Robson Reviews Riehl’s “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary”…(from Resident Media Pundit)

The poetry collection “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” by Janet Riehl is a soaring, poignant homage to family, sorrow, and the rebirth that comes with pain and loss. Written after the death of her sister in a tragic automobile accident, Riehl cobbled together her father’s mournful poems as well as her own and set out to [...]

“Sightlines” graces Unitarian book group

Janet Riehl with “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary”
Marcy Burns has been a “friend of the book” since Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” came out in 2006. She found it through Dan Poynter’s list, reviewed it, and set about becoming a friend of the book, my work, and me. On my trip to Riverside last winter [click here [...]

Creative Outing, Lake County California-style: John Frary and Nan’s Hopland Grade Journey to buy a copy of “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary”—and to see what they could see

One of my greatest pleasures in being an author and having my book “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” out in the world is hearing from readers. This note and two beautiful photos of one of my homeplaces, Lake County, Northern California, arrived from John Frary recently. I was so touched that I wanted to share it.—JGR
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Dear [...]

Flying on Julia’s 65th birthday, up there in the sky together—I’m writing thank you notes: this one’s for you.

For me, family dates are engraved on my heart. March 13th will ever be Julia’s day. Will ever be my sister’s birthday. She lives within us, and curiously, seems to age right along with us. On this birthday, and every birthday, she lives beyond her death day.

In 2005 on the first birthday after Julia’s death [...]

Snowbound: Filling the Feeder (a new poem by Janet Grace Riehl)

A foot of snow atop our bluff: Evergreen Heights, Jersey Township, SW Illinois.

Mother, that which you filled and then emptied,
we fill again as best we can.
Your chair hold us at the wheelhouse hub,
yet a glance windowward unfolds and holds worlds beyond.
This morning’s world insulated in a snowy rug.

Cardinal families flit-flash at the new-fangled feeders
Daddy fills [...]

Erwin A. Thompson’s 1936 song “Girl in the Little Blue Hat” coquettes again Valentine’s week 2008

In 1936, when my father was 21, he wrote a song for Sherman Bowen’s younger sister, Lucille, that came to be titled “The Girl in the Little Blue Hat.” Lucille was sixteen when he composed the song, but had been perhaps eight-years-old when my father started dancing square dances with her at Ben Hill’s dances [...]

Writers in the Sky February Newsletter presents Riehl’s poem “Window Frame” from “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary”

Yvonne Perry of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services asked me to send her a poem for her February newsletter. Click here to read the entire newsletter.
I sent an excerpt from WINDOW FRAME originally published in “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” and dedicated to my mother Ruth Evelyn Johnston Thompson (January 4, 1916-May 1, 2006). [...]

Writers in the Sky Podcast features author Velda Brotherton

Writers in the Sky, “a 3-Fold, Production (Blog, Podcast and Newsletter) filled with information about writing, publishing and book publicity” has the gracious and competent Yvonne Perry at the helm of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing and Editing Services.

Velda Brotherton, author, “Fly with the Mourning Dove”
“Yvonne has uploaded another show to Writers in the [...]

Generations of Family Christmas Traditions by Erwin A. Thompson

Evergreen Heights, the place pioneered by E.A. Riehl, my father’s grandfather
As a family, over generations, we developed some of our own Christmas traditions.
PROVIDING CHRISTMAS TREES FOR THE COMMUNITY
My Grandfather Riehl was a pioneer in this part of the country in raising evergreen trees for Christmas trees. We took orders, in those days, and had [...]

“Home Sweet Home”–poetic excerpt from “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary”

During this time I’m in Lake County in Northern California and walking when I can in Clear Lake State Park, the jewel of the county on Clear Lake and nestled on the shoulders of Mt. Konocti…these lines from my poem HOME SWEET HOME often run through my mind…excerpts below. You can read more from “Sightlines: [...]