poems

“Lament of the North Atlantic Right Whale” Wins First Place for Poetry in Blue Institute’s 2020 Words on Water Contest

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Blue Institute Words on Water 2020 winners

 

A remarkable thing happened last week: One of my poems won a writing contest!

“Lament of the North Atlantic Right Whale” received first place in the Poetry category for the Blue Institute‘s 2020 Words on Water Writing Contest. The main criteria for this contest, which also has categories for prose and playwriting, is that the entered pieces should involve water, since Blue Institute’s mission is clean water and ocean conservation. You can read “Lament,” as well as the other winning pieces, now at BI’s 2020 Words on Water results page. (Once the page loads, “Lament” is the first piece below the contest logo.)

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New Poems in the Latest Issue of “Constellations”

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Happy February, friends! Today I’m thrilled to share that the latest issue of Constellations is out, and it features two new poems from me: “2:00 a.m.” and “An Ode to a Tibetan Singing Bowl.” It’s a huge honor to be a part of this local print-only journal (Constellations is based in my home state of Massachusetts), and I’m pleased (and a little nervous) that the editor chose two poems that are completely different from each other in topic and tone.

Here’s my recent Instagram post where I showed my contributor’s copy. Don’t you love the space-themed cover art? ❤

Volume 10 of Constellations, which is titled “Synthesis,” is available for purchase via Amazon through their online stores in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan. Visit Constellation’s website to learn more about how to purchase your own copy.

New Poem Featured in Winter 2021 Issue of Soul-Lit

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Today I’m happy to share that my poem “Moose Hill Street Lullaby” is featured in the Winter 2021 issue of Soul-Lit! This isn’t the first time my work has been published in this online journal of spiritual poetry (“Learning to Be” and “Elegy” have also been published there), so it’s wonderful to continue to be a part of their community of contributors.

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Poetry News! Plus, an Overdue Update

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Hi, everyone. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

Don’t worry. I’m doing well for the most part, and my loved ones and I have managed to stay healthy during the pandemic. This year has also been extremely busy, especially with growing my book editing and writing coaching business Heart of the Story. So as time has gone on, I’ve had to let blogging slide for various reasons. Continue reading →

Upcoming Online Event: Poems That Heal the Soul on Thursday, May 26

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Hey there, friends and writers. How are you and your loved ones doing? Hanging in there, I hope?

I want to let you know about a special online poetry event I’m hosting next week that I’m incredibly excited about. And here’s what’s neat about it:

You don’t have to write poetry to attend.
You simply have to love reading it.

On Thursday, May 21, I’m partnering with my friends at SheBreathes Balance & Wellness Studio for Poems That Heal the Soul: An Online Poetry Discussion. If you’ve been turning to poetry for comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, then this virtual event will be a great opportunity to meet other poetry lovers and share some of your favorite poems that have helped you lately.

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Listen to Me Read a New Poem in the Latest Issue of Golden Walkman Magazine

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Oh, are you in store for a treat today! 😀

I’m thrilled to share that my poem “No Darkness Here (An Ode to Metal Music)” is featured in the latest issue of Golden Walkman Magazine. However, you won’t be able to read a printed version of the poem. You see, Golden Walkman is a podcast-style literary journal that, in their own words, “aims at giving the written word a voice.” So all of the work they publish is in audio format only – which means you’ll be able to listen to me read the poem!

(Read more after the jump.)

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New Poem “Head of the Table” Published at The Bookends Review

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Today I’m honored to share that my poem “Head of the Table” has been published. Usually, I’d include lots of exclamation points at the end of that sentence. (And believe me, I feel that way!! See?) But “Head of the Table” is one of my most personal poems and more solemn and reflective than others that have been published so far. So I feel a mix of excitement, nostalgia, pride, and wistfulness right now. But that’s a good thing, I think.

(Read more after the jump.)

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New at DIY MFA: Identifying Literary Themes in Our Poems

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When my previous DIY MFA post went live, I might have mentioned it was the first of two posts I’d write about literary themes and poetry. 😉 So today’s post is the unofficial part two! It’s about identifying themes in the poetry you write using the original source of the poem’s inspiration (or, rather, what the poem’s about), your reasons for writing it in the first place, and the emotions you were feeling that influenced the poem’s tone. I also share examples from my own poetry to explain this process, then end the post with a thoughtful question: Why is it important for a poet to know the themes they cover in their work?

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