When it comes to poetry, if you can dream it, we can publish it! We are proud to highlight such a diverse group of voices this week on the blog. The following are recent examples of poetry books published by Dorrance.

Coffee with God: A 40 Day Poetry Devotional by Jean Mikulski

Coffee with God is a collection of 40 devotional poems that address topics including life’s daily struggles, interactions on social media, requesting help from God, and seeing God’s hand in the sights, sounds, and beauty of nature. What makes this book unique is that rather than a written summary explaining the scripture beforehand, it speaks to the reader through scripture that ties in with the accompanying poem. Author Jean Mikulski is a retired administrative assistant and former Sunday school teacher. 

The Mind of a Manic Depressive by Tameka LaShay

The Mind of a Manic Depressive by Tameka LaShay is a poetry book about mental illness and the author’s coping with it. After some storms in life, Tameka LaShay was diagnosed with the illness and needed ways to cope. She had to release the hurt and therefore turned to poetry. The author hopes this book can bring understanding and awareness to people who do not understand mental illness and also help those who suffer from any form of mental illness to get help and not allow it to control them.

Moments in America’s War by Kendric Packer 

This poetry book focuses on history. Author Kendric Packer captures the Civil War in poetry. He was inspired after studying writings from the Civil War era. Moments in America’s War is an attempt to pass forward the feelings these Civil War-era texts stirred up through a collection of poems – as poetry is the language of feelings, after all. It is the author’s hope that a reader’s feeling may, at the end, be almost that of having lived through a war. The reader will hopefully feel connected to this historical era and what it means for life today. This book shows just how versatile poetry can be for telling stories!

It’s Hard to Be a Black Man in America and Other African American Poems by Elroy Alister Esdaille

In this book, City University of New York professor Elroy Alister Esdaille examines the African-American experience from multiple perspectives that cannot be put into just one box. The poems explore the African-American experience in the United States from the past to the present, but they can be applied to other countries that once operated under colonial systems and slave labor as well. Modern day America, for many Black people, can be said to be a sum total of its messy history of slavery and segregation, and the recalcitrant roots that still persist today. It’s Hard to Be a Black Man in America gives an in-depth view of this messy history and asks questions through the style and unique power of poetry. 

bare by Julia Vradenburg

bare is a poetry collection inspired by the events in one woman’s life, a life shared by many women. Vradenburg’s poetry lends a voice to words and thoughts that are often muted and go unsaid. Julia Vradenburg lives in the Pacific Northwest with her wife and two dogs. She is a photographer and avid hiker.

Demons Love Heartbreak by Roderick J. Davis  

Demons Love Heartbreak by Roderick J. Davis is a poetry collection that explores how the opinions of others can influence the mind of a young man, directly impacting his emotional status and perception of self, all painted in a beautiful and dark, artistic portrait. Through his use of language and metaphor, Roderick J. Davis’s poems give voice to those who feel voiceless, and his heartfelt honesty inspires.

Adventures of a Dyslexic Poet by Sean M. Riedl  

This collection of poems and short stories titled Adventures of a Dyslexic Poet “flash by like short films.” Author Sean M. Riedl could not read until after fourth grade yet still obtained A grades. Riedl’s work aims to confound and enlighten, to soothe and excite. Inspired by the author’s relationships with others and his interest in places and objects with storied pasts, Adventures of a Dyslexic Poet has something to offer any thoughtful reader. With poetic descriptiveness, this book takes the reader through different worlds—some real and some imagined. Riedl currently works for the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. 

Looking to share your story and publish your own poetry book? Contact us to start your journey today!

The post Monday Motivation: Poetry appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Name:

Hometown: Beaver Falls, PA

Book Title: The Masks We Wear

Genre: Poetry

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Kristi Jo Shields (KJS): Inspirational through tough times and relatable to everyone.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

KJS: I’ve always wanted to write one, but never had the time. I was laid off during the pandemic which gave me the opportunity to write my book.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

KJS: It took three weeks to write.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

KJS: Usually I use names that I like. For this book I only named one character, JoJo. JoJo is my daughter’s nickname.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

KJS: I take a break from it. I take a tablet with me everywhere I go so that when ideas come to my head, I can write them down.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

KJS: My favorite poem is Good Morning, River. I wrote this poem at our family camp, sitting by the river enjoying my family sitting by the fire.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

KJS: The character that I would choose would be the father in my book. I envisioned this man to be strong, loving, supportive, funny, and smart. He would be perfect to be stuck on an island with.

b. One fictional character:

KJS: Chuck from the movie Castaway.

c. One famous person (living or dead):

KJS: Dwayne Johnson (of course).

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

KJS: Raising my three children, spending time with friends and family, and going camping with my kids. I also love to play sports with my kids, especially volleyball.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

KJS: No, I don’t keep a journal.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

KJS: I celebrated with friends and family.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

KJS: Mom would be played by Reese Witherspoon, Dad would be played by Chris Pine, and Grandma would be played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

KJS: The cover illustrator was above my expectations.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

KJS: E.T., The Velveteen Rabbit, Dr. Seuss’s books, Twilight, and The Notebook.

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

KJS: Believe in yourself and follow your dreams.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

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Does the very mention of the word “poetry” take you back to high school English, tapping pentameter out on your desk, figuring out rhyme scheme and just scratching your head in confusion about how “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams is even a poem? 

so much depends 

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

Poetry is one of the most misunderstood genres our world has seen. It has no rules, yet somehow we all know the difference between good poetry and bad poetry.  Emily Dickinson famously said this about her beloved genre, “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.”

While it may seem like there is no rhyme or reason to poetry, here are three common characteristics you’ll find in many poems.

Figurative Language

Similes, metaphors and hyperbole often find themselves in poetry, usually alongside alliteration, assonance, consonance, and rhyme. Figurative language is what leaves many people confused after reading a poem, because we have to do some work to understand it.  We live in a world where we like literal meanings of things (Have you noticed the popularity of the world “literally”? It’s literally used all the time.) Figurative language, on the other hand, relies on the reader to figure out what the poet is saying. You have to use your own life experiences to draw conclusions. This is what makes poems confusing, but also what makes them universal. You may not know anything about red wheelbarrows or chickens, but what feelings come up when you read the phrase “so much depends upon…”? That phrase sets up the entire feeling of the poem and that phrase is what makes it relatable. (Side Note: If you’re writing poems and dabbling with figurative language, make sure to avoid using cliches.)

Deliberate line breaks

In A Poetry Handbook, poet Mary Oliver says, “Prose is printed (or written) within the confines of margins, while poetry is written in lines that do not necessarily pay any attention to the margins, especially the right margin.” When you write a paper for class or a report for work, you’re told very specifically what the margins should be, what the font should be, and you are told how many sentences are in a paragraph. In a poem, however, there are no rules, which leads to a very unique experience for the reader. “The Red Wheelbarrow” would read very differently if it was simply one long line. But the author broke it up so the reader, even if read quickly, has to take time to think about each line and create a picture in his or her mind.

Unique punctuation choices

If a poem is written with a lot of dashes, it reads a lot differently than a poem that is one continuous sentence with no punctuation at all. But overall, you will find that many poets do not take punctuation rules into consideration.  Nobel Prize winning poet Jose Saramago famously said, ““Punctuation … is like traffic signs, too much of it distracted you from the road on which you traveled.”  In “The Red Wheelbarrow” there is no punctuation, even though there very easily could be a comma after barrow and a comma after rain.  But the strategically placed line-breaks create pause, which is likely why the author thought punctuation wasn’t necessary.

It’s easy to over analyze poetry, but don’t let it scare you. You may not like Shakespearean sonnets and you may not ever understand the importance of the red wheelbarrow, but chances are there is a poem out there that speaks to you. The best way to enjoy poetry? Read it without trying to look for the deeper meaning.

The post Genre Spotlight: Poetry appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Leaving a poem unfinished is a very common occurrence among the poetry community. Your creativity is always active, and your imagination is always one step ahead of you, meaning you may have the tendency to jump from poem to poem without tying up the loose ends. If you can relate, we’re here to help you focus your attention on one poem at a time and write a meaningful ending before moving on to your next work.

The most important part of finishing a poem lies in the beginning stages of the writing process.

To begin, you want to keep in mind why you’re writing this poem. Defining your goal ahead of time will be like using a GPS. Your goal will help guide your words. Once you’ve decided on the main purpose of your poem, begin writing with this goal at the forefront.

When writing a poem, you need a source of inspiration. When it comes to poetry, being as specific as possible with your inspiration will help you focus your attention on the work itself. For instance, you could write a poem about your favorite coffee shop. You’ll describe the sights, sounds and smells, the baristas, and the location. Essentially, you’ll immerse yourself into the atmosphere and capture your observations with your written word.

Once you’ve decided on a topic, utilizing a poetry meter may be of benefit to you. What’s a poetry meter? It’s essentially a way of measuring a line of poetry that’s based on the rhythm of the words and the pattern of the beats. This is commonly referred to as a foot. Each foot contains a certain number of syllables (usually two or three) that are either stressed or unstressed. A poetry meter is great for poets who are writing sonnets, for example.

Next, we want to encourage you to not be so hard on yourself and your work. While you might agonize over a line of your poem or contemplate how you’re ever going to finish your work, take a step back, remove all external influences and simply write what comes to you. After all, poetry is open to interpretation, and your readers will have their own experience with your words. This means that one piece can have many, many meanings based on the people who read your poem. So don’t let the fear that people won’t “get you” inhibit your creativity.

Finally, work outside of your comfort zone. We often have a tendency once we’ve mastered something to stick with it because it’s what we know. However, creating the same style of poetry over and over again won’t help you grow as a poet. It will feel awkward at first, and you may even feel completely lost. But push past the adversity and try a new form of poetry. Perhaps the ending you’re seeking is at the end of another type of poem.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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So just what are metaphors and how can you use them in your writing? Let’s find out.

For starters, a metaphor is merely a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison between two things that are seemingly unrelated but actually share some commonalities. It’s important to note that metaphors aren’t to be confused with similes. Similes also take two concepts, but compare them using “like” and “as.” More times than not, when working with similes, the comparisons are a lot more obvious. For example, “She swims like a fish.” Clearly she’s not a fish, but she’s like one.

Now that we have that cleared up, let’s get back to metaphors.

Unlike similes, the words “like” and “as” aren’t used in these comparisons. Rather, metaphors are more subtle. Let’s look at an example:

“Life is a rollercoaster.”

This metaphor describes the ups and downs that many people endure in their lives—these dips and twists that are much like the ones on a rollercoaster.

This figure of speech is commonly used in poetry.

When included in poetry, metaphors help paint a picture that’s deeper than what is on the surface. Metaphors will encourage your readers to draw a comparison between two things in a beautiful and elegant way.

Metaphors paint a stronger, more vibrant picture in your readers’ minds by describing a person, place, thing or idea in a way that’s not obvious, or maybe wouldn’t occur to them otherwise.

Imagination, creativity and thoughtfulness are important pieces to creating a metaphor. We encourage you to strengthen all three of these writing muscles and create a metaphor of your own.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017

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