To put a spin on a famous quote*, well-behaved women seldom inspire poetry. So meet Dorothy Jones! Dorothy was a Welsh girl of 10 when she came to the American colonies with her family in 1682. Their voyage, on a ship called Submission, was rough, and another child on board died during a storm. Maybe that experience gave Dorothy a "carpe diem" attitude. She grew into a lively young woman who married Richard Cantrell, a Philadelphia bricklayer, "out of church." In other words, she was Quaker, … [Read more...]
Finding connection at Poetry in the Boro
June 7, 2017 By Leave a Comment
May was our 10th month for Poetry in the Boro, and I continue to be amazed and gratified at the enthusiasm of our featured poets, our regulars at the open mic, our regulars in the audience, MTSU Write, and our venues like The Green Dragon Public House. … [Read more...]
In a city that loves the taste of marshmallow pies
January 29, 2017 By Leave a Comment
I'm honored to have my poem "As the Story Goes" leading Issue 5 of Forage Poetry Journal on the poetry of personal myth. My poem is inspired by and roughly modeled after Vandana Khanna's lovely poem "Insignificant Beginnings," … [Read more...]
Poetry in the Boro: Featured Readings, Open Mic, Community
July 29, 2016 By Leave a Comment
The poetry scene in the greater Nashville area is incredible. I'm convinced a poetry addict can find an event or two to attend almost every night of the week. But you know what else can be incredible? Nashville area traffic. For those of us who live outside Davidson County, getting to and from events in Nashville is an exercise in unpredictability. One day you can do it in 35 minutes; … [Read more...]
Speaking of Marvels, and Other News
August 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
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...]
