Poems for the Writing: Prompts for Poets - Softcover

"Fox and Levin's Poems for the Writing: Prompts for Poets is a wake-up call to action for poets of any persuasion or skill level.  Brimming with fresh ideas, clear methods, and inspiring examples, the authors have created a classroom-tested cornucopia of poetry prompts, supplemented by useful prompts from accomplished poets.  From the math-pattern-inspired 'Fibonacci Poem' to the 'Paraclausithyron,' a form excavated from the ancients, Poems for the Writing excites the mind and sparks the hand to move across the page. Rather than the same old writing bromides, this book advocates that you 'Write What You (Don't) Know.'  Sure to refresh your writing and teaching practice."
 --Heather H. Thomas, Professor of English, Kutztown University, author of Resurrection Papers

"Using canny procedural approaches, Fox and Levin provide a genial and generous prompt-book for anyone wishing to write poems that are contemporary in their flavor but often traditionally inspired. And the sample poems, written with the book's prompts in mind, are delightful instructional manuals in their own right."
--Gregory Djanikian, Director of Creative Writing, University of Pennsylvania, author of So I Will Till the Ground
 
"Here's a prompt book written for all of us--instructors and poets alike. With a rich range of ideas for form (the easy 'Cameo Cinquain,'  the oh-so-mathematical 'Fibonacci Poem') and content (the 'Rules Poem,' the 'I-Hate' poem, the 'Fake Translation Exercise')  and lots of unexpected surprises in between, this book is valuable even for those of us who have tried similar resources. Perhaps its greatest strength is the clarity of the prompts themselves, written in strong and concise prose, each an irresistible invitation to craft a new poem. Particularly helpful for the busy classroom instructor is the number and range of sample poems.  I can't wait to start using this resource, at once accessible and sophisticated, at our literary arts center."
--Kathleen Sheeder Bonnano, Executive Director, Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts, author of Slamming Open the Door

Valerie Fox's books of poetry include The Rorschach Factory (Straw Gate Books) and The Glass Book (Texture Press). Bundles of Letters Including A, V and Epsilon (Texture Press) is a collaborative work with Arlene Ang. Originally from central Pennsylvania, Fox has travelled and lived throughout the world, and has taught writing and literature at numerous universities including Sophia University (in Tokyo) and currently at Drexel University (in Philadelphia).

Lynn Levin is the author of the poetry collections Miss Plastique, a Next Generation Indie Books Award finalist in poetry (Ragged Sky Press); Fair Creatures of an Hour (Loonfeather Press), a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist in poetry; "Imaginarium" (Loonfeather Press), a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award; and "A Few Questions about Paradise" (Loonfeather Press). A literary translator, she translates the work of Peruvian poet Odi Gonzales. Lynn Levin teaches at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania.