My Poetry Workshop Adventure Part 2

Here I am, back in the real world after four amazing days at Highlights. There is so much I want to share, but I've been grading papers all evening, and it's nearly 11PM.  So for now, I’ll just say that it was every bit as magical as I hoped it would be.

Spending time with Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard was a dream come true. I was very nervous to meet them, but their warm, welcoming ways instantly helped me feel at ease. They are kind and generous teachers who filled us with inspiration and encouragement. We laughed, we sang, we read, we wrote, and we deeply listened to each other. Each poem, each critique, each person mattered. We were all there to celebrate poetry!  I’ve been to many workshops, but this was by far the best one.  “The Heart and Craft of Poetry” was a life-changing experience for me because for the first time in my life I felt like I found people who spoke my language and shared my heart.

                                                        our group photo

                                             

I was happy to finally meet some of my Poetry Friday buddies.  They are an incredible bunch, and it felt like we were all old friends.

                                      The Poetry Friday gang with Rebecca and Georgia.

The folks at Highlights took excellent care of us, and made us feel at home with delicious food and cozy accommodations.

                                                

                                                   my home for four fabulous days

I wrote in my notebook each night before bed so I wouldn’t forget a single moment.  I sure hope I get to attend another Highlights workshop. If you have the opportunity to attend one, I know you will love it!

                                                            our poet-tree

My friend, Catherine is hosting today's Poetry Friday at Reading to the Core. 

My Poetry Workshop Adventure Part 1

I only have time for a quick post because I'm busy packing for my trip to the Highlights Foundation.  The workshop I’m attending is The Heart and Craft of Poetry.  Just the title alone makes me swoon with anticipation!  

A poetry dream team of Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Davis, and a special Skype visit by our beloved, Mr. Lee Bennett Hopkins will immerse us in poetry from Sunday-Thursday.  I’ve wanted to do this for sooooo long; I plan to soak up every single word! I can’t wait to learn from these poetry heroes who I’ve admired forever!

                                                 my home for a few days

I’m also looking forward to meeting some of my Poetry Friday buddies including: Heidi Bee Roemer, Charles Waters, Buffy Silverman, RobinHood Black, Linda Baie. I apologize for not remembering everyone who told me they would be there, but I look forward to meeting every one them!  I’m thrilled (and a little nervous) to be in the company of so many brilliant poets! I just know I’m going to learn a lot from them too.

For the past two weeks, I’ve been pondering what to bring with me. We were sent a list:

·         3 poems to polish (not sure which ones I’ll take just yet)

·         a notebook (I’m bringing several, you know, for all that soaking!)

·         one book of children’s poetry (That’s a tough one. I have so many favorites. I’ll bring several and decide later which one to share.)

·         one small object (Oh, I think I have that one covered.)

I’m also going to take my current WIP because the workshop location will provide the perfect inspiration!

One more thing I’m going to take with me is the advice of my very wise mentor, Laura Purdie Salas  and make a list of goals for the workshop. (Thanks, Laura!)  

This will likely be my one and only opportunity to attend a Highlights workshop so I want to make the most of it.  I’d love to hear your tips and/or advice for a successful workshop experience.  Being a newbie,  I’m open to suggestions! I've never done anything like this so I am beyond excited!   I'll tell you all about my adventure in a future blog post. Let’s just hope I don’t embarrass myself too much with all my swooning!

Be sure to stop by The Poem Farm where my talented friend, Amy has today's Poetry Friday roundup. 

Snippets, Poems, and Reflections

Last month, when I was planned my April project, I really believed that I could find time to write and then blog every day about my progress.  The first week went pretty well.  Then other responsibilities started piling up, and there were days when I got home late so from school, every ounce of my energy was shot.  I had to make a choice, work on the poems or write a blog post.  I went with the poems, and I'm glad I did.  My goal was to write twenty poem rough drafts by the end of April.  I only wrote twelve, but now I have a dozen more than I had at this time last month!  So, instead of feeling like a failure, I decided to make this my new mantra.

Here's the best part.  Although I still have a long way to go, I am still excited about my WIP!  Anyone who knows me will tell you that is HUGE.   I finally found a routine that works for me. Every day,  I do something to move forward.  It might be reading some of the "snippets" I wrote in February or an article or book on my topic. Some days, it might just be jotting a few words, an image, or line on a scrap of paper.  But, no matter how small, I always do something.  To help keep my topic in mind,  I placed pictures of poem ideas throughout my house.  The pictures were great reminders to get writing.  I'd love to have more time, but for now, this method seems to be working.

As we move into May, I'm motivated to keep going. I starting to believe I can do this! I have no idea if anything I've written is publishable, but I want to see this project through. My May goal is to finish the last eight rough draft poems. Then I'll send them off to Mentors for Rent to get a professional critique. What happens after that, I'll have to wait and see. Right now, my only focus is to get those poems written!

Today I'm sharing a poem by Edgar A. Guest that I'm keeping on my desktop. I hope it encourages you as much as it does me. 

Today's Poetry Friday roundup is at Buffy's Blog.   I hope to see you there!

Snippets, Poems, and Reflections Day 19

Have you ever read something that unexpectedly led to an idea for a poem that would fit perfectly into your WIP?  That's what happened to me this past Saturday. I was in a gift store when I saw a display of stuffed animals with little tags telling about the real-life animal.   I was reading the tags on some of them when suddenly an idea for a poem popped in my mind. I jotted the idea down right there in the store so I wouldn't forget it!  When I got home, I tucked it in my notebook and forgot about it. This evening, I was searching for a snippet to work on, and there it was!  I wrote a draft and will sit with it a few days before revising it.  I love it when reading leads to writing!

My National Poetry Month Project: Snippets, Poems, and Reflections Day 14

Don't you just love the way a poem can say so much with a few well-chosen words?  As I tried to shape today's snippet into something that resembles a poem, I searched my brain for a metaphor that would bring the image to life.  I did come up with one, but it doesn't feel quite right so I'll continue to do some fine tuning.

Metaphors don't come naturally to me so here is one of the books I'm reading (again)  to learn more about creating metaphors.  A sampling of other chapters includes: writing from memory, working with details, and adding feeling (in addition to many of Ted Kooser's own poems),  makes this little book a gem for poetry lovers.
 

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Thinking about Langston Hughes today, I decided to share one of my all time favorite poems.   I've probably read it a hundred times, and it still touches my heart.

 Be sure to stop Michelle's place for our Poetry Friday roundup at Today's Little Ditty.

Snippets, Poems, and Reflections: Day 13

Today, I've been thinking about ways to add more emotion to my poems.  How do I express the intense feelings I want my reader to feel.  To find the answer, I decided to look more closely at some of my favorite poems.

One poem that has stayed with me since I first read it is "Cottontail" by George Bogin.  So, what makes the poem so unforgettable?  For me, it's the use of sensory words, simple language, and specificity that draws me in.   I spent most of my writing time today looking over the five poems I have written so far and found some places I could revise to use those elements. I'd love for you to share ways you add emotion to your poems.

Cottontail

A couple of kids,
we went hunting for woodchucks
fifty years ago
in a farmer's field.
No woodchucks
but we cornered
a terrified
little cottontail rabbit
in the angle
of two stone fences.

Read the rest of the poem here. 

Snippets, Poems, and Reflections: Day 11 

The past two days were jam-packed with work and family activities. Even though I didn't physically revise the next snippet, I did a lot of mental writing and jotted down some ideas.  Today, I got back on schedule and worked on a revision.  I spent most of my writing time thinking about the last line in my poem.  I was trying to make it fit into the form I'm using, but no matter how much I reworked it, I didn't like anything as much as my original idea.  Then I remembered a graduate level poetry class I took many years ago when had a similar problem. My professor, who has published several chapbooks of poetry, said that when it comes to choosing between meaning and following a strict form, always go with meaning.  I admire her as a poet and a teacher so I decided to take her advice and write the last line the way it needed to be to get my meaning across.  I may change it later on, but for now, it feels right.  I think it's the same with most things in life, sometimes we have to step out of the box to get where we want to go.