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Riehlife Poem-of-the-Day: “Clara’s Air,” by Arletta Dawdy
Arletta Dawdy and I both belong to Women Writing the West. We became writing friends when we both lived in Northern California. My flash fiction piece “Triptych: Jeweled Bones” (in 3 parts) inspired her to write “Clara’s Air.” She sat down before bed and dashed off the story of Clara’s Air which captures an era,…
Black Valentine Series: #4, Valentine poem by Linda Jones Hawkins, for her mother and sister
In honor of the combination of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day week, I’m running a “Black Valentine” series to profile vibrant Black couples and individuals I’ve met in St. Louis. I met Linda and her husband Charles at a Kwanzaa celebration where she was showing her art. Since then, we’ve met several times in…
Directed Contemplative Writing—a variation on free writing
I’ve started a new writing project—working with my longtime friend and writing colleague, Stephanie Farrow who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the last weeks we’ve developed a way of working which I’m analyzing into steps below in hopes it might help those writers among Riehlife’s readers. [Note: This is filed in the Write, Pen!…
Nancy Connally’s Critique Case Study, Day 2: How wisdom from an on-line writing village gave her perspective–5 specific tips
Nancy Connally tells how she balanced out the negative critique by learning from the wisdom of an on-line writing village…including finding out that even exceptionally gifted writers must learn how to cope with folks who don’t take to their work. —JGR ____________________________ Later that day, I checked in with a writers group I belong to…
Black Valentine Series: #5 Linda Jones Hawkins New Poem “20 Second Loving”
Linda Jones Hawkins is no stranger to Riehlife as a contributor. See yesterday’s “A Special Valentine Note of Love” dedicated to her mother and sister, Karen and Dorothy. Later in the week you’ll see a Love Bird profile of Linda and her husband Charles. –JGR ________________________________________ 20 SECOND LOVING by Linda Jones Hawkins Not just…
Writing Critique & Releasing Question: What other poems are inside this poem?
When you receive a “Listenback” from a critique on your work, what can you do next? Use the feedback you’ve received to set up exercises to try things out. Use this releasing question: What other poems are inside this poem? Editing and re-writing are like sculpting.

What an inspiring thought for a Sunday. Next time I’m wriitng, I’ll think about this. I can imagine asking my pen, “Pen, what thoughts of the universe want to come through you today?”