A Great Post on How to Read and Enjoy a Poem

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I am still devoting most of my writing time to finishing the revision of my poetry manuscript (hence my continued lack of posts), but today I ran across a very interesting post that I thought anyone interested in poetry might appreciate.  As one of my readers, I am hoping you are interested in poetry; I realize it is a bit much to ask you to be as enthusiastic about it as I am.  In the spirit of promoting a wider audience for poetry, I share the following.

Ann Kroeker posted one of her poems in support of a friend who is participating in a poetry dare: a crash course in poetry appreciation over at the poetry site Tweetspeak.  While reading about the poetry dare (what a great idea!), I found this post written by Tania Runyan about how to read a poem.  She suggests starting with advice from former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins: Hold it up to the Light.  Runyan then proceeds to show you how, using a short poem full of images.

If you are not sure you “get poetry,” go read Runyan’s post.  It will help you “get it,” I promise!  And, it will fire you up to share poetry with others.  Seriously, if it doesn’t, you could always check back here for my upcoming posts about teaching poetry to my children.

In the spirit of sharing poetry, you can read excerpts from my poetry chapbook Entre la claridad, here.  Go ahead and try the Collins/Runyan reading method outlined in the link above on my poems.  I dare you.

If you only started reading this blog in the past year, here is a little information: Entre la claridad is a short book of poetry, written by me, mostly in English, with some Spanish phrases to more accurately reflect the dialog of South Texas.  The title can be translated as “Moving into Clarity.”  

You can purchase the book directly from the publisher, Mouthfeel Press.  (FCC notice: I do not receive income from book purchases, but I greatly appreciate your interest in my writing.)

Also, please update your subscription to this blog if you have been using Google Reader and have not done so already.  You can subscribe to this blog via e-mail using the form in the upper right sidebar, or via bloglovin’ by clicking on the button in the upper left sidebar.  Or, simply subscribe using any other feed reader.  Thank you for your readership.   

As of today, I am still seeing blog posts in my dashboard at Blogger; lately (like the past month) these notices have been coming and going, so I have moved all of my subscriptions to bloglovin’.  More on that in another post. 

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Writing Project, Blogging, and All Saints

Have you wondered where I have been lately?  BUSY, BUSY.  I have so much I want to blog about, but very little time.  And now, I will be posting less often for a while.  Not sure how long this blogging slow down will be.  Here’s why: I have a new writing project!

Actually, it is an update to an old poetry manuscript.  You see, last week, I read at the Houston Poetry Fest.  I had a great time: listening to other poets, meeting those poets, reading my own work, and feeling like I was part of a poetry community again.  One of the poets I met there is an editor at a small independent Texas poetry press.  He has asked me to submit my full length poetry manuscript to him for publication consideration.

Have I mentioned before how nurturing, welcoming, and friendly small presses can be?  This is not the first time I have encountered a poetry editor who is willing to take a chance on my work and is offering a generous amount of time to read and consider my manuscript, knowing little or nothing about it.  I was fortunate enough to encounter the same generosity last year with Maria at Mouthfeel Press after a friend suggested I send a chapbook manuscript there.

You are probably wondering: Elisa, didn’t you just publish a book?  How did you find time to write another one already (you do have limited writing time after all)?  I did just publish a chapbook, which is a small book of poems, usually about 14 – 30 pages long, with a limited press run.  The editor I just met is interested in a full length volume of poetry, which is at a minimum 48 pages long, and usually has a larger print run (meaning the publisher prints more copies and keeps the book in stock for a longer time).  Often poets will include poems from their chapbooks in their full length books, so a chapbook is like a preview of a longer book.  You can learn more about chapbooks at my friend Katie’s blog, here.

So, I have not actually written a whole new manuscript.  I have an old manuscript that I started revising, updating, and reordering a few years ago.  But, I never finished doing that after I had my second child.  That is what I will be working on a few minutes at a time for the next couple of months.  When I put together the chapbook manuscript last year, I included some of the poems from this full length book, and some from a second full length book manuscript (still mostly unwritten, sigh).  I plan to use the moments I previously spent writing blog posts to work on this book so I can send it to the patiently waiting editor.

New Writing Project Means Fewer Blog Posts.

I hope you will also patiently wait for me to rev up the blogging again after I complete the manuscript.  I do plan to post now and then because I will need some time away from the book manuscript to gain perspective.  Also, I have promised to write about so many things.  For example, I really hope to write Part 2 of the Dual Language Learning post soon.  Plus, I’ll be reading and responding (although slowly) to your comments, and making a few tweaks to the sidebars.

In the meantime, I leave you the link to last year’s post about All Saints Day, where I describe an easy way to put together saint costumes, and different ways we have made saint images to learn and play with.  This year, we are working on costumes for Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, who was canonized today, and Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Read about how we put together saint costumes, and find links to other costume ideas and games here.   

You can see my other posts about saints here.

You will always find me linked at The Catholic Bloggers Network Monthly Round up.

Karri at My Life’s a Treasure hosts a weekly My Favorite Things Link up, and I am linking this post there.

Hazel at Tell Me a Story hosts a weekly True Stories Link up, so I am linking there too.

My Guest Blog Post on HER KIND

Earlier this week, a guest blog post of mine appeared at HER KIND, the blog of the organization VIDA: Women in Literary Arts.  This is my very first guest blog post, so I am excited to share this news with you.  

Wondering what VIDA and HER KIND are about?  From HK: “As the blog of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts, HER KIND serves as a forum to create lively conversation about issues that are often dismissed or overlooked by the mainstream media. We wish to honor the experiences of women writers and for HER KIND to act as an agent for positive social change, encouraging women to define their own terms regarding the importance and value of women’s voices.”

As a writer myself, I see the need to encourage society to value women’s writing and the variety of  women’s experiences, so when I received the call for submissions in my inbox last March, I just had to jump on board.  I wrote my post in response to the prompt “Freedom.”  At the time, I was thinking about how difficult it can be for women, particularly mothers of young children, to find time to write (I was feeling it intensely).  This elusive time is affected not just by the demands of family, but also by the social pressures placed on women, especially women who are mothers.  

By the way, this was before the recent media frenzy over women’s achievement that you may have heard or read about regarding women’s ability “to have it all.”  In any case, my article does not directly contribute to that conversation, although it may be peripherally relevant from a different perspective.  I willingly chose motherhood as my full time occupation, supplementing that with a paid part-time teaching job.  In addition, I hoped that this arrangement would provide me with time for my passion: writing poetry.  While that may be my version of having it all, most other women have their own ideas that are probably as varied as the women themselves.  The mainstream media conversation does not even begin to address the complexity of the “having it all” discussion, in my opinion.

On that note, here is a teaser from the published post: “I am not what you expect from a feminist writer.  For the past eight years, I have devoted most of my time to mothering rather than the working and writing life I built as a single person.  I do teach Women’s Studies, but part-time.  I have spent very little time writing, even though writing is one of the most fulfilling ways to spend my personal time…”

I hope you will go read the full article, and if you are so inclined, join the discussion by leaving a comment below or at HER KIND.

L.L. at Seedlings in Stone hosts the weekly On, In, and Around Monday Link up, “an invitation to write from where you are… [with] a sense of place.”  How about an abstract place…

 

Seven Quick Takes Friday

I have decided to try doing a quick takes post the first Friday of every month.  Since I post between one and three times a week, always on different days, hitting a Friday for sure is probably doable only a once a month.  Speaking of my posting schedule, I slowed down the last few weeks, for a couple of reasons that I highlight below.  I have plenty of posts planned, though, so keep coming back!

--- 1 ---

Last week, I was busy revising my upcoming guest post for HER KIND, “a blog powered by VIDA: Women in Literary Arts.”  My post is about women writers and freedom, or rather the difficulties women face as they seek free time to write.  As you can probably guess, my writing time is limited, so while I was busy writing my guest post about that very topic, I did not have as much time to write for the blog.  I’ll be sure to let you know when my post appears so you can weigh in the topic!  Or, you can start the comments below…

--- 2 ---

I have been spending more evenings with my children and husband instead of writing or blogging.  Usually, I write after my children go to bed, but because it is summer, their schedules are off.  During the school year, we tend to have very straightforward evenings: dinner, bath, bedtime (my writing or working time).  Because of swimming lessons and various other summer activities, baths are happening during the day, and bed times are getting later and later.  The later the children go to bed, the less likely I am to write that evening (see #1 above).

--- 3 ---

My seasonal allergies are in full force, and this time of year, they dull my brain and make me feel lethargic.  I have felt more like watching TV. and reading instead of writing, especially this week.  On Independence Day, the phlegm arrived during a strong sneeze, coating the inside of my throat and nose.  As you can imagine, it’s hard to slog through my fuzzy brain all day and by evening I am exhausted, so writing has to wait.  I don’t like to take meds (for allergies or anything else), so I’m doing sinus rinses, taking vitamin C, and a little drinking apple cider vinegar along with eating immune system supportive foods; this is enough to keep me going during the day, but my body wants to rest at night.

--- 4 ---

I do sometimes write during the day, but we have been so busy lately!  I tried to schedule us with some free time this summer, but lately we’ve been running here and there most days with camps, lessons, visits, and various medical appointments for most of us.  I’m looking forward to later in the month, when most of our afternoons are open.

--- 5 ---

Some of those appointments have been for my seven year old; she now wears glasses.  This is not surprising, given that everyone in our family also wears glasses or contacts, but she is the first to need prism lenses.  She started complaining about seeing double at the end of the school year and these lenses should correct that problem, caused by her eye muscles not coordinating when she focuses.  Next step: evaluation to see if therapy can help the muscles work together the way they should.  

--- 6 ---

More than a month ago, I volunteered to review a Catholic Game from the Arma Dei Shoppe at Equipping Catholic Families.  My children absolutely love to color, so I thought the Catholic Lingo Bingo would be a perfect choice for us.  However, they have not been in a coloring mood for weeks and weeks, so I’m working on coloring some of the pages myself.  Look for this review soon; we almost have enough colored pages to play the game.  My children enjoy playing Loteria (Mexican Bingo), so I know they are going to like this game, and I’m sure once we play it, they are going to want to color more of the game cards.

--- 7 ---

 

My friend Katie (poet, reviewer, blogger, etc.) is planning to review my chapbook, Entre la claridad, on her blog as part of her educational series about poetry chapbooks!  So, if you are new to the poetry chapbook scene, you can read more about why and how poets publish chapbooks at this post.  And, look for a future post highlighting Katie’s review of my book.  Are you curious about my book now?  You can read some excerpts here (or by clicking on the image of the book in the right sidebar), or listen to audio here.  You can buy my book directly from the publisher, Mouthfeel Press (also highlighted in the right sidebar).  

Have you liked the Entre la claridad page on Facebook?  I post notices about writing, readings, publications, and literary events there, including things that I don’t have the chance to blog about.  Do go like the page if you are interested in those topics, or if you just like my book!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Hazel at Tell Me a Story hosts a weeking True Stories Link up, so I am linking there; go read the other true stories posted this week.

Spring Writing News

Last week, I called to see how my chapbooks were selling at Brazos Bookstore, and learned they had sold 70% of the copies I left several weeks ago.  Yeah!  So, I took more copies over to restock.  Go and buy your copy of Entre la claridad or my first chapbook, Familia before they run out.  Or, you can buy Entre la claridad directly from Mouthfeel Press.

You may have noticed I changed the right sidebar to highlight a series of posts that include excerpts from Entre la claridad and a direct link to the press.  In case you missed the excerpts published previously, you can read them here.  You can listen to radio broadcasts of poems from both books at the links on my Audio page.

You can start or join my discussion forum about the usefulness of National Poetry month at this post, or at the Facebook Page for Entre la claridad.  I am certainly taking advantage of April to remind you about my book as often as possible!

Yesterday, I found a new button that I have hung at the bottom of the left sidebar (scroll down and take a look).  I have pledged to read the printed word, which was very easy for me since I don’t enjoy reading books on-line.  Yes, I read blogs and short news articles on the computer or ipad, but for longer articles and books, nothing beats paper in my opinion.  I really enjoy the feel of a book in my hands.  Plus, I write in my books; they are full of underlines, circles, arrows, notes, and references to other authors.  I’m sure you can do something similar to e-books, but I don’t think it will be the same kind of experience.

You can read my thoughts about book publication versus e-books at this post.  If you agree that reading the printed word is sublime, you can hang a button on your blog too (there are several options and sizes).  Just click on the button to visit the web site and copy the coding for your button of choice.  The pledging itself is on the honor system.  And put your thoughts about reading printed books in the comments below if you are inclined to say something.

I have more projects in the works, including an upcoming guest post at a new blog hosted by VIDA: Women in Literary Arts.  I learned about VIDA at the AWP Conference last month.  They are best known for conducting The Count, a statistical comparison of the number of publications by male authors versus female authors.  More men are published than women in all publishing arenas, even when more manuscripts, pitches, and queries are submitted by women.  It is hard to deny gender bias in the face of the statistics.  Go take a look at the results.

VIDA’s blog, HER KIND, will launch soon; my post on Freedom for Women Writers will appear in July.  Check back for more information about HER KIND and my guest post.

Several months later, I will be reading on one of the regional poets panels at the South Central Modern Language Association Conference in San Antonio.  I am excited to present at two conferences in one year, something I have not done in over a decade.  Also, my husband and children will likely travel with me; as a family we travel to San Antonio at least once a year.  It’s a great city to relax in, with much to see and do.

I am also thinking about future blog posts, including more posts for my Healthier Eating series: the healthier salad dressing and the healthier poultry salad.  I also hope to post about how to dry your own herbs, the joys of juicing citrus manually, and harvesting/preparing nopalitos (yes, you can eat nopal cactus).  I’m pondering a new occasional series: Meatless Mondays.  (See my meatless posts here).  Plus, there will be more Easter posts (Easter cards and Easter books), and hopefully something for Pentecost.

Looking ahead, I will be hosting a Link up for The Most Holy Trinity, celebrated this year on June 3^rd.  I hope you will participate by linking your crafts, thoughts, and musings about our One God in Three Persons and reading the posts that link up.  Look for more information a month from now.  In the meantime, I need to learn how to create a button!  If you have pointers, let me know.  This link up is part of the Liturgical Calendar Link up Party organized by Xhonané at Familia Católica.  If you are interested in hosting a link up, click on the button to get the details and to sign up.