New Developments on the Poetry Front

Great news! Several of my poems were recently selected for publication in two literary journals. One of the journals is a relatively new Christian journal called 3.1.6.: A Journal of Christian Thinking, and the other is an established journal called Illya's Honey. I'll keep you posted on the poems' release.

 

For more information on 3.1.6.: A Journal of Christian Thinking, please see the316journal.com/home.htm.

 

For more information on Illya's Honey, please see dallaspoets.org and click on the "Illya's Honey" link on the left-hand side of the page.  

 

Thanks for your encouragement and prayers, friends! Blessings!

Congrats to Mary DeMuth, Christy Award Finalist!

My friend and fellow writer, Mary DeMuth, has been nominated for a Christy award in the category of "First Novel" for her book Watching the Tree Limbs. This is the compelling, redemptive tale of a young girl named Mara who grows to know and love the Lord even as she struggles to come to terms with difficult family issues and the painful abuse she suffers at the hands of a neighbor boy. 

 

I so enjoyed hearing Mary speak at Mount Hermon. Watching the Tree Limbs is, in many ways, Mary's personal story of suffering and redemption. I have read the book and enjoyed it thoroughly. It will entertain you, make you cry, and challenge you in your faith. I highly recommend it!

 

To purchase Watching the Tree Limbs, please visit your local Christian bookstore or click on this link: amazon.com/Watching-Tree-Limbs-Maranatha-1/dp/1576839265/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5507309-9027364?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179762040&sr=8-1 

 

For more information on the Christy awards and to view the names and book titles of the other finalists, please click on the following link: christyawards.com. 

 

To check out Mary's excellent blog and Web site, please see relevantprose.com. You may also sign up for her monthly newsletter.

 

Congratulations to Mary and all the other finalists! What a great honor!

The Artist's Life

What a joy it is to live the artist's life! Since I began working as a freelance writer, the Lord has opened my eyes and allowed me to enjoy the beauty all around me in fresh ways. Now that I have time to appreciate the Lord, people, nature, music, art, great writing, and all of the blessings I've been given, I experience so much more peace and joy in my spirit.

 

Sophocles wrote,

 

       O for mortals, what

Power there is in songs,

       What greatest happiness

That can make bearable this

       Short narrow channel of life!

 

Life is a short narrow channel. Amazing people, music, art, writing, the beauties of nature, and most of all, God, make it worth living.  

 

If you're a writer or an artist, what realizations have you come to as you have grown more introspective? In what ways have you drawn closer to God through the writing life? Please share your comments by posting here. Thank you!

Grace that is Greater than All My Sin

C.S. Lewis said that grace is the distinctive of the Christian life - the one aspect that separates the true Christian faith from all other religions and philosophies. We don't earn God's grace; it's a gift. We can't earn our way to heaven; the only way that we can receive the gift of eternal life is by placing our faith in Jesus Christ alone.   

My mother-in-law, Maria, just returned to Romania after staying with us for three weeks. She came to attend Catalin's graduation ceremony. We enjoyed her stay so much. We took her to San Antonio one weekend to visit the zoo and Sea World. She loved it! I learned a great deal from her over those few weeks, and I also learned more about my husband from watching the two of them interact. And I am thankful that my mother-in-law willingly let my husband, her only son, move half a world away so that he and I could be together.

During Maria's visit, I was reminded of how blessed we are to live in America, with all of its benefits and freedoms, and how wonderful it is to live in a nation marked by grace rather than legalism. We shouldn't take that for granted. Today, join me in celebrating God's grace!

The -Ilities

In his recent book Writing for the Soul, author Jerry B. Jenkins lists what he calls "the -ilities." These are what he considers essential characteristics for a godly writer to model. 

 

First, a good writer displays HUMILITY.

Second, a good writer reflects TEACHABILITY.

Third, a good writer models COACHABILITY. 

Fourth, a good writer offers AVAILABILITY.

Fifth, a good writer demonstrates FLEXIBILITY.*

 

Remember these five principles today as you strive for excellence in writing and in the Christian life.

Which of these characteristics do you feel are easiest to model? Which are the most difficult? Do you have any others that you would like to add? Please post your comments below! Thank you.

    

*Jerry B. Jenkins, Writing for the Soul (New York: Writer's Digest Books, 2006), 105-106. To order this book, please click on this link: amazon.com/Writing-Soul-Instruction-Advice-Extraordinary/dp/1582974179/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5915590-3058404?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177444260&sr=1-1

Dallas Morning News Blog

Happy National Poetry Month! Michael Merschel at the Dallas Morning News has written a blog and an article about the 2006 Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Competition. You may follow the link here: books.beloblog.com/archives/2007/04/poetry_pays.html

Please post your comments here. Thank you!

Powerful Resources for Poets

The legendary poet Robert Frost once said, "To be a poet is a condition, not a profession."

At the Mount Hermon Conference, many writers asked me, "Where can a Christian publish poetry?" Actually, I've discovered quite a few outlets for poetry over the past several years. If you're a poet (or a writer interested in breaking into the poetry market), check out the excellent resources below. I think you'll be impressed!

 

CHRISTIAN LITERARY JOURNALS THAT ACCEPT POETRY SUBMISSIONS

3.1.6.: A Journal of Christian Thinking (the316journal.com)

FIRST THINGS: A Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life (firstthings.com/submission.php) 

IMAGE: Art, Faith, Mystery (imagejournal.org)

Relief: A Quarterly Christian Expression (reliefjournal.com)

Rock & Sling: A Journal of Literature, Art, & Faith (rockandsling.org)

Toward the Light: Journal of Reflective Word and Image (towardthelight.net) 

Utmost Christian Writers (utmostchristianwriters.com) 

 

POWERFUL BOOKS AND RESOURCES FOR POETS

Poets & Writers Magazine 

The Triggering Town by Richard Hugo (This is my favorite book on the craft of poetry; it helped me to radically improve my writing.) 

The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser

In the Palm of Your Hand by Steve Kowit 

Walking Light by Stephen Dunn

Best Words, Best Order by Stephen Dobyns 

The Poet's Handbook by Judson Jerome

2007 Poet's Market edited by Nancy Breen

 

SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF POETRY

Grace by John Hodgen 

Nine Horses; Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry, and others by Billy Collins

Wild Iris; Averno, and others by Louise Gluck 

The Country Between Us; Blue Hour, and others by Carolyn Forche

Thirst; Why I Wake Early; American Primitive; New and Selected Poems, and others by Mary Oliver

 

EXCELLENT POETRY AND POETRY COMPETITION WEBSITES 

The Academy of American Poets, poets.org  

Poetry Daily, poems.com

Poets & Writers, pw.org

Winning Writers, winningwriters.com 

Writer’s Digest, writersdigest.com

 

I hope you enjoy these resources! If this list helped you (and especially if you have your work accepted in any of these journals), please e-mail me at marla_alupoaicei@yahoo.com or post a comment. Also, if you know of good poetry sites or resources not included in this list, please let me know. Thank you!