It is interesting how, as a student of poetry – and therefore operating with an acute awareness of one’s infantile blindness when the universe is flashing full of brilliant stars – one can develop, without even realizing it, an insensitivity to the discomfort of encountering the unknown. “Assault to Abjury” is a poem I have … Continue reading On “Assault to Abjury” by Raymond McDaniel

I work in a bookstore. Well, I should probably say: I worked in a bookstore until the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 which caused an indefinite furlough. I have since filed for unemployment alongside 6.6 million other Americans last week alone.But technically, yes, I work in a bookstore.We are all book people here. If you’re reading … Continue reading Are Books Essential? Working in a Bookstore Amidst a Pandemic

As a prose writer, I'm always looking for ways to gain valuable insight from other genres, and Mark Doty's The Art of Description offered helpful cross-training for creating more powerful, descriptive prose. The book is summed up thusly: “Description is an art to the degree that it gives us not just the world but the … Continue reading Poetic Prose: The Art and Craft of Description