March 11th, 2010
by the Read Write Poem Staff
Did Zachary Schomburg’s amazing prompt help you create something completely new this week? Was it inspiring, frightening, freeing or complicating? All of the above? None of the above?
Along with your links (or your poem), you might want to say a little something about how the process worked for you this week.
Please read this page to find out how the Get Your Poem On and Read Write Prompt posts work.
Remember that work linked from this post is shared in precisely that spirit: sharing, as opposed to critiquing.
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If you participate in a Read Write Prompt, we ask that you link back here in your posts, either with a link to Read Write Poem or by using the Read Write Poem badge in your post. Sidebar links are great but it helps others find the site when you link in every post you contribute to the project. It’s not a lot to ask in acknowledgment of the work everyone is doing in providing prompts for members to use.
March 10th, 2010
by Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate, 2004-2006
Sometimes beginning writers tell me they get discouraged because it seems that everything has already been written about. But every experience, however commonplace, is unique to he or she who seizes it. There have undoubtedly been many poems about how dandelions pass from yellow to wind-borne gossamer, but this one by the Maryland poet, Jean Nordhaus, offers an experience that was unique to her and is a gift to us.
A Dandelion for My Mother
How I loved those spiky suns,
rooted stubborn as childhood
in the grass, tough as the farmer’s
big-headed children—the mats
of yellow hair, the bowl-cut fringe.
How sturdy they were and how
slowly they turned themselves
into galaxies, domes of ghost stars
barely visible by day, pale
cerebrums clinging to life
on tough green stems. Like you.
Like you, in the end. If you were here,
I’d pluck this trembling globe to show
how beautiful a thing can be
a breath will tear away.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright © 2006 by Jean Nordhaus. Reprinted from Innocence, by Jean Nordhaus, published by Ohio State University Press, 2006, with permission of the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2009 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
March 9th, 2010
by Robert Peake
Ask a poet a question, get a flurry of questions in reply. At least, that’s what my mind did when I read this month’s question “How do you write poetry every day?” I came up with more questions, such as:
- How do you not write poetry every day?
- How do you write good poetry every day?
- How dare you write poetry every day?
- How does poetry write you every day?
- How do you be a poet every day?
That last question is one I am answering in my own life by living it. And the ways I have found to answer it involve addressing all of the previous questions, fanciful though they first may seem.
So, let us begin with the original question, and its opposite. How do you write poetry every day? How do you not write poetry every day? The truth is, I veer somewhere between the two. I write poetry regularly. To me, regularly means often enough that I still feel like I am in the game, and long enough that it matters. Robert Hass is quoted as having said, “Take the time to write. You can do your life’s work in half an hour a day.” In fact, I take about forty minutes.
And interestingly enough, thirty or forty minutes seems to be a magical amount of time. It’s less than an hour, and therefore harder to resist. But it’s enough to get me going, to feel that I have put in a reasonable amount of time. If things aren’t flowing, I quit after forty minutes. If not, I often run over. Short, regular bursts, with flexibility to follow the heat when it comes, have served me well.
Next question: How do you write good poetry every day (or at least regularly)? Well, good luck. Two of the faculty at my MFA program were colleagues of William Stafford, and raconteurs. I was fortunate to hear them tell of a time during some gathering or function when Stafford split off from the group at lunchtime, deciding to eat by himself and write some poems. The rest simply ate. Afterward, skeptically and conspiratorially, they quizzed Stafford on what he had written. He handed them half-a-dozen poems. “And,” said one faculty member to the other, eyes gleaming in amazement, “some of them were pretty good.”
It seems to me that poetry is a lot like photography. The secret to getting good photos, or poems, is to take a lot of shots. Though we might not all be as prolific as Stafford, I firmly believe that writing good poetry comes from reading, writing and revising poetry often. This, of course, takes time and energy — time some might say could be better spent elsewhere. Hence, the question: how dare you write poetry?
There are many things one can do with a life, and many needs in this world. Some see poetry as a dying art. Others favor a more tangible medium. But for me, poetry is very rightly done on a dare. It is a dare against reductionism in our relationship to language, and therefore our world. I dare to explore the complex and often contradictory states of human awareness through poetry because they are there, undeniably, in my art and in my life. That is not to say my art can justify any amount of neglect in my life. I believe in Flaubert’s credo: “Be steady and well-ordered in your life, that you may be fierce and original in your work.”
This is how poetry can begin to “write me” in my life. I work for a man named David Allen, who invented a simple but remarkable methodology for managing the mundane (and not-so-mundane) aspects of work and life. Even if he were to boot me out the door today with a footprint on my back, I cannot deny that his Getting Things Done® methodology has transformed my art and life. One of the major tenets of his approach is to capture ideas, activities and projects into a trusted system.
For many years, I captured poetry ideas in my ubiquitous pocket notebook. It seemed as though there were moments in my day when poetry could peek through the morass of thoughts and feelings that go with daily life. Now, however, I capture everything else, and know that I will process it in due course. In this way, I have managed to shift my mindset from a swirl of to-dos in my head (think Pig Pen from the Peanuts series) with the occasional glimmer of poetic insight, to living more and more in the poetic mindset. Daily meditation also helps.
Nurturing this “head space,” first by deciding to be a poet every day (whether or not one writes every day), is by far the most important aspect of my relationship to art. Combined with the (flexible) discipline of writing regularly; realizing my job is to take many shots, not expect everything to be good; and continuing to dare against all odds to be true to what is uniquely mine to express — well, this is how I answer the ongoing question “How do you be a poet every day?”
It is a worthwhile pursuit. Living as a poet is a process that heightens my relationship to myself, to others and the world around me. I encourage you to find your own ways — not matter how often you write, or how good you think it is now — to be a poet, in whatever circumstances you find yourself, a little bit more each day.
Please send your poetry questions to advice (at) readwritepoem (dot) org and leave your thoughts about this question and answer session here, in the comments section.
Getting Things Done® is a registered trademark of The David Allen Company.
 Robert Peake studied poetry at U.C. Berkeley and in the Master of Fine Arts in Writing program at Pacific University, Ore. His poems have appeared in North American Review, Rattle and are forthcoming in Poetry International. Robert writes about poetry at robertpeake.com. (photo credit :: John J. Campbell)
March 8th, 2010
by Nathan Moore
How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing as a child. There are still several wrinkled scribbles on lined paper around here somewhere from those days. By the time I was 12 or so, I actually attempted to write poems that others would enjoy reading. (And not embarrass me!)
I did go for many years only writing very occasionally, but over the past year something inside of me “clicked” and now I just can’t seem to turn it off. I hope it continues … .
I have always had a very large creative “monkey” on my back that I have to humor, and writing poetry keeps him satisfied, and is much cheaper than some of my other creative endeavors!
Do you schedule time for writing or do you write when inspiration strikes?
I try to write a bit every day, usually very early in the morning when the house is quiet. Just me, my laptop, and a cup of coffee. When I can’t do that for one reason or another, I feel as though I am forgetting something important, like my vitamins!
When wild inspiration strikes, it is, “Quick, drop everything and get it down before you lose it!” I have been known to burn dinner when that happens.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Not really. I just make myself sit down and start typing. I will sometimes have a very vague idea so I just brainstorm on the computer, typing like mad anything that comes into my head for about a half hour, then I look back and see if one or more lines jump out at me. I like to take a simple idea about something and try to turn it on it’s ear or inside out. I also love the prompts on Read Write Poem. They give me something to write about when the well feels dry.
What is your process for revising a poem?
I read the darn thing over and over (usually aloud), making changes along the way but always keeping the original. (Sometimes the original is better than my revisions!) Then I put it all away for a day or two and when I get it out, I start the whole process over again until I feel it is either “good enough” or am so sick of it I never want to look at it again!
Has blogging changed your writing or the way that you write?
Unfortunately, I don’t think anything can change me! My writing just IS, and very determined to be it’s own boss. Blogging does however, guilt me into writing something down when I may want to play hooky. Right now my goal is to put something new on the blog twice a week. I would love to be able to post a fabulous poem every day, but as of yet, that is just not happening.
Have you ever collaborated with another poet or artist? What did you think of that experience?
No, I haven’t had the opportunity as of yet, but it is something that I would really love to do. I think it would be such an enjoyable learning experience and may help me grow as a writer.
What line of poetry do you love the most?
I know this is a bit trite as it’s such a popular line, but when I first read Robert Frost at about age 10, I just kept coming back to the line, “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” That one line has stayed with me always. I even wrote an autobiographical poem a few months ago entitled, “Robert Frost” that references this line. It’s on my blog. (A shameless bit of self-promotion.)
What line of your own poetry do you love the most?
Oh, I get favorites all the time and then I write something new and develop a different “crush.” One line that I put in a poem recently has always been my mantra to help get through hard times, so that might be the line. “I will never be broken.”
Name your three favorite poets.
I have to preface this by saying that I spent my entire childhood reading over and over from a VERY old and tattered poetry book. I drove my siblings insane with my orations. The poets in this book are like my old cherished friends, and when I re-read them I feel such nostalgia and joy. Limiting is impossible, but Emerson, Wordsworth, Longfellow and all the gang. Frost of course.
Part of the reason I have trouble writing in a more modern style is that those old poems have seeped so deeply into my subconscious and they are always trying to “escape.”
What’s the most important thing a poem does?
In my mind, the very best poetry speaks to the reader and opens their hearts and minds to new ideas, thoughts and beliefs.
What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever written a poem?
It’s not really weird, but this summer while on vacation. I know I should have been out just having fun, but I still made time every morning to write. My husband thinks I have a slight touch of insanity.
What interests you about participating in Read Write Poem?
I don’t feel alone anymore. In the small town where I have always lived, there is really no outlet or community of writers, poets, etc. so I have been operating on my own little desert island. I also have no formal education; the last writing class I took was in High School! (About the time Noah was building the Ark). Since joining this group, I have made some wonderful friends and have been mentored by them. To read their work really makes me want to be a better poet. To have someone actually read my work and find some merit in it is just the most amazing thing. Before RWP, when someone read my words I felt like they were just humoring a poor, half-witted child. I still feel that way at times, but to have these much more talented and experienced poets tell me that I CAN write is just indescribable to me.
Can poetry save the world?
Well, not in itself. But the truth, honesty and beauty of poetry can uplift humanity from it’s basic struggle and transport all of us into the hope of something better, something finer. When someone who has never been interested in poetry or artistic expression through words reads one of my pieces and it causes them to develop an interest in poetry in general, I feel that is why I write, and that can be part of how poetry can “save the world.”
Have a question or thought to share? Let us know in the comments section of this post.
 Community director Nathan Moore found The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry and left the academy. He once lived in a house with three walls. Nathan shares his writing at Exhaust Fumes and French Fries.
March 5th, 2010
by Zachary Schomburg
 Zachary Schomburg setting off a few sparks The spark that happens from these two unrelated tropes will be the heart of this poem.
One of the tenets of surrealism from Andre Breton’s Le Manifeste du Surréalisme is the concept of manufacturing a “spark” set off by touching together two images/words that have no logical relationship with one another. This creates a third thing, the space between those two points, that has never before existed, something a reader has no way of intellectually compartmentalizing. While Breton is mostly talking about the spark between singular images, I think a similar electricity, that third undefinable thing, can happen while putting whole tropes together, clashing metaphors, etc.
This is not a new idea — the Italians were way ahead of the French here. Almost all sonnets have some kind of volta, some turn of logic about three-quarters of the way through the poem (depending on whether it is Petrarchian or Shakespearean) that puts the poem’s last lines in emotional, narrative, conceptual contrast with what preceded them. It is where the poem gets turned on its head never to return to its original uprightness; it is where the poem hinges. I believe that without some sort of volta, a poem falls flat and is one-dimensional because it has nothing to butt up against.
So, what I propose is that we write a poem in two parts and then later combine those parts at its volta.
Part one
Write a missive to someone you knew, personally, who died a while ago, someone for whom you haven’t grieved in some time. Tell them about a very specific memory between the two of you, perhaps one that they wouldn’t even necessarily remember. This shouldn’t take up more than five to seven lines or so. For example, I would tell my grandpa that I remember being a child and sitting on his lap, watching the Kansas City Royals on television, that he had a glass of ice milk, and that his chewing tobacco smelled minty.
Part two
Make a minor confession, something you haven’t told anyone before (but that isn’t necessarily a major secret — or hell, confess what you want). Perhaps you’ll write about something you’ve stolen, some small moment of indiscretion, transgression or weakness, something for which you hold some guilt. This should only be a few lines long. Maybe the last of those lines can address how it made you feel to steal this thing (or whatever your confession might be).
These parts have nothing to do with one another. In other words, your confession does not relate to your memory of your lost loved one. When putting both parts together, find a turn of phrase that creates a narrative shift — something like “I wanted to tell you … .”
Also, I should be clear that what we’re doing has nothing to do with Surrealism. In fact, what will be created with my suggestions will be far from it. But that spark that happens from these two unrelated tropes will be the heart of this poem. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get at something that you can emotionally understand but not articulate.
Zachary Schomburg is the author of Scary, No Scary (Black Ocean, 2009) and The Man Suit (Black Ocean, 2007). He is a co-editor of both Octopus Magazine and Octopus Books. A collaborative chapbook with Emily Kendal Frey, “Team Sad,” was published in 2009 by Cinematheque Press. He lives in Portland, Ore. You can find out more about his poetry at his blog, The Lovely Arc.
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get the read write poem badge! 
Wear it loud, wear it proud! Display the Read Write Poem badge on your site. Just click here or on the image above to get the code! read write poem news- a new poem every day in april (requires reading, not writing)
March 10, 2010 | 6:33 pm“Beginning April 1, Poets.org sends one new poem to your inbox each day to celebrate National Poetry Month. The poems have been selected from new books published in the spring.” Sign up here.
- and it keeps on coming: our (virtual) tour of molly gaudry’s ‘anatomy for the artist’
March 9, 2010 | 1:00 pmLawrence Gladeview has posted his thoughts about Molly Gaudry’s electronic chapbook, “Anatomy for the Artist.” Find the post at Righteous Rightings.
In case you missed it, the first stop was Donna Vorreyer’s, at her blog. Next was Catherine Fitchett at Poetry Chook.
You can find information about the chapbook and tour here, including a link to where to find it and read it online.
- obama’s first hundred days in poetry
March 6, 2010 | 8:36 amArielle Greenberg and Rachel Zucker challenged 100 poets to note the political climate of each of President Obama’s first days in office. The blogged poems have been anthologized in a work called Starting Today: 100 Poems for Obama’s First 100 Days, which will be released in April (ahem, National Poetry Month, although you can pre-order a copy at their blog site).
Read about it here. A hat tip to Rethabile Masilo who posted a link to Rachel Zucker’s poem at his blog, Poéfrika.
- announcing the next stop in our (virtual) tour of molly gaudry’s ‘anatomy for the artist’
March 4, 2010 | 11:14 amCatherine Fitchett is one of our hosts on the (virtual) book tour of Molly Gaudry’s electronic chapbook, “Anatomy for the Artist.” Find out what she has to say at Poetry Chook.
In case you missed it, the first stop was Donna Vorreyer’s, at her blog.
You can find information about the chapbook and tour here, including a link to where to find it and read it online.
If you would like to get on the tour host schedule, join the Read Write Poem Virtual Book Tour group and leave us a note on the wire or forum page. (We’re looking for a few more people in general and for April, specifically. It’s not to late to get on the tour and get a copy of January G. O’Neil’s Underlife, our tour for April.)
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