Throwback Thursday: The Raven Essay

Throwback Thursday, where, essentially I post old writing samples, essays and short stories that I dig up from my pile of hoarded papers and school assignments or from the depths of my computer. So everyone can see how my writing has changed/improved over the years. The Raven The Raven is a poem narrated by a…

Throwback Thursday: “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden (1939) – Discussion Questions and Perfect Intro

Throwback Thursday, where, essentially I post old writing samples, essays and short stories that I dig up from my pile of hoarded papers and school assignments or from the depths of my computer. So everyone can see how my writing has changed/improved over the years. “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden (1939) Discussion Questions…

Book Review: Long Way Down

A cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer A tool for RULE Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No…

Netgalley Review: the witch doesn’t burn in this one

the witch doesn't burn in this one by Amanda Lovelace; ladybookmad Andrews McMeel Publishing Poetry 2016 Goodreads Choice Award-winning poet Amanda Lovelace returns in the witch doesn't burn in this one — the bold second book in her "women are some kind of magic" series. The witch: supernaturally powerful, inscrutably independent, and now—indestructible. These moving, relatable poems…

Throwback Thursday: Poetry Comparison Angelou/Hughes

Throwback Thursday, where, essentially I post old writing samples, essays and short stories that I dig up from my pile of hoarded papers and school assignments or from the depths of my computer. So everyone can see how my writing has changed/improved over the years. With ironic diction and differing rhyme scheme, both “Harlem Hopscotch”…

Netgalley Review – Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare

Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare, Marguerite Tassi Quarto Publishing Group – MoonDance Press  Moondance Press Children's Nonfiction , Poetry Love! Betrayal! Ambition! Tragedy! Jealousy! Williams Shakespeare's universal themes continue to resonate with readers of all ages more than 400 years after his death. This wonderful, fully illustrated book introduces children to the…

Netgalley Review: She Felt Like Feeling Nothing

She Felt Like Feeling Nothing by r.h. Sin Andrews McMeel Publishing Poetry From the bestselling author of the Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel series comes this poetic reminder of women's strength. There are moments when the heart no longer wishes to feel because everything it's felt up until then has brought it nothing but anguish. In She Felt Like Feeling…

Netgalley Review: Planting Gardens in Graves

From the beloved author of Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel comes the first volume in an all new series. r.h. Sin returns with a force in Planting Gardens in Graves: a powerful collection of poetry that hones in on the themes dearest to his readers. This original volume celebrates connection, mourns heartbreak, and above all, empowers its…

Netgalley Review: Please State the Nature of Your Emergency

The sapient roaches of our planetary future, when they seek to understand the sickening dismay, abysmal grief and goofy absurdity of the Anthropocene in Donald Trump's America, will reach for their dog-eared (or bug-horned) copies of Aaron Anstett's PLEASE STATE THE NATURE OF YOUR EMERGENCY. In these impossibly crystalline poems, Anstett has distilled from the…

Book Review: The Sun and Her Flowers

From Rupi Kaur, the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of milk and honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. A vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself. Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and…