The winners were chosen using an online randomizer (random.org, to be exact).  Drumroll…

Daniela Olszewska will receive a copy of Katie Ford’s wonderful book, Deposition.  Jeannine Hall Gailey will receive a signed copy of my second book of poems, The Wishing Tomb.  If you are one of these winners, please contact me with your mailing address so I can send you your book!

Thank you so much to all who entered!  As this was my first year participating, there were a LOT more who entered that I expected.  I look forward to doing this again next year!

My Top 20 Books of Poetry

Ariel by Sylvia Plath

This is a no-brainer.  I have been a Plath devotee for going on 15 years now and I’ve read this book no less than a dozen times.  Quiz me on it. Go ahead — ask me anything.

Cusp by Jennifer Grotz

Not only is the cover of this book gorgeous, but the poems inside are simply stunning.  I love how Grotz takes the reader on journeys from Texas to France.  Favorite poem: “Kiss of Judas.”  Fun fact: Grotz was my third reader for my undergrad creative honors thesis at the Univ. of Houston in 2006.

Ordinary Things by Jean Valentine

I love Valentine’s poems because of their strangeness and brevity.  Her word economy inspires me again and again.  This is my favorite book by her.  Favorite poem: “After Elegies.”

What the Living Do by Marie Howe

It doesn’t get better than this book by Marie Howe.  This book makes me weep and has inspired me in innumerable ways.  I turned to this book again and again when writing The Glass Crib and helped me come to terms via writing with the death of my brother when I was 16.  Favorite poem: “For Three Days.”

What is this thing called love by Kim Addonizio

This is such a smart, sexy book by a smart, sexy poet.  Favorite poem: “What Was.”

Deposition by Katie Ford

The Catholic girl in me loves how Ford dissects Christian narratives (Catholic ones, primarily) and weaves them with narratives of trauma.  Her fragmented writing helped me move from clear, straightforward narrative to a wilder, broken lyric.  Favorite poem: “The Shroud of Turin.”

Forth a Raven by Christina Davis

I love this book for many of the same reasons why I love Katie Ford’s book (and really, Jean Valentine’s).  Her poems are tiny, fragmented, but have a dazzling attention to detail.  Favorite poem: “Forth a Raven.”

Broken Helix by Dina Ben-Lev

My friend Matthew Siegel turned me on to this (out-of-print) book/poet when I was at Houston and I’m so very thankful.  No one else I know has ever heard of her, which is a shame.  This is the only full-length collection she’s done, and that was back in 1997.  It focuses on her search for identity as an adopted person, which, of course, if you know me, you can easily see the draw.  You can still find used copies of this book on Amazon or ebay for anywhere form $10-$40.  Favorite poem: “The Adopted Daughter’s Lucky Loop.”

Indeed I Was Pleased With The World by Mary Ruefle

Who doesn’t love the weirdness and lyricism of Mary Ruefle? This is by far my favorite book of poems by her.  Favorite poem: “Kiss of the Sun.”

Here, Bullet by Brian Turner

This book has been touted so many times, but if you’ve never heard of it, get thee to a bookstore right now! Turner’s work centers on his experiences in the US Army in Iraq and Bosnia.  This is a book of grit and no other book (except maybe Neon Vernacular from Yusef Komumyakaa) discusses war or a solder’s life better.  Favorite poem: “What Every Soldier Should Know.”

The Subsequent Blues by Gary Copeland Lilley

No one I know has ever heard of Lilley, and that’s a shame.  This is actually my husband’s book, which he bought at AWP in New York several years ago after hearing Kim Addonizio read from it.  This book is dark, witty, important, and just plain amazing.  Favorite poem: “Prayer to Saint James Byrd of Jasper, Texas.”

Sad Little Breathing Machine by Matthea Harvey

My friend Halli and I were Matthea Harvey groupies in college.  We took her Forms of Poetry class at Houston and fell in love with her way of looking at the possibilities of language and poetry.  This book is genius and if you’re trying to move yourself forward in writing, this will do the trick.  This is another book that helped me break out of my boring, staid narrative form.  Favorite poem: “Not So Much Miniature As Far Away.”

Stubborn by Jean Gallagher

This book is so important to me and gave me great inspiration for the writing of my first book, The Glass Crib.  Gallagher’s book creates interesting narratives that focus on Christian symbology, art, mysticism, and theology.  Favorite poem: “Stigmata.”

The Descent by Sophie Cabot Black

I’ve read this book at least half a dozen times and each time I discover something new.  I think that this is an important book due to the way it uncovers the human spirit in terms of nature, psyche, faith, damage, renewal.  The cover of the book actually inspired one of my own poems, “The Wounded Angel, 1903,” which appeared in The Glass Crib and on Poetry Daily in 2007.  Favorite poem: “Done For.”

The First Four Books of Poems by Louise Gluck

The essential Gluck.  I bought this after reading it in June 2005, when I was a fellow at the Bucknell Younger Poets Seminar at Bucknell University.  Consider it a primer.  If you’re a new poet, or a scholar of Gluck, it’s a fantastic resource.  Favorite poem: ”The Egg.”

Some Ether by Nick Flynn

Like Matthea Harvey, my friend and I were Nick Flynn dorks as well in college.  I took two classes with him as an undergrad and during that time, I bought this book.  I really think I’ve read this book around 10 times.  It was inspiring to me because it helped me understand how to weave personal narrative without being melodramatic and how to break a line in an interesting way.  I think everyone needs to have this book.  Favorite poem: “My Mother Contemplating Her Gun.”

Song by Brigit Pegeen Kelly

BPK is awesome.  That is all.  And she’s the kindest soul I’ve ever met.  My love for her is unending.  Favorite poem: “Song.”

Trouble in Mind by Lucie Brock Broido

Claudia Rankine turned me on to Broido when I was her undergrad thesis advisee at UH and I’m eternally grateful.  This book helped me, in many ways like Flynn’s did, understand line breaks and form, but also how to build a broken lyric narrative.  Favorite poem: “The Halo That Would Not Light.”  That poem kills me.

To the Place of Trumpets by Brigit Pegeen Kelly

This book is long out of print, alas, but when my friend Matthew Siegel told me about it (and had his own copy), I dashed to Amazon.com used and ebay to find my own copy.  I got it for around $30, but I’ve seen people selling it for upwards of $800.  I highly, highly recommend this book, Kelly’s first, and in some ways like it better than Song.  Favorite poem: “Doing Laundry on Sunday.”

The Country Between Us by Carolyn Forche

There are so many reasons why this is one of my favorite books of all time.  It’s important for how it tackles the intersection of culture and politics, but tender in its discussion of human love.  While “The Colonel” (in this book) is one of my favorite poems in the world, I would have to say that my actual favorite poem in this book is “For the Stranger.”

Despite everything that’s been going on, I have one Poetry Month-related event to announce: I will be one of the featured readers this coming weekend, Saturday, April 20, at the Voices Seasonal Reading Series (curated by poet Clare Martin).  As this event will be in Lafayette, LA (at Carpe Diem! Gelato – Espresso Bar, 7PM), I will be reading from my newest book of poetry, The Wishing Tomb, which is a book of New Orleans-inspired poems, (and a little from my first book, The Glass Crib).

I will be reading with Michael Allen Zell, whose first novel Errata was named a Times-Picayune Top 10 Book of 2012.  He was a finalist for the 2011 Calvino Prize, finalist for the 2010 Faulkner-Wisdom Competition, and was nominated for the 2012 Best American Short Stories.

If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you!  I will also be signing/selling copies of my book at the event.  If you can’t make it, you can get a copy of The Wishing Tomb here or a copy of The Glass Crib here.  Also: don’t forget to enter The Big Poetry Giveaway for National Poetry Month — I’m giving away a signed copy of The Wishing Tomb as well as a copy of Katie Ford’s Deposition.  Details here.

I like watching/reading “empties” posts because it gives me a voyeuristic insight into not only what people are using, but their honest reviews of the products.  I’ve actually received some great tips/recommendations for products via these posts, so I thought I would blog what I have used up recently, with a quick note about each item.

Recent empties

L-R:

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Extra Hold Hairspray: This is a “holy grail” hairspray for me (and this is actually probably the 5th or 6th bottle I’ve owned of this) because it gives my hair soft volume, it’s not sticky, it has a pleasant, subtle scent, it’s affordable, and it’s easy to brush/wash out.  Highly recommended.  Available at drugstores for around $5.

Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel: Another “holy grail” product.  Last year, I received a sample of this from Sephora and quickly fell in love! It leaves my skin feeling smooth, very clean, and even helped control the shine on my face when I used it in the morning (in conjunction w/ my Clarisonic Mia2).  It has a nice, light, subtle citrus-peachy scent.  I would absolutely purchase this again (and soon as I’ve used up my other facial wash products!).  You can buy it here for $35, 8oz.

Josie Maran Argan Oil: This was a deluxe sample (0.25 oz.) from Sephora, but I have since purchased the o.5 oz. size ($14 at Sephora here).  This product has a lot of uses (skin, nails, for cracked heels, etc.), but I use it exclusively on the ends of my damp hair before styling in the morning. My ends have never looked so soft.  It has a very faint scent to it that I can’t really place, but it is not intrusive or overpowering. A great all-around product.

Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Waterproof Mascara: This is one of my “holy grail” mascaras, as it doesn’t smudge or leave my lashes brittle or clumpy.  It has a decent-sized teddy bear brush and creates a great smoky-lash/eye look.  I’ve used many, many mascaras (from Dior or Cover Girl), and this mascara is definitely in my top 5 of all-time mascaras. $7 at drugstores.

Bath & Body Works Cashmere Glow Shower Gel: This was a new discovery for me last fall.  I am a big BBW devotee and even worked there for a while in my very early twenties.  This shower gel is one of the most decadent, luxurious smelling shower gels I’ve ever smelled.  It’s warm and soft and smells like vanilla, sugar, peaches, and a hint of amber.  I enjoyed it for fall/winter (it might be a tad too heavy for spring/summer) and bought the set for my mom for Christmas. It’s $11 here at BBW.

Paula’s Choice Resist BHA9 for Stubborn Imperfections serum: I can’t live without this serum — it has literally changed my skin! I have a very mild case of sebaceous hyperplasia, which causes rather unsightly flesh-colored bumps on my face (they are actually large oil glands that sort-of “outgrow” their pores).  Enter BHA9: I have been using this nightly after cleansing and before moisturizing (this is actually my second bottle and I’m now on my third) and, I’m not kidding you, the bumps are disappearing! I have “lost” three large bumps and the ones on my cheeks have softened and shrunk! This is also good to use if you have acne, large pores, brown spots, or similar skin concerns.  At $36.95, it’s a bit expensive, but very, very worth it.  Available here.

Aussie 3-Minute Miracle: A perfect deep-conditioning treatment.  I used it 2-3 times per week and it left my hair very soft and shiny.  I know some people love the smell, but it’s a bit too grape for me.  However, it works better than a lot of more expensive deep-conditioners, so I can’t complain too much.  Available at drugstores for around $4.

Korres Wild Rose Daily Brightening & Refinishing Buff Cleanser: This is hands down the best facial scrub I’ve ever used. It’s mild enough for sensitive skin, not too scented, and leaves my skin feeling, well, gently refinished. It’s glorious.  It has also helped to keep my pores unclogged (I use with 2-3 times per week w/ my Clarisonic Mia2). I like it a LOT better than the St. Ives drugstore variety, which I find too harsh and not cleansing enough. This is a scrub and cleanser in one.  I would repurchase this (and I actually have another bottle on my shelf) in a heartbeat. It’s available for $24 here at Sephora.

As my French teacher used to say, c’est tout aujour d’hui (that’s all for today)! I hope that these micro reviews helped you if you have been interested in a certain product, or gave you inspiration to shop your stash instead of doling out more money for products you may already own or own something similar.  I’m all for appreciating what is right in front of you, and that includes cosmetics!

image c/o the Poetry Society of America

So how do instructors get non-creative writing students to appreciate poetry?  By nudging, prodding, showing our own enthusiasm, and yes, by educating.  Here are my jackpot, tried-and-true ways of introducing poetry into the non-creative writing classroom:

1. Introduce students to National Poetry Month.  Explain the significance of NPM and show them a few great websites (some even have apps!) and examples of poems at each site.  The ones I use are: the Poetry Foundation website (here) and the Academy of American Poets site (here).  Play around with the sites with your students in class.  Show them different types of contemporary poetry on varying subjects that a non-writer can relate to (love! baseball! pets! holidays! music!)

2. Put a face to a name.  If there is time in the syllabus, I show my students the wonderful documentary put together by The Academy of American Poets, The Poet’s View, which showcases notable contemporary poets such as John Ashbery, Louise Glück, Anthony Hecht, W. S. Merwin and Kay Ryan.  The video goes behind the poems to show who these poets are — real people (shocking, I know) — who love the business of language and books.  It also features a few poems being read by each poet.  If there is not enough time, I offer it as extra-credit by letting students check it out from me, watch it, return it the very next class meeting (I also suggest that students have viewing parties on their own time as I have found that this video is quite popular), and write a 1-2 page review.  The video has proven so popular, in fact, that I recently purchased a second copy.  The DVD is available here for $22.95.

3.  Host a Reading Challenge.  Prepare a list of 15-25 books of poetry that you think a non-creative writing student would not only enjoy, but should read.  Present the challenge to the class (either as a graded assignment or as extra-credit).  I have extended extra credit to any student who checks out one of the books (either from my personal library or the college’s), reads it, and writes a 1-2 page review/annotation by the end of National Poetry Month.  The response has been tremendous!  Out of my list of 22 books, so far nearly 50% of the titles have been claimed in the past few days since introducing the challenge.  On my my recommended list: Don’t Let Me Be Lonely by Clauda Rankine, Elegy by Mary Jo Bang, Crush by Richard Siken,  Dearest Creature by Amy Gerstler, The Dirty Side of the Storm by Martha Serpas, Please by Jericho Brown, Cusp by Jennifer Grotz, Queen for a Day by Denise Duhamel, Shahid Reads His Own Palm by Reginald Dwayne Betts, Here, Bullet by Brian Turner, Black Blossoms by Rigoberto Gonzalez, Cocktails by D.A. Powell, Dancing in Odessa by Ilya Kaminsky, The Wild Iris by Louise Glück, Ultima Thule by Davis McCombs, What Narcissism Means to Me by Tony Hoagland, The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds, Mosquito by Alex Lemon, Rose by Li-Young Lee, On Love by Edward Hirsch, In the Middle Distance by Linda Gregg, What is this thing called love by Kim Addonizio, All My Pretty Ones by Anne Sexton, Ariel by Sylvia Plath, and Indeed I Was Pleased with the World by Mary Ruefle.

4. Get Involved and Get Them Involved.  Each year, my college hosts a college and community-wide Poetry Slam (I have been a faculty judge for the past five years).  I am not a performance poet, but younger adults love the energy that Slams bring and it gets them thinking creatively, which is the goal, isn’t it?  Every year this event boasts a large audience turnout with about 20-25 competitors.  A few weeks before the event, I bring the flyer in and pass it around to my non-CW classes and explain what a Slam is and how it works.  Every year, I’ve had scads of my students show up and even a few sign up to perform!  I think that by getting involved at the local/college level, starting a NPM event or program, and getting your students involved can go a long way to influence their thinking about poetry and creative writing — in all of its forms.  More details about the Lone Star College-CyFair Annual Poetry Slam here.

What do you do to bring poetry into a classroom of non-creative writers?

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As day two of National Poetry Month draws to a close, don’t forget to enter the BIG Poetry Giveaway 2013 here! You can win a signed copy of my newest book, The Wishing Tomb, or Katie Ford’s first collection (unsigned), Deposition.

To kickoff National Poetry Month 2013, I’m following the lovely poet Bernadette Geyer’s lead and participating in the Big Poetry Giveaway!

Let the BIG Poetry Giveaway 2013 begin!

Details: The Big Poetry Giveaway is a giveaway of free poetry books, one of our own and one of our favorite poetry books.  More details and how to participate can be found on the poet Susan Rich’s blog here.

I’ll be giving away one signed copy of my newest book, The Wishing Tomb, which was awarded the 2012 Perugia Press Award.  Patricia Smith of this book, ”in these textured, deftly-crafted stanzas, Amanda Auchter romances the grit, the rampant spice, the twang, the mystery, the brick, the swelter, and the insistent hallelujah conjured by the Crescent City. This sparkling, defiant love story pays tribute to NOLA on the upswing, while remembering how often it has teetered on the edge of descent.”

I will also give away a copy of one of my favorite books of poetry of all time, Katie Ford’s first collection, Deposition.   Jorie Graham writes that, “Here is a poetry of witnessing—theological, emotional, intellectual—a private end to a century’s horrors, a reminder that not all things begin again, and that from some reaches of experience instruction shines far less than the beauty of the survivor’s report.”  This book was a great inspiration in the writing of my first book, The Glass Crib, and is something I return to again and again.

Graywolf Press, 2002

To Enter:  leave your name in the COMMENT section of this post and I’ll choose a winner for each book on May 1st or 2nd.  In your comment, please include your first name and email (or some way to get in touch with you).  The giveaway ends April 30th, 2013 at midnight.  Happy Poetry Month!

The Shroud of Turin

You see I am not certain you see the cloth held up to the light betrays
an imprint of the whole body glands seeping out what was in

them before death consider where else would it go but out I suppose this
is what I will do when I miss the beloved lay his bedsheet on carpet take

my hands brace my body over it see my shadow twine into his
a hawk spans the undiminished canyon darkens all of it from above

this bolt of linen undone as time fades into as it was in the beginning
hawk at birth unstreaked come methodology of absence how something grows

more absent what will fill what will be avian be predatory I am not certain what
to do here above the knitted sheet knitted tight enough to hold the shade

passing through to the upper limit of descent the has been scientific inquiry
into the ancient bedclothes it can’t be they say but then the realism of the print

when photographed one replies someone was here I would cross open spaces
for fictitious evidence yes he was here not Jesus no it’s not him that I want

I confess it is not his cloth I pass my body over oh I sense the spread of a hand
here bird-shadow here there will be miles and miles between us between

Golgotha and Italy hills and dusks and waters see they insist we know
what a shroud is what likeness is please do not prove anything away.

from Deposition by Katie Ford

actual detail juxtaposed with the negative image of the Shroud of Turin

For my inspiration reading list for my new project, I have recycled some of these same books, added new ones, as well as books I’ve always meant to read, but never got around to doing so.  Here is my “right now” Inspiration Reading List:

Inspiration Reading!

What’s on my list:

1. A God in the House: Poets Talk About Faith Edited by Ilya Kaminsky and Katherine Towler

2. Forth a Raven by Christina Davis

3. Voices from an Early American Convent edited by Emily Clark

4. Glean by Joshua Kryah

5. Death Tractates by Brenda Hillman

6. Bright Existence by Brenda Hillman

7. The Good Thief by Marie Howe

8. Pinwheel by Marni Ludwig

9. Two-Headed Nightingale by Shara Lessley

10. The Kingdom of Ordinary Time by Marie Howe

11. Burnt Offerings by Timothy Liu

12. Start by Jean Gallagher

13. Stubborn by Jean Gallagher

14. Beautiful in the Mouth by Keetje Kuipers

15. On Looking: Essays by Lia Purpura

16. Assembling the Shepherd by Tessa Rumsey

17. The Wanton Sublime by Anna Rabinowitz

18. The Descent by Sophie Cabot Black

19. Dream of the Unified Field by Jorie Graham

20. To the Place of Trumpets by Brigit Pegeen Kelly

21. Trouble in Mind by Lucie Brock-Broido

22. Old and New Testaments by Lynn Powell

A few others that are on my list that are not pictured above: The Exchange by Sophie Cabot Black, Selected Levis, ed. David St. John, Elegy by Larry Levis, Autobiography of My Hungers by Rigoberto Gonzalez, An Ethic by Christina Davis, Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953 by Elizabeth Winder, and A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet by Eavan Boland.

This extensive list will, I’m sure, keep me busy for a while!  What are the books on your inspiration list?  What books do you turn to again and again?  I’d love to hear your comments below!

AWP swag!

AWP-acquired books & journals!

I got: free copies of Poets & Writers, Looking for the Gulf Motel by Richard Blanco,  One Today by Richard Blanco (the limited-edition chapbook of Blanco’s Inaugural poem), free copies of The Southeast Review, Predatory by Glenn Shaheen, Charms for Finding by Rebecca Kinzie Bastian, Bright Power, Dark Peace by Traci Brimhall and Brynn Saito, a copy of The American Poetry Review, a cool little notebook/pen set and nylon drawstring book bag from Zone 3 Press, a diode button, two bookmarks from Boxcar Poetry Review, and two of the coolest-designed books I’ve ever seen from idiot books (a new-to-me press): After Everafter and Ten Thousand Stories.

Me & my cousin, Hope, & Boston’s The Crispy Duck

It was beyond wonderful to get to meet my biological cousin, Hope, in Boston!  She is my birthfather’s sister’s daughter and although we have chatted on the phone a few times and are FB friends, we never met until last week at my reading.  We had THE best time at dinner with Jeff & my friends and after getting drinks across from the Sheraton at McGreevy’s.  We also caught up the next day at Au Bon Pain, where Jeff and I were having a quick lunch in the midst of AWP craziness.  I felt so blessed the entire weekend!

If you want to see more of my AWP experience, I did a guest blog post for Superstition Review here.  A glimpse:

10. What is one bit of advice you could give to someone who’s never been to AWP and is thinking about going next year?

1. Wear comfortable shoes.  Those girls who wear stilettos at AWP?  They’re kidding themselves.  2.  Take your gummy vitamins and Emergen-C as AWP is a cesspool of flus and colds.  3.  You will not make every panel.  4.  Budget your money wisely because it runs out faster than you’d think.  5.  You will run into your frenemies.  6.  The hotel bar is overrated and expensive.  Go for the free wine and beer at the dance party instead.  7.  You will fall down at least once.  8. That famous poet really doesn’t want to read your manuscript or blurb your book.  9.  You will not have time to have meaningful conversations, unless you count a meaningful conversation as three minutes of hellos and one awkward photo taken on a camera phone.  10.  It’s the best time ever.

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I also came back from AWP to discover that the Women Write Resistance: Poets Resist Gender Violence (in which my poem, “Creole Tomatoes,” appears) is now available from Hyacinth Girl Press!

Women Write Resistance: Poets Resist Gender Violence

About the anthology:  Women Write Resistances: Poets Resist Gender Violence views poetry as a transformative art. By deploying techniques to challenge narratives about violence against women and making alternatives to that violence visible, the over 100 women American poets in this anthology intervene in the ways gender violence is perceived in American culture. The critical introduction frames the intellectual work behind the building of the
anthology by describing how poets break silence, disrupt narratives, and use strategic anger to resist for change. Poetry of resistance distinguishes itself by a persuasive rhetoric that asks readers to act. The anthology collects poems by Alicia Ostriker, Maureen Seaton, Judy Grahn, Hadara Bar-Nadav, Ellen Bass, Kristy Bowen, Allison Hedge Coke, Jehanne Dubrow, Leslie Adrienne Miller, Khadijah Queen, Hilda Raz, Evie Shockley, Margo Taft Stever, Judith Vollmer, Rosemary Winslow, and many, many more.

I’m thrilled to be one of the “many more” in this important collection of women poets writing on gender violence.  Get your copy here!

AWP is less than two weeks away and I’ve already started laying out my clothes and packing my bags (in my head, of course)!  Even though J. and I paid way too much money for our flight from Houston to Boston ($1100 United — are you kidding me?!  AND it’s not even first class!), I’m still excited for another conference, another city, and to see old friends and meet new writers!

Where you can find me at this year’s conference:

Illness as Muse: Ten Years of the Bellevue Literary Review
Room 210, Level 2
Hynes Convention Center
Friday, March 8, 2013
10:30AM-11:45AM
Boston, MA

Zone 3 Press Reading
Friday, March 8, 2013
7PM
First Church Boston
66 Marlborough St., Boston, MA

Book Signing w/ Perugia Press
Saturday, March 9, 2013
12PM-3PM
AWP Bookfair
Boston, MA

I’m so thankful to have been invited to read my work with the above presses!  I will be getting into town late afternoon on Thursday, March 7.  We’ll be staying at the convention hotel (if all goes according to plan — and it so rarely does at AWP).  If you want to meet up, let me know!  Where will you be?  Where are the good parties?  I’m thinking of trying again for Wine Party 2013 (Wine Party 2012 at Chicago’s AWP ended as soon as it began due to a certain friend spilling wine on the floor of my hotel room — lucky for us there were plenty towels and a strategically placed desk and garbage can).