for original writing of self and others
I met David Lucas through the St. Louis Writers Guild. Recently, at the Missouri Writers Guild, he was a whirl of activity–making everything work as it should. David is a poet, genre writer, and blogger. His blogs show his multi-dimensional interests: writing, self-defense, and dating locations in and around St. Louis. Today on Riehlife he’s…
When I ran a writing prompt on the artistry of feelings, I received several fine poems in the comment section. The prompt? Our feelings are a tool for self-cultivation. What texture and color are your feelings? Interestingly, both women chose to respond in poetry. Janean Baird is my niece…the daughter of my brother Gary and…
Adele Richter, Eden Maxwell’s mother, wrote “A Child’s Regret” in 1976. It’s timeless and universal. I met Eden Maxwell in 2008 when I read and reviewed The Artist Empowered:Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist. Eden’s book contains everything needed to sustain creativity over a lifetime. He is a man of soul intent on…
I’d known Hal Manogue for years as a blogging buddy. Hal became a flesh-and-blood friend when I went to Nashville first to record my audio book “Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music,” and later to celebrate its release. With typical generosity Hal read the preface to the project. Hal is a poet,…
We have Maurice Hirsch’s mentor and friend, Catherine Rankovic, to thank for today’s Poem-of-the-Day. Welcome! He joins us from Chesterfield, Missouri. Here’s some background he’s shared on his poem “Sparta, Illinois–1963” We lived and worked in Sparta from 1962-1964. It was a tipping point in the transition of this town/area from segregation toward integration in…
Enjoy these poems by Evie Bond that have a feel of little folk tales. –JGR ________________ The Old Lady Who Died Crying by Evie Bond The old lady who died crying was a sad sight indeed She lived in a shack, in the very back Of a forest without any trees. A river of fog…
Ernie Wormwood is a dear friend of my dear friend and collaborator, Stephanie Farrow. Ernie is a mother, animal lover, transformative meditator, and poet. She lives in Leonardtown, Maryland. Recently, she published in Poetic Voices Without Borders 2 and in The Poet’s Cookbook. You can hear Ernie read “The Poet and the Poem” on Grace…
Liz Parker is based in Alton, Illinois. When we were children, Liz visited Evergreen Heights, our place atop the bluffs. Her father, Bill Parker, worked with my father at Union Electric. Now I continue to know Liz as the guiding light of the Alton Writers Guild which meets monthly at the Jacoby Art Center in…
I first met Dr. Eugene Redmond at one of Freida Wheaton’s salons at Studio 51, her at-home art gallery. Eugene is one of the major figures of the Black Renaissance. His papers will be featured in a collection at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Since that first meeting I’ve come to admire Eugene each time…
Nana Amoako Agyeman is a good friend with a keen mind and adventurous, staunch heart. He knows the art of conversation and the art of bringing people together to put ideals into action. Nana has a whirl of projects going. The Sankofa Fund is a grassroots development project. Village Rainbows: Words from Africa – the…