May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Author Archives: Robert Lee Brewer
How to list in POET'S MARKET
If you or anyone you know has a journal (print or online), press, contest, festival, conference/workshop, or organization you’d like to appear in the 2009 edition of Poet’s Market (which comes out … Read more
Friday SPAM poetry prompt #824
SPAM prompt line: Doctors make a stunning announcement For this exercise, you can turn your imagination loose. What’s the stunning announcement the doctors make? Stretch for the satirical, the humorous, the … Read more
Pantoum: Long Distance Runners and Poetry
The pantoum is a poetic form originating in Malay where poets write quatrains (4-line stanzas) with an abab rhyme scheme and repeat lines 2 and 4 in the previous stanza as lines … Read more
Writers brave heat to visit Joseph-Beth!
A diverse group of dedicated writers came out on a very hot evening (100 degrees!) to visit with us Market Book editors at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Rookwood Commons, Cincinnati, this past … Read more
Submission & Other Poetry Stuff
I submitted some poems to The Quirk yesterday–a cool literary journal based out of West Lafayette, Indiana. I’ve totally been bad about submitting this year. While I have the discipline to write … Read more
Submission & Other Poetry Stuff
I submitted some poems to The Quirk yesterday–a cool literary journal based out of West Lafayette, Indiana. I’ve totally been bad about submitting this year. While I have the discipline to write … Read more
Epitaphs–Or, My Hard Drive Nears the End
For years now, I’ve been convinced my hard drive is close to death. Somehow it continues to soldier on day in and day out. But today, my hard drive is being especially … Read more
Robert Lee Brewer & Nancy Breen–IN PERSON!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist a title like that. It won’t happen again, I promise. However, Robert and I will be making two bookstore appearances over the next couple of weeks. If … Read more
Robert Lee Brewer & Nancy Breen–IN PERSON!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist a title like that. It won’t happen again, I promise. However, Robert and I will be making two bookstore appearances over the next couple of weeks. If … Read more
Friday SPAM Poetry Prompt #817
SPAM prompt line: You’ve received a postcard / greeting e-card from a family member / school friend / worshipper / friend / neighbor / a Mate / class mate / partner / … Read more
A PROMPT RESPONSE: #713 tired of being like that
There’s nothing “prompt” about my response to #713; that’s how it’s been with me and poetry for about the past year. I’m like a kid who wants to jump off the diving … Read more
Triolet–an easy way to write 8 lines of poetry
Today, we’re going to look at the triolet (TREE-o-LAY), which has 13th century French roots linked to the rondeau or “round” poem. For over a year now, I’ve been trying to find … Read more
All aboard for poetry!
“‘Worst’ rail firm goes from bad to verse,” by Alan Hamilton from The Times, wins best title for the day. As part of this article on First Great Western hiring Cornish poet … Read more
National Poetry Slam!
The 2007 National Poetry Slam recently took place in Austin, Texas. ***** “Slam Charlotte wins 2007 National Poetry Slam!” from Poetry Slam, Inc. Also, Danny Sherrard beat Christopher Michael in a tiebreaker … Read more
Taslima Nasreen: Poetry as an act of courage
The last session I was able to attend at last fall’s biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival before starting the drive back to Ohio was “Poetry and the Lives of Women.” Poets … Read more
Friday SPAM poetry prompt #810
SPAM prompt line: I really feel like I’m 17 years old again, seriously. . . There are all kinds of potions and procedures that promise to restore youthfulness–or at least keep … Read more
Vietnamese Poetry and Teacher Training
“Evaluating Vietnamese poetry with polls,” from Vietnam Net Bridge, reports on the popularity of using polls “to ‘democratise’ the evaluation of Vietnamese poetry.” ***** “Teacher training scheduled for statewide poetry program,” from … Read more
Haiku Revisited
Michael Dylan Welch, who wrote on haiku for the 2005 Poet’s Market, stopped by and offered some great advice in the comments to my “Haiku: Easy or Hard?” post from earlier this week. While it’s … Read more
A Post Strophe
“Pissy About Apostrophes,” by Steven Huff on Random Lunatic News, goes into a long rant about his “substandard education in the mechanics, the nuts and bolts of good writing.” As one might … Read more
SPAM Prompts vs. SPAM Poetry (or spoetry)
In my Friday SPAM prompts I offer the subject line of a SPAM message as a springboard for a writing exercise. This isn’t the same as actual SPAM poetry, or spoetry, which … Read more
Stealing each other's kittens…
The October 2007 issue of Writer’s Digest includes “Vice Versa” by Michael J. Vaughn, in which “three author/poets discuss why prose writers should try poetry, and poets should pen prose.” The three … Read more
Poetry Games & When Poetry Becomes a Business
“Kakanipoetry.com Launches Innovative Poetry Game” from daijiworld.com, reports on an interesting and “easy-to-play” poetry game for poets who can read Kakani. ***** “When writing poetry becomes a ‘business’” from The Hindu, looks … Read more
Haiku: Easy or Hard?
Haiku is one of the most popular forms of poetry; it’s also one of the least understood forms. And since haiku are so short, many writers think they can write them as … Read more
Slams, Maps and Raps
“Slam I am,” by Gayle Worland for Wisconsin State Journal, profiles a Madison, Wisconsin, slam team. In the process, Worland also delivers a nice primer on slam poetry in general. ***** “U.S. … Read more
Epitaphs and food poisoning…
Robert’s post on epitaphs was quite timely for me, since I felt like I was at death’s door most of the weekend. The doctor confirmed yesterday I had probably been debilitated by … Read more