Muses Speak- Poetry Newsletter, Vol 1, Issue 7, Sept 2005

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Muses Speak - Poetry NewsletterVol 1. No. 7, Sept 2005

 

 

 

 

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I. Editor's MessageII. Poem of the MonthIII. Poem ReviewIV. Announcements/AdvertisementsI. Editor's MessageDear poetry lovers,Our poem of the month of September is entitled "9-11: A Tribute" by Jerry W. Bradford. The poem received a gold medal in the "2005 Muses Prize - Excellence in Poetry Published". Our featured poet in Muses Speak - Poetry Newsletter for September 2005 is Ellaraine Lockie from California. I hope you will enjoy the poem and poem review in this newsletter.Very truly yours,Andrew AngusEditor-In-ChiefII. Poem of the Month (Sept ) 9-11: A Tributeby Jerry W. Bradford (California)Source: Voices of the

Heart, p. 21I started in shock, as the plane struck the towerTears then filled my eyesHow could the devil gain such power?Bringing death to us from the skies.Thousands died and our world was alteredOur nation violated by these menYet our nation has not falteredThey'll see it doesn't happen againThe heroes who died to save anotherWill never leave our heartsAnd as my sister, or as your brotherWe each must do our partTo follow the example these heroes have setSo their sacrifice was not in vainTo love one another and never forgetThat on that day we were all the sameOur nation is only as strong as its peopleAre we steel, Or shall we break?Like the liberty bell as it rang from the steepleIt's a call for a stand we must takeSo, remember this day as nine, one, oneThe day that violence hit homeUnited we're many, divided

we're goneLet the world see how much we have grownIII. Poem ReviewThe poem "9-11: A Tribute" by Jerry W. Bradford is our poem of the month of September since the year 2005 is the 4th anniversary of the tragic event in World History. The poem is very emotional and very inspiringly patriotic and very poignant.This poem received a gold medal in the "2005 Muses Prize - Excellence in Poem in Print" for its beauty in rhyme, memorableness and vivid imagery of the tragic event. IV. Poem Interview - Ellaraine Lockie - Featured Poet for SeptemberAA stands for Andrew Angus. EL stands for Ellaraine Lockie. 1. AA: Why do you like to compose poetry?EL: People like me write poetry because we have to. It's our lifeline, a passion that often overpowers everything else. It isn't always convenient or polite. I've been known to put pen to cocktail napkin for the sake of a poem during conversations at parties, pen to program at funerals and pen to arm while driving and lovemaking.2. AA: Can poets make a living by writing poetry ?EL: Generally, poets would need to resurrect from the dead to make a continued living from poetry. I suspect that most poets value money from their poems more as a validation than for an income. My poetry money gets squirreled away in a separate fund and seems somehow more special than what I make from

nonfiction books, articles and essays. Many of us poets make more money through poetry-related jobs like teaching workshops and consulting than from selling our poems.3.AA: What makes a poetrybook a bestseller?EL: I'm not sure there have been many best selling books of poetry if we're using the conventional definition of "bestseller", involving mass sales to the general public. Shel Silverstein comes to mind (and to Costco) with his fourteen million books in print and long runs on the "New York Times" bestseller lists of books full of zany, witty and fun-to-read poems. A large

publisher willing to promote, good reviews and/or luck seem like essentials in creating a bestseller book of any kind.4. AA: What themes do you like in writing poetry?EL : I write about any subject that moves me in some strong way. Focuses so far have been: women's midlife years, relationships, illicit love, eroticism, international travel, Montana (where I grew up), endings of all kinds and nature in the form of haiku. But I have as well a big file containing poems in just about any general category. My chapbooks have each had themes. At the risk of bordering on repetition within each chapbook, I still like the continuity that a binding theme gives a smaller collection of poems.5. AA: Why should people read poetry?EL: People should read poetry because it is truth stripped bare. It readily reveals what is often obscured in the text of other writing

genres. With poetry's economy of words, there comes concentrated power that can be life-changing in readers. Poetry creates those "Ah ha!" moments when it says what readers can't or won't say for themselves. Poetry also can offer readers a certain kind of therapy akin to what one might find in a supportive friend. I've gotten a flood of responses from menopausal women who found comfort in reading my two midlife chapbooks. One fifty-year old woman said she keeps them on her bedside stand and re-reads a few poems every night because then she doesn't feel so alone and peculiar. Another ordered copies for each member of her support group and used the poems as spring boards for discussion. And then there's the sheer beauty of well-chosen words in a good poem - the way words slide off the tongue in a lyrical way. There's great

satisfaction in reading them silently and music in reading them out loud.6. AA: What makes a poem extraordinary? EL: I think what constitutes an extraordinary poem is highly relative to the reader. I've noticed when judging contests using several judges, that there is fairly consistent agreement on the top 10-15 percent. However, when it comes down to choosing the top three winners, we each have our unique measuring sticks. My definition of an extraordinary poem is one that is accessible (understood without an interpreter after a couple of readings), uses numerous poetic devices, addresses matters that have far-reaching appeal and haunts the reader into multiple readings. The last extraordinary poem I read was in a bookstore recently-"Gate C 22" by Ellen

Bass. It was about a couple kissing hello at an airport like there was no tomorrow. I don't know how many times I've watched and envied a similar couple's ardent public greeting or parting. Ms. Bass's poem so eloquently captures that scene and brings us into it with astute observations, powerful images and fresh language. I know I'll go back and buy the book, Pushcart Prize XXVIII, just to have this poem. (end of email interview.)About Ellaraine Lockie. Ellaraine Lockie is based in California. She has published 4 poem chapbooks. She also teaches poetry. She likes to make hand-made paper. Her chapbook Midlife Muse won the 2002 Best Chapbook in Poetry Forum. For more information, youmay visit Ellaraine's website at: www.musesreview.org/ellarainelockie.htmlV. Advertisements/Sponsors/Donations1. Poetrybooks for sale in Muses Review Bookstore at: www.musesreview.org/bookstore.html a. Buy poetrybook "Phonetical Imagery" by Mark Stellinga (Iowa)www.billiard-antiques.com. Contact by email: editorb. Buy poetrybook "The Beginning of the Tumbling" by Katie Davis-Steward (California) www.katstu2.biz. Contact by emal for orders: editorc. Buy poetrybook "Tears rolling down the heartstring" by Randy L. Redmond. www.authorhouse.com. Contact Muses Review at editor for

orders.d. Buy "Gilleland Poetry - Storoems and Poems" by Harry Gilleland Jr. at www.lulu.com/harry. e. Buy chapbook "Finishing Lines" by Ellaraine Lockie: elockie Buy hand-made paper by Ellaraine Lockie at www.musesreview.org/ellarainelockie.htmlVI. Copyright 2005This poetry newsletter is copyrighted to Andrew Angus. All rights reserved.