Creative Writing Blog
Birches Robert Frost, a poem for mid-winter 2021
"Birches" by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems, and a perfect poem for this moment... "Birches" is a beautiful midwinter poem, and I've been thinking about it a lot, especially this pandemic winter, when I've been longing for some escape. In the poem, the...
Swan by Mary Oliver for 2021
HAPPY 2021! I want to share "Swan" by Mary Oliver for the new year. This powerful poem by Mary Oliver is about being present and about change. That might sound like a paradox: how can we both be present and invite change? For a long time, I struggled with that...
The light that came to lucille clifton
I want to share a poem that feels appropriate for this moment: Lucille Clifton's wonderful "the light that came to lucille clifton." I love this poem at any time, but now it seems especially pertinent. What happens when, as the poem says, our "fondest sureties fade...
My Birthday Gift – To You! Free Meditation Challenge Starting December 15th
I’ve created a new multi-part meditation e-course and meditation challenge practice. I’d love to share this free e-course and meditation challenge with you. If you struggle with meditation or just want to go deeper,
The Inspiring Power of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address
Today I want to share with you the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. To be honest, for much of my life, I really struggled with both the idea and emotion of gratitude. It wasn't that I couldn't appreciate things, but gratitude, especially when it felt like it was...
I, Too, Sing America
A poem for this moment— and every moment. Langston Hughes’ “I, Too” reminds us that everyone deserves a seat at the table. Come over to the post and read the poem and get free writing prompts.
Three Things That Help: Some Practical and Political Tips
I've been having a similar conversation with a lot of people recently. It goes something like this: "I'm feeling really overwhelmed" my friend or student says. "I'm really worried. I don't know what to do and I'm finding it hard to do many things, including writing."...
Writing, Motherhood, the Self: How to Balance it All
One of the hardest things we do as writers is balance our writing and the rest of our lives. There are all the practical aspects: how to make time for writing in our already very busy lives? How do we fit writing into our life if we also need to earn money? There is...
The younger generation: climate activism
I’m writing from Maine again. This week, we’re on the coast where, if we’re lucky, we can see the resident seal at the dock. We’re here with my almost-16-year-old daughter, Simone, and two of her friends; since all their summer plans were canceled, our families...
Turning by Lucille Clifton
I’ve been lucky to spend the past ten days out of the city, spending less time on my computer. We’re renting a house on a lake in Maine and yesterday as I was swimming, a huge bird flew above me, circling and circling, flapping its enormous, graceful wings that seem...
At this Pivotal Time
From the pandemic to police brutality to the call across the nation and the world for widesweeping reforms, this is a time of change... What we are seeing in the United States has much to do with voice: who is heard, who is listened to, and how do our voices impact...
My Favorite Meditation for these Difficult Times
How are you doing in these unusual times? I’ve been finding myself experiencing waves of feeling, and talking with friends who are cycling through levels of anxiety. So far, at least, I feel like one of the lucky ones: the four of us in my nuclear family are safe at...
How To Publish A Poetry Book
If you are thinking about how to publish a poetry book, I recommend that you read this guide. It will walk you through the important steps of publishing a poetry book and will give you the tools you need, over the long term, to learn how to get poetry published. How...
How To Get Published – The Three Key Components To Getting Published in Magazines and Journals
People frequently ask me how to get published, so today I want to address that question directly. How To Get Published For The First Time—and Beyond! How do you go about getting published? What steps should you take? Where can you submit? And how does it all work?...
I Said To The Wanting Creature By Kabir
Do you ever have times when words are both helpful and insufficient? This weekend was one of those times. A few months ago, my husband's much younger brother, Jonathan, died of a heart attack. On Saturday, we attended the memorial service. Jon had been living with...
The power of your voice
Monday was Martin Luther King Day—it was very cold and I stayed inside, baked some bread, spent some time with Eric and Simone, worked on an essay, and had dinner with some friends. All day, I was also thinking about the legacy of Dr. King, who is such a model of how...
Snowy Night by Mary Oliver
I want to share with you a winter solstice poem. It’s so nice to be able to share what we enjoy and find helpful. The solstice is the darkest time of year, but it also is a time that reminds us of the lights around and within us. Mary Oliver’s poem, “Snowy Night,” is...
Joy Harjo’s “Eagle Poem”
People have widely different experiences of Thanksgiving, which can bring up all kinds of things.I want to share a poem by Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Nation and the current national poet laureate. In our complicated history and nation, I like to return to...
You Are Enough
This happens to me every year: suddenly, without my knowing quite how it happened, it’s the holiday season again. The days are getting darker, and I wonder where all the time has gone. Life passes so quickly! It’s a challenge to keep up, to pay attention and to...
Practicing with Silence
I was away last week at a silent Vipassana retreat in Western Mass. For three days, we meditated at least 10 hours a day and had very few external stimuli. In meditation, we bring our attention inward, to our own internal sensations and practice noticing—but not...
