I will be reading one of my three poems in the anthology
On Sunday, June 3 at 4 pm EST, I will be reading from the anthology, Poetry for the Dementia Journey, along with many other poets included in the anthology, including Gail Thomas, Ellen Rittberg, and Christine Jones. The book officially launches in both paperback and Kindle on June 1st – in time for Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. The book will also be published with Draft2Digital, which will put it in many other stores, such as Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Hoopla. The eBook will sell on all platforms for $9.99 and the paperback will sell for $14.99. All royalties will benefit AlzAuthors’ mission to provide quality resources for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can order a copy at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3CCK368.
You can get the zoom link by emailing a request to alzauthors@gmail.com.
Poetry for the Dementia Journey is a moving, hopeful, heartwarming collection all written from the personal experience of dementia. Within its pages, readers will find nuggets of wisdom and glimpses of joy.
Follow me here on Thursdays for more writing and book publishing news.
On Sunday, June 3 at 4 pm EST, I will be reading from the anthology, Poetry for the Dementia Journey, along with many other poets included in the anthology, including Gail Thomas, Ellen Rittberg, and Christine Jones. The book officially launches in both paperback and Kindle on June 1st – in time for Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. The book will also be published with Draft2Digital, which will put it in many other stores, such as Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Hoopla. The eBook will sell on all platforms for $9.99 and the paperback will sell for $14.99. All royalties will benefit AlzAuthors’ mission to provide quality resources for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can order a copy at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3CCK368. You can get the zoom link by emailing a request to alzauthors@gmail.com.
This is a moving, hopeful, heartwarming collection all written from the personal experience of dementia. Within its pages, readers will find nuggets of wisdom and glimpses of joy.
Follow me here on Thursdays for more book publishing news.
Zoom in to View Us at the Launch on June 3 at 4 pm.
poetry-for-dj-cover-123650291
The book officially launches in both paperback and Kindle on June 1st – in time for Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. The book will also be published with Draft2Digital, which will put it in many other stores, such as Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Hoopla. The eBook will sell on all platforms for $9.99 and the paperback will sell for $14.99. All royalties will benefit AlzAuthors’ mission to provide quality resources for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can order the book on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3CCK368
This is a moving, hopeful, heartwarming collection all written from the personal experience of dementia. Within its pages, readers will find nuggets of wisdom and glimpses of joy.
A book launch is planned and includes a virtual reading featuring the poets on Monday, June 3 at 4:00 pm EST. I will be reading at least one of my three poems in the anthology at that time. This will be on Zoom and recorded for both our podcast and YouTube channel.
As a teacher, I relied on Bloom’s Taxonomy as a model.
As a career educator, I often used Bloom’s Taxonomy. I taught little ones on the elementary school level, and then college students. I always encouraged my students to approach study using this six-step process.
The model was named for Benjamin Bloom, who first came up with it. Here are its six levels:
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysus
Synthesis
Evaluation
So how do you use Bloom’s Taxonomy to enhance your writing process? I think Bloom’s Taxonomy can be applied to writing. You may come across an idea for your writing and research the topic and comprehend it. Then you can apply it in your writing. In the analysis phase you break down complex ideas about what you’re writing. In the synthesis part you combine the ideas you have generated in the process and make it original, or your own.
In evaluation, you make judgments about the value of what you have created and decide if it is something you want to pursue. As writers, we have all written things we don’t think work, but even if you don’t come out with something good after this process, it’s bound to lead to something worth using later. It’s an exercise in how to get through the writing process, even if it’s not working. Nothing is ever wasted in the creative process.
I started writing an eco-poetry manuscript on my own as I feel passionately about climate justice. Then I met the Norwegian artist, Irene Christensen, and saw some of her paintings about women at the heart of the environmental movement, and decided to collaborate with her. We came up with a 60-page manuscript of ekphrastic poems and paintings called Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Planet. It is currently out being considered by several publishers.
I will be blogging on Thursdays. Follow me here for blogs about the writing/publishing process and the progress of my new manuscript.
A writer’s voice is their distinct worldview, transcribed into words and shared with the audience.
What we term a writer’s voice is the unique fingerprint that separates one writer from the next. It’s the output when writers dredges through the hidden depths of their psyche, confronting fears, dreams, and interests.
How does a writer find his/her voice? Your voice is actually a reflection of your entire personality, including your speech patterns. And you can have more than one voice. I recently collaborated on a manuscript of eco-poetry with the Norwegian Artist, Irene Christensen called Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth. In this case, my voice became joined with the visuals of this artist who created a series of paintings about women at the heart of the environmental movement. So in this case, my voice became an extension of the visuals involved.
Your personality comes out in what you write. Even if you use many voices , they’re still created by tone, attitude and style.
Tone in your writing is similar to tone of voice while talking. It’s not what you say—the facts—but how you say or write it.
Attitude is about beliefs, emotion and values. It has to do with how you regard the world and life or how you feel about something. It reveals itself in the way you talk, your body language, and your actions. And your attitude is part of what shapes your writing voice. It’s a lot like a professional singer’s voice.
Style is revealed with vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar, and the technicalities of writing. It also involves who you are and your personal taste or preferences.
What is your writer’s voice? I’ll be blogging on Thursdays. Follow me here.
So said the man who got rid of slavery in the United States. It is an inspirational quote.
How do we as writers stay inspired? Writers have difficulty carving out time and summoning inspiration.
One way that keeps me going is the occasional writing workshop. There are so many opportunities online and in your writing community. I don’t take multi-week workshops unless I’m really trying to focus on something new and learn about it. I just take the occasional one-shot workshop to get some fresh ideas about my writing. Just google under a topic you might find interesting and see what’s available. Sometimes they are free, or very low cost.
Another way of finding inspiration is in a writing group. Listen to what others are reading and hear what they have to say about what you’re working on. Most communities have pockets of writers who meet up. Join a community group and see if you can get invited into a small group of your own. My writing groups have sustained me through the years.
Collaboration is another way I find inspiration. I particularly like collaborating with artists. I like reading a artist’s exhibits. This gives you inspiration and brings people in to see the art or art lovers in to hear some of your writing. It’s a win/win situation. You can also write ekphrastic poetry, or responses to art pieces. I recently did this with the Norwegian artist, Irene Christensen. She did a series of full-color paintings on women at the heart of the environmental movement. I found the paintings so inspiring, I wrote a whole series of ekphrastic poems in response and we wound up developing a 60-page manuscript called, Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth.
Follow me here on Thursdays. I’ll be blogging about writing, the writing process, steps to publishing, and the progress of our manuscript, Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth.
Many writers ask me about how to approach a publisher and get them interested in reading my manuscript. I’ve published three books. A good query letter is invaluable in soliciting interest from a publisher. With a novel, it is simpler to give a plot summary, character analysis, etc. But with a poetry manuscript, it’s harder to describe. You have to provide the theme. A good query letter is on the short side and to the point. It has one purpose, to entice the publisher into looking at your manuscript.
To start, look at what the publisher publishes and maybe getting some sample titles. If you like the books, and what the publisher did with them, then you and the publisher are probably a good fit. You might also have friends who had a good experience publishing with someone. If so, you could use this in your opening. As a writer, you have books you love. Get those books and look up the publisher.
Next, read the publisher’s guidelines carefully and follow them. Some publishers want sample pages; some want the whole manuscript;and some just want your letter outlining exactly what it is you want to send. Make sure you know the standards of each publisher and how to meet those standards. When you write your query, incorporate what you like about the publisher’s line of books. Was it one title that drew you in? Is that title relevant to your manuscript?
Start with your favorite publisher first, then wait a few weeks for the response. If it’s a no, and every writer gets a no at least once in a while, go onto your second favorite publisher. Start accumulating a list of publishers, in order of your preference, and keep at it. Persistence is key.
Your previous publishing record is important in your query. The publisher wants to know other people have published you. List book credits, journals and/or anthologies. This proves that you have an audience. Also, if you have won any awards, this is the place to list them. Endorsements from other poets and writers in the field are helpful. If you know someone who has published well, ask them to read your manuscript and write a blurb for you. Include this in your query letter.
This letter is an introduction and framework for your manuscript. It should prepare and excite the publisher to ask for and read your manuscript. Connecting threads could be more valuable to your presentation than just summarizing your manuscript. There must be something about this work that inspired you to do it. Share that enthusiasm with the publisher. Get to the heart of the project and show the publisher why it’s important and why you did it.
I am working on a collection of eco-poetry inspired by the paintings of the Norwegian artist, Irene Christensen. The paintings are on the theme of women at the heart of the environmental movement. One of her paintings is pictured above, Māori. This poem and painting of the same name was published in Starry Starry Kite, which was part of my query letter. So far, Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth is out for consideration with two publishers. We await their response.
I will be continuing the journey of this manuscript on Thursdays . Follow me here.
Writing an opening, a foreword to a book, a first line that will encourage your reader to continue is a challenge.
The tone for a trial is set by the lawyer’s opening statement. It’s the first opportunity to make an impression, to frame the narrative. In your writing, your introduction serves the same purpose.
Start with a strong statement. Hook your reader with a provocative statement. “Call me Ismael” brings you right into Moby Dick. It’s an invitation you can’t refuse.
Lawyers build their cases on evidence. They introduce facts, exhibits, testimonies to support their opening statement. Your introduction should also be grounded in facts.
Lawyers question witnesses to strengthen their case and counter opposing arguments. As a writer, you should think about and address counterarguments to your opening, including opposing views. Provide a thoughtful counter-argument. Consider all sides of the issue and enhance your reliability.
In all of these ways you will have an opening that will encourage people to continue reading.
In the case of a poetry collection, like Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth, the artist, Irene Christensen and I, put the strongest paintings and poems up front. There are 27 paintings and poems in a 60-page manuscript. We began with poems that editors had chosen for publication and with paintings that had been curated for international shows.
I’ll be blogging on Thursdays, following the progress of our manuscript, Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth. And writing about the writer’s process. Follow me here.
I recently was given a book by a writer friend called A Friend Sails in on a Poem, by Molly Peacock. It is a book about two friends who are poets and it’s dedicated to “all friends who make art together”. It put me in mind of all of the friendships I have made of other artists and how easy it is to take these relationships for granted.
This book celebrates the friendship of Molly and her poet friend of 46 years, Phillis Levin. According to the book “they have read and discussed nearly every poem they’ve written, creating an unparalleled friendship.” It puts me in mind of all the years I have sat in writing groups reading to my writer friends and seeking their support in my endeavors.
The past two years I have been collaborating with the Norwegian artist, Irene Christensen, pictured on the left above. We met at the Julia and David White Artist Colony in Costa Rica years ago and it was our mutual love of nature and art through the years that eventually led to our collection of eco-poetry and art called Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth.
I guess when one artist collaborates with another, it creates an understanding of the other’s artists’ work that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Irene created a series of paintings about women at the heart of the environmental movement. I responded to these evocative paintings in the best way I know, through poetry.
Yesterday. Oil, 16” x 12” by Irene Christensen
I responded to Yesterdaywith a poem called “She Occupies Time,” which begins “no quiet merging with the azure, but an orangesky, the earth bizarre with diasporic life.” The combination of painting and poem merge to become something new. A way of communicating in art that transcends painting or poem alone.
Irene started exhibiting her paintings with the poems I had written for them. Perilous Journey at the Galleries of the Interchurch Center in New York City. Queen of the Woods was exhibited with poem and painting at the Voices of the Earth Exhibition in Galleri Schaeffers Gate 5, Oslo,Norway. The painting and poem were sold together as that’s what the buyer wanted, the experience of having both the poem and painting together in his home.
The experience of collaborating and supporting each other as writers and artists is an invaluable part of the process. What has your interpersonal journey been like as a writer?
“What keeps life fascinating is the constant creativity of the soul.” —Deepak Chopra
In the pursuit of success, we often focus on the end result. In so doing, we neglect interest in the journey because we want to get there as soon as possible or we lose the desire to even reach the destination.
Many artists focus on the final product, but the secret is in enjoying the process of creation
The process itself is a reward. The creative journey should interest you far more than reaching the destination. I am currently working on a manuscript, Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth, with the Norwegian artist, Irene Christensen.
We forget forget to enjoy the journey, and in effect, we lose our desire to even reach the destination.Sylvia Plath said, “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
Creativity holds great significance when it comes to connecting with our soul or authentic self.
By tuning into that creative fire that burns within, we can connect more powerfully with the soul. For some people, creativity can even be more affective at this than meditation.
When we make room for creativity in our lives and activate our creative muscles, it can be transformative. It can strengthen our intuition, release stagnant energy, and align with our larger project, like writing a book or composing a song.
I will be blogging on Thursdays. Follow me here for the journey of the manuscript, Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth.
Eileen P. Kennedy Author 