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Hi! Hi! Hi!
Dear Beautiful People! First of all, and most importantly, You Are Beautiful! I appreciate each and every one of you for your courage to be yourself, for bringing art with your words, your vision, your kindness! I could go on…but I’ve vowed to keep this short and to the point—well, as much as that’s possible for me to do.
It’s springtime and in some parts of the world blossoming is definitely happening. Out my window the jacaranda tree is beginning to flower its gorgeous, delicate violet flowers. In a couple of weeks, it will be full-on spectacular. Oh, spring, you are a temptress, what with your volatile weather, intoxicating aromas and that urge that rises up in us humans to get out of the house, run along the beach, into the mountains, or to plop down at the computer and write long poems of love and longing. I’ve got those urges, for sure, but right now I’m channeling my creative energy into taking the poems I’ve written over the last year and revising, organizing and compiling them into a new manuscript. It’s both tedious and exhilarating. You can read more about my journey with this process in my latest blog post Songs From My Soul.
I do hope you are all well and looking forward (perhaps a tad bit cautiously) to a summer of travel and family gatherings now that the pandemic seems to be on its way out, at least on a grand scale. It’s time to hug again, to sign up for an in-person class, to go to a ballgame, the theater, take a friend (or two) to lunch. Open up to joy and enjoy all the love you can give and get. There is still a lot of pain and ugliness in this world. It’s always been there in some form or another, as long as I’ve been on this planet. Look for the little sparks of light in your life and be one yourself, that’s my creed. Poetry is one of those sparks for me and I hope you have many, many in your life to keep the inspirational flame burning.
ONE LAST NOTE: April is National Poetry Month--take a minute, or more, to sit and read a poem by a favorite poet, or try out a new one. There are a lot of poems to be read online at independent literary journal websites, as well as large troves found at organizations dedicated to sharing poetry. That's where Google comes in. I've even got a few of my own posted on my POEMS page, if you'd like to take a look.
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Talking Poetic IntensityA Conversation with fellow poet Terry Wolverton
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Good StuffI was invited to do a reading by the wonderful folks at Fourth Sundays: Poetry at the Claremont Library last month and was fortunate to share the stage with an excellent poet, Tim Hatch, reading from his chapbook Wild Embrace. I very much enjoyed both the poems, as well as his humor and vulnerability. The poems, and the man, are truly delightful.
Books by Local Poets
I've been getting out to some poetry readings lately, as they've started to come back in person, as well as dropping in on a couple of Zoom readings. It's really such a lovely experience when you personally know the poet and have even workshopped some of the poems with them. The following are four books I highly recommend, two of which are by my fellow workshop pals, Beth Ruscio and Charlotte Innes. Jerry Garcia (the poet, not musician) is a well-know SoCal poet and Donna Hilbert was the angel who guided me through the publication of my book and has just come out with her newest compilation. Support these amazing poets, if you can. You will be happy you did so.
Threnody by Donna Hilbert
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Under "You Might Wanna Try It": I receive a couple of poems daily in my inbox and though, admittedly, I delete more than I take the time to read, I very often discover a real gem and save it in a folder to pull up later, should I need a bit of poetic juice. If you'd like to partake, you can sign up to receive a poem-a-day at the Poetry Foundation, where they also offer podcasts, articles, videos, events and a vast library of poems.
For more of my favorite books of poems and books about poetry, visit my Bookshop Store.
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Speaking of poetry organizations that contribute a tremendous amount of poetic content and support poets and poetry, the Academy of American Poets is offering an online event to promote National Poetry Month, titled Poetry and the Creative Mind. The line-up of poets is stellar and it looks to be an outstanding conversation and celebration!
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SPECIAL OFFER
From now until the end of May, you can purchase a copy of She Speaks to the Birds at Night While They Sleep directly from me for a savings of 25%. This brings the price down from $20 to $15. Simply contact me. Include your name and address. I'll get back to you with my Venmo and PayPal info for payment.
Chosen as the winner of the 2020 Tebot Bach Clockwise Chapbook Contest, here are a couple of short notes on what you'll find inside:
As in the seasons of a woman's life, the quotidian world and the world of mystery change places, pause for us to marvel, then change back again.
~N. Cohen
One of the things I love about these poems is that they confront
the dark and the light of our lives.
~G. Wronsky
These compact lines turn the facts of the pandemic everyday, the small battles of mundane chores, into sensual impressions that pique like cayenne on the tongue.
~J. Natal
PURCHASE
She Speaks to the Birds at Night While They Sleep
Available at Bookshop or Amazon
(if they show "out of stock" place your order for future delivery)
Contact me directly and I'll mail you a signed copy
Purchase price is $17 plus shipping of $3 in the U.S.
Payment thru Venmo, PayPal or Square
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Recent Blog PostsClick on the images below to read these short pieces
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Feel free to forward the HariB Poet newsletter to a friend or contact me to share your thoughts and comments!
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