lullabies & alarms

the craft and power of poetry

Like lullabies, poems soothe. In a crisis, we turn to poetry because we trust its lullabic

¹

power.

Like alarms, poems awaken. Poetry can enhance our empathy and our awareness of injustice, erasure, and violence.

Oppressive regimes persecute poets because they fear poetry’s power.

This newsletter will speak to that power—and provide resources for writers wielding it. Topics will include craft, form, aesthetics, voice, privilege, intentions, harm, poetic devices, accessibility, opacity, history, art, music, language, visual art, improvisation, mediumship, revision techniques, mixing forms, and the subconscious, to name a few. I’ll link to powerful poems and writers, and offer exercises and writing prompts.

The free version and the paid version are identical; with the paid you simply support me financially as well.

1. yes I made that word up