Blog Posts

  • Recent Reads (and a moment of cute)

    As much reading and writing as I do in front of a screen these days, it’s still nice to curl up in a sunny corner that has *just enough* shade and enjoy the feel of a book in hand.  (I get so much reading done in the spring!)  Here are a few of the books…

  • A Change is as good as a Line Break

    You know that a public space is inviting if there are people in there every time you walk by.  When that space is a quiet area in a back corner of a museum set aside for poetic contemplation and respite, you make invisible fist pumps of joy and plan to come back later when you…

  • Inspiration or frustration? Workshop “do’s and don’t’s” from the MA Poetry Fest

    Any teacher knows that a one hour window in which to teach does not actually involve a full hour’s useful time.  If you’re lucky and you have dedicated learners, by the time you get everyone settled and have introduced the topic, you have maybe 50 minutes at best.  I’m stating this up front, because I…

  • Mental and Emotional Geography: MA Poetry Fest Reactions 2

    What is it about a place that grabs hold of the imagination?  Is there some magical combination of language and  association and vista and memory that makes a place ‘real’?  Is one city the same to different people and are we the same person in one city as we are somewhere else?  Just what do…

  • “What did I bring to the dance?” Mass Poetry Festival Reactions

    If you follow me on Twitter, you know I spent the past weekend in a whirlwind of poetry and art during the Mass Poetry Festival.  It’s my fourth year attending the festival, and the third I’ve been in charge of running family friendly activities that stand at the intersection of the visual and verbal arts.…