Essays

Sep 247 min read

Backstory of the Poem “Bubble Cut Barbie”

This article originally appeared on Chris Cooper's blog . Thank you Chris!!! Before we explore the backstory of the poems, here it is,...

Aug 265 min read

Compression: How to Wrangle the Big Story –

originally a guest blog post on TRISH HOPKINSON's Selfish Poet “ …do not paint too much after nature. Art is an abstraction; derive this...

Aug 156 min read

What Small Sound: Francesca Bell’s Radical Acceptance

Francesca Bell, who has been writing luminous poems for decades, has published her sophomore poetry collection, What Small Sound . As in...

Aug 155 min read

Quiver: Luke Johnson’s Heroic Journey

Luke Johnson’s debut poetry collection, Quiver , won several prizes before it was published by Texas Review Press in 2023. Close on the...

Nov 17, 20236 min read

Writing Race– Tony Hoagland’s “The Change”

originally published in CatheXis Northwest Writing Race– Tony Hoagland’s “The Change” When I was in an MFA workshop, one of my...

Aug 9, 20235 min read

Craft is Only Part of It

This essay was first published in Recovering Words Let’s start with a poem Another Happiness Publish your best work, find a decent job....

Aug 9, 20234 min read

Whatever Else, the Prognosis Is Not Too Grim: The Poetry of Jim Moore,

This essay originally appeared in Recovering Words Jim Moore has been churning out exquisite poems for decades: author or editor of...

May 1, 20233 min read

Demoralization, No: Intention, Yes!

I want to admit something: I’ve been caught in an endless desire for acceptance as a writer. It began with seeking positive critique in...