Lately, I’ve been challenging myself to write more formal poetry. Not a lot, mind you, but I’ve tried out a couple of forms and with some success. Awhile back, I described writing a ghazal, and I thought I’d do the same for the pantoum. This is a form that has stymied me for awhile, yetContinue reading “How to Write a Pantoum”
Tag Archives: Poetry
Letter to a Young Poet
The other day, I received an email from a poet, I don’t really know his age, asking about what he could do to get his work published. From his message, I gathered he was submitting to magazines, but hadn’t been accepted yet, or hadn’t been accepted much. I thought I could use that as anContinue reading “Letter to a Young Poet”
Of Lines and Sentences in Poems
This week, one of my favorite magazines, Birmingham Poetry Review, accepted two of my poems. They’re not that easy to get into, so I’m very pleased to have two poems selected for their Spring 2024 issue. In proofreading the poems before sending them back, I was reminded that they both have many more lines thanContinue reading “Of Lines and Sentences in Poems”
Poetry Review: Martín Espada, The Republic of Poetry
Persona vs Narrator
Today a question came in about using persona to describe the narrator in fiction.
Advice from the Editor’s Desk
This is the time of year I love — no, I’m not talking about preparations for Thanksgiving and Christmas or even about finals week. I’m talking about the time each year when I get to sit down, as I did this weekend, and put together the pages for Poetry South. As always, there has beenContinue reading “Advice from the Editor’s Desk”
The Story Behind My Tennessee Williams Poem
The story behind the poems I’ll read at the Tennessee Williams Tribute, Sept. 12, 2020.
A Writer’s Labor Day: Submissions
How I spent my Labor Day sending out submissions.
Note to Self: Start a Book Club
This morning, I had a thought. And despite my title, it wasn’t about starting a typical book club. As the first day of classes looms and work on syllabi is delayed by work on finding classrooms for face-to-face classes where they can be socially distanced and other unusual tasks that have occupied the summer andContinue reading “Note to Self: Start a Book Club”
My Poetry on Vimeo
Back in 2016, I had the good fortune to be part of the Mississippi Book Festival. I’m hoping to repeat that when my next book comes out (are you listening publishers?), but I noticed recently that the Book Festival put the panels on Vimeo. I knew this at the time, and I’m sure I evenContinue reading “My Poetry on Vimeo”