Put a touch of magic in your ending. The last impression you leave of your writing rests on your closing thoughts, which will ring more loudly than the opening sentence that well may have gone forgotten halfway into your narrative. In my school years, I struggled not to copy my first paragraph in the last.… Read More The Writing Process: The Final Word
In extension of The Writing Process: Sensory Details, Part 4, I share a handful of poems a few private students produced years back. The wording fell into place once the ideas came to life in the brainstorm of senses (explained in Part 4). Tip of the day: quotes wake up poems with the element of… Read More The Writing Process, Part 5: Keep Painting
I was about 23, teaching 5th grade in a diverse Philadelphia public school. Hailstones and Halibut Bones, the beautiful book of color poetry that inspires kids out of mediocre writing, sparked lovely poems in my own students. (It is the most recent edition that offers vibrant pictures). The contagious delight the kids took playing with… Read More The Writing Process, Part 4: Sensory Details
May my eyes, Lord, Never stay set on what surrounds but solely, wholly, Ever on Thee be fixed and bound Lest they stray the Giver – in times my cup be sweet – to the gift that Never can be as sweet as Thee Or in self-pity settle – when my cup be bitter –… Read More Sight
I’ve taught writing in both public schools and private settings. Years after their last lesson with me, I asked two very bright sisters (with diametric learning styles) what they remembered from their long season with me. Both answered, “Save spit.” Turned out, the pithy injunction had velcroed itself on their brain and conducted the papers… Read More The Writing Process, Part 2: Save Spit
out of the blue these giggles! tickle their way up about to — across the kitchen table we dip into the other’s stuff of life. it is such a phenomenon. the giggles want to celebrate this phenomenon — pOP the cork! effervescence rush up and lose the tear i just swallowed. i give you to… Read More Blue Champagne
I noticed something recently about the colors of the words that have streamed from my head these few months. The versicolor spectrum has many lighter, brighter hues than my writing has seen over the years. The lacuna of the last ten years where I was entirely occupied in the life of a wife and mother… Read More The Writing Process, Part 1: Color
I wrote the poem as a student at University of Pennsylvania. When You find me breathless from Time’s relentless marching orders would You still my heart and incline it to Your gentle whisper? Make me to climb the depths of Your quiet words of wisdom so to know that You are God. John 10.3,27 1… Read More Breathless
A Holistic Journey 