Need inspiration? Check out your scrapbook (or your cluttered garage).
Friday, July 20th, 2007
Not long ago we were cleaning out our very messy garage. We came across a box of old photographs. We were on a roll until we found those pictures. As soon as I opened the box, all activity halted. My husband and I strolled down memory lane, recalling days when we both had long hair, big dreams and near-empty pockets. A bonus from that memory walk came in the form of inspiration. Thumbing through those photos inspired a new poem and an essay. Sometimes, we find inspiration not by seeking it but by accident.
It’s hard for a writer to gauge her own work, but one of the poems I consider my best occurred quite by accident. I was facilitating a Community Poetry Series for our local Barnes and Noble here in Jacksonville. Poet and author Steve Kowit emailed to tell me he’d be in our area, and we set up a poetry workshop for him.
Of all the workshops I’ve ever participated in, Kowit’s stands out for the remarkable experience every attendee had. Suddenly I found myself on the other side of the table. Instead of conducting a workshop, I was participating in one.
Kowit used several prompts to encourage us to pen an off-the-top-of-your-head poem. I chose, “I remember.” Within 15 minutes I’d sketched a draft of a poem about my youngest brother who died when he was a baby. Until that moment, I had never been able to write a poem about him. Ultimately, the poem “Sibling Blue” was published in the afterword to my memoir Killing Earl. It will also be included in my new poetry collection ‘Notes from a Florida Village.’
What made Steve Kowit such a great workshop leader?
He was kind and encouraging. His attitude towards poetry was very democratic because he likes many different kinds of poems. He wasn’t one of those, “Do NOT rhyme your poems!” types. In addition, his knowledge of poetry is extraordinary. He was able to listen to each participant’s poem and offer solid suggestions without intruding on the rights of the poet. I suppose those are a few of the reasons Kowit’s book ‘In the Palm of Your Hand’ is a wildly popular poetry handbook.
We all have dry spells where writing is concerned. So next time you have one, thumb through some photos, or use a prompt like, “I remember,” or “I regret.” The results may amaze you.
RELATED LINKS:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780884481492&itm=1
Book page for ‘In the Palm of Your Hand’ by Steve Kowit at Barnes and Noble online.
http://www.flagstaffcentral.com/bookfest2000/Authors/kowit.html
Page about Steve Kowit from Northern Arizona Book Festival.
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