Daily Nourishment for April 28, 2024: We Keep Making the Best of It
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 40 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 10-15 minutes
“An almost empty suitcase–that’s what I want my poems to be. A few things. The reader starts taking them out, but they keep multiplying.” - Kay Ryan
Prompt.
Here’s more from Kay Ryan:
“The poems are so small. If I have a narrow line and lots of them, I feel that it may slow the reader down so the poem’s not over so fast. Also I like the danger; the short line has so much edge. I can’t bury a weak word. Also I find that the really short line allows me to hide rhyme.
I’m not opposed to end rhyme, but I don’t like to see very much of it. I like to bounce the rhyme among word parts and have it show up in different places, and the little line allows me to do that. Also, I think it just looks nice on the page. You mentioned an evolution, but I guess it just pleased me to write with these shorter lines and so I’ve done it more and more. It’s funny. It’s not like there was a time when I said, ‘I think I’ll make my poems narrower.’ They just seemed to start getting that way.”
Practice.
Set a timer for seven minutes and take notes on Ryan’s poems and quotes above. Write your notes down in a narrow column like Ryan’s poems. See what happens next.
Want More?
Here’s a great interview with Kay Ryan.
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Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—SDW Members: Sunday Conversations are happening every Sunday through May 12th from 6:15-7 p.m. CT.
—May 5, 2024: Our next Thoughtful Readers Gathering is with Catherine Ricketts and The Mother Artist will be 5/5 from 5-6 p.m. CT.
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Today’s Note from Charlotte (Coming Soon)
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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