It's past time for an update! Let's imagine this blog is a nice, cool swimming pool and jump right in with some recent news: Interviews This month I was delighted to interview poet Theresa Burns, author of Design, on Diane Lockward's "Blogalicious" blog. Diane, the publisher of Terrapin Books, has been featuring a series in which Terrapin press mates interview each other, especially featuring books whose tours were impacted by the pandemic. Theresa was great fun to talk with, and I adore the … [Read more...]
Summer 2022 Update: Poet Interviews, New Poems, What I’m Reading, an Upcoming Writers Conference and More
June 29, 2022 By Leave a Comment
New review: Sugar Fix “subtly weaves personal ancestry and national history”
August 4, 2020 By Leave a Comment
I confess, I still marvel when someone I don't know reads and reviews my book. Poet Lynn Domina is one of those people, and she's written a very thoughtful review of Sugar Fix over on her blog, where she reviews one poetry book each week. Her commitment is such a gift to readers and the poetry community! Lynn says, in part: "One of the most admirable qualities of this collection—and the quality that really makes it a collection rather than simply an accumulation of forty or so poems—is how … [Read more...]
My poem “Voice” is featured on The Slowdown
January 10, 2020 By Leave a Comment
I'm thrilled and honored to have my poem "Voice" from Sugar Fix featured on today's episode (#295) of The Slowdown, a podcast by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith. The Slowdown was recently named by Pop Sugar as one of the best podcasts to ease anxiety, and for good reason - Tracy K. Smith's smooth, soothing voice and and insightful reflections related to each day's poem are always a comfort. If you're not familiar with the podcast, it's just 5 minutes each weekday. Check it out on … [Read more...]
Welcoming 2020 with poetry events, a One Book, and more in Murfreesboro
January 7, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Happy new year! How about we celebrate new beginnings with a few links to local lit-related news? First, read about the January 19th Poetry in the Boro, volunteering for the SE-YA 2020 book fest, and an open mic night at Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center in my January Murfreesboro Pulse column. There's a new poet laureate in town! I'm so pleased that Amie Whittemore, one of the Poetry in the Boro team, will be bringing her creative ideas and brilliant poetry to … [Read more...]
Sugar Fix reviewed in Glass: A Journal of Poetry
December 17, 2019 By Leave a Comment
A review of Sugar Fix now appears in Glass: A Journal of Poetry. Reviewer and fellow poet Anne Graue says of the book: turning the pages is easy and urgent She remarks on numerous individual poems and also the overall structure and flow of the book, writing: There is a cadence in the progression from beginning to end, from free verse and prose poems to sonnets and elegiac tercets that helps to distill moments and memory, sweetness and pain. From a comprehensive review like this one, to … [Read more...]
Sugar Fix Shout-Out 3: Poet Tiana Clark
December 17, 2019 By 1 Comment
If you're in the poetry world, there's a good chance you've heard of Tiana Clark, prize-winning author of I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood and Equilibrium. Along with numerous poets from middle Tennessee and beyond, Tiana and I share the same "poetry father" - the wondrous Bill Brown, most recently author of The Cairns and a model of generosity and attention. In the past couple of years, Tiana's career has skyrocketed. Y'all, when she reads in Nashville, HUNDREDS of people show … [Read more...]
Lift Every Voice: New anthology from Kissing Dynamite sings
December 7, 2019 By Leave a Comment
I've recently posted a review of the new book Lift Every Voice: An Anthology of Poetry on Goodreads. Y'all, the short version is, you need to get a copy. Several of the poems have stuck with me for weeks since I've read them, and one has inspired quite a bit of new writing for me. Don't you love when that happens? Kissing Dynamite is a relatively new online monthly journal you might like to check out. I love the format and the work that editor Christine Taylor is selecting. (I've had my own … [Read more...]
Sugar Fix Shout-Out 2: Poet Marie Harris
November 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment
One of the hardest tasks I've experienced in the poetry world is writing blurbs for a few colleagues' books. In the tradition of the poetry world, writing a good blurb involves reading the entire book, making notes on themes, motifs, and favorite passages, and then distilling that into a hopefully complimentary but not overstated paragraph of about 100 words that makes a potential reader want to explore the book. Did I mention this is hard work and an act of significant generosity on the part … [Read more...]
Sugar Fix Shout-Out 1: Janet Hill Studio
November 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The approaching holidays have me thinking about gratitude. Long ago I wrote down this quote from Mary Jean Irion: "Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are." I try to live by those words, but this autumn has been full of extraordinary days as I've celebrated Sugar Fix coming into the world. And now it's time to thank all the folks involved! First up, because perhaps you CAN judge a book by its cover, I want to introduce you to Janet Hill Studio. I first came across Janet's … [Read more...]
Murfreesboro book club discusses Sugar Fix
November 13, 2019 By Leave a Comment
I took it as a good sign that the book club hostess, someone I'd not met before, opened the door and welcomed me in from the cold autumn afternoon with a broad smile and a hug. I followed her into a sitting area where most of the group had already gathered - and where a half-dozen copies of Sugar Fix lay on the coffee table in front of them. While I knew that each of these avid readers had purchased a book, the scene still took me by surprise. There was MY beautiful book, six times over, … [Read more...]
