Finding What You Didn’t Lose (and a Giveaway)

Finding What You Didn’t Lose by John Fox is a book on writing poetry. The whole title continues with Expressing Your Truth and Creativity Through Poem-Making. It’s one of my favorite books on poetry. It has chapters on

The need for poetry making in our lives
Revealing yourself in your poem
Reconnecting with your natural creativity
Experimenting with the Delight of Language
Metaphor and Other Tools
Making Poems from Your Journal Entries
Creating a Community of Poem Makers
Breaking Through Your Pain With Words
Expressing the Sacred Through Poetry

So why am I giving it away? Because at one point I thought I’d lost it in Tucson and ordered another. Yes, yes, I understand the irony in thinking I’d lost a book called Finding What You Didn’t Lose. And once the second one arrived, I found the first one. Of course. That’s the only way you find something you’ve lost, by purchasing a replacement.

This book is the replacement book. It may have a few underlines in it, but not many.There are many examples of poetry, by Fox’s students as well as by well-known poets. There are also great quotes about poetry in the margins, so if you are a marginalia lover, this is absolutely for you.

It comes with a painted leaf bookmark–the leaf is from an Arizona eucalyptus tree–the leaves aren’t the round ones you are used to seeing with koalas, this leave is about six inches long and looks like a blade. One side is painted gold. There is no further explanation needed. Wait till you see The Gardener Chapter in the Inner Hero Art Journal book and you will understand.

Leave a comment telling me why you want a book on how to write poetry. On Wednesday, October 16, I’ll chose a winner at random, from the best answers. How’s that for an out? I can’t help it, some answers will make me laugh or feel the book is going to the right home. I’ll gather those and draw a random name.

Good luck!

--Quinn McDonald writes poetry and dreams of being in a poetry slam some day.