Book Launch at Blue Heron Books
The much-anticipated Tuesday’s Child: Poems From The Blue Heron arrived last night! The chapbook is the collaborative work of 8 proud poets, all of us participants in a ten-week course: “Get Published Poetry” at Blue Heron Books with James Dewar.
It’s always been my strategy when I want to improve a skill or develop a budding talent, to look for people who are way better at it than I am. It worked with my golf game, and it certainly worked here. When I started this course, referring to myself as a poet made me blush. What I learned from the other contributors to this book: Christine Barbetta, Bonnie Beldan-Thomson, Theresa Dekker, Siona Drummond, Ron Potter, Leena Rahusaar, Ruth Walker and our instructor, James Dewar, has made it easier to say I’m a poet.
An 18-Year Gestation Period
I wrote my first poem in 1993 … it was rough, emotional and raw. Ironically, it was inspired by Robert Bly‘s “Iron John” and not his poetry. During this course I rewrote and refined it, using what I was learning and incorporating the direct, focussed and thoughtful feedback from James. The peer review process he had the group work through resulted in “Again Today” making it into this chapbook!
How’s that for a measure of success for this program … for 18 years that poem was tucked away, and it only took 10 weeks with James and the other poets to pull it out, dust it off and do the work to make it better.
Buy the Chapbook
You can purchase Tuesday’s Child: Poems from The Blue Heron directly from the publisher, Piquant Press, here.
4 comments
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8 December 2011 at 5:06 pm
Mary
Congratulations to you Cheryl, and the other poets involved in Tuesday’s Child. I attended the launch and read the book. There is an amazing variety of talent and sentiment expressed as a result of the 10-week incubation period. Every poem held strong personal messages, and transcended the reader to imagine broader universal themes. James Dewar brought out the best in you – and produced a lovely book.
8 December 2011 at 5:19 pm
Cheryl
Thank you, Mary. It was an incredible artistic journey. I am ready now after all these years to say “I am a poet”. Tuesday’s Child is far lovelier than I ever anticipated.
7 December 2011 at 4:31 pm
harpingjanet
There’s a piece of calligraphy on my studio wall, illustrated with a pen-and ink of a sprouting lima bean, that says: “Insights lie in the dark like seeds waiting for the right season. Some winters are longer than others.” Your poem found the right season, and came to life after its long incubation. Congratulations on being published, and on your claiming your right to be a poet. Janet
7 December 2011 at 5:09 pm
Cheryl
Thank you, Janet for your kind words. A piece of my distant ‘someday’ came to life yesterday, a snowy December evening. I love the quote and will have to put that on my office wall. It’s about continued inspiration … for both of us. Che