Poetry Friday: Dodge Festival

U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan has totally won me over.

Last weekend, I heard Ryan's talk on craft during the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. One of my buddies called Ryan, "charming." And she was -- genuinely pleased when someone asked her to read a poem that she herself enjoys.

She was also insightful about the writing process. Ryan compared her use of sound to a certain teething toy -- one that my daughter loved as a baby. It looks like a molecule, with wooden beads that slide along taut elastic strings, connected by wooden rods.

Ryan said she listens for sounds that are bonded to other sounds. The near-rhymes in her poems keep words connected, but also makes a poem feel, "bouncy and wonderful."

Ryan said that using narrow poetic lines helps those sounds bounce around. Because the first and last word of any poetic line have maximum exposure, Ryan'sskinny poems can feel, "almost all exposed." Interesting thought.

One of my favorite poems from the reading was, "He Lit a Fire with Icicles." It describes one of the miracles of St. Sebolt.

Your writing prompt for this week -- pick a saint. Your favorite saint, your birthday saint, or a saint who shares your name. Write a poem about one of your saint's miracles or his/her death. Saint Laura was scalded to death in a vat of lead. Ugh.

He Lit a Fire with Icicles

by Kay Ryan

For W.G. Sebald, 1944-2001

This was the work

of St. Sebolt, one

of his miracles:

he lit a fire with

icicles. He struck

them like a steel

to flint, did St.

Sebolt. It

makes sense

only at a certain

body heat. How

cold he had

to get to learn

that ice would

burn.

Read the rest of the poem here.

During the reading, Ryan said that she sat with this poem for a long time. She got stuck on the idea, "he had to ... learn that ice would burn." The poem didn't resolve for her until it found its feet -- an unexpected, but inevitable, and lovingly human, resolution.

Enjoy the rest of your Poetry Friday! You'll find more poetry posts at Liz Scanlon's blog, Liz in Ink.

MWA Poetry Anthololgy Q&A

Many poets have been sending in questions about submitting work to the upcoming Maryland Writers Association Poetry Anthology. (Find the full submission guidelines here.)

Since the deadline is coming up -- October 27 -- let's get those questions out of the way and those submissions sent in to MWA.

Q: Why is the theme of the anthology, "love," so broad? Can that include romance? Brotherly love? Love of oneself? Love of freedom?


A: The theme of the anthology is intentionally broad to accommodate a diversity of perspectives and voices. It is not necessarily who or what we love that we have in common, but how love makes us feel.

We hope to organize the anthology into sections that explore various aspects of love – romantic love, love of nature, love of family, etc. If you’d like to see a model anthology that uses this approach, The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, edited by Robert Bly, is an excellent example.

Q: How do I know that my submission was received?

A You will be sent a confirmation email. If you have sent in work and did not hear back with a “Thank you for submitting” note, please resubmit.

Q: Is the three poem limit firm? I have more than three poems that fit the theme.

A For now, yes. After the 10/27/10 deadline, if we are interested in receiving more submissions, we may extend the deadline and allow MWA members to submit a limited number of additional poems.

Q: I write in a language other than English. May I submit a poem in written in my native language?

A: Yes, as long as you provide a translation in English. If your poem is accepted for the anthology, it will appear in the original language, followed by the English translation.

Q: I have never had a poem published before. May “amateurs” submit their work?

A: MWA members are established authors, students, beginners, and everyone in between. Our hope is that the anthology will reflect who we are as an organization. We would love to be your first – or just your latest -- publishing credit.

Q: Can MWA officers submit?

A: Yes. All MWA members, including officers, are welcome to submit their poems. Everyone’s work will receive equal consideration from the editor and/or an editorial panel.

Q: I’d like to submit poems that were published or are being considered elsewhere. Is that okay?

A: If the poems you are submitting have been published, please check that the rights have reverted to you. See the original “Call for Submissions” for details.

If the pieces you are submitting are being considered by another publication, let us know if they are accepted. Also, check for information on the publication rights.