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Confession: I don’t really keep records on Poetic Asides, but I’m pretty sure Kristina Marie Darling has the record for most poet interviews in PA history.

Kristina Marie Darling

If this is your first time hearing her name, Kristina Marie Darling is the author of over 20 books, which include Vow, Petrarchan, and Scorched Altar, all available from BlazeVOX Books.  Her writing has been recognized with fellowships from Yaddo, the Ucross Foundation, and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, as well as grants from the Kittredge Fund and the Elizabeth George Foundation.  She was recently selected as a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome.

Visit her online at http://kristinamariedarling.com.

It’s been fun watching her writing evolve over the years, and in Darling’s collection Scorched Altar: Selected Poems & Stories 2007-2014, it’s now possible to get a sampling of her writing from 12 different sources.

Here are a few of the pieces you will find:

• Seven poems in Janus Head: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies.
• Three poems in Word for Word.
• Two poems in SoftBlow.

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Forget Revision, Learn How to Re-create Your Poems!

Do you find first drafts the easy part and revision kind of intimidating? If so, you’re not alone, and it’s common for writers to think the revision process is boring–but it doesn’t have to be!

In the 48-minute tutorial Re-Creating Poetry: How to Revise Poems, poets will learn how to go about re-creating their poems with the use of 7 revision filters that can help poets more effectively play with their poems after the first draft. Plus, it helps poets see how they make revision–gasp–fun!

Click to continue.

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What are you currently up to?

I’m getting ready to leave for a residency at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts and couldn’t be more excited. I’ll spend my time there working on a new collection of erasure poems, which examines the egregious amount of gender violence in Shakespeare’s tragedies. The fragmented, elliptical poems ask reader to consider whether the literature we’ve inherited has normalized gender violence, since plays like Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello are so present within the public imagination.

Part critique, part excavation, the poems are intended to redirect the focus of scholarly and readerly attention. It is when we become conscious of underlying beliefs and assumptions in culture, and their roots, that change emerges as a real possibility.

Scorched Altar is a collection of selected poems and stories published by BlazeVOX [books]. How did this collection come about?

That’s a great question. I initially contacted Geoffrey Gatza, the fabulous editor in charge of the press, to inquire about the possibility of a Selected Poems.

It turns out that Geoffrey had the same idea himself, and I simply e-mailed first. Since I had worked with BlazeVOX on numerous previous collections, I knew that my Selected Poems was in very good hands.

Was the process of selecting pieces from previous collections different than putting together a new collection?

When I compiled the poems from my previous collections for Scorched Altar, it was a much different process than working on a brand new collection. For me, writing a new poem or poetry book is an intuitive process, and I don’t reflect much on what I’m doing, at least in the drafting stage. If I allow myself to become too self-aware, that allows me to become self-critical, and then no writing gets done at all.

What I really enjoyed about the process of compiling Scorched Altar was that it prompted me to reflect on my body of work as a whole, to see patterns emerge from my writing over the past seven years, and to see progress and growth. The act of examining my poetry over the course of several years also helped me see what ideas, obsessions, and literary forms I returned to most frequently. And as a result, I came away from the process with many ideas for new projects, experiments, and poems that were completely different from anything I’d ever written before.

In many ways, the act of examining my body of work showed me what is possible within it.

Many of your pieces, especially in collections like Correspondence and Fortress, have a very visual element to how they’re arranged on the page. Do you ever perform these in readings? If so, do you have to explain how they’re set?

I think every poetry reading has some element of performance. Whether the poet shouts their poems, or sings them, or invites audience participation, I’m positive that all writers have a constructed persona, which is an extension of the work itself. With that in mind, I love performing my footnote poems at readings.

I typically read them in a completely flat, monotone voice, almost like the bad math professor that just about everyone had in college. I love seeing the audience lulled into a sense of comfort by the unexciting presentation of the work, only to be surprised by the wildly imaginative content.

You’re an active literary critic. Does this inform your writing? Help? Hinder?

I’m glad you asked about my reviewing and involvement with literary criticism. I love reviewing books, because it exposes me to poetry that is completely outside my comfort zone. This is great because it helps me question and interrogate what I normally do in my own writing. It pushes me to try new things and experiment more within my own practice. And it helps me see more clearly where my poems fit within the larger literary community.

The best thing about reviewing, though, is that it helps build relationships within publishing and writing. I’ve met friends, collaborators, and even mentors when working on reviews. And there’s nothing better than free books!

You’ve published 17 collections now. How do you keep the writing flame lit?

By reading and reviewing other poets. As long as you’re constantly being exposed to new ideas, literary forms, and aesthetics, you’ll always have something to write about.

I also run a small press, Noctuary Press, which has been great for my own creative practice. The press primarily publishes women’s writing that takes places across and beyond genre categories. Although I pride myself on my ability to question genre distinctions, reading submissions for the press has shown me the tremendous variety inherent in contemporary cross-genre writing by women. My work as editor has helped me see what’s possible within the hybrid forms I typically inhabit, and it’s a great deal more than I had initially envisioned.

One poet who no one knows but should–who is it?

Erin Bertram. She has several magnificent chapbooks out, including one from Kristy Bowen’s fabulous Dancing Girl Press. I’m just waiting for someone to realize that her first full-length book needs to be published (so I can buy it and read it!).

Who (or what) are you currently reading?

I’m very excited to check out Donna Stonecipher’s Model City and Dawn Lonsinger’s Whelm. I also just picked up Olena Kalytiak Davis’s newest collection, which I’ve been eagerly awaiting for quite some time.

And if you haven’t checked out Carl Adamshick’s Saint Friend, just published by McSweeney’s Books, then you sure are missing out. It’s a terrific collection, even better than his first book, Curses & Wishes.

And usually I ask for one piece of advice for poets, but we’ve done a few interviews together now. So instead, and this is probably still one piece of advice for poets, I’m going to ask you about your amazing organization and follow-up abilities, because you do a better job than most. Could you share how you stay organized and on task for writing, submitting, following up, etc.?

I’m probably going to out myself as a total nerd with this answer, but here goes:  Excel Spreadsheets. I keep track of everything (applications I’ve submitted, review copies sent, deadlines for applications) in a couple of gigantic spreadsheets.

If I could offer one piece of advice to poets, I’d say keep records of where you send your work, whether it’s review copies, applications, or poems. If you don’t remember where you sent something, then there’s no way you’ll ever be able to follow up with the decision maker.

And believe me, persistence pays off, especially in small press publishing.

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Robert Lee Brewer is the editor of Poet’s Market and author of Solving the World’s Problems. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Check out these other poetic posts:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 299.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Paradelle.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

I’ve been a bit careless today. You see, I took the day off (the kids got a snow day today), and I didn’t get my poem-prompt written this morning. However, I’ve still got a solid 30 minutes of writing time left, soooooo…

For this week’s prompt, write a careless poem. That’s right, a careless poem. It’s funny; I actually had this prompt planned out weeks in advance. Somehow, I must’ve known life was going imitate art–or vice versa.

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt at a Careless Poem:

First poetic form challenge of 2015, and it’s a doozy! This time, we’ll be tackling the paradelle. Click here to check out how to write a paradelle.

This crazy form created by Billy Collins started as a joke, but it’s target audience (poets!) are gluttons for punishment and a real poetic challenge. And, well, these WD Poetic Form Challenges are supposed to be a challenge too, right? Just remember: I didn’t create this form.

So start writing them and sharing here on the blog (this specific post) for a chance to be published in Writer’s Digest magazine–as part of the Poetic Asides column. (Note: You have to log in to the site to post comments/poems; creating an account is free.)

Here’s how the challenge works:

• Challenge is free. No entry fee.
• The winner (and sometimes a runner-up or two) will be featured in a future edition of Writer’s Digest magazine as part of the Poetic Asides column.
• Deadline 11:59 p.m. (Atlanta, GA time) on March 15, 2015.
• Poets can enter as many paradelles as they wish. The more “work” you make for me the better, but remember: I’m judging on quality, not quantity.
• All poems should be previously unpublished. If you have a specific question about your specific situation, just send me an e-mail at [email protected]. Or just write a new paradelle.
• I will only consider paradelles shared in the comments below. It gets too confusing for me to check other posts, go to other blogs, etc.
• Speaking of posting, if this is your first time, your comment may not appear immediately. However, it should appear within a day (or 3–if shared on the weekend). So just hang tight, and it should appear eventually. If not, send me an e-mail at the address above.
• Please include your name as you would like it to appear in print. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to use your user/screen name, which might be something like HaikuPrincess007 or MrLineBreaker. WD has a healthy circulation, so make it easy for me to get your byline correct.
• Finally–and most importantly–be sure to have fun!

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 295.
• Gogyohka: Poetic Form.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a gogyohka! I’ve been sitting on the winner and already have the erasure winner ready too (look for that next week).

My initial short list included nearly 50 poems, so it was crazy competitive (like usual). But I did cut it down to one winner and 10 finalists. This time around Marian O’Brien Paul won for her poem “Parsing Autumn,” which was actually a gogyohka chain.

Here’s the winning Gogyohka:

Parsing Autumn, by Marian O’Brien Paul

In our courtyard
two locust trees
one drenching us
with gold
before the other

Slate-gray lake
lounging
beneath the sky
mirror image:
a selfie

On the ground
a dead squirrel
its tail still bushy
body curled
as if sleeping

Pumpkins piled
into mounds
at markets
promising pies
Jack-O’Lanterns

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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Here is the Top 10 list:

1. “Parsing Autumn,” by Marian O’Brien Paul
2. “Two Big Herons on a Little Pond,” by William Preston
3. “Lump,” by Marie Elena Good
4. “(When I misplace),” by drnurit
5. “Envy,” by J. Lynn Sheridan
6. “Dying Embers,” by Tracy Davidson
7. “Landlord,” by Jessica Cummins
8. “(the moon),” by James Brush
9. “Trouble in Paradise,” by Daniel Roessler
10. “lost,” by Nancy Posey

Congratulations to Marian and everyone in the Top 10! And thank you to everyone who took the time to participate and comment on each others’ poems.

As mentioned above, an announcement on the erasure challenge is coming soon. In the meantime, watch for the next poetic form and poetic form challenge.

Also, be sure to read through all the comments from the gogyohka challenge. Click to continue.

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He loves reading and writing the various poetic forms and can’t wait for the next April Poem-A-Day Challenge (not far away now).

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 295.
• Gogyohka: Poetic Form.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, write a treat poem. I guess this could be a trick or treat poem, or a poem about treating yourself (or another person) to something nice. I entreat you to have fun with it. Perhaps, we could sign a treaty to make it official and then shout it from the tallest “treet”ops. Okay, getting a little carried away, but hey, that’s what Wednesday poems are for, right?

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt at a Treat Poem:

“treats”

tell me a secret
and let it rest on my mind
near all the others–
keeping my new prisoner
and hoping it won’t escape

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He just enjoyed/survived a five-day weekend that included an aircraft carrier, submarine, destroyer, tight sleeping quarters, and an ice storm.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 295.
• Gogyohka: Poetic Form.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For this week’s prompt, write a patchwork poem. Patches are literally everywhere–in quilts, on clothes, and hey, even bandages and tape are a sort of patch. Then, there are the patches we place on our hearts, souls, and spirits. Cabbage patches, patching through for communication, and the more one thinks about patches the more one realizes they are all around us, holding us together.

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt at a Patchwork Poem:

“dress”

she wears a dress made of patches
& each patch on that dress matches

the feeling she got the first chance
that she gave him with each romance

he had with some other woman
because he came back a new man

at least those were his intentions
but they fell through as I mentioned

her white dress covered in patches
& each patch on that dress matches

all of her new second chances
to that guy whose love entrances

& she knows that he will wrong her
but she’ll hold out a bit longer

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He likes to write poems that rhyme…from time to time…while sucking on a lime…and listening to a mime.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 295.
• Gogyohka: Poetic Form.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

If you haven’t caught it yet, check out the results of the 2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge. Then, get back on over here…

For this week’s prompt, write a disappointment poem. I honestly didn’t think about the timing of announcing the challenge results with this prompt, but there you go. It can be disappointing to not win, I know, but there are so many other ways to be disappointed as well (with presents, affection, attention, motivation, and so on). I hope this prompt does not disappoint.

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt a Disappointment Poem:

“jury duty”

i am happy to serve: so let’s get
that out of the way first thing, okay.

it’s just that i had plans this week,
you know, and really, it’s not like

i’m going to get selected, and anyway
there’s a better than good chance we

will be dismissed before lunch, because
that’s what always happens, and then,

you know, i’ve been here for nothing
and rearranged the stars and the moon

because the lawyers had to wait until
the last minute to finally sort things out.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He is married to a paralegal who is on jury duty today.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 295.
• Gogyohka: Poetic Form.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

The 2014 November PAD (Poem-A-Day) Chapbook Challenge results are in, and I can’t wait to share the winner. I always shoot for Groundhog Day to make the big announcement, but I don’t always hit that mark. The only reason I’m a day off this time around is that the competition was so fierce.

A little more than 100 chapbook manuscripts were entered, and many of them would’ve been in the running as a finalist in previous years. It made for great reading, but it also made for great anxiety in figuring out finalists–let alone a winner!

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2015 Poet’s Market

Publish your poetry!

Get the most trusted guide to publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market!

Edited by Robert Lee Brewer, this edition of Poet’s Market includes articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Plus, interviews with poets and original contemporary poems. Oh yeah, and hundreds of poetry publishing opportunities, including book publishers, chapbook publishers, magazines, journals, online publications, contests, and so much more!

Click to continue.

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It was tough to pick a winner, but pick a winner I did: A Good Passion, by Barbara Young.

Congratulations, Barbara!

Here are a few poems from A Good Passion:

“About the Language and Inevitable Death,” by Barbara Young

Once upon a time
and this is before you
or I or your mother or
the dry disappearing women
who live under bridges
were born, words –some
words– had different meanings
than today’s.
Night, for instance.
And Alone.     Alone, alone
could fill all the space between all the yellow cities
on the map with
hollow, a hollow more empty than the echo
of the emptiest of moved from homes, dust
where the dresser was, a penny, half a toothpick.
But we use ancestors’ words
to name the things we know. And call the yellow
night sky black. And say he died
and went to hell.

“Jericho Road,” by Barbara Young

Blind Bartimaus, they called him
before the miracle.

What was he, to himself, after?
I lost weight once.

Never in my own mind, though.
Gained back more.

And never became that person,
revised, either. Tell me

Blind man, about the aftermath
of your miracle.

“XX,” by Barbara Young

A kiss
so sweet I
hit
repeat

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Again, congratulations, Barbara!

But wait! There’s more!

I have, of course, picked a few other chapbooks to recognize as well. While I could list more than a dozen that gave A Good Passion a run for its money, here are the Top 5 chapbooks, including the winner:

1. A Good Passion, by Barbara Young
2. A Nest of Shadormas, by William Preston
3. The Staircase Before You, by Jess(i)e Marino
4. Lives Other Than Our Own, by James Von Hendy
5. 1991 Winter, by Marilyn Braendeholm

Congratulations to all the finalists! And to everyone who entered!

I often receive notes of success from poets who’ve entered these challenges and found success with their poems–both individually and as collections–elsewhere. I expect great things from the poems and collections submitted this year!

And remember: the 2015 April PAD Challenge is just around the corner!

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He enjoyed the 2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, and he is looking forward to the 2015 April PAD Challenge!

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 295.
• Gogyohka: Poetic Form.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, write a beauty poem. Think Beauty and the Beast; think beauty sleep; think airbrushed images in magazines, self-esteem, and selfies. Personally, I always think of the old black & white version of King Kong and the final line of the movie.

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Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Beauty Poem:

“cincinnati”

what others find dirty
i’ve often found beautiful
& so it is with you

with your dirty river
& streets littered with
trash & homeless

grimy rectangled houses
filled with drugs & gangs
& i’ll always wander

your veins even when
i sleep more than
a thousand miles away.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He was born and raised in Southwest Ohio (Dayton and Cincinnati), and he’ll always have a soft spot for Clifton, Over the Rhine, and the difficult-to-navigate West Side of the Queen City.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Today has been a weird day. I’ve been receiving entries for the 2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, and my online connection has been faulty at best. Plus, the kids didn’t go to school on Monday (making it feel like a Tuesday instead of a Wednesday). For some folks, this prompt may be dropping on Thursday instead of Wednesday–but I’ve still got close to 5 hours left here in Georgia. So let’s poem!

For this week’s prompt, write a resolve poem. People can resolve to do something. Then, they can test their resolve. Problems can be resolved, and detectives–I suppose–could re-solve a problem (or the world’s problems for that matter–wink, wink). So please resolve to write a poem this week and test that resolve.

*****

Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Resolve Poem:

“connections”

I resolved to get something done today,
but the Internet had other ideas,
namely to not work–so then I can’t work,
and when I can’t work I fill with ideas
for ways to get work done that never work,
because I’d need the Internet today.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

Happy New Year, everyone! Make a wish, steal a kiss, do whatever makes you feel good.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Today is the final day of 2014, and tomorrow is 2015. At least, that’s how it is in Atlanta, Georgia.

As such, this week’s prompt is to write a party poem. A lot of stuff happens at parties. There are people who are the life of the party, who crash the party, and who feel left out of the party.

*****

Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Party Poem:

“the three-year-old dance”

she says she wants to party,
but i don’t know how. i don’t
dance or drink or feel relaxed
around strangers, but she says

she wants to party. she says
she needs to party right now
& i realize she doesn’t need
to party; she means potty.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

Happy New Year, everyone! Make a wish, steal a kiss, do whatever makes you feel good.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Quick note: If you’re searching for a gift for a writer friend or family member, consider giving the gift of a subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine. Click here for details.

For today’s prompt, write an excitement poem. Excitement can be a good thing, but excitement can often lead to very bad things. So whether you’re excitement leads to good results, bad results, or mixed results, I hope you’re excited to get writing today (and throughout the week).

*****

Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at an Excitement Poem:

“hands off”

when the boy gets excited, he starts to cough,
and it’s not long until the girl says, hands off.
but that boy don’t listen when he gets this way,
and it’s not long until the cops have their say,
because the girl was the light, the boy a moth.

when a person says, hands off, it means hands off,
whether you want to get frisky, sweet, or rough,
because it’s a person, not a toy to play
when the boy gets excited.

love if you will, though its restraint can be tough,
and listen when lovers say, that is enough.
a rebuke doesn’t mean your lover will stray,
only your hungry hands are too much today.
so listen: hands off means hands off means hands off
even when the boy gets excited.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He is excited that shopping and wrapping season is almost over. Happy holidays, everyone!

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Quick note: If you’re searching for a gift for a writer friend or family member, consider giving the gift of a subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine. Click here for details.

For today’s prompt, write a high poem. Now, I know the word “high” is a loaded one–so take it where you may. There are high temperatures, high heights, and other meanings related to high. You can even transform high into the greeting “hi,” which then leads down a whole new rabbit hole.

*****

Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a High Poem:

“high wire”

balancing is the same at 3 inches
as it is at 3 feet or 3 stories. the trick

is thinking 3 stories is 3 inches.
when i let myself, i’m still scared

of the dark. a corner conceals
a burglar or poltergeist. nothing’s

different, but i let my mind wander.
falling from 3 stories is much

different than falling from 3 inches,
but balancing is the same.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He is not a fan of heights or the dark, though both are fine for other folks. That said, he does like to write late at night and on airplanes–maybe to channel the anxiety?

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Writing poetry for the sake of writing poetry is a worthwhile pursuit, but poets who wish to build an audience for their poetry will benefit from Find More Readers and Success With Your Poetry, an hour-long live webinar on finding more readers and success with their poetry. This session will share lessons learned first hand by author Robert Lee Brewer and incorporate advice passed on by other poets.

This live webinar is taught by Robert Lee Brewer, an editor with the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). A former Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, Brewer is editor of Poet’s Market, blogs at Poetic Asides, and writes a poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine. Follow him on Twitter @RobertLeeBrewer.

By the end of this webinar, poets will know how to start finding more readers and finding more success with their poetry.

The live webinar starts at 1:00 p.m. EST on Monday, December 15, 2014.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• How to get poems published
• Why blogs can benefit poets
• How to use social media with a purpose
• 5 tips for reading poems in public
• Why to build and how to use contact lists
• The power of poetry organizations
• And more

Click here to register.

INSTRUCTOR

Robert Lee Brewer is an editor with the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). A former Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, Brewer is editor of Poet’s Market, blogs at Poetic Asides, and writes a poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine. Follow him on Twitter @RobertLeeBrewer.

For today’s prompt, write a false poem. Emily Dickinson once wrote, “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” That’s good advice, but these poems should descend with falsifying the intent. False documents, false names, false teeth, the balance of true or false, and so on. A revision to Dickinson, “Tell all the truth but not this week.”

*****

Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a False poem:

“false face”

-with a nod to PLD

we wear the face that grins and tries
to hide our thoughts & empty lies
because someday we hope we’ll see
the end to our humility
as one more unarmed person dies

& served up fast before our eyes
as all around we hear the cries
of i can’t breathe on city streets
we wear the face

wanting to figure our replies
but all we seem to find are sighs
when we dream all humans are free
god knows that’s what we want to see
hiding behind our alibis
we wear the face

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He hails from Dayton, birthplace of Paul Laurence Dunbar who wrote “We Wear the Mask,” which inspired today’s poem (among other things). He believes that if there was ever time for poetry, now is it.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Okay, here are the next steps for this challenge. Before you dive into them, click here to read the original guidelines for the challenge.

Step One: Write the Poems

We accomplished this step during the month of November. We have 30 prompts to prove it.

Step Two: Revise the Poems

This step is optional, though I highly encourage taking a look over your first drafts and playing around with them in December.

*****

Write like the masters!

Write like the masters with this super bundle of writing instruction that includes 7 paperback books, 2 e-books, and 2 webinars.

Get it all for less than $60 (retails for $328.91).

Click to continue.

*****

Step Three: Collect the Poems

I’m looking for 10-20 pages of poems. Not more than one poem per page, though it’s okay to have more than one page per poem. If you wrote every day in the challenge, this means you’re going to have to make tough decisions about which poems to include.

A couple recommendations:

• Look for quality first. That’s what I’ll be looking for first.
• Search for a theme. It might be a storyline, common subjects, a voice, a mood, etc. Not necessary, but this can make a collection stronger.

Step Four: Format the Manuscript

I’m really not too picky here, but I do want all the poems in the same file. There are few things that irk me more than receiving 20 individual files.

Here are a few guidelines:

• 10- to 12-point font like Arial or Times New Roman (or something simple like that) is prefered. In other words, nothing too fancy.
• 1″ margins–give or take.
• .doc, .docx, .txt files are my favorites. But if you’re unable to do those, .pdf can work too.
• Please include your name and contact information.
• Please include a title for the manuscript.
• Table of Contents is not mandatory, but it’s a nice touch.
• Feel free to include a bio–but I’ve never used a bio to guide my judging.

Also, I won’t accept/consider manuscripts that include more than 20 poems with instructions that I pick my favorites. That’s not how this challenge works. You’re the poet; you need to make the artistic decisions.

Step Five: Submit the Manuscript

Submit manuscripts to [email protected] with the subject line: 2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge. I have a very busy inbox–so the e-mail subject line is very, very important. Very. Deadline: January 7, 2015.

Step Six: Wait for Judging

My goal is to make a decision by Groundhog Day. February 2, 2015. If I hit that goal, we may have an early spring.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He’s looking forward to the submissions this year.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic posts here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 287.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Erasure Poem.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

Time to get back into the swing of the Wednesday Poetry Prompts. I’m sorry for the late prompt this week; I ran into some technical difficulties, which actually influenced this week’s prompt.

For this week’s prompt, write a difficulties poem. The poem could be about technical difficulties, or perhaps, financial difficulties, health difficulties, or relationship difficulties. We all have our own demons and hardships. This week’s poems can draw from that well.

*****

Ignite Your Creativity!

Jump start your creativity with four books, two tutorials, and a digital download–all discounted by 82%!

The whole collection runs $134.93 separately and is currently offered at only $24.49. Great gift–for yourself and/or others!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Difficulties poem:

“I Admit It”

I get pretty bent out of shape
when things don’t work. Like

websites and relationships,
but especially technology.

It’s sad, I know. I know, there
are people starving in other

countries–people homeless
and hungry in my own city–

and here I am venting about
data that can’t be coaxed into

displaying on a computer screen.
All the injustice, the depravity,

and here I am pushing my blood
pressure to new limits. And then,

it works, and I realize I’ve been
a fool, and the world shakes

loose its sadness and anger
before the next click of my mouse.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

For folks who have patiently been waiting for some next steps on the November Poetry Challenge, he wishes to let them know that a post is coming either later today or tomorrow morning–now that his technical difficulties are hopefully behind him.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, write a same poem. I guess it could be the same old poem, but it could be a completely different poem that looks at a person or thing or system that is still the same. Or maybe a poem about how all people are the same. Or take the “same” concept and show how things are not the same. And that opens up a universe of possibilities.

*****

2015 Poet’s Market

Get your poetry published!

Learn how to get your poetry published with the premiere book on publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer.

This essential resource includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, journals, contests, grants, and so much more. Plus, there are articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Beyond that, there’s an hour-long webinar, a subscription to the poetry slice of WritersMarket.com, original poems, poet interviews, resources galore, and more-more-more!!!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Same poem:

“popsicle”

a popsicle does not stay the same

if you remove it from the freezer

especially on a hot summer day

when it immediately starts to melt

either on your fingers or within

its packaging that will eventually

contain sugary water and a stick

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He is a fan of popsicles, especially orange.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, you have two options:

1. Write a love poem.
2. Write an anti-love poem.

*****

2015 Poet’s Market

Get your poetry published!

Learn how to get your poetry published with the premiere book on publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer.

This essential resource includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, journals, contests, grants, and so much more. Plus, there are articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Beyond that, there’s an hour-long webinar, a subscription to the poetry slice of WritersMarket.com, original poems, poet interviews, resources galore, and more-more-more!!!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Love and/or Anti-Love poem:

“poem”

every word & image has a target
audience & every line break

is meant to entice & move you
to reach out for the next phrase

how i love you & ache for your
return that moment when you

lift me up & read yourself
into me what i beg you to do

when you find yourself
completely alone with me

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He began with love poems–so he always brings them along for every challenge.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “I’ll Be (blank),” replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “I’ll Be Back,” “I’ll Be Late for Dinner,” and “I’ll Be a Monkey’s Uncle.”

*****

2015 Poet’s Market

Get your poetry published!

Learn how to get your poetry published with the premiere book on publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer.

This essential resource includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, journals, contests, grants, and so much more. Plus, there are articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Beyond that, there’s an hour-long webinar, a subscription to the poetry slice of WritersMarket.com, original poems, poet interviews, resources galore, and more-more-more!!!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at an I’ll Be Blank poem:

“I’ll Be a Poet”

and pull the stars from the sky
before turning them into elephants
stampeding through the suburbs

or perhaps I’ll fall asleep & dream
of a house on fire covered in lightning
bugs that all ascend together

on cue & silently lift up through
the clouds that just as silently part
to reveal the fireflies as the stars

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He grew up chasing fireflies and watching sunsets turn into the night sky.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, write an alone poem. Some people covet “alone time.” Others prefer not to be left alone. Many like a certain balance. But this doesn’t have to just be about people. Maybe a forest wishes to be left alone, or there is a product left alone on a store shelf (how the children’s story “Corduroy” begins).

*****

2015 Poet’s Market

Get your poetry published!

Learn how to get your poetry published with the premiere book on publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer.

This essential resource includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, journals, contests, grants, and so much more. Plus, there are articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Beyond that, there’s an hour-long webinar, a subscription to the poetry slice of WritersMarket.com, original poems, poet interviews, resources galore, and more-more-more!!!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at an Alone poem:

“gadgets”

as long as I have my internet connection
& smart phone I have this feeling that I can’t

possibly be alone. I consider going into hiding
until I remember my faith & the fact that even

before the internet I was never alone & ditching
all my gadgets & connections won’t change that.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He has moments when he feels alone–like anyone–but then he usually comes to his senses. He’s thankful for the community of poets here that help lift each other up throughout the month and year.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

For today’s prompt, write a release poem. Maybe somebody’s being released from prison or a contract. Maybe a person is signing a release form. There’s emotional and physical release. Animals capturing and releasing other animals. Trees releasing leaves in autumn. And so on.

*****

2015 Poet’s Market

Get your poetry published!

Learn how to get your poetry published with the premiere book on publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer.

This essential resource includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, journals, contests, grants, and so much more. Plus, there are articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Beyond that, there’s an hour-long webinar, a subscription to the poetry slice of WritersMarket.com, original poems, poet interviews, resources galore, and more-more-more!!!

Click to continue.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Release poem:

“in words, no”

but I’m afraid your actions have
provided enough reasons that I

feel you could never truly ever
care for more than money. I sought

the city for small examples of your
charity, but I found no release.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

His golden shovel today was taken from a fairly popular Christmas story (and since I can’t find the book, it may be slightly paraphrased). If you can name the story, you get one point. Two points if you can pinpoint the exchange.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

It is time for another poetic form challenge. This time, we’ll be doing erasures. Click here to discover what an erasure is.

Since it’s a form that uses another piece of text as source material, I’m going to ask that all entries credit their source. Also, this is the one form in which I’ll let folks submit directly to me but only if you use the subject line: WD Poetic Form Erasure. Any variations may be deleted without being read.

So start writing them and sharing here on the blog (this specific post) or via e-mail for a chance to be published in Writer’s Digest magazine–as part of the Poetic Asides column. (Note: You have to log in to the site to post comments/poems; creating an account is free.)

Here’s how the challenge works:

• Challenge is free. No entry fee.
• The winner (and sometimes a runner-up or two) will be featured in a future edition of Writer’s Digest magazine as part of the Poetic Asides column.
• Deadline 11:59 p.m. (Atlanta, GA time) on December 12, 2014.
• Poets can enter as many erasures as they wish. The more “work” you make for me the better, but remember: I’m judging on quality, not quantity.
• All poems should be previously unpublished. If you have a specific question about your specific situation, just send me an e-mail at [email protected]. Or just write a new erasure.
• I will only consider erasures shared in the comments below or sent via e-mail using the specific subject line mentioned above. It gets too confusing for me to check other posts, go to other blogs, etc.
• Speaking of posting, if this is your first time, your comment may not appear immediately. However, it should appear within a day (or 3–if shared on the weekend). So just hang tight, and it should appear eventually. If not, send me an e-mail at the address above.
• Please include your name as you would like it to appear in print. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to use your user/screen name, which might be something like HaikuPrincess007 or MrLineBreaker. WD has a healthy circulation, so make it easy for me to get your byline correct.
• Finally–and most importantly–be sure to have fun!

******

2015 Poet’s Market

Get your poetry published!

Learn how to get your poetry published with the premiere book on publishing your poetry: the 2015 Poet’s Market, edited by the always lovable and encouraging Robert Lee Brewer.

This essential resource includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, journals, contests, grants, and so much more. Plus, there are articles on the craft of poetry, business of poetry, and promotion of poetry. Beyond that, there’s an hour-long webinar, a subscription to the poetry slice of WritersMarket.com, original poems, poet interviews, resources galore, and more-more-more!!!

Click to continue.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53).

He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He loves learning new poetic forms, sharing them with the Poetic Asides poets, and then with the world (through Writer’s Digest magazine).

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic treats here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 284.
• The Poetry World A-Z.
• 2014 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Guidelines.

For today’s prompt, pick a direction on the compass, make it the title of your poem, and write that poem. North, South, West, and East are easy directions. Then, there’s Southwest, Northeast, and so on. Then, there are the directions that are completely invented.

*****

Today Is Seriously Your Last Chance to Enter!

Writer’s Digest has extended the deadline to their Writer’s Digest Poetry Awards competition to November 21. And the winner will receive $1,000 cash!

The winning poem will also be published in a future issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. And the winning poet will receive a copy of the 2015 Poet’s Market.

Even poets who don’t win can win, because there are prizes for 2nd through 25th place as well, though only if you enter.

Click to learn more.

*****

Here’s my attempt at a Direction on the Compass poem:

“North”

i was born in an ice fort
guarded by snow men

without the luxury of
a princess to let it go

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He loves all the directions on his compass, but one his all-time favorite moments was when one of his boys said, “Daddy is my compass.” That thought guides him to this day.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.

One form I’ve been meaning to get to for a while is the blackout poem and also the erasure poem. Both are sort of similar with the major difference being in presentation, I suppose.

Or it’s kind of like rectangles and squares. You see, all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.

The same could be said of erasure and blackout poems. After all, all blackout poems are erasure poems, but not all erasure poems are blackout poems.

What is a blackout poem?

A blackout poem is when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like in a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a sort of visual poem.

I tried creating my own and pasting it onto the blog, but I’m having technical difficulties–so instead, click here to check out a blackout poem from one of the masters of the form, Austin Kleon.

What is an erasure poem?

An erasure poem is any poem that sculpts itself out of another larger text. The blackout poem is an erasure poem, but so is a poem like this:

From Ed, by Robert Lee Brewer

We’re approaching the annual
trip of six young winners!

The deadline for poets is NOW!

Open Antioch
Cincinnati
and Paris first.

Start journeys of great things.

How moral characters use
cash and horror for information.

*****

Some erasure poems work with or against the original text; some erasure poems look for completely new and unrelated meanings than the original text; and some erasure poems are just complete nonsense. In the example above, I used one of my recent WritersMarket.com newsletters (which by the way are free to receive, though site subscriptions have a fee).

Quick note on ethics: There is a line to be drawn between erasure/blackout poems and plagiarism. If you’re not erasing more than 50% of the text, then I’d argue you’re not making enough critical decisions to create a new piece of art. Further, it’s always good form to credit the original source for your erasures.

*****

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market, Writer’s Market, and Guide to Self-Publishing, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He prefers to use horoscopes for most of his erasures, though it’s also fun to do with longer rambling free verse poems too.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

*****

Find more poetic goodies here:

• Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 286.
• WD Poetic Form Challenge: Gogyohka.
• The Poetry World A-Z.