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the poet's billow

~ a resource for moving poetry

Tag Archives: poets

April Poetry Month: Some Small Delight

03 Monday Apr 2017

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april poetry challenge, Bonczek, Evory, Lit. Journal, meditation poetry, poem, poetry prompts, poets, reading poetry, writers

It is April once again. The month we’ve nationally dedicated to poetry and poetry awareness raises my own awareness each year, too. In years past I’ve met the April Poetry Challenge and wrote a poem every day. Last year on TPB I shared daily prompts to inspire writing in all of you. This year I find myself thinking about awareness and attention.

At Western Michigan University the semester is about a month away from over and papers and deadlines are begin to heap. The weather is warming and so is the garden and house renovations calling. I have a tooth distracting me with appointments and pain, a fridge that needs constant stocking and cleaning, cats with their litter boxes, dust settling on the shelves. There are bills stacked on the table, laundry in the basket, a car belt screeching, and what seems like endless phone calls and emails to return. Outside my own little world I manage, the new Administration works to dismantle healthcare, environmental protections, privacy rights–rights of all sorts for all sorts.

What’s that you say? Write a poem? Read poetry?

So, this poetry month I’m going to work to focus my attention–no matter how briefly–on places and things where poetry grows, and away–no matter how briefly–from things that seek to destroy it. “Poetry” in a loose sense. Not necessarily written or verbal. I’ll open my eyes each day and see what the universe delivers. An image, idea, fact, discovery. Something of beauty. Some small delight.

What the universe offers to me, I will in turn offer to you, dear reader, dear writers.

May this April fill you with delight.

Write on,

Michelle

Announcing the 2014 Atlantis Award Winner

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

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poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, reading poetry, writers, Writing

Our guest judge, poet Devon Moore, has chosen Lucian Mattison as our winner from among the wonderful poems we received.

The winning poem along with a selection of the finalists can be read here.

Winners:
Lucian Mattison

Runner-up :
Kathleen Kilcup

Finalists:
Adrian Potter
Brianna Pike

Semi-Finalist:
Elaine Olund
Alina Stefanescu
Ellene Glenn Moore
Christine Bettis
Emily Cole
Sarah Sala
Teresa Sutton
Jed Myers
Claire Scott

Interview with Poet Lisa Summe

21 Friday Nov 2014

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A.R. Ammons, interview, poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, writers, Writing

Mike Dockins interviews 2013 Atlantis Award winner Lisa Summe.  This is a great interview that addresses style, publishing, and what fuels poetry just to name a few. Here is an excerpt from the Lisa Summe interview on writing and technology:

“It feels necessary to discuss what a poem is and what sets it apart from technology and social media, but instead I’ll be lazy and quote A.R. Ammons: “I can’t tell you where a poem comes from, what it is, or what it is for: nor can any other man. The reason I can’t tell you is that the purpose of a poem is to go past telling, to be recognized by burning.” What I think Ammons is getting at is that the primary function of poems isn’t just to tell us things; it’s more than that. Poems provide information, of course, but good poems provide the burn Ammons is talking about. This “burn” might be a beautiful image, a narrative we can relate to, a description of something we hope to find or feel or achieve one day, whatever. Poems make us think, and therefore make us smarter. TV and Internet often make us stupid.” ~ Lisa Summe

 

Read the full interview here, or read her poem Pilot You.

Don’t forget you can follow The Poet’s Billow on Facebook and Twitter.

Announcing the Winners of the 2014 Bermuda Triangle Prize

06 Friday Jun 2014

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contest, literature, poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, Publishing, writers, Writing

We are happy to announce that we have published the winners and some finalists of the 2014 Bermuda Triangle Prize selected by guest judge Lawrence Eby. Below is a list of poets we would like to showcase for sending us great work, unfortunately we could not publish them all, but you can follow this link to read our selection.

Winners:
Lucian Mattison
Steven Blythe
Liz Casey

Finalists:
Jen Ashburn
Amy Neill Bebergal
Lucile Blanchard
Kathleen Kilcup
Alison Palmer

Semi-Finalist:
Michael Klecker
Daniel Devaughn
Catherine Howl
Fran Markover
Jed Myers
Jessica Glover
Andrew Renolds
Molly Prosser

A Great Article For Writers At Any Stage In Their Development

24 Thursday Apr 2014

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Article, Fiction, MFA, poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, writers, Writing

What I Wish I Knew After My MFA Ended

 

A guest post from Sara Finnerty:

420-Jacquelyn-Mitchard-splits-limbo-looking-back.imgcache.rev1308082218874In the years after I got my MFA I was a miserable mess. I felt like a failure as a writer and a human being. I still feel that way sometimes, but now I try and fail and try again and I know that does not mean I am a failure, it only means I am a person like everyone else. If I could, here are some things I would tell my self six years ago when I was finishing graduate school.

Link to the Article Here.

Unlocking Your Inner Artist

13 Thursday Mar 2014

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art, artist, creativity, habits, Hugo, ideas, poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, practice, Prompt, Stafford, writers, Writing

This following article published by The Huffington Post reminds us what attitudes to take to the page to overcome creative anxiety. Along with William Stafford’s always good advice to “lower our standards,” the article has some other good ideas. A special thanks to poet Steven Blythe for pointing us to this article. Check it out:

You don’t have to be a famous painter or sculptor to sympathize with the pains of creative block. Whether it comes on like a giant smack in the face or creeps up on you like a shiver down your spine, we’ve all dealt with the woes of being stuck. You second guess yourself, you dance around ideas and you feel like progress is miles away, all while the joys of creating take a back seat to the pressures we associate with success.

19 Daily Habits Of Artists That Can Help Unlock Your Creativity

The Poet’s Billow, Poetrie, and Orange Monkey Press Reaing at AWP Seattle

15 Saturday Feb 2014

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AWP, entertainment, Orange Monkey Press, Poetry, poets, reading poetry, Seattle, writers, Writing

reading flyerFor those who are going to the AWP conference in Seattle or for those who live in the area The Poet’s Billow is teaming up with Poetrie and Orange Monkey Press out of California to put on an awesome poetry reading. Also, we will buy you a drink! Hope to see you there.

March 1st

The Black Bottle
2600 1st Ave
Seattle, Washington 98121

Announcing the 2013 Atlantis Award Winner

07 Saturday Dec 2013

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award, contest, online journal, poem, poems, Poet, Poetry, poets, Publishing, writers, Writing

We are so happy to bring you the poems for the 2013 Atlantis Award. Big thanks to Mike Dockins who judged this year’s contest. He selected Lisa Summe‘s poem “Pilot You” as the winner. Please, go read it and the other fantastic poems by our finalists. 

https://thepoetsbillow.org/literary-art-gallary/2013-atlantis-award/

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Lisa SummeLisa Summe
Lisa Summe was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and earned her BA and MA in English at the University of Cincinnati. Her poems have appeared in Fourth River, Mead, The Licking River Review, and others. This year she received honorable mention in the Jean Chimsky Poetry Prize and was nominated twice for a 2014 Pushcart Prize. Currently an MFA candidate in poetry at Virginia Tech, she lives in Blacksburg, Virginia with her very handsome cat, Ozzy.

America, Meet Your Poets!

30 Tuesday Jul 2013

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Article, poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, writers, Writing

What we have here, it seems, is a failure to communicate. America has a thousands-strong class of recent university graduates whose degrees are in writing, who are presently without any gainful employment directly associated with their field, and who are intimately familiar not only with contemporary poetry but also with the communities and institutions working poets spend much of their time in, and yet few in the media seem willing to tap them as a resource.

Read the article at The Huffington Post

Book Contest Through Permafrost

26 Friday Jul 2013

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Alaska, books, contest, Fairbanks, literature, Permafrost, poem, Poet, Poetry, poets, Publishing, reading poetry, writers, Writing

Caitlin Scarano, winner of the Pangaea Prize and Editor of Permafrost, says: Send me your Manuscript for Permafrost’s first annual book contest. 

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