No poet could ever suffer from writer’s block when she has access to any of Diane Lockward’s phenomenal craft books. Now she has published her fourth, The Strategic Poet. The book is a #1 New Release in Poetry Writing Reference on Amazon. Click on the following image to find the book.
The back of the book lists the poets whose work appears inside as either prompt poems or sample poems.
One of my poems is featured in the book. It’s a formal poem, a triolet, but rather than being a single triolet, I made it a triple!
The description in the book of a triolet:
I accepted the challenge to use the form for a significant topic as I based the poem on a cat hoarding situation we had in Phoenix last year where 133 cats were found in one apartment lived in by a couple with children. Here is the very beginning of the poem. To read the entire poem you would need to purchase Lockward’s book.
Although I haven’t mentioned my arty junk journals in awhile (other than using supplies for my cat nicho), I am still working on them. Here’s the latest completed double page where I jumped all in with purple.
Speaking of my cat nicho, look who decided to check it out from behind. Tiger Queenie Princess Mimi Josefina. I don’t know if she realizes that I made it for the cats or not, but she never goes in my study and then yesterday she did, only to investigate the nicho.
Make it a great week ahead and stay well.
That’s a great cat picture!
She was drawn to the nicho but also suspicious of it. I found that so interesting.
Cats are suspicious!
Especially Tiger haha!
Purr-fectly posed
Sometimes they do that for me!
The triolet is a new one for me, Luanne – very interesting! Congrats on being in the book – another confirmation of your brilliant writing!
Plus, I love the arty work, too!!
It was a new one for me, too. All the forms you see all over wordpress, etc., are really only recently revived. I’m not a formalist by any means, but I like a good challenge. Sonnets would be my favorite form. Thank you re the arty work haha! So much fun. Hope all is well at tu casa.
All’s well here, thank goodness.
Oh, that is good news!
I love that last photo! (Ricky the Cat just came over to see it.) 😀
Congratulations on having your work published in the poetry writing book, Luanne!! I didn’t think you wrote much form poetry.
Ricky the cat is curious like Tiger! Yes, I was lucky to catch her right them, but mostly she was exploring that nicho. It drew her and confounded her.
I don’t typically write formal poetry. I do love sonnets, both tight form and more playful. But otherwise, no, but this was a challenge.
I don’t know much about the structure of poetry, so that was an interesting insight. Yours evokes the horror that must have been felt when the inspectors found all those cats in such piteable conditions.
How interesting Tiger came to explore. I was so pleased when I visited my neighbour recently after us not being allowed in each other’s homes since June. I’ve told you before what a strange reserved little being her rescue cat is, and it never makes a sound, but even though there were six newcomers in her space, she didn’t run off, and after a while she jumped on to the couch beside me and curled up comfortably, letting me rub her head. My friend was so taken aback she took a photo! I wonder if Pussy Number Six (seriously, that’s her name!) recognised my smell. I’m the only woman in the group who doesn’t wear perfume.
Pussy Number Six hahaha. Cats are so sensitive that I wouldn’t be surprised if she liked you best in part because the perfume bothers her. Or maybe she just prefers you. Cats are smart little cookies :).
Thank you re the poem. It makes moves from stanza to stanza so that in the 3rd stanza we see what it would have been like to be children raised with the cat hoarding. Such a tragic situation for everyone, but the volunteers got all the cats out and found shelters and fosters for all. I especially credit La Gattara Cat Cafe’s owner for her hard work and Ark Cat Sanctuary in Flagstaff for taking in so many of the cats.
I’m intrigued by this craft book, but, gee, I don’t know if I need any more projects … lol 😉 Still, it would be worth having just so I can read your poem 🙂 Love that photo of Tiger. She’s probably making sure there’s no room for a photo of her … not for a very, very long time.
I actually thought she was looking at me like that, “Don’t even think of putting a pic of me in here!” She is getting more fragile, though, but hopefully she will hang on a lot longer.
Diane’s books are amazing. There are lots of poetry prompts online for free and in other books, but NOTHING like hers. For some reason, the way she writes a prompt you end up producing a poem. Period.
Well, then, I might have to get a copy 😉
You won’t be disappointed with any of her craft books.
Okay, well, I just bought her book from Bookshop.org (a nice alternative to Amazon). We’ll see if I start writing poetry 😉
Congratulations on your poem’s inclusion in The Strategic Poet! What an honor!! I saw Tiger and the nicho on Instagram–definitely worth a second look!! I particuarly like the purple flower and blue sealing wax in your in your latest art journal creation. I also like the use of white space.
Thank you, Liz! I love all that Diane Lockward does for the poetry community. Speaking of poetry, I am saving your book until my library mysteries are finished because I have to return them hah. Thank you re the art journal, too. I am experimenting with using white space. This is new for me! although I still have some backgrounds I love that I need to use that did not make use of white space.
You’re welcome on both counts, Luanne! What type of mysteries do you like? I’m a fan of the classic hard boiled detective, myself.
There is something about cat. Lovely.
And congrats on your poem being included in this book. Woot!
Thanks, Jacqui. I appreciate the congrats :)!
Bravo, Ms. Triple Triolet!
Hehehe.
Congrats on the poem. Very cool. And what a cute pic. He doesn’t look at all guilty.
From Tiger: I’m a girl!!! You can’t see from my face, but I’m a tabico, and tabicos are almost always girls :). And I’m never guilty. I just always get blamed. But Mom says THANK YOU!!!
Oops, sorry miss. Very lovely pic then!
Tiger: I forgive you. Please don’t make that mistake again. I do like things to be precise.
I am loving all the creative ideas this blog is sparking for me:). Thank you, Luanne! Especially the rhythm of the words bit. You can hear the music in a well-turned piece, can’t you?
Oh, I love to hear that!!! When I was a kid I fell in love with poetry because of the rhythm. Even in prose it’s important, although my ear is not as good in prose as in poetry, i don’t think.
Congratulations on your poem! I always love to see snippets of your art journal…such a good thing!!! 🙂
Thank you, Linda–on both counts! Now that I understand to a certain degree how the materials work I am trying to give myself other little challenges, but to be completely honest with myself, I would love mixed media prompts like one of Lockward’s books for writing poetry!!!!
What a beautiful book – and congrats to you for having a poem included. I love that structure – a triolet. Looks fun! I enjoyed reading the beginning.
Thank you, Pam. The book is gorgeous. Actually every one of Diane Lockward’s books have been beautiful.
Congratulations on your poem being included, Luanne!
Thank you so much, Lavinia! xo
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