While I wait for the paperback version of my debut collection of poems to be released, I have been having some fun promoting my poetry and poetry in general. Last spring I was invited to speak to some students at the Montessori School in Front Royal. Earlier this fall, I taught a 3-day American Poetry seminar, and related the themes and imagery in a few of my poems to Eliot’s “Preludes,” Stevens’ “The Snow Man,” and Plath’s “Mirror.”
This past Friday, I had a blast reading and discussing six of the poems from my book A Consecration of the Wind in Rich Follett’s Creative Writing classes at Skyline High School in Front Royal, Virginia. Mr. Follett (a poet, songwriter, performer, teacher, and poetry editor) had distributed my poems and several open-ended questions beforehand, so the students, the teacher, and I were able to engage in a lively discussion of my sources of inspiration and the meaning of the six poems that span a 38-year period.
Five years ago, I had asked Mr. Follett (whose writing style and philosophy of life differ greatly from mine) to review some of my more complex poems.
He honored me by taking the time to read my poems carefully and provide honest feedback. When I contacted him in early 2018 to tell him I was working with GenZ to publish my first book of poetry, he kindly provided a review of my poetry, and that review appears on the back cover of the paperback, which I hope will be available online soon.
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