Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

What, Why, How: John Jeffire

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  WHAT? Christ, I was hoping you’d tell me! I do a lot, but “what” exactly I am I’m not totally sure. I write, I read, I coach wrestling, I laugh and drink beer with my wife, I teach at a high school. Of all those, I suppose “teacher” best fits what I am overall, and my most troubling student has always been myself. WHY? Linda, always with the hard questions! Why? Hmmm, well, because, … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Kelly Fordon

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What: I write fiction, poetry, book reviews and nonfiction. How: Bird by Bird as Anne LaMott says. When I am writing, I just keep forging ahead until I have something I like. In the case of "Garden for the Blind" for years I thought I was writing eleven separate stories about people who had nothing to do with one another, but then one day it occurred to me that they were really the same … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Robert Fanning

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  WHAT? I write poetry. WHY? Because artistic expression is not a hobby. It is a compulsion, a need, a profound desire. Because it permits me a chance to be eloquent, and an opportunity not to be. Because it makes me and those I share my art with feel less alone on the journey. Because it maps my world, illuminates the contours and boundaries of my inner self. Because it gives a … [Read more...]

Book Art: Crafting Paper Roses

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This fabulous table centerpiece from the wedding reception of an English teacher bride and her book-loving groom was made from a stack of books tied with a ribbon and topped with a hand-crafted paper rose. Creating paper roses from book pages is a surprisingly easy art project, even if you don't consider yourself particularly artsy. It's a fun and creative craft project for kids too. My … [Read more...]

Rod McKuen Altered Book

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King of Kitsch? Former US Poet Laureate said it was irrelevant to even speak of Rod McKuen as a poet. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic called McKuen's work gooey schmaltz. Newsweek magazine called him the King of Kitsch. In Arts and Entertainment Fads, Frank W. Hoffmann called McKuen's poetry "verse that drawled in country cadences from one shapeless line to the next." Despite the criticism, … [Read more...]