Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 118

Request: What do you think poets should know when they are starting out?

Hmmm, this will definitely be a list answer!



What do you think poets should know when they are starting out?





1) Poetry may not make you wealthy in material goods, but it will make you rich at heart.





2) You may spend an entire day on putting in a comma and taking it out and that's okay.





3) It may always feel weird to call yourself a poet.





4) The best way to learn is to read poets who are publishing today.





5) It's better to say poetry as a way to make a life than a...

Can You Find the Deer

Okay, I'm kind of annoyed at myself for having my camera set on black & white, but love the deer's face in this photo.  Today at 1:30 pm by my home...

Request: Writing New Poems

Another requested topic with some good questions--









Do you often write from prompts?  





Sometimes, but usually only during National Poetry Month or if I'm trying to write a poem a day.  Also, if I'm writing with another writer or in a group.





Normally, when I want to write a poem, I sit down, pull a favorite book of poems off the shelf, read a poem or two and see what it brings out in me.





I feel that in this way I am sort of adding to the poetry conversation and not just running...

Attn: Seattle Folks!

Elliott Bay Books in Seattle                                     Susan & cat



Reading this Saturday, June 19th at Elliott Bay Books (at its new location on Capitol Hill), Susan Rich will be reading from her new collection, The Alchemist's Kitchen.



Here are the details from Elliott Bay Books' website:







SUSAN RICHStart: 7:00 pmCo-presented with HEDGEBROOK. Award-winning Seattle poet Susan Rich, who has read at Elliott Bay for each of her first two books—The Cartographer's Tongue/Poems...

Confession Tuesday - Alone does not mean Lonely

I confess my confessions aren't as edgy as some would like, which leads me to confess that I am not an edgy person (surprise).  In fact, I tend to like (love) routine and staying home.

I prefer intellectual exercise over physical exercise.

I like the microwave cleared and on zero and not some random number it was just left on, stopped mid-cycle.

I like cereal for breakfast always.  I like BFD (breakfast for dinner) when it comes to omelets, french toast or pancakes.

I like my bed...

Brunch with Jeannine Hall Gailey

(me, annette, jeannine)

Annette (my co-editor at Crab Creek Review) went to have lunch downtown with Jeannine Hall Gailey while she visited.



We talked of poetry, books, publication, gluten-free eating, and all the things that only a handful of people find interesting.  She gave Annette slippers and me a new fabric make-up bag, all wrapped in tissue paper in her pink grab bag of gifts.





Jeannine is looking incredible and is so very healthy, which is great news.  And will hopefully be...

From january's blog Writer's Meme

Consider yourself tagged if you're reading this.


1. What's the last thing you wrote?
An email. A blog post. A shopping list. A poem. In that order.


2. Is it any good?
My shopping list was awesome. The email was kind and the blog post was okay. The poem is too young to judge. Ask me in a month or two.

3. What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?
My mum saved a poem I wrote in grade school. I also have a book of poems I wrote in 5th grade that includes a limerick about a do...

More Organizations Helping the Wildlife in the Gulf: Oil Spill Crisis

This info and more is available at Take Part and their focus on the oil spill.  Please go there for more information and especially is you live in the area.  They have info about volunteering, etc.

Here's more info on how you can help below--











National Wildlife Federation Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund (Nwf.org)Donations to this group fund various efforts:The National Wildlife Federations Gulf Coast Surveillance Team, a volunteer network that will monitor the coast for impact on...

How You Can Help Wildlife Impacted by the BP Oil Spill - National Wildlife Federation

How You Can Help Wildlife Impacted by the BP Oil Spill - National Wildlife Federation



If you've been feeling as if there's nothing you can do regarding this oil spill (this is what I think about daily), you CAN support the organizations who have the skills to care for the injured animals and wildlife.

The National Wildlife Federation has set up mobile giving services to support their work in the Gulf Coast. Donors can send a text message with the code "WILDLIFE" to 20222 to automatically...

Request: What is My Writing Routine

I mentioned I would be happy to blog about topics of your request this summer and a few have come in, so watch for them in the next week or so.





Here's a good one about what is my writing routine?





I'd love to hear about how you work.  Could that be more general?  But what I mean is, when you sit down to write what, exactly, do you do?  I remember one post that said you let one poem feed off the previous poem you'd written.   How does that work for you?  



I tend not to have a specific...