Instructor Michelle Bitting’s latest book of poetry, Notes to the Beloved, was recently released. Matthew Dickman reviewed the book in Tin House and described it as, “Full of the physical world, illuminated by a dynamic narrative sensibility, a vision of down-to-earth love, an active yearning to understand the world, and plenty of kick ass images, metaphors, and similes.”

Michelle shares this with aspiring poets:

“Put the wide angle lens away when you first begin a project/piece /poem… focus in on the motes, detritus, bottle caps, pebbles, and gum wrappers. Describe, describe, dream , dream, letting your mind wander from one rusty artifact to another and then to whatever landscape—physical or emotional—it drums up. Keep a log on some humble pad you keep tucked close and handy. Later you can coax images together and see what comes of it. This way there’s never any reason not to be writing!”

Inspired advice—thanks, Michelle—and congratulations!

 

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