Poem "Dear Yellow Speed Bump" featured in Poetry Newsletter

I've had yet again the good fortune of beng featured by poet Diane Lockward, this time in her monthly Poetry Newsletter. In the December issue my poem "Dear Yellow Speed Bump" is featured. Immediately following the poem Diane discusses its craft and uses the poem as the basis for a prompt. What a delight for me!

If you're a poet, I hope you'll try the prompt. Writing epistolary, or letter, poems is fun. It offers a good opportunity for talking about surface things while delving deeper at the same time. Be sure to sign up for Diane's Poetry Newsletter, so you'll receive monthly prompts, craft tips, book recommendations, links, and videos--all about poetry. And the newsletter is free! You can go to Diane's website to sign up.

I feel lucky to have my work in such a terrific resource, among the works of so many talented poets!

Here are Diane's two latest books, both available at Amazon.com or Wind Publications.

Diane's book on craft

Diane's latest poems  

Poem "Coastland" featured on Diane Lockward's Blogalicious

Poet Diane Lockward has a blog that is a rich resource for poets: Blogalicious: Notes on Poetry, Poets, and Books, and she periodically features poems on the blog, with an interview and a recording of the poet reading the featured poem. I am honored that a few days ago she posted my poem "Coastland" as a feature. Please visit her blog and see what questions she has about my process of writing this poem, one from my new book My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass. The interview was a meaningful experience for me, giving me a chance to think about how this poem came about and how I arrived at decisions along the way in writing it. I am positive that I know the poem better now than I ever would have without the interview.

Recording a reading of the poem was a challenge, mostly because I don't record often enough to remember how to use the recording software from one time to the next. So I was at it for a number of takes. But I'm grateful for what I learned, and I hope the step-by-step process will stick with me for next time. I can tell that when you know what you're doing, recording is great fun; and I hope--ha!--to one day know what I'm doing. I welcome every chance to get better at it.

Thank you, Diane Lockward!

Poetry of Recovery blog feature



Check out the Poetry of Recovery blog, which is currently featuring my poem "That Year" from the anthology After Shocks: The Poetry of Recovery for Life-Shattering Events. The feature also includes two poems from My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass, as well as an interview that editor Tom Lombardo did with me.

In the anthology poet and editor Tom Lombardo brings together 115 poets from 15 nations. This brilliant collection bears messages of recovery to its readers from the raw beginnings to long-term acceptance, delivered through the language of poetry: Grief, War, Exile, Abuse, Divorce, Addiction, Injury, Illness, Bigotry, Loss of Innocence. So pleased to be featured there. Thank you Tom!

Nov. 3: Poetrio reading at Malaprop's in Asheville, NC

POETRIO
Readings by Kathy Nelson, Tom Lombardo, Susan Laughter Meyers
Sunday, Nov. 3
3 p.m.
Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe
55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC
Free & open to the public

Kathy will be reading from Cattails:


Tom will be reading from What Bends Us Blue:


Susan will be reading from My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass:

Nov. 9: Seminar for The Poetry Society of SC

The Epistolary Poem: Letters from Within
A Seminar
Susan Laughter Meyers, instructor

“Good letter poems are satisfying to steam open,” says poet Robin Behn. Though their subjects may seem ordinary, beneath the surface lies urgency. Written to an individual but meant to be read by many, they allow the poet to be both intimate and public. We’ll immerse ourselves in the epistolary—with discussion, writing, and letter poems, such as Jane Springer’s “Dear Blackbird” and Melissa Morphew’s “The Missionary Writes to Her Fiancé Concerning Blindman’s Bluff.” Let’s delve into the imagination—and, this time, strike up a correspondence.

_________________________

Saturday, Nov. 9
10 a.m. -- noon
The Charleston Library Society
164 King Street, Charleston, SC
Registration payable at the door:

•     $10 for PSSC or Library Society members
•     $15 for nonmembers
•     free for College of Charleston students

Nov. 8: The Poetry Society of SC -- Reading

I'm honored to have been invited to read for the November program of The Poetry Society of South Carolina, and how I'm looking forward to it. In fact, this is my local book launch, my first reading here from My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass. I'm especially delighted to be reading that evening with Norris Aubrey Moore, author of Cause We've Ended as Children. Aubrey and I met when she was a senior in high school at the Charleston County School of the Arts, and I was her mentor for the senior thesis. Here are the details about the reading:

NORRIS AUBREY MOORE & SUSAN LAUGHTER MEYERS
Reading for The Poetry Society of SC
Friday, November 8
7 p.m.
Charleston Library Society
164 King Street, Charleston, SC
Book signing & reception following the reading
Free & open to the public
______________________

Norris Aubrey Moore is a junior at the College of Charleston majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. She graduated from the School of the Arts, where she also majored in Creative Writing and received a National Gold from the Scholastic Writing Awards. She published her poetry collection Cause We’ve Ended as Children in 2011 and intends to further her studies in poetry by working toward an MFA degree.

Oct. 16: Mind Gravy Poetry in Columbia, SC

This week's treat was a chance to share the podium with jazz vocalist and poet Eboni Ramm at Mind Gravy Poetry. The weekly series is held in Columbia at Drip Coffee on Saluda Avenue in the Five Points area, and I could tell immediately that the regulars there always have a good time. The host is Al Black, who made Eboni and me feel right at home, as did the friendly audience. Eboni and I performed round-robin sets of poetry and song—well, she sang, not me (lucky for the audience). Afterward we all enjoyed an open mic.

So good to see Charlene Spearen there, whom I don't get a chance to see often enough these days. How we all miss the SC Poetry Initative, which Kwame Dawes and Charlene directed!

Queens University of Charlotte MFA alumni conference: Oct. 4 - 6

It was a treat to gather with other MFA alumni at the Queens campus to attend a weekend of seminars and socials. Debbie Scott and I took it all in and enjoyed ourselves immensely. At the open mic on Friday evening I had an opportunity to read a couple of poems from My Dear, Dear Stagger Grass for the very first time, and, yes indeed, it felt great!

Debbie and I both have joined the newly formed Alumni Council to offer suggestions for future alumni programs. Thanks to Fred Leebron and Michael Kobre, along with Melissa Bashor, for all the work it took to put this conference together.