Allyson Whipple

Tag: january

  • The Best of It: The Year So Far Edition

    The Best of It: The Year So Far Edition

    1. Getting photo updates of Maybelle’s days at Grateful Pets
    2. Finding a copy of Robert Speiss’ A Year’s Speculations on Haiku at a used bookshop
    3. Rebuilding our bottle tree, which was destroyed a few days after Christmas
    4. Getting a custom outdoor mat for my Pilates studio
    5. Finding a new-to-me, high-end kitchen faucet (the one that came with the house was cheap and corroding) for $15 at REFAB
  • The Best of It: January 2024 Edition

    The Best of It: January 2024 Edition

    1. Attending my first Mardi Gras ball
    2. Beginning my Tea Sommelier training
    3. Returning to writing practice
    4. Making butternut squash and leek risotto
    5. My nephew’s 4th birthday party

  • The Best of It: It’s Been a Heck of a Week Edition

    Pure comfort food
    1. Homemade poutine
    2. Homemade horseshoes
    3. The Democratic victories in Georgia
    4. Being 50% done with my semester prep 10 days before school starts
    5. Ordering fabric for my next quilt project

  • The Best of It: No Evil Edition

    1. Homemade fried cheese curds
    2. Snow on the prairie
    3. Having plenty of food so we can avoid driving while the roads are a mess
    4. Having a generator in case the power goes out
    5. Turning leftovers into tasty breakfast burritos

  • Weekly Writing Prompt: Forgetfulness

    Write a piece focused on forgetfulness. Perhaps write a list poem consisting of the things you forgot last week/month/year. Or writer a story or nonfiction piece focused on a certain instance of forgetfulness.

  • Celebrating Black Poets: Jamaal May

    May_Jamaal

    Jamaal May

    Website: http://www.jamaalmay.com/

    Buy his most recent book, Hum

    Jamaal May’s poetry has won numerous awards. Starting in the slam tradition, he writes the kind of poetry that is powerful both on the page and off. He’s currently a Kenyon Review Fellow and co-directs Organic Weapon Arts with Tarfia Faizullah.

    I first encountered Jamaal May’s work when reading “The Gun Joke” in a workshop this fall. It is a life-changing poem, and essential reading. Find Jamaal May’s “The Gun Joke” at Apogee.

  • Celebrating Black Poets: Jericho Brown

    In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I’m celebrating some amazing poets. I have scheduled several posts to appear throughout the day. I hope you are as inspired as I am by these amazing writers. 
    Jericho BrownJericho Brown
    Buy his newest book here.
    I first saw Jericho Brown at Poetry at Round Top last year. Hearing him read in the chapel on Sunday morning was a life-changing experience. He’s a poet who manages to be vulnerable and yet completely powerful at the same time. Reading his work on the page is incredible, but go hear him read if you get the chance. You won’t regret it.
    Jericho Brown won the American Book Award for his first collection, Please. He holds both a Ph.D. (University of Houston) and an M.F.A. (University of New Orleans). He has received numerous awards for his work.
    Read some of Jericho Brown’s poems here.

  • Celebrating Black Poets: Fatima Hirsi

    In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I’m celebrating some amazing poets. I have scheduled several posts to appear throughout the day. I hope you are as inspired as I am by these amazing writers.
    bio-pic
    Fatima Hirsi
    It is an honor to be able to call Fatima Hirsi a friend. Every time I see her perform, I develop new admiration for her work. She is one of the few poets whose work consistently moves me to tears. Whenever I take one of her workshops, I am amazed at the poems that result.
    Fatima Hirsi currently lives in Texas, where she works at a bookstore and teaches writing workshops to children at the Writer’s Garret. She recently completed a Sidewalk Poetry tour of the western United States.

  • Celebrating Black Poets: Ebony Stewart

    In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I’m celebrating some amazing poets. I have scheduled several posts to appear throughout the day. I hope you are as inspired as I am by these amazing writers.
    d10cd6b852475fe48201de606ac05486
    Ebony Stewart
    Ebony Stewart is a spoken word artist who is the only adult female three-time Slam Champion in Austin. She has coached the Neo-Soul Slam team, Austin Poetry Slam team, and the TheySpeak Poetry Slam team. She teaches Sex Education and is currently on her RISE! Tour, promoting sexual health and positive body image through performance and workshops.
    Watch Ebony Stewart’s video for “Sway.”

  • Free Weekly Writing Prompt #1

    I’ve decided to post a free weekly writing prompt on this blog. My goal is to post a new prompt every Sunday. (I might miss some weeks, but I’ll really try.) If you post the result online, I would love to see the result, but no pressure! 

    This week’s prompt:

    Retell a familiar/famous story, in which a secondary character is actually the protagonist. How does this person perceive the actions that happen in the story? How do they perceive themselves?