Winners of the 2012 Best Poetry Contest, sponsored by Richmond Magazine and James River Writers, read their poems and discussed how they hone their craft to a rapt audience at the Writing Show on April 26.
The panel featured Polly Lazaron, a visual artist and teacher whose poetry recently appeared in the 2011 International Anthology of 100 Thousand Poets for Change; Joanna Suzanne Lee, author of the somersaults I did as I fell; John L. Morgan IV, a high school English teacher whose writing has appeared in numerous publications including Punchline and The Pitkin Review; and Allison Seay, a 2011 recipient of a Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship and the Arrington Poet in Residence at the University of Mary Washington. Self-described “poet guerilla” Shann Palmer, published in print, anthologized, and on the web, moderated the panel.
To the unexpected delight of attendees, each panelist read two poems. Panelists said they find inspiration everywhere. Music, nature, family stories and other poets (many online) all serve as creative springboards to launch new work.
For Lazaron, something catches her attention. “The front door opens and that’s when I enter. For me, writing poetry is an entry.” Sometimes Lee creates a poem “to process something. If I write a poem that I like, I can sleep better.”
Panelists reminded the audience that poets have the freedom to tackle a range of subjects. “Fiction writers often write a genre,” Palmer said. “Poets write all genres.”
To improve a poem, the panelists encouraged writers to read their work out loud, join critique groups, and avoid over-thinking. Keep a journal to jot down phrases and ideas that provoke a response. Asked what characterizes poetic excellence, panelists agreed that craft, conceit and strong imagery rank high.
Never formally trained as a poet, Lee summed it up: “If it moves you, then that’s an excellent poem.”
— Robin Farmer, JRW website contributor
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