In honor of Shakespeare’s birthday today (and World Book Night tonight!), here is my favorite sonnet. SONNET 130 My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses…
Because I was such an avid reader and lover of poetry as a child, I did not discover Shel Silverstein until my friends started passing around copies of Where the Sidewalk Ends at school. I enjoyed Silverstein’s prose and fun approach to poetry, but he wasn’t as groundbreaking for me as he was for some. I mean…he’s not Ogden…
My dearly beloved bosom companion Leanna Renee Hieber posted an incredibly fun and insightful interview last Monday about her writing process last week, and then asked if I wouldn’t mind answering the same questions in turn. But of course! And here they are: ************************************ What am I working on? Right now, I’m working on three things at once. I’m…
My response to “Tears of the Hollow Men,” written after a personal family issue…and a dream about a monk who wrote a poem describing the shifting of a cloud from an eagle to an angel. ********************************* Tears of the Hollow Men Alethea Kontis (1994) Blue clouds at sunset With silver-pink lining Free as an eagle On the wind shining…
(Now I want to write a parody play with this title. But that’s beside the point…) I was notified yesterday that The Huffington Post had cited THE ENTIRE WOODCUTTER SISTERS SERIES as part of a list of “10 Books to Read While Impatiently Waiting for Maleficent.” WOOHOOOO!!!!!!! Yeah, I’m still dancing about it. To read the article with the…
I never read Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, but I knew very well who The Guy was. When I discovered this poem in my twelfth grade textbook, I fell in love so hard I even wrote a poem of my own in response (I’ll post that tomorrow). I stole that textbook. **************************** The Hollow Men T.S. Eliot Mistah Kurtz—he dead….
Poor Emily Dickinson, becoming famous after her death, leaving that giant trunk full of her work behind. This was a genuine fear of my childhood. I can’t tell you how incredibly happy I am to be published. I appreciate it every single day. Much Madness is divinest Sense By Emily Dickinson Much Madness is divinest Sense – To a…
When I was young, I was often referred to as “The Little Girl With the Little Curl.” I had always thought of this as a Mother Goose nursery rhyme…until looking this up for National Poetry Month, I HAD NO IDEA it was penned by Longfellow. ***************************** There was a little girl By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow There was a little…
I fell in love with this poem because it was the one that Anne of Green Gables performed enthusiastically to a surprised and welcoming crowd. By rights I should have fallen for “Lady of Shalott” in a similar fashion, but for whatever reason I’ve never quite warmed to the Arthurian legends. A thief in love? MUCH more my speed….
Reportedly, this is the world’s shortest poem, attributed to Ogden Nash (but under debate): Fleas Adam Had ’em. Ogden Nash did, however, pen these shortie-but-goodies: Parsley It’s gharsley and I like mustard Even on custard and The trouble with a kitten is THAT Eventually it becomes a CAT. This may have been at the heart of why I loved…
I finished my novel on Wednesday. I had such…
Joan Wilder was always my hero. I was 8…
tl;dr – If you give us $10 or more,…
