What poetry hides in your name? Join Callie Feyen for poetry prompts that have to do with the letters that make up you!
A Poem in Every Heart: John Borling, John McCain and the Hanoi Hilton
The late John McCain and his fellow prisoners of war tapped poetry and story between the walls of their cells, making a poem in every heart (and a story in every soul) a key to helping each other live.
World War I: Mary Borden – Nurse, Novelist, Poet
American Mary Borden married a missionary, financed a hospital in World War I France, had an affair, published novels — and wrote poetry.
Poetry Prompt: The Farm—Endings and Pretending
What poetry can be found in an ending? Can we play pretend long enough to believe? Join Callie Feyen as she writes about disintegrated definitions and why poets make some of the best friends.
A Strangely Contemporary Verse Play: “Murder in the Cathedral” by T.S. Eliot
“Murder in the Cathedral” by T.S. Eliot, written and produced in 1935, was one of the last verse plays written for the stage. It is also oddly contemporary.
Poetry Prompt: Farm Blackout Poetry
Not sure where to begin when crafting a poem (or learning about a new concept)? Join Callie Feyen to write blackout poetry from new and unfamiliar material.
Marjorie Maddox and “Transplant, Transport, Transubstantiation”
The poems of “Transplant, Trnasport, Transubstantiation” by Marjorie Maddox take us to the world of change and loss, and what sustains us.
Writing Prompt: Play With Your Food
Creative nonfiction writer, Callie Feyen, takes help from poet Tania Runyan to write food poetry. Come along and craft your own poem or story—purple carrots optional!
TSP #1: Luci Shaw Talks Friendship, Freedom, and Love in a Golden Box
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“Love Songs”: Claiming Sara Teasdale for St. Louis
Sara Teasdale lived 34 of her 48 years in St. Louis; she was born and buried there, and St. Louis can claim her as one of its own poets.
Writing Prompt: Beach Metaphors
How is an exploration on the beach like an experience in a new school, a new town, or a new phase of life? Come write with a beach metaphor!
Writing Prompt: Speckled Scenes
What is mysterious and magnificent about speckles? What excites us about small patches of color on a summer’s evening? Join us as for a speckled writing prompt.
The Poets of Instagram: r.h. Sin and “I Hope This Reaches Her in Time”
The poets of Instagram are helping to revitalize the reading of poetry, and r.h. Sin is one of them. His new collection is “I Hope This Reaches Her in Time.”
Using Poetry to Reflect Upon the Civil War – Part 3: Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman celebrated the beginning of the Civil War, like many Americans on both sides. But as it dragged on, he — and his poetry — changed.
Poetry and Remembering the Civil War – Part 2: Robert Lowell
For generations, we’ve used the Civil War as a lens for viewing controversies. In his poem “For the Union Dead,” Robert Lowell considers the war — and a parking garage.
Poetry and Remembering the Civil War – Part 1: Allen Tate
The Civil War has long been used as a lens for interpreting, understanding, and advocating contemporary issues. So has the poetry about the Civil War.
The 2017 Walt Whitman Award: “Eye Level” by Jenny Xie
“Eye Level” by Jenny Xie, a collection of poems marked by spareness and precision, is the 2017 winner of the Walt Whitman Award.
Alan Seeger: The American Poet in World War I
One of the most famous poems to emerge from World War I was written by an American. Alan Seeger wrote “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” shortly before he died.
Poets and Poems: Sofia Starnes and “The Consequence of Moonlight”
The Consequence of Moonlight, the latest collection of poetry by former Virginia Poet Laureate Sofia Starnes, reads like a vivid dream.
Poets and Poems: Susan Lewis and “Zoom”
“Zoom” by Susan Lewis contains 57 poems representing a wild romp through words, language, phrases, metaphors, and just about everything else.