Women Speak
Celebrating the new anthology from the Women of Appalachia Project
Get ready, because Kari Gunter-Seymour and Hayley Mitchell Haugen have done a great job again this year with the latest Women Speak anthology from the Women of Appalachia Project and Sheila-Na-Gig Editions! The anthology of poetry, song, fiction, and essays highlights the diverse experiences of women in Appalachia and is available now for your reading pleasure!
The anthology features writing by many folks who have been guests here on Meter&Mayhem, so I’m going to share links to our interviews so you can refamiliarize yourself with some of their other work. There’ll be some writing prompts at the bottom inspired by my own poems in the anthology.
First up, revisit Kari Gunter-Seymour’s Meter Cute, “Falling in Love with Jo Carson and Bob Dylan,” and her Granny Love from October,
We also have Pauletta Hansel’s Meter Cute, “Falling in Love with Rebecca Gayle Howell,” and her Granny Love from October.
Wendy McVicker is also in the anthology, so take a little time to revisit her wonderful Meter Cute, “Falling in Love with Sharon Olds.” The chapbook she talks about during the interviews is out now from Sheila-Na-Gig as well and I highly recommend checking out Alone in the Burning.
Laura Leigh Morris, whose story “Best Mom” appears in the latest Women Speak anthology, will be featured in this Friday’s upcoming Meter Cute. As a special treat, I’m releasing the reading portion a few days early so you all can enjoy it.
You can also read the work of Tina Parker in the anthology. Tina was part of our Granny Love series in October.
And, oh, yeah, I’m in the anthology too so you can watch my old Meter Cute and my Granny Love, if you’ve got the time.
And if the writing prompts below aren’t enough for you, you can check out the prompts from a few months ago inspired by the Native Fruit anthology, edited by Stephanie Kendrick, whose poems “Sun Tea” and “In the Age of Cancer” appear in the new Women Speak anthology.
And, now, finally to the prompts!
1) Set a timer for 10 minutes. Keep that Editor Voice off during this portion of the activities. Think about the first time you ate a now favorite food. Write about that experience. Focus not only on the taste and smell of the food, but also the people, places, and other things that you associate with the first time you tried this food. Don’t worry about what you’re writing or what’s on or off topic, just let your hand follow your brain wherever it goes.
2) Set a timer for 10 minutes. Editor voice is still completely off. No judging, just writing. Think about a time you shared this food with someone you loved. Write about it. Again, follow that brain to all the places it may go.
3) Now, it’s time to en-rhythm! Set the timer for 10 minutes. You’ll read a single poem aloud, over and over for 10 minutes. The goal of this is to get a rhythm into your ear and soul so that when you sit down to write the rhythm just comes pouring out and all you have to do is stay out of its way. I’m going to suggest that you use my poem “Losing It,” which appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Change Seven. It deals with some similar themes to my poem “Making Do,” which appears in the latest Women Speak anthology.
Want to dance around or move a little instead of reading a poem? I’m going to suggest the song “Like the Sycamore Stands” by Roberta Schultz. You can read her ‘Maurice,” “At Valenti’s” and “Little Fallen Star” in the latest Women Speak anthology.
4) Are you ready to draft now? Me too! Set the timer for 10 minutes. Draft a poem, short story, or essay about whatever’s on your mind right now. Nothing popping up? Try writing a piece about the risks and joys of sharing something you love with someone. Editor Voice can come to about a 3, MAYBE a 4, but NO HIGHER!!! Let yourself shape things, but don’t judge yourself for the choices you’re making. Just flow.
And there you have it! In 40 minutes, you’ve drafted a piece you can work on revising next week, next month, or the 12th of Never.
Thanks for letting me stop by!