See the amazing work of John Fox and the Institute for Poetic Medicine at https://poeticmedicine.org!

Check out Joan Rose Staffen's retreat at this summer's Catamaran Literary Conference at https://catamaranliteraryreader.com/register-for-courses/writing-retreat. This is a wonderful opportunity for poets on the Central Coast to generate new work or to complete a...

While trying to convince a librarian to reinstate Community Poetry Circles I culled some compelling arguments, I think, about why poetry matters: Why Poetry Matters, Pam Allyn, Contributor, Founder & Executive Director, LitWorld, at...

Have you ever considered all the writing material you can obtain by exploring outer space? Consider this poem by Sally Ashton, published on the Rattle website (Poets Respond section); then choose a planet that intrigues you and write a poem. Here's "Listening to Mars"...

While preparing to teach a new class through Dominican Hospital's PEP...on Journal Writing to Decrease Stress and Increase Mindfulness, I've been reviewing all the terrific books I have on keeping journals and the importance of doing so. Re-reading "The New Diary" by...

Here's the poem that we collaboratively created at the Lounge on September 29, 2017: Dinner without the Pope: Not Mincing Words (Mangiando senza il Papa) Esperando el autobus Sin saber adonde se vaya What happens when the gloaming...

Here's the poem we made today; great fun engaging customers in poetry! Spring Zeus extemporizing: spring has sprung over recently rain polished California. "Oops, I didn't mean to meddle in your affairs." How awkward riding with a rooster in a Porsche for the health...

it's been a busy summer and one of the highlights was attending the third annual Catamaran Literary Conference and studying with Joseph Millar. Each day we wrote poems and re-visioned them during the workshop. Millar's emphasis on the image as the most important...

I’m reading this year’s selections, and the guest editor is Sherman Alexie. I always look forward to the editor’s choices; they usually stretch my definition of best, and oftentimes I am not in agreement. This year, I would have to say that one huge oversight was...

What is the mysterious process by which one writes a poem? As we write, how do we uncover what is true, chipping away at all the other voices that may seem authentic, but might not be? It takes a certain amount of courage to believe that what we have to say is...