Hi, Poetry Friday friends. My website has been down or wonky for several months. (Was anyone else affected by the Go Daddy hack?) I’m back to blogging at last, though—sadly—some of my posts from this spring were lost and can’t be recovered. Did you develop any habits or family traditions during the pandemic that have […]


Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks to Ruth at the blog There Is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town for hosting this week’s list of poetry links and posts. I’m always happy when a poem written years ago finds a home with a journal or anthology. Back in winter 2011, when my children were still children, […]
I’m just “back” from my first residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts. “Back” in quotes because the entire 10 days of panels, lectures, and workshops was virtual — but still magical! Focusing on the craft of writing for was the creative food I’d been craving. One of the first events was a panel called, […]
Short post this week, my friends, but it comes with a book giveaway and a BIG announcement! Announcement first: At the start of 2022, I’ll be starting a new job, one I’m excited (and a little bit nervous) about. I’m honored to be joining the faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA in Writing […]
Hi, friends. Other than helping with the Winter Poetry Swap, I’ve been away from Poetry Friday for a few months. I’ve been busy mentoring a family who fled Afghanistan in August — a husband, wife, and their two little boys. The good news is, through the writing community, we helped them find housing! This time […]
This is a post about dogs. You’ve all gotten to know the Shovan family dogs over the years — anxious Sam the schnauzer and his very best friend, Rudy the (goofy, lovable) beagle. But it’s also a post about poetry. I am a huge fan of Laura Purdie Salas‘ A Leaf Can Be series of […]
Welcome, poets and poetry fans. Poetry Friday is here this week. You’ll find the link-up at the bottom of this post. One of the last trips I made before the Covid-19 lockdown was to Tallahassee, Florida. My friend, poet Michael Rothenberg, took me to a magical spot, Wakulla Springs. During a boat tour of the […]
Today, the Poetry Friday community is celebrating Mary Lee Hahn’s retirement from teaching! Many years ago, I was lucky enough to visit and spend a little time with Mary Lee’s class. I loved watching her interact with her students. From that visit–and Mary Lee’s beautiful, vulnerable posts about striving to learn and grow as an […]
Poetry Friday friends, do you remember the early days of the pandemic, when toilet paper was scarce? I remember sitting in the bathroom crying (everything made me cry at the beginning of the pandemic) as I counted squares, rationing TP against the potential disaster. I had to laugh when I saw that my friend Pat […]
Happy Hanukkah, Poetry Friday friends. Our family’s celebration is bittersweet this year. Although 2020 had its joyful moments, we also experienced several transformative losses during the pandemic. Last week, we had to say goodbye to one of our dogs after an unexpected medical emergency. Many of you knew our beagle, Rudy, through my Poetry Friday […]