Craft – Erica Goss

Associated Press Ends Weekly Book Reviews

August 13, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

As a book reviewer myself, I can attest to how many hours go into writing reviews. First, you have to choose the book, or agree to a book an editor chooses for you. Then you must read it, of course, many times, taking notes, noting themes, and looking for those juicy bits you can share with readers. This is all before the actual writing of the review, which can take anywhere from hours to days. Then, like all writing, it needs some time in the drawer before you pull it out and edit it, re-read it again and again, edit again, and finally send it off. If you did a good job, you won’t have too many corrections from your editor.

Craft, The Creative Process, The Writing Life

The Notebook Tour – What Shows, What’s Hidden

July 29, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

Handwriting grabs our attention in ways that printed words simply don’t. As I watched the recently released documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, images of Joel’s lyrics, penned on white sheets of paper, spread across the screen: long sentences filled with words and phrases, some crossed out, some traced over and over. Here was evidence of a creative mind at work; Joel’s words were like a sculptor’s fingerprints in clay.

Craft, Poetry, Poetry + Art, The Creative Process

Sea and Stars: Writing the Sestina

July 15, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

A long time ago, when I first came across Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “Sestina,” I didn’t realize that the title referred to the poem’s form. I thought that “Sestina” was, perhaps, the grandmother’s first name—a different form, if you will, of the name “Tina” – “In the failing light, the old grandmother / sits in the kitchen with the child.”

Craft, Reviews, Sticks & Stones, The Creative Process, The Writing Life

How to Become a Poetry Book Reviewer

June 25, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

There’s a problem in the literary world: we don’t have enough good, thoughtful criticism from literary citizens. Anyone who enjoys reading poetry, including poets themselves, can and should write reviews. Writing reviews has added a new skill to my writer’s toolbox, improved my close reading abilities, and brought me new friends in the poetry world. It’s become an important part of my practice.

Craft, Poetry, The Creative Process

Five Poetry Forms You May Not Have Heard About

May 13, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

Just for fun, here are five poetry forms you might not be familiar with. I hope they spark some creativity.

Craft, The Creative Process, The Writing Life

Tell the World You’re a Writer: AWP 2025, Part 3

April 22, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

A tribute to Gianna and Kobe Bryant outside the LA Convention Center. Last of a three-part series. Read Part 1 and Part 2. On Day 3 of the conference, I was starting to experience cognitive overload, a condition many attendees have commented on. Normally we writers spend most of our time alone, and when we socialize, it tends… Continue reading Tell the World You’re a Writer: AWP 2025, Part 3

Craft, The Creative Process, The Writing Life

Tell the World You’re a Writer: AWP 2025, Part 2

April 15, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

It was 3:20 pm, the fifth panel of the day, I hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast, the room was warm, and my brain was processing the ideas from the previous four panels. I had a harder time paying attention, but I did absorb some of the information the panelists shared.

Craft, The Creative Process, The Writing Life

Tell the World You’re a Writer: AWP 2025

April 8, 2025April 8, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

It took me a roundtrip of four days and 1700 miles of driving, but this year’s AWP, held at the LA Convention Center, was worth every minute. The rainbow of humanity flowing in and out of the conference rooms was, all by itself, an uplifting experience. Add decent weather (cloudy, moderate, with a bit of rain), an enormous Bookfair, and panels that more than satisfied my need for artistic stimulation, and I was in a three-day fog of happiness.

Craft

The Cento: A Creative Cure for Writer’s Block

January 28, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

The word “cento” means “patchwork” in Latin. It’s a fitting name for a form made of lines from other people’s poems, rearranged to create something new. According to The Handbook of Poetic Forms, “Centos go back at least as far as the second century.” Centos were popular until the 17th century; interest in them revived in the 20th. Poets such as John Ashbery, Bob Holman, and David Lehman have written centos. Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson’s latest book, Blue on a Blue Palette, which I reviewed for The Pedestal, contains several centos.

Craft, The Writing Life

It’s ok to dabble

September 27, 2024January 8, 2025 Erica Goss, Poet

Oh, that withering term, “dabble,” insinuating that a “dabbler” isn’t serious, flits about like a cabbage butterfly, and abandons things when they get difficult. It’s right up there with “dilettante,” “amateur,” and “superficial,” related, both in meaning and in sound, to “doodle,” another activity that sounds suspiciously frivolous. In spite of its bad reputation, dabbling… Continue reading It’s ok to dabble