I think there’s absolutely etiquette to giving feedback on someone’s poetry. writing a poem is a lot of work, and the feedback should respect that labor. A simple “good job” or “I like this” are kind gestures, but don’t give the impression that the reader has made much attempt to really engage with the work. It’s also really unhelpful when you’re looking for feedback. I think as readers giving feedback, we have a responsibility to sink our teeth in and engage deeply with the work. If it’s truly a finished poem, then you should have much more to say than “I like it.” If the poem needs work, the same is true.

Do people like that one?? 😂😭😭

@Shen Friebe it’s a masterclass in imagery and contrast

“The Trapeze Swinger” by Iron and Wine https://youtu.be/Bywv_yjSgHc

05/12/2022 Good news! I’ve got another piece accepted for publishing. It’ll be out in August - Cajun Mutt Press!

@Marc Brimble beer is definitely a hobby! What’s your go-to? I’m a fan of pilsners and wheats

@Rachel Glass i love Ian McMillan’s podcast “The Verb.” Check it out if you haven’t before :)

I’m a big podcast fan! I love Stuff You Should Know, both for the content and for the personalities of the hosts. Behind the Bastards is another great one - check out their Henry Kissinger series! Other than that, I love movies and television shows, mostly dramas for TV. My favorite is probabky Hreaking Bad or Better Call Saul because I’m basic af. I also really like music, playing and listening. :)

@Shen Friebe I had no idea you were writing a novel - very cool! ife never been too good at legos personally but I have tons of respect for folks who can just build shit.

@Adam Gary happy birthday buddy!

I use the words “broken” and “bleeding” a lot lol. As far as a ”signature” goes, I have been told I write very descriptive poems so maybe that’s it

Done 💚

I’m partial to play station but that’s all I have ever really used. I also have a switch and love it

@Ken LeMarchand it you like Billy Collins, check out Taylor Mali. His books “Bouquet of Red Flags” and “The Whetting Stone” are both great. Edit: Forgot to add the Collins was Taylor’s mentor and is his favorite poet. There’s definitely Collins’ influence in his work

@Rachel Glass I also find that I mostly read poetry by men…so I try to make an actual effort to seek out poetry by women and BIPOC.

I love free verse poetry that doesn’t follow set structures. I like to see language used in surprising ways…word combinations that turn my understanding of language on its head. Poetry with strong imagery and lots of energy. I like when the poet’s voice is conversational and vulnerable. When it’s so honest you almost feel like you shouldn’t be allowed to read it. Taylor Mali once said something like “poetry is the art of celebrating all the ways you fall short of being the person you want to be” And I agree with that.

I think “dreams” are really great to have, but sometimes you have to weigh your values to determine if you should pursue/keep pursuing them. As an example, maybe you have a dream of being a rock star. You practice your instrument every day, you form a band, you write songs, and you get really good. But then you quickly discover that the music industry is really unforgiving…being really good doesn’t always guarantee you’ll be successful. Touring is expensive and the lifestyle can prevent you from being able to maintain long term relationships. In that situation, you may re-evaluate those dreams and decide whether its more important for you to be a performing musician or to earn a comfortable living. Maybe you decide instead to learn audio engineering to help produce others’ records instead. Maybe you switch gears and become a guitar/bass/drum teacher. What I’m getting at is having dreams is great, but it’s important to check in with yourself and determine if those dreams are still “worth” the sacrifices you have to make to realize them. If they aren’t, that is valid. Plenty of people work on their side dreams while they work a day job. Plenty of people said yes to an opportunity that didn’t 100% align with their dreams, but found significant success as a result. When you’re pursuing your dreams, I think it’s important to ensure you don’t have blinders on, because you can get tunnel vision that causes you to miss potentially lucrative/fulfilling opportunities. And sometimes those unexpected opportunities can take you on a roundabout path to actually getting to the goal you originally had. For example, Glen Hansard’s band The Frames weren’t seeing a ton of success When he was offered the main role in the film “Once.” He didn’t originally want to do it, but decided to eventually. That led him to winning an Oscar, making quite a bit of money, and then got his name out there so he and his band had much greater success and recognition. He’s remarked on that by saying “if I had said no to that opportunity because it didn’t fit into my ‘plan,’ I would’ve never had that door opened for me.“

Film: The opening scene to The Dark Knight is phenomenal. It creates so much tension about the Joker. Who is he? How crazy is he? And the heist scene is perfectly paced. Instantly hooks you. Albums: Cover Me Up from Jason Isbell’s Southeastern album is so good. Right out the gate it strips away any kind of pomp or flourish. It lets you know this is gonna be a raw, intimate experience. You’re probably gonna cry…but it’s gonna be a good cry. Poetry: The first poem in Taylor Mali‘s collection “Bouquet of Red Flags.” It’s called “Love Without Limit, Question, or Warning” And it just serves as the most perfect epigraph for the entire collection.

Done! :)

@Adam Gary I appreciate it lol