Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ Post

PRAISE FOR Sonder by Issa M. Lewis Melissa (Issa) Lewis Sonder goes beyond the title’s definition: “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.” Poems in this moving collection are addressed to inhabitants of a house, a graveyard or a photograph. However, they don’t just describe, but embody the subject of each piece. In “After the photo of unnamed Romany boy” Lewis writes, “You carried a cello as a pack,/ so much bigger than ragtag you. /The weight of the ravaged world on your back…” Poem XVI “after the Falling Man photo” and poem XVIII “after the death of 3-year old Alan Kurdi” are powerful and brilliantly written. This may be a short book, but it carries poetic weight. –Lori Desrosiers, Lori Desrosiers Keeping Planes in the Air (Salmon Poetry) In Sonder, Issa Lewis impeccably and poignantly stitches together the lives of the living to the lives of the dead creating a bridge to their humanness. Her work is a call to reverence for ancestors known and unknown that “A ghost is an anchor: a silvered breath /of what came before, a bookmark.” When we lose the ability to connect with others’ suffering and joy, both the living and the dead, we are not able to throw off “The weight of the ravaged world on your (our) back(s).” Sonder is the stupa bell calling us to repair our relationships, to connect with community, and to honor people’s individual stories as “A name is a constellation, guiding us /through our minutiae.” In a time of over-wrought technology, disconnectedness, and AI, these poignant lyrics remind us that an ultimate duty of being alive is to look and see that “…their face is our face, their feet /our feet. What sweetness /to see their wanderings.” –Tyve Neese Please share/repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #read #poems #literature #poetry #life #humanness #relationships

Love Life and Everything in Between That's what Rainbow Rains brings to its Readers in Seven Categories Corresponding to the colours of the Rainbow to the psyche of modern consciousness to the nuances of our crazy existence to the twists and turns of life to the facets of morality insanity humanity Book Rating: 5/5 Available in Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, and other online stores. Book Link: https://lnkd.in/dAqqZxcJ #poetry #poems #poetryanthology #indianpoets #womenpoets

Calling all budding poets! Are you ready to share your poetic voice with the world? Our Poem of the Month Contest is the perfect opportunity to let your words shine and inspire others. Eligibility: - Open to poets in the U.S. - Must be within the first five years of your poet journey. - Must be 18 or older. - Submissions must be original and unpublished elsewhere. Submission Guidelines: - Format: Typed and submitted as a PDF. - Length: Each poem must not exceed 40 lines. - Title: Don't forget to include a title for your poem. - Number: You may submit up to 3 poems each month. - Deadline: Submit by the 25th of each month. Selection Process: - Our panel of judges will review all submissions. - Winning poems will be featured in our monthly newsletter and on our website. Submit your work today and be part of a vibrant community celebrating the art of poetry. We can't wait to read your work!

We had a heartfelt conversation with Veronica Mays, the author of Heart Wide Open, an artist who has merged the worlds of quilting and poetry. Learn more on the BLOG: https://lnkd.in/eBUdMHzq

Did a caricature of Vitomir "Vito" Nikolic, a Yugoslav & Montenegrin poet & journalist. Some of his poems were included in the text books for school children. #digitalart #digitalcartoons #caricature #cartoonillustration #digitalillustration

Celebrating International Tiger Day! 🎉 Listen to 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' by Adrienne Rich, read by Smita sahay. What do you think of the tigers' motif in this poem? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🐅 Follow us for more recommendations on poetry, books and all things literary. 📚✨ Visit usawa.in for more. #InternationalTigerDay #AuntJennifersTigers #AdrienneRich #PoetryLovers #BookRecommendations #LiteraryLove #UsawaMag #CelebrateTigers #WildlifeConservation #HappyTigerDay

Soulscapes: Navigating the Eclectic of Being," soon to be published, offers an exploration of the human experience, uniquely intertwining the soulful dialogue between author and reader with the profound depth of scripture. Each poem in this forthcoming collection draws inspiration from sacred texts, weaving a rich tapestry of stories that reflect our shared journey through life's complexities. With an intimate tone akin to a conversation over tea, the author shares a perspective that finds beauty in expression's challenges. This book emerges as a bridge, connecting diverse experiences with the universal truths found in scripture, presenting resilience, emotion, and the human spirit's joy through a lens of faith and reflection. As readers delve into "Soulscapes," they are invited to embark on an eclectic journey that promises to touch hearts, stir souls, and offer a scripture-inspired lens through which to view the world, making it a meaningful addition to the realm of contemporary poetry upon its release.

The much-anticipated second season of Red River Sessions, presented by Uncut Poetry, and hosted by the incomparable Sunil Bhandari is here. And it was worth the wait, as we have Sophia Naz in a blockbuster conversation, in two parts no less. Listen here. Sophia Naz: The Importance of Transitions (Part I) https://lnkd.in/eQEzteKS Sophia Naz: The Importance of Transitions (Part I) https://lnkd.in/e6Bm-xtg

How to Cure a Ghost by Fariha Róisín is a poetry collection ravaged by generational trauma, rape, internalized racism (which seems too weak of a concept for the internal ravages of white supremacy), and colonialism. Róisín is torn apart by these feelings and left with the feelings of being unlovable. There is an in-betweenness of these poems. Love for a mother who mostly taught hate. Brown skin in a black-and-white world. Living between countries and cultures in search of home. Through these poems, she exposes the pulsating wounds to unapologetically bleed on the page, yet exposing these wounds to oxygen in order to heal. These poems are sharp, a weapon against colonialism and white supremacy. After reading these poems, I didn't quite feel a resolution or hope, but I felt like being stitched together carefully, yet clumsily. I felt a continuance, a will to keep going, a permission to accept love from herself instead of searching for it externally. These poems are for the sad girlies, the cry-when-they're-mad girlies, the looking-for-love-but-it-right-there-all-along girlies. Get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/eabtavVt -- #poetry #bookrecommendation

✒️ This National Poetry Day, we've composed a haiku to illustrate the synergy between Nucleus and burgeoning enterprises: 'New growth emerges, Nucleus guides the pathway, Success in bloom waits.' As the seasons change, so can the fortunes of your business with the right support. Let's grow together: https://loom.ly/-EWSuOs #growtogether #growth #pathway #nationalpoetry