I’ve recently fallen for poetry.

+ 5 things for writers

Suzy Bishop / Moonrise Kingdom / Wes Anderson

I went to high school in rural Indiana where the most popular class was zoology and it was taught by the basketball coach. The highlight was that you got to dissect a pig’s heart. Or maybe it was a cow’s stomach? I can’t remember. The point is, there was no poetry class.

Greta Gerwig probably studied poetry and playwriting in college and thank God for it, because she’s a Queen and I love her work. But when I was in college, I was too busy waiting tables, answering Bill Cosby’s fan mail, and creating an inventory of a Hollywood Business Manager’s porcelain pig collection. All very real jobs, I promise you.  The point is, poetry was nowhere on my radar.

But something happened recently (I’m getting old) and now I’m interested in poetry. I’m guessing bird-watching and classical music are right around the corner.

My current favourite poets are Kate Baer, Joy Sullivan and Mary Oliver. Are you catching my vibes here?

1. Short-ish.

2. Accessible. That is to say, poetry for regular, smart people - not Ivy League English majors.

3. A sprinkling of what it means to be a woman. 

If you have any recommendations for me, please let me know. I’m suddenly hungry for them.

Want
They say men want freedom
and girls want love,
but I’ve seen women leave 
lovers and countries and kingdoms
of comfort just for the chance
to sleep unbothered, to bathe
unwatched, to waltz around
apartments all their own, 
wearing nothing but lipstick - 
the color of desire. 
- J. SULLIVAN