Portrait of the poet Emily Dickinson at the age of sixteen. Property of Amherst College. For years, scholars have had only one image of the enigmatic Emily Dickinson to go by--that of the poet as a sixteen year-old, taken in 1847 (above). In that time, observers have been unable to help themselves…
Category: Poetry
Newest Poet Laureate to Give Inaugural Reading
Natasha Trethewey, the United States' 19th Poet Laureate, will give her first reading at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. this Thursday. Trethewey became the national Poet Laureate in June of this year. The reading later this week will kickstart her duties in the role. The "poet-historian," as the Library of Congress describes her, was…
Happy Birthday Bukowski
There are so many quotes I could draw from that would be emblematic of the character of Charles Bukowski, the larger-than-life poet, novelist, alcoholic, and "grim prophet of love." But today, on the day he would have turned 92, I choose "two nights before my 72nd birthday." Written exactly two decades ago, shortly before his…
Top Ten Lines To Live By
You know those lines in novels (and poems)--in great works full of great lines--that just stop you in your tracks? Lines that seem to serve a greater purpose than to merely further the rest of the work, like the author or poet had to insert their philosophical musings somewhere? Poets & Writers Magazine has a tumblr…
Book Spine Poetry, Vol. 1: “The Trouble with Poetry”
Inspired by Brain Pickings' book spine poetry--a recent tribute to National Poetry Month--I decided to draw from my own bookshelf and try my hand at the form: The trouble with poetry:The innocent wit,The edge of reason,The fact of a doorframe. The Trouble with Poetry: and other poems by Billy Collins The…
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“The moment of change is the only poem” : Remembering Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich: May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012 The literary world lost one of our most unique and influential voices last week. Poet and essayist Adrienne Rich, who wrote eloquently about feminist issues, died from complications of rheumatoid arthritis, a condition from which she had suffered for many years. Rich was 82. Rich's talent…
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“Don’t Look at Me in That Tone of Voice”: Ten Lesser-Known Women Writers Who Kick Butt
Recently, Flavorwire published an article titled "10 Legendary Bad Girls of Literature." They made some worthy choices: Sappho, Dorothy Parker, and Anais Nin among them. While these names are well-known, there are other notable women with less fame who also deserve some accolades. 1. Jeannette Winterson Winterson is not unknown, of course, but she ought…
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Top Ten Love Lines From Literature for Your Valentine
When it comes to Valentine's Day, do you find yourself mulling over the remaining dozen or so cards left at the drugstore, trying to decide whether the kitten with the googly-eyes exclaiming "You're purrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect!" is any better or worse than the over-sized card with a creepily happy train chugging out the words, "I chooo-choo-choose YOU!"…
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