May 11, 2024

Archives for 2014

Station Eleven: Beauty in a Ruined World

One mark of a good book is whether it entices me to explore subjects I initially find unappealing. By that measure and others, Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, is a haunting success. Read my review of this 2014 National Book Award finalist here in the December issue of the Murfreesboro Pulse. … [Read more...]

Speaking of Marvels, and Other News

Jane Austen once wrote in a letter, "What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance." As I write this, we're having a heat and humidity spike in middle Tennessee that's typical for August, and I feel quite inelegant indeed. For the most part, though, it's been a remarkably lovely, oh-so-temperate summer here. Consequently I've been doing a lot more porch-sitting than blogging (and looking quite elegant in my beloved wicker porch swing, I'm sure. Uh-huh.) … [Read more...]

And the Winners Are…

Ooh! It is May! May 4th, soon to be May 5th, and I've been dallying around in the real world when I should have been online, drawing a winner for the Big Poetry Giveaway! I do have good excuses, including: the fine, fine weather here in Tennessee, the delicious bloom of the honey locust, an early morning trip to Nashville to hear one of my writing idols, Wendell Berry, who I now adore even more, after seeing him in person being unable to put down one of the World Book Night selections … [Read more...]

Middle Tennessee Poetry News

We're well into National Poetry Month, and besides the Big Poetry Giveaway happening on my blog (and many others), I have more poetry news to share, with a focus on middle Tennessee: First of all, my friend and fellow poet Sandy Coomer has the article "April: A Time for Poetry"  in Inside Brentwood Magazine. In addition to discussing the importance of poetry and National Poetry Month, Sandy also covers many middle Tennessee poets and poetry events, including - with photos - the poetry … [Read more...]

The Big Poetry Giveaway

It's April, it's finally spring in Tennessee, and it's National Poetry Month - all great reasons to emerge from my blogging hiatus and participate in this year's BIG POETRY GIVEAWAY being curated by Kelli Russell Agodon. Be sure to visit Kelli's blog for a list of all the blogs participating in this event. How it works: I'm supposed to give away my own book and a copy of a poetry book I really love. I'm also throwing in my poetry and roots music CD and another chapbook from a fellow Tennessee … [Read more...]