Aimee Nezhukumatathil writes the foreword to this wonderful collection of poems about gardens and the hands that tend them. Nezhukumatathil is a poet and the author of one of my favorite books World of Wonders—which is astonishing. In her forward to this collection of poems Leaning Toward Light, she writes, “I’ve been tickled for years to learn that the word anthology means a ‘gathering of flowers.’ Even if your garden grows vegetables or fruit, flowers need to bloom to make the harvest … [Read more...] about Leaning Toward Light

Billy Collins was Poet Laureate in 2001 and he wanted to keep the love of poetry alive, especially among teenagers. As he notes, “High school is the focus of my program because all too often it is the place where poetry goes to die.” He gathered a series of 180 poems that were short, clear, and that anyone could basically get in one hearing. The number matched the approximate number of days kids are in school, and he encouraged schools to read a poem a day over the loud speaker during … [Read more...] about Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry

“There are moments that cry out to be fulfilled. Like, telling someone you love them. Or giving your money away, all of it. Your heart is beating, isn't it?” Anything by the Pulitzer Prize winning and astonishing Mary Oliver is wonderful! I love Felicity and Dog Songs. … [Read more...] about Felicity

I used to have a chair in my bedroom I felt guilty about. It was stacked high with clothes I had taken off but didn’t quite know what to do with. They were’t really dirty enough to be laundered but at the same time I didn’t want to put them back with my totally clean clothes.

When we moved a couple of years ago, I was determined not to have an unkempt laundry chair. I would put everything away. Today, I keep a little round stool in my closet to sit on, like for hoisting on a pair of Spanx, … [Read more...] about House Love