Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read & Write Poetry

Sage Cohen's book educated me in the craft of writing poetry. She gave me prompts, and encouragements. Showed me how to revise. Nudged me towards publication, and left me to fly off with her website where more learning, and practice could be found with just a click of the mouse. All that in 250 pages for under $20.00. Works for me. I'm looking forward to Sage's new book 'The Productive Writer'.

What a treasure trove. Cohen's book is exquisitely written, and packed full with wonderful poems and quotes, practical excercises and wise advice on how to live well (and write better poems). I couldn't recommend this enough - to complete beginners, or to those of us who've already been around the poetry block. You won't be disappointed!

I've always considered myself to be a "bad poet" but after reading this, I feel much better about my chances! Cohen invites readers to think more critically about what poetry is and how readers can source their own material - just from what they know and feel passionate about. I had the chance to interview Cohen for my blog - and she's amazing.

Many have longed to write poems, but haven't known where to begin. Others have felt put off or intimidated by stuffy, academic instructional tomes or by the assumption that only those with advanced degrees can write poetry. If these ring a bell, then Sage's book is for you, for WRITING THE LIFE POETIC is a welcoming, generous, and unpretentious guide and companion for anyone who has thought about trying their hand at poem making. I appreciate the many quotes and anecdotes, as well as the numerous sample poems, scattered throughout that lend this book a personal touch and help me to feel included at the table. The book's short, pithy chapters and whimsical illustrations not only make it manageable and aesthetically pleasing, but fun to read, too. WRITING THE LIFE POETIC is a decidedly "feminine" book in that it is written from a feeling, soulful, and inclusive place. When I first held a copy of Sage's book in my hands, I was deeply moved by its spirit and tone of generosity and by Sage's deep and abiding love for poetry and the riches that it holds for us all, writers and readers alike. The realm of poetry, as Sage tells us, is not exclusive to a select few, but belongs to us all, and then she proceeds to show us how. This is not to say that this book does not - for it does - also contain practical, real-world tips and strategies for writing and revising poems, as well as for assessing and navigating the bewildering world of "po' biz" once those poems are ready to be nudged out the door into the land of publication. But there are plenty of resources out there for real-world tips and strategies. For me, the special gift of this book is its open and compassionate invitation to participate in the dance of poem making. To begin where you are. That permission, in itself, is enormous. Mari L'Esperance author, THE DARKENED TEMPLE awarded the 2007 Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry published by University of Nebraska Press in September 2008 The Darkened Temple (Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry)

While reading Sage Cohen's guide to creating poetry, Writing the Life Poetic, I saw a bridge open up before me, crossing the Willamette River into western Portland. I was on one side, ruminating about my literary insecurities, my smooth poems and the many that, to put it politely, needed work (read: jackhammer and saw) and what my writing voice could become. On the other side of the bridge was Cohen, waving at me to come across, where all the words I had put to paper and would put to paper were floating around, like the trees going up the hills of Forest Park, where in fact an entire poetry community was waiting for me like an welcoming, empowering Verizon Wireless "It's the Network" commercial (but without the two year contract). I found a quote in the middle of Sage Cohen's book that I kept returning to: "In a culture where we like things black and white, right and wrong, poetry says YES. What if there were no right or wrong - only poetry? What if everything we could possibly dream up were acceptable? Fabulous? Enough? Poetry can be your own personal oasis of invention, where you can do no wrong." What Cohen strives for is no less an encouraging, powerful, limitless manifesto to poets and writers everywhere. Instructional without being text-bookish, inspirational without being preachy, suggestive without being demanding, Writing the Life Poetic goes beyond the assemblage of quality how-to poetry books to become a work of art - with endless rows of blank canvasses on either side for the reader's own brush strokes. I was most impressed by Cohen's adroit ability to turn so many poetic stereotypes on their head and give them a welcome burst of light and warmth. Not knowing everything about writing or other poets gives one an endless set of possibilities. Not making much money from poetry means one is free of editorial trimmings a novelist, for example, often gets. Having writer's block means the writer can sit there, quiet down, let everything just be as it is - and let the inspiration to create slowly seep back in. Sets of poetry rules - and comments about one's work from other poets - can be used or discarded freely. Above all: write. Cohen provides numerous questions this reader felt encouraged to answer, exercises that were fun and instructive to complete, and a plethora of great poems as examples. One of the book's eighty short chapters is entitled "Finders Keepers: Found Poems." Cohen describes getting one of those irritating spam mass emails and turning it into an opportunity to write a poem slightly outside of her usual boundaries and with a lot of creative vocabulary. I found myself trying this exercise while shopping in a Japanese grocery store. Words found on the shelves and in my mind: "origami action", "rice counter" and my personal favorite, "elite banana", all grist for a future poem. It's also rare to have a book address the need to calm down and trust one's own voice. Without the need for approval