Poet, Writer, Instructor
I dislike the word “hack.” It sounds so unpleasant, even violent. My dictionary defines it variously as “to cut with repeated, irregular blows,” “to kick the shins of (an opposing player) in rugby,” and “to make trite and commonplace by frequent and indiscriminate use.” Nevertheless, “hack” has acquired new meanings over the years, both positive… Continue reading Hacks for Writers: A Personal List
I rarely watch football, but I did watch the Superbowl matchup between the 49ers and the Chiefs. It was truly a spectacle, surreal in its disorienting deluge of ads (Temu! RFK Jr.!), the odd synergy of Usher and Alicia Keys, the constant-instant replays, and cuts to Taylor Swift in bright red lipstick. As viewers witnessed… Continue reading Winners, Losers and Poets
Mona Lisa is the most-viewed painting in the world. And by art, I mean visual art: paintings, sculpture, photographs, mixed-media, films, buildings, installations, even furniture. Writers need art as much as any other source of inspiration. Art objects are things, and as William Carlos William said, “no ideas but in things.” Art is evidence of… Continue reading Every Writer Needs Art
Does this sound familiar? Equipped with a newly minted MFA in creative writing, you head off into the world with absolutely no idea how to make a living as a writer. Even though you’re amazing in workshops, can critique others’ poems and stories until they sing, won a bunch of prizes sponsored by your university,… Continue reading Business Books for Poets
It’s Tuesday, Day Four of the ice storm that’s paralyzed the Pacific Northwest. I haven’t left the house since Friday, except to tread very carefully on the three-inch thick layer of frozen snow in the backyard to feed my six hens. The hens, showing a level of intelligence hitherto undemonstrated, have refused to exit their… Continue reading Where Do Poems Come From?
Oregon Coast, Summer 2023 I like this time of year for many reasons. The holidays are over, students are trudging back to the classroom, seed catalogs appear in my mailbox, and if I look hard enough, I can see little green buds on the plants in my yard. And winter has officially started, so we… Continue reading Challenge Yourself in 2024
In January 2024, Sticks & Stones will begin its sixth year of publishing reviews of poetry collections. Reviewing collections of poetry continues to fascinate me. When I'm deep in a book, I enter a trance-like state. Time slows down as I absorb the lines these poets have so carefully assembled. This is one of the… Continue reading Sticks & Stones: 2023 Book Covers and 2024 Reviews
It started thirteen years ago when I wrote and published my very first review, of Voyeur by Rich Murphy, which appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of Main Street Rag. Fast forward to the end of 2023, and that number has grown to one hundred and fifteen. I’ve placed reviews in Cider Press Review, The Pedestal, Rain Taxi, PRISM, and the Georgia… Continue reading 115 Reviews and Counting
"My Bed" by Tracey Emin Tracey Emin has been pushing boundaries since she emerged as one of the Young British Artists of the early 1980s. Prolific and controversial, she’s never been reluctant to use her personal life as inspiration for her art. An article in the 11/3/23 New York Times Weekend Arts section reminded me of the time… Continue reading How a Photograph of Tracy Emin’s “My Bed” Inspired Me
Today I took some time to ponder the often mysterious process of publishing my work. Over the last five years, the poems in the list below stand out due to the number of rejections they received, from a low of nine to a high of twenty-one. After the Migraine languished under the weight of 9 rejections… Continue reading Statistics for poets, or fun with the spreadsheet