BTW4

BTW... yesterday I met with over 200 teens in two different schools to talk not only about how my son Ben and I wrote Daughter Dedannan, but to remind you all to take your own artistic impulses seriously. You'll be surprised how far you can go! Many of you shared your interest in writing with me: journals, comic books, mysteries, poetry, song lyrics, stories! There's a wealth of talent out there. Thanks for a fun day & keep writing!

BTW3

BTW thanks to all my student-writers in Castleton where I teach,who not only enthusiastically received the idea for this poetry blog, but offered ideas for future themes. Here's 3 that they suggested: Love (a classic); Betrayal (in all its insidious forms)and Anger at the System.

Now remember, this month's theme is My Favorite Things (which can be anything from dancing in a club w. your friends till dawn or writing poetry alone in your room-- whatever turns you on!). Save poems on the 3 other themes listed for future months,
but, hey, in the meantime you can be composing poems for all of them!

Happy Writing, Eben

BTW 2

BTW, did I mention yesterday that your poetry blogs will be read not only by me and other teen poets, but by my editor at Braiswick as well. Braiswick is my publisher in
Suffolk, England, and my idea, although I haven't told him yet, is to inspire all of you to write your best poems, so that at the end of 2006 we compile our best work in an anthology entitled BTW.

So remember-- writing your best poetry means re-writing. Not every poem is a"dime"" but with some effort every poem can be!