongst the rhododendrons. There was something bewildering, even shocking, about the suddenness of their discovery. The woods had not prepared me for them.” Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, pg. 72.

I finished reading du Maurier’s Rebecca in the early morning yesterday. I’ve been devouring this thrilling story for the last couple of weeks, partly because Tina from Biblioasis told me it’s one of her favourite books, partly because my BFF said he had it in his pile of books-to-read-next, and partly because the Netflix film Rebecca released this past Wednesday. There was a trifecta of energies pointing me to this story so, of course, I took the bait and read the book. It. was. hauntingly. beautiful. I highly recommend it, especially now when the wind is whipping and the leaves are whooping. The weather is perfect for thriller reading! And, if you watch the film, you can see how you feel about the adaption of the story. There’s some solid conversations about that to be had, I believe!

It’s nearly November. With the end of October comes a blue moon (called the Hunter’s Moon, and it’s on Halloween night!) – that is, the second full moon in the same month. Speaking of energy! There’ll definitely be some powerful vibes wrapping around us. And, with the election across the border, and a COVID vaccine seemingly on the near horizon, certainly big changes are brewing like a giant cauldron of magic potion!

How have you been feeling this month? What kind of creative movements have you experienced? Me, well, I’ve been feeling all kinds of uncertainty. On Monday, I was not myself at all. My anxiety was off the charts so I did a lot of deep breathing and walking outside. The rest of the week was better, but I had be very aware of my energy levels and inner voices because the two were at odds. I was very happy to awake on Friday and know that the weekend was but a sleep away. I wish I could retrain my mind and body to feel the weekdays differently. I spend a lot of time thinking about how each day resides in my body so differently! Does that happen to you too?

I’ve done much sleeping and reading and resting this weekend. I’ve done lots of other things too, but the bond to ‘time’ feels so different. Yesterday, for example, I didn’t ‘plan’ to do anything in particular and yet, I did all the things that Saturdays typically hold for our family. I cleaned. I cooked. I did laundry. I read. I wrote. I ran for 45 minutes! I took a long, hot bath. We cut my hair. It was a full day that didn’t make me feel anxious or tired. It’s a bizarre phenomenon that I can’t quite figure out!

I started reading Ann Patchett’s ‘Bel Canto‘. When I looked at the clock last night as my eyes lost their moisture, it was one o’clock! I’m zipping through this fine story. There’s a film adaptation of this book too. Hopefully, I’ll watch it and see how the film tells the story. I’m also nearly finished reading Charis Cotter’s Screech!. But this book I cannot read at night. It’s too scary.

Circling back to the above quote, I chose it for two reasons. One, I wanted to share some of the breathtaking and poignant writing of du Maurier. Second, I felt like I was among the rhododendrons (What a word that is. It makes my mouth very happy to say out loud. Try it. You’ll see.) this past week. From the suddenness of the anxiety that hit my body on Monday to the subsequent long journal entries and the way season is so remarkably powerful with its golden outbursts of colours and somewhat violent winds – everything is affecting me deeply. I am in the woods, certainly, the woods of this pandemic, the woods of decision-making for work and family, the woods of school and learning. Sheltered by the thick trees of unknowing and relieved by the gifts of bright blue skies and a sun that reveals herself perfectly long enough to offer a purple-slashed sky when she returns to her hiding spot under the horizon…comfort has done a good job of wrapping around me in these woods.

But there is much I am discovering. And the rhododendrons come to trigger these inner layers of darkness and light. And I am grateful even as I am stunned into each discovery.

[image error] https://www.123rf.com/photo_39244090_red-rhododendron-bush-in-bloom.html
Red Rhododendron bush in bloom

Are you writing? I am still pouring out words on my old typewriter. It’s magical and undeniable. I have new ideas for a poetry collection. I am craving horses. Does anyone have a horse I can ride?! Things at Gertrude’s are still quiet and I am okay with this.

I am enjoying being a part of my friends’ successes. Like this one, coming up on Tuesday!

SPOOK-TACULAR VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH!

[image error]

Charis Cotter, award-winning, Newfoundland children’s book author, is celebrating the release of her newest masterpiece Screech! published by Nimbus Publishing. I have the very scary honour of hosting this fine virtual release. Illustrator Genevieve Simms will be there too to talk about her terrifying artwork that brings the words to scary life!

Virtual Book Launch on ZoomScreech! Ghost Stories from Old Newfoundland 

Tuesday October 27, 8 p.m. NL (6:30 p.m. EDT)

Includes:
[image error]

The Flutter of Finishing…

…happens in the heart centre.

And reverberates around the body for days.

The thimbles manuscript is 100% complete.

[image error]

Abbey, my editor, and I have put nearly two years of time and love into this collection. Now, it’s off to layout and design. We’re working on the cover. Blurbs have been requested and collected.

My heart is a flutter! I’m squeeeeing with delight! I feel…relief…and I trust that the rest of the process will unfold beautifully.

I hope my Nonna is proud.

The Book Blurb

THE BOOK BLURB

For many of us on the yellow-brick road to publication (be it our first trip down this wild path or our fourth!), we will have the opportunity to face the important and necessary stop that is The Book Blurb.

Whether we’re being asked to blurb a friend’s forthcoming book or whether we’re asking our friends/other writers to write a blurb for our forthcoming book, here are some tips on how to make the best of your Book Blurb experience.

This post answers the following questions (feel free to scroll down to the question you’d like an answer to…):

What is a book blurb?
Where does a book blurb go on a book?
What is the difference between a book blurb and a review?
What does a book blurb look like?
Who can write a book blurb?
Who and how do you ask for a book blurb?
How do you write a book blurb?
What about Kirkus Reviews?
Should you charge for writing your book blurbs? 

What is a book blurb?

A book blurb is a one-to-three sentence micro-review of a book. It’s function is to express a positive, excited and ‘wowing’ description of the book that will provoke a reader to buy and read it. Sometimes a book blurb is one word – but the word is eye-catching and powerful. The book blurb is an important part of the marketing life of a book. It is written before a book is published and intended to support the publicity and marketing cycle of the book/author.

Where does a book blurb go on a book?

Typically, book blurbs go on the cover(s) of a book. (Examples coming below.) Sometimes a short, precise blurb goes on the front cover (especially if it’s written by a ‘famous’ writer – more on this below). Blurbs typically go on the back covers of books, above or below the back cover copy (that is a short synopsis of the story/info in the book). Sometimes, blurbs fill the first few pages of the interior of the book (especially those blurbs from big-time reviewers/newspapers/writers). This depends on how many ‘advanced’ blurbs have been written before the book is published.

What is the difference between a book blurb and a review?

The main difference is length. A book blurb is short and precise, again, with its main goal communicating not only what the book is about but how well it’s written and how engaging it is. Book blurbs are not published in literary magazines/newspaper/etc.. They are ‘advanced praises’ for a forthcoming book that are used to help market the book/author.

Typically, the writer of the blurb does not get paid for her blurb writing. The writer of a book review, however, often gets paid and/or can attempt to get the review published.

When a book blurb graces a book cover, it can be said that it is ‘published’, but usually, book blurbs are not included in a writer’s publications.

Who can write a book blurb?

Anyone can write a book blurb, however, it is typically another published writer who writes in the same genre that writes the blurb. For example, a thriller writer would blurb another thriller writer’s forthcoming book. This makes sense as readers of that genre will ‘believe’ the blurb of someone who ‘knows’ that genre as they write it as well. Also, if said thriller writer is ‘well-known’ and/or sells a lot of his/her/their books, readers could be more motivated to read the blurb, believe the blurb, and purchase a book that said thriller writer says is ‘spectacularly tense!’.

You may notice that ‘debut’ (first-time) authors often have blurbs from well-known writers in that genre. This is part of the marketing power of the book blurb.

Sometimes, an expert if the field writes a blurb. There is marketing power in what ‘experts’ have to say. Yes, even if the expert isn’t a writer, said person’s opinion and expertise can help make an impact on readership and purchasing. 

What does a book blurb look like? 

Here are some examples of book blurbs, including their placement and designs.

[image error]In Jane Christmas’ most recent book (a memoir), there is a blurb located on the front cover. It is in a bright colour. It is one line in length. It includes the name of the author and her own book title.

[image error]The back cover of Jane’s book is all blurbs – or in this case, ‘advanced praise’. You can see that some of the blurbs are longer than three sentences, but they are still shorter than a book ‘review’. Each author’s name and book title is included. The description of Jane’s book is located on the left jacket flap of the book cover.

[image error]Karen Dionne’s new thriller just came out. The front cover of her book, The Wicked Sister, includes a blurb placed in a unique, bright circle. It stands out and is eye-catching. It is written by one of the genre’s best-selling writers, Megan Miranda, the author of ‘All The Missing Girls’. The blurb quote is three words in length. The words are powerful and descriptive. Because Miranda has sold many books and has a major fan base, it is likely that her fans/readers will buy Dionne’s book because Miranda ‘blurbed’ that it’s so great.

[image error]The back cover of The Wicked Sister includes advanced praise. For those who read thrillers, they will be very enticed and motivated to buy this book because of the writers who’ve blurbed. They are all major writers in the genre.

[image error]Teva Harrison’s collection of poetry, Not One of These Poems Is About You, does not have a blurb on the front cover. Typically, poetry books do not have blurbs on the front cover. But, it is possible to include one if the design/blurb supports the marketing of the book.

[image error]The back of Harrison’s poetry book includes back cover copy (synopsis) of the poetry as well as several blurbs from other poets. There is also a blurb from one of Canada’s leading CBC radio hosts, Shelagh Rogers. She hosts ‘The Next Chapter’, a Q&A show for writers. Though Rogers is not a poet, she is ‘famous’ in the literary scene in Canada, an expert in the field of writing. This is an example of a blurb that doesn’t come from a writer, but certainly an ‘expert’ in the field.

[image error]Another example of a front cover blurb is shown here on Jillian Boehme’s book ‘Stormrise’. This is another example of a short, punchy blurb to capture a potential reader/buyer’s attention. The quote is from a famous, high-selling Young Adult author. Stormrise is a YA novel.

[image error]The back cover is comprised predominantly of back cover copy or synopsis. There is another blurb – a short one-liner – at the bottom of the cover. This blurb is by another famous, high-selling YA author. It makes marketing sense, in this case though, that there is back cover copy as young readers are attracted to flashy covers with bold imagery, and they want to know what the book is about perhaps a bit more than what other writers are saying about it.

[image error]There are no blurbs or one-liners about ‘best-sellers’ on the cover of Natalie Jenner’s debut novel, The Jane Austen Society. However, it was the cover, specifically the bold, easy-to-read title and the delicate flowers that attracted my attention.

[image error]The back cover is filled with blurbs, or in this case ‘praise’, for the book. All blurbs are from ‘New York Times Best Seller or International Best-Selling’ authors. The praise is high!

[image error]There are two major marketing tools on the cover of Ami Mckay’s memoir, Daughter of Family G. At the top, musician and memoirist, Jann Arden offers a blurb. Jann Arden is one of Canada’s most famous musicians. She has a robust social media presence. Certainly her words go a long way with potential book-buyers/readers. Under Ami’s name, is a line that speaks to the previous success of her work – that her other two novels are best-sellers.

[image error]What’s unique about this back cover is that we can now read Jann Arden’s ‘full’ blurb. All of these blurbs are labelled ‘advanced praise’. These are longer blurbs than the others, but speak to the power of what the blurbs are actually saying. In this case, it seems that designers/the marketing team were willing to include more text per blurb.

Who and how do you ask for a book blurb?

As you gather friends and acquaintances over your writing career, it becomes part of the literary experience to ask each other for book blurbs. When you do readings or attend events and you connect with fellow writers, relationships begin to build as do careers, and there’ll likely come a time when you or your writer friend will need a book blurb.

So, the ‘who’ is those friends and acquaintances you’ve built relationships with over time. Sometimes, they are writers who write in the same genre as you do. This is helpful since, as mentioned above, readers/buyers will pay attention to what other writers in the genre have to say.

You may also ask ‘experts’ in the field of the subject matter you’ve written about. If, for example, you’ve written a collection of poetry about flowers, it may be a unique marketing tool to request a blurb from a horticulturalist or someone who owns a flower shop.

Or, you can request a blurb from a person in the literary world in general, as was the case for Teva Harrison and the blurb she received from Shelagh Rogers.

But wait, you say! Isn’t my publisher/publicist supposed to handle the getting of the blurbs? Well, if that is part of your contract/deal with your publisher and/or if there is a publicist/marketing team in place to work with you, then yes. The discussion of who requests the book blurb definitely needs to be had. However, you can still give the names of folks you’d like to write a blurb to your publisher/marketing team – especially if these folks are friends who you know would want to write a blurb and support your work in that way.

Can you request a blurb from a person you don’t know but whose writing you really love? The ‘blind’ blurb request is totally a possibility. If you can get that person’s contact information, there’s no reason you cannot ‘request’ a blurb.

‘Musts’ for a book blurb request: *things to include in your email/conversation

an ARC – Advanced Readers Copy (in pdf format) – of your manuscript (this is just the interior of your book – and doesn’t have to be a proof – with the copy (writing) as complete as possible.
a brief synopsis/pitch about the book so the writer has an idea of what they’ll be reading.
the date/deadline the book blurb needs to be written. Requests for blurbs take place well before the book’s release date, and closer to layout and design so the blurb can be used in the design/on the cover before it goes to print. Timing is very important here. 
contact information for who the blurb needs to be sent to.
a kind, honest request for the blurb – honesty is really the best policy here. Be gentle in your request especially if the turn-around time for when the blurb is needed is quick. This happens a lot so folks know that often they’ll need to read and respond quickly, but it still feels good to know that if you have say ‘no’, it’s totally fine.
if you are sending a ‘blind’ request, be honest and kind about why you’re requesting a blurb from the person.

Note #1 – If you’re unsure/anxious about requesting a blurb, it’s also fine to put out a general request asking a person if they actually do blurb books and if they think they’d have time to do one. Do not include the ARC in said request. If they say yes, then you can send the ARC.

Note #2 – Keep positive when you get a ‘no’ in response. Be grateful the person was honest with you about his/her/their time. It’s just as hard to say no as it is to say yes! It’s not personal. More often than not, it’s just a time/busy-ness conflict.

Note #3 – Do you need someone ‘famous’ and/or ‘best-selling’ to blurb your book? Absolutely not. However, the marketing machine certainly ‘shows’ that famous writers blurbing other writer’s books is part of the system. Do you know a best-selling/famous writer? If you do, go ahead and request the blurb if it feels right!

Note #4 – If I ask a writer for a blurb for my book, does that mean I have to write a blurb for their book? This is a good question. There are no ‘rules’ around this exchange. If said writer requests a blurb from you, you have to be honest about whether or not you can do it. If you can, you want to, it all works out, then yes, of course! It’s a go-with-the-flow exchange.

Note #5 – What if a writer asks you to blurb his/her/their book, but you don’t write in that genre, and you’re feeling anxiety about what you have to offer? Again, honesty is the best policy here. Trust your intuition, but also trust the person asking. It’s possible that there is something about you, your writing, your creative spirit that has inspired the person to request a blurb from you. Consider who is requesting and trust your creative heart and skills to respond accordingly.

How do you write a book blurb?

Okay, so you’ve got to write a book blurb. How the heck do you do it?

Read the ARC/manuscript. Me, personally, I read the whole thing. Though some writers are very adept at reading a certain amount of the book and getting enough insight that it sparks a response, for me, I always feel like I don’t want to miss anything so I read the whole thing. The point is – you have to read the work! If you can read the work in 1-2 sittings, it will be fresh in your mind, heart, soul so you can more easily write a response.
Take notes/make notes. I’m all about making notes when I read an ARC/new book. I write on the manuscript pages if I print it out or I write notes on a piece of paper or in a new document as I read so I can start to gather my thoughts. Usually, I make enough notes that I can get a solid start on the blurb.
Be precise but over-arching. While I often make notes on individual poems and/or specific lines/paragraphs that really provoke me, it’s necessary to use these responses as well as comment on the overall collection/story. (This is why, for me, reading the whole manuscript is important. It’s easier for me to get that over-arching response when I read it through to the end.)
React. Respond. Response. For me, writing a blurb is about paying attention to my initial, heart, gut reactions to what I’m reading and then folding them in a well-thought out response. The difference between a reaction and response it time. This is also why I make notes as I’m reading to capture my initial ‘reactions’ that I can then return to after I read the whole thing, let it sit in my mind and body, and then write a response. So – a blurb includes heart-felt, emotional reactions mixed with an overall, well-thought out response.
Usually, my first draft of a blurb is too long. Again, it’s made up of that delicate balance of reactions that it takes time to cultivate into responses. But, much of the precision is born in the editing (as always!). This is when I do my best to write several one-liners that the publisher/writer can use for marketing purposes.
Comparisons? Sometimes, you’ll read in a blurb that a book is like another book…but with some clever difference. It’s totally fine to write fun comparisons.
Include the title of the book and the author’s name into each sentence if you can. Include quotes from the poetry, if you’re writing a blurb for a poetry collection (but only a short quote…part of a stanza or line).
It’s totally acceptable to use ‘I’. A first-person response is part of the magic and gift of the book blurb.
Include how you want your name/info to appear after the blurb. For example: Bonnie Blurbington, author of ‘Blurbity-Bing-Bong – The Bleckoning’.
The blurb should be no more than eight sentences – and that’s long. A 2-3 sentence blurb, where each sentence or even parts of the sentence can be used for marketing is really what you’re goal should be.
When in doubt, go to your favourite books and read the blurbs on them.
Give yourself time to read the book as well as ruminate and write the blurb. For me, this is anywhere from 1-3 hours (usually not in a row!).

Here are some examples:

“Famed aviator Beryl Markham is a novelist’s dream…[A] wonderful portrait of a complex woman who lived–defiantly–on her own terms.” 

You can see that the ‘…’ ellipsis indicates that there was ‘more’ to this sentence, however, they only used a excerpt. This blurb shows the over-arching part of a blurb that explains a bit of the plot/story/character. It is a positive description of what the book is about.

 “An intense, vivid novel…It is tempting to say that ‘The Red Tent’ is what the Bible would be like if it had been written by women, but only Diamant could have given it such sweep and grace.” 

Here we have an example of a ‘comparison’ (and what a might comparison it is!) as well as the use of the title of the book and the author’s name.

“I fell in love with ‘Full’s’ honesty and its humour. Kimber writes with a passion conveying her experiences intimately. I felt her presence, her struggles, and her success as if she were sitting next to me whispering into my ear! This book is certain to be a refuge and bible for all women struggling with body image.” 

An example of a ‘first-person’ blurb, this one uses ‘I’ and includes herself in the response to reading the book by describing how it felt to read and experience the words first-hand.

“An epic but intimate family novel with richly imagined characters.”

Bam! Here is the power of one-liner – precise but overarching.

“Circling the Sun soars.”

One line that includes the title…and only one word! Precise. Powerful. Provocative.

What about Kirkus Reviews?

I bet we’ve all seen ‘Kirkus’ on books before – be it in a pull-quote from a blurb or as part of a full review published in an article or on the author’s social media. Kirkus Reviews have been around for decades, and are a leading go-to for blurbs/reviews for writers in all genres. Perhaps you’ve even seen a ‘starred Kirkus review’  where there are stars attached to the blurb or review. The star-system is part of the Kirkus deal, when getting a ‘star’ elevates the book to a higher status.

Indeed, status is key here. The brand of ‘Kirkus’ for the publishing world is real and powerful. Kirkus has a rich history in the literary world. You can read about it here.

But how does one get a Kirkus review? In one word: money. In more than one word, it is possible for a writer to pay for a Kirkus review and/or for the publisher to pay for a Kirkus review. It’s a simple process. The website is really great in explaining how it works. As well, you can see all the amazing things Kirkus is up to, including reading their magazine, and finding out about their awards. Click here to find out how to get your book reviewed. (If you’re bursting to get a sense of price, the cost is $425USD for 1 book and 250 words in the review.)

So, should you charge for writing your book blurbs? 

In my experience, I’ve never charged someone for writing a book blurb. I’ve also never been offered money to write one. At least in the literary circles I play in, I don’t know that any of us make money off writing blurbs. It’s a really good and important question considering we typically already do loads of ‘love’ work for free as writers. I think it’s worth it to bring this topic up during your local writers’ union meeting or writer’s group session. If you’re affiliated with/are a member with a writing group, perhaps we can start the conversation about grants and/or payment plans for writing blurbs. It certainly takes time and energy to write a blurb, and it is done in the spirit of supporting a fellow writer, so the ‘work’ comes from a good place.

Maybe you do charge to write a book blurb or book review? Do share that process with us!

I hope this blog post has been enlightening and helpful! We are all in this together – writing our hearts out and hoping for readers to read our words and be affected by them. Thank you to all those who’ve written blurbs!

The River Bookshop – Essex County’s Newest Literary Gem!

[image error]
Gather round literary folk – there’s a new bookshop in town! If you haven’t heard already, let me shout out a ‘here-yeee here-yeee’ for the charming new literary gem that is the River Bookshop. Located in the heart of Amherstburg, this quaintly modern bookshop is awaiting your attention!


[image error]Lead Bookseller, Lori Wightman

I had the opportunity to do a Q&A with Lead Bookseller Lori Wightman to find out more about the River Bookshop. Let’s get acquainted, shall we?

VS: What’s in a name? Can you tell us how the River Bookshop got its name?

LW: Well, firstly the River Bookshop is situated just about 100 metres from the Detroit River and “bookshop” had a nice historical feel to it. Secondly, there’s a quote by Heraclitus “the river I step in is not the river I stand in” and a good bookshop stands for the same principle – always changing and adapting, never the same.

VS: How involved have you been with the bookshop since its inception? Can you tell us about how the dream of this fine establishment began and came to life?

LW: The owner, Richard Peddie, has been thinking about a bookshop for a while. He approached me a year or so ago asking me if he were to open a bookshop, would I be willing to run it. I mostly didn’t think he was serious but I said “Sure!”.  Next thing you know, I’m running a bookshop. The funny thing is I’ve always dreamed of having a little bookshop that people would come visit and sit and interact and that’s exactly what River Bookshop is. As far as being involved, Richard is wonderful about asking for advice and input – the end decision is his, of course, but he’s always willing to listen so I feel like I had a lot of input in the planning.

VS: You are the Lead Bookseller – a robust and exciting title! What is your job?

LW: Robust! I like that…it is a very fancy title but what it all boils down to is I’m the manager. I’m responsible for all the day to day running of the store. I get to buy all the books (that’s fun!).  Luckily, for me, Richard and his wife, Colleen are willing to pitch in while we all learn how it all works so it’s not too stressful.

VS:What are some bookish things you can tell us about yourself? How have books and reading been a part of your life?

LW: Oh wow. Books have ALWAYS been a part of my life. Some of my clearest childhood memories involve books – I can remember interrupting my parents dinner parties so I could show guests my library books. I can remember sitting at my desk in Miss Stechey’s grade 3 class one hot June while she read us Charlotte’s Web and it was an ongoing family joke that if you called me and I didn’t answer I was probably sitting somewhere with my nose in a book. In addition to that, after I had my children I began working for the Essex County Library system as a resource assistant at the Amherstburg Public Library – I did that for 16 years until I left to run the River Bookshop.

VS: The River Bookshop is doing a tremendous job on social media. Is it working? Are folks coming in because they’ve seen/read something about the location via social media? Can you speak to the relationship between readers and social media?

LW: Thank you – we feel social media is important and it allows us to interact not only with our customers but with our business neighbours as well. We make a point of highlighting not just our business but others in town too. I think it is working – we’ve had so many visitors from out of town who have said they saw us on Instagram or Facebook or read our tweets. We have so many people tagging us for photos in our children’s area or with our outside mural as a backdrop – it’s fun! I think readers and social media go hand in hand – so much of social media is telling or showing others what you’ve been doing/eating/reading so it’s a natural relationship to see what others are reading, to talk about the new book out or tell others that they should read such and such a book.

VS: The River Bookshop is hoping to begin (or has begun!) a speaker series. What motivated this series?

LW: Our first speaker event is happening October 1 – it’s a kick off to our Sports series with Mary Ormsby and Paul Hunter who have  been reporting on sports in Canada for a collective 70 years! They’ve got all the behind the scenes scoop. Our series, which include sports, racial justice, climate change, and a host of others were a direct result of our values at River Bookshop which are to entertain, to inspire, to educate and to engage. As Richard says, quoting the late John Lewis, we’re going to cause “good trouble” and make people think.

[image error]

VS: Independent bookstores are the superheroes of the literary world. What do you think the role of the independent bookstore is?

LW: I like to think independent bookstores are just that – independent. We want to be part of the community – whether it’s listening to our readers about what kind of books to stock or bringing in speakers that will engage and inspire. Of course we want to be a viable business but we don’t necessarily make all decisions based on that bottom line like the big chains do. Independents are where you can go to talk books with fellow book lovers, you can’t really get that at a national chain store.

VS: What book(s) are you reading right now?

LW: I’ve been very busy in the month since we opened so I’m not reading as much or as quickly as I would normally but I’ve got two books on the go – Songs for the End of the World (by Saleema Nawaz),  a novel about an impending pandemic (I know, I know, what a choice) and how our bonds with others are so very  important, and Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters (Edited by Darrell Fox), which is about Terry Fox’s legacy as seen through noted Canadians, people who were with him on his Marathon of Hope and others – it’s brought me to tears a couple of times so far.

VS: If you could host any writer (dead or alive) to the River Bookshop, who would you invite and what would you want to talk about?

LW: Oh..Stephen King…hands down. He is such an amazing storyteller I think I would just let him talk about whatever he wanted.

VS: What makes the River Bookshop unique?

LW: Everything it stands for – our values and how we work those into everything we do from our book choices to our speakers series. We really do want to be a “Third Place” that is safe, inclusive, engaging – a community gathering place.

[image error]
VS:The River Bookshop opened during a pandemic! Can you speak to the navigation of this seemingly miraculous feat?!

LW: Well, the planning was in place long before the pandemic came around and, to be honest, we were too far down that road when the pandemic hit to just abandon it. Luckily our renovations on the building were only held up by about two months – our original forecast opening day was mid-June and we actually opened mid-August. As far as the actual opening during the pandemic we had discussed and discussed how we would adapt depending on what stage we were at in Essex County and what services we would offer and how. Luckily we moved into stage 3 just prior to our opening so it all worked out. Adapt and pivot is what I always say – if you can’t do business how you always did then figure out a different way.

VS: What is your favourite book-to-film adaptation?

LW: I’m heading back to Stephen King again – I loved the TV movie adaptation of IT from 1990.  It was a two-part miniseries (remember those?) and it was really well done, very close to the book. An honourable mention goes to the Spenser for Hire TV detective show from the mid 1980’s – based on Robert Parker’s Spenser series of books and starring Robert Urich. I have a little bit of a crush on the Spenser character so that might have affected my vote here.

VS: If you could adapt any book into a film, what would it be?

LW: I would love a remake of  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (novel by Betty Smith) – such a beautiful, sad coming of age story and while the old films are great, I’d like to see a new adaptation.

VS: What is your favourite reading scenario? Example, you have the day off with nothing to do, nothing to worry about – you can read ALL DAY – describe what you’d do!

LW: Oh, that sounds amazing – I think I’d like a couple of books – fiction, non-fiction so I could go back and forth, a warm blanket, snacks at hand and maybe a cat or two and no other responsibilities – that sounds like a perfect day.

The River Bookshop is located at

67 Richmond Street

Amherstburg Ontario

N9V 1G1 Canada 

Phone number: (226)-906-8311

Hours of Operation

Monday – Wednesday 10am – 6pm

Thursday – Saturday 10am – 8pm

Sunday 11am – 5pm

They are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

They also have a great newsletter that is not only information but also allows subscribers to get first dibs on event seating so it’s good to sign up. You can do so at www.riverbookshop.com.

And yes, though there are links to the books mentioned in our Q&A (I put them in so you can read about the books), please do order these books from the River Bookshop!

Thank you Lori and the River Bookshop team!