"In a time of war, dirty air, missile worship when all oracles seem silenced, from every eco-lyric pore these fine auroras of This Connection of Everyone With Lungs have been streaming. Registering 9/11 as cellular rupture, this is a work of full globality which redeems our time, makes us remember all that poetry is capable of as form, frame, syntax linking air, earth, lung; what Emerson meant by lyric language as nothing less than externalization of planet's soul."—Rob Wilson, author of Waking in Seoul "By listing, by naming, the atrocities—the harrowing stats, the scary particulars—in our world-at-endless-war—we might at least exert control over our sanity and extend our mind and compassion to others. It is a connected universe as Spahr so forcefully and powerfully reminds us. This Connection of Everyone with Lungs is a sustained and anaphoric meditation, a catharsis for our predicament."—Anne Waldman
In the spirit of his New York Times bestseller Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children, as well as his wildly popular New Yorker pieces, Thurber Prize-winner John Kenney presents a hilarious new collection of poetry for anxious people. With the same brilliant wit and hilarious realism that made Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children such hits, John Kenney is back with a brand new collection of poems, this time taking on one of the most common feelings in our day-and-age: anxiety. Kenney covers it all, from awkward social interactions and insomnia to nervous ticks and writing and rewriting that email.
This highly-anticipated second volume of poetry and short stories combines the forces of some of the most popular poets of 2019. Dis]Connected presents poems and short stories about connection wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other, offering their poetry to the next person who then tells a story based on the concept presented to them. With poetry, stories, and art, this is a one-of-a-kind presentation of connection and collaboration by Alicia Cook, Tyler Knott Gregson, Courtney Peppernell, Noah Milligan, Komal Kapoor, N.L. Shompole, Caitlyn Siehl, K.Y. Robinson, Raquel Franco, and Wilder Poetry.
Humanity exists in a hyper connected world, where our closest friends, loves and enemies lie but a keyboard stroke away. Few know this better than the poets who have risen to the top of their trade by sharing their emotion, opinion and art with millions of fans. Combining the poetic forces of some of today's most popular and confessional poets, this book presents poems and short stories about connection wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other; offering their poetry to the next poet who tells a story based on the concept presented to them. With contributions from Amanda Lovelace, Nikita Gill, Iain S. Thomas, Trista Mateer, Cyrus Parker, RH Swaney, Liam Ryan, Yena Sharma Purmasir, Canisia Lubrin, and Sara Bond.
Sometimes only a poem will do. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice offer comfort, delight and inspiration for all; a space for reflection, and that precious realization - I'm not the only one who feels like this. In the years since he first had the idea of prescribing short, powerful poems for all manner of spiritual ailments, William Sieghart has taken his Poetry Pharmacy around the length and breadth of Britain, into the pages of the Guardian, onto BBC Radio 4 and onto the television, honing his prescriptions all the time. This pocket-sized book presents the most essential poems in his dispensary- those which, again and again, have really shown themselves to work. Whether you are suffering from loneliness, lack of courage, heartbreak, hopelessness, or even from an excess of ego, there is something here to ease your pain.
This book of nature poetry and practices shows us just how easy and enjoyable it can be to tap into the power of nature to calm frazzled minds and lift weary spirits, even in the midst of a city. Author Kai Siedenburg points to two basic keys: finding small but satisfying ways to connect with the Earth in daily life, and making the most of our precious time in wild places. Her insightful and delightful book, Poems of Earth and Spirit: 70 Poems and 40 Practices to Deepen Your Connection with Nature, helps us do both. Through intimate original poems, we experience loving encounters with trees, the gratitude of thirsty plants quenched by rain, and cross-cultural communication with chickadees. We feel what it is like to walk on padded paws, to take wing, to root ourselves in the earth. And through carefully crafted practices, we learn how to cultivate a direct and nourishing connection with nature that will support and sustain us wherever we go. In this high-stress, high-tech world in which so many of us hunger for more authentic connection, Poems of Earth and Spirit illuminates a direct and scenic path to greater joy, meaning, and belonging. This is a book that keeps on giving-and not just to its readers. A portion of the sales raises funds in aid of TreeSisters, a grassroots network that plants over a million trees a year in the tropics. Advance praise for Poems of Earth and Spirit "Beautiful, heart-felt poems for connecting with the Earth." -Joseph Bharat Cornell, author of Sharing Nature and Deep Nature Play "Brimming with insight and imagination... To spend time with this collection is like sitting by a pure mountain stream; we are filled with peace, wonder, and delight. These inspiring poems and simple practices will help you deepen your connection with nature wherever you are." -Mary Reynolds Thompson, author of Embrace Your Inner Wild and Reclaiming the Wild Soul. "What I want from poetry is what Kai gives me, to see anew and to feel deeply, to be reminded of who I am." -Patrice Vecchione, author of Step into Nature: Nurturing Imagination & Spirit in Everyday Life. More info: PoemsofEarthandSpirit.com
This anthology features poems by Mark Doty, Ross Gay, Donald Hall, Marie Howe, Naomi Shihab Nye and many others. These poets, from all walks of life, and from all over America, prove to us the possibility of creating in our lives what Dr. Martin Luther King called the beloved community, a place where we see each other as the neighbors we already are. Healing the Divide urges us, at this fraught political time, to move past the negativity that often fills the airwaves, and to embrace the ordinary moments of kindness and connection that fill our days.
Helen Kanevsky dismantles the separation between fact and fiction in her new poetry collection that enlightens with imagery but also delves into literal truth. Life, the endless reverse from which Helen Kanevsky draws her bitter-sweet poetic brew, is just too weird to grasp and maybe not worth grasping ("Life violates every code of decency"). It is "Rabbis in kimonos munching on gefilte fish sushi." It is an entity that, when you think you've found the particles from which it is constructed, turned into a wave and scatters - its meaning ever elusive, and fading into old recollections. And yet, there is that reality that must be connected with sobriety. As the poet says, "Memories are useless ballast ... until you are brought in for questioning." Reality in Helen's poems defies exactitude, best captured not by exciting exposition, but in the Kanevsky-esque disquisition. And, it is FUN! Bruce Neuburger, writer, educator, and peace activist
ÿWriting for Blissÿis most fundamentally about reflection, truth, and freedom. With techniques and prompts for both the seasoned and novice writer, it will lead you to tap into your creativity through storytelling and poetry,examine how life-changing experiences can inspire writing,pursue self-examination and self-discovery through the written word, and,understand how published writers have been transformed by writing.Poet and memoirist Raab (Lust) credits her lifelong love of writing and its therapeutic effects with inspiring her to write this thoughtful and detailed primer that targets pretty much anyone interested in writing a memoir. Most compelling here is Raab?s willingness to share her intimate stories (e.g., the loss of a relative, ongoing struggles with cancer, a difficult relationship with her mother). Her revelations are encouraging to writers who feel they need ?permission to take... a voyage of self-discovery.? The book?s seven-step plan includes plenty of guidance, including on learning to ?read like a writer,? and on addressing readers as if ?seated across the table .? Raab covers big topics such as the ?art and power of storytelling? and small details such as choosing pens and notebooks that you enjoy using. She also helps readers with the important step of ?finding your form.? --PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY "Writing for Blissÿis about the profound ways in which we may be transformed in and through the act of writing. I am grateful to Diana Raab for sharing it, and I trust that you will feel the same as you read on. May you savor the journey." --from the foreword by MARK FREEMAN, PhD "By listening to ourselves and being aware of what we are saying and feeling, the true story of our life's past experience is revealed. Diana Raab?s book gives us the insights by which we can achieve this through her life-coaching wisdom and our writing." --BERNIE SIEGEL, MD, author ofÿThe Art of Healing "Only a talented writer who has fought hard to overcome life?s many obstacles could take her readers by the hand and lead them through the writing process with such enormous compassion, amazing insight, and kindness. Diana Raab is a powerful, wise, intelligent guide well worth our following." --JAMES BROWN, author ofÿThe Los Angeles DiariesÿandÿThe River "Writing for Blissÿis far more than a 'how-to manual'; it enlightens the creative process with wisdom and a delightful sense of adventure. Bravo to Bliss!" --LINDA GRAY SEXTON, author ofÿSearching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton "Uniquely blending inspiring insights with practical advice, Diana guides you on a path to discover the story that is truly inside you?and yearning to be told." --PATRICK SWEENEY, coauthor of the New York Times bestsellerÿSucceed on Your Own Terms DIANA RAAB, PhD, is an award-winning memoirist, poet, blogger, workshop facilitator, thought provoker, and survivor. She?s the author of eight books and over one thousand articles and poems. She lives in Southern California. Learn more at www.DianaRaab.com
