Poetry Friday Roundup is Here
I’m the host for this week’s Poetry Friday. If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, read this post from Renee LaTulippe. The most important thing to note is that all are welcome. I’m glad you’re here! If you want to share your link, you can paste it on the InLinkz widget below.
One Step Forward
I’m thrilled to have an official book launch party on Saturday, March 29 (this weekend!) at the Lucy Burns Museum in Lorton, Virginia. Part of my book takes place at the Occoquan Workhouse, where the suffragists were jailed. It’s now called the Workhouse Arts Center where artists showcase their work, they offer art classes, theater, and have the Lucy Burns Museum dedicated to the suffragist history. I’m so grateful to the Lucy Burns Museum for agreeing to host me, and I’m excited to talk to public historian and playwright Alli Hartley-Kong about my book.
Article about the event in the Fairfax Times
Events page at the Occoquan Workhouse
If you’re local, I’d love for you to join us.
If you’ve read the book and live further afield, I’d love it if you’d leave a review on Amazon, B&N, or Goodreads (or the same review on all three is also fine).
“Kid Lit in the District” In-Person and Online Event
I’m excited to let you know that I have an upcoming event on April 30 at East City Bookshop, and you can attend online from anywhere! It will feature DC-focused historical fiction and local authors L.M. Elliott, Sean O’Brien, and me. John Cochran, also a local KidLit author, will moderate.
You can click here to register.
April Poetry Project
With April right around the corner, I’m looking forward to blog hopping this weekend to see what everyone is doing for their Poetry Month Project.
Last summer, I was so grateful to attend the Highlights Foundation Poetry Retreat with Charles Waters, Irene Latham, and Lucretia Berry. I started working on an idea for a poetry collection. As the last 10 months have flown by, I worked on it a little bit here and there, but I’ve really wanted to work on it in earnest. One Step Forward will feel officially launched by then. I’m finishing up a draft of something due March 31. That will let me segue nicely into April and devote some time to this collection.
My pledge to myself is that I’ll work on this collection for 30 minutes every day. I know that there will be some days that I’ll be researching or gathering instead of drafting. In the past, I’ve tried to write a poem a day. I’m only promising that I’ll devote 30 minutes to the project each day—not that I’ll have 30 new poems done.
So what is your poetry project for the month of April? I can’t wait to be inspired by everyone else.
Haiku of the Week
water-logged blooms
makeup streaked after
a good cry
Photo Taken: March 15, 2025 at Burke Centre Library
Haiku Written: March 25, 2025
25 New-to-Me Poets in 2025
In her essay “Ten Things About Poetry,” Patricia Smith challenges the reader to “discover one new poet every week.” (in The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics edited by Diane Lockward). I’m setting out to discover 25 New-to-Me poets in 2025. Join me as I read at least 5 poems by a new-to-me poet.
I don’t have new any new poets to chat about today, but if you want to explore the 2025 poets I’ve talked about so far, see the links below:
- Francis Ponge
- Cynthia Manick
- Mattie Quesenberry Smith
- Janine Joseph
- Gyorgyi Voros
- Elani Spencer
- Harryette Mullen
RECREATE
I’ve been playing in the dirt some. Still caring for some seedlings.
This weekend is a long weekend for us, so I’m looking forward to working in our outside garden and getting some much needed rest.
42 Comments
jama
Have fun at your Book Launch this weekend — what a perfect place to have it! Lovely haiku — a little sad, but beautiful.
Thanks for hosting this week!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Jama! It was a blast!!
Matt Esenwine
Congratulations on the new book, Marcie, and all the fun events that go along with it! Also loved the joy, hope, and ultiamte sadness of your haiku) Thanks for hosting!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Matt! I’m thrilled to have a few occasional events to celebrate.
Robyn Hood Black
Oh, Marcie, you ABSOLUTELY deserve a rest this weekend! Congratulations again on the book and on these appearances – wish I were close enough to come in person to the museum, especially. Thank you for always so generously sharing not only your own poetry but your poetic reading adventures – with links! Happy Almost Poetry Month, and thank you for rounding up this week. :0)
Karen Edmisten
Marcie, hooray for the book launch! And yay for spending time in earnest on your poetry collection idea. I hope you make stupendous progress! Thanks for hosting.
Alan j Wright
Congratulations Marcie on the launch of this new book and all the related fun surrounding it’s safe arrival in the literary world. It makes for a busy schedule, but equally lots of fun encounters. As Warren Zevon once wrote- Enjoy every sandwich!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Love it! I have to keep reminding myself that it’s important to celebrate!
Tricia Stohr-Hunt
I can’t believe you’re hosting the day before a book launch! Congratulations on One Step Forward. I hope your celebration is wonderful.
Thanks so much for hosting.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes! It seemed like the perfect time to host.
The celebration was fabulous!
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
This is such a nourishing post, Marcie. Thank you for hosting and for all of it. I am here with Flu A, and thinking about your launch tomorrow – at such an important time in history – is giving me serious hope. I adore the haiku – most perfect metaphor that will now change how I look at wet blossoms. And a new poet every week! I will be checking those out and perhaps try this challenge too. Thank you for such generosity. And cheers and congratulations from Western New York! xo, Amy
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh, I hope you get much better soon. Take good care!
Irene Latham
Marcie, this is all so exciting! YAY! Your seedlings are looking great, too. And go you with your 30 minutes a day! That’s what it takes…and that’s how it’s DONE. Thank you for the inspiration, as ever. xo
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, I can do 30 minutes.
It feels manageable. And my seedlings are overtaking everything. My husband even invited our neighbor over to look at my operation. LOL
Liz Garton Scanlon
Congratulations on your launch, Marcie!! And thanks for all this good poetic inspiration and comfort. I love the idea of discovering 25 new poets!!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It’s been fun to explore new-to-me poets.
JoAnn Early Macken
We are protesting a lot these days, and I found your descriptions of the suffragists in One Step Forward timely and inspiring. Thank you! Your haiku is also fitting on this water-logged day in Wisconsin. I’m glad to be inside reading!
tanita
I’m so glad your launch is going well – and I think you’re smart to give yourself April to solidly start on your NPM project. While *I* am still in April denial I bow to the rest of you organized poets!
It’s pouring, so your haiku is perfect for today – the flowers are all bowed heads and streaked makeup.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
In April denial.
I love it. I just realized last week that IT WAS COMING! LOL
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you for your work! One Step Forward seems like a good mantra, right?
Janice scully
Your posts always give me ideas, like organizing your time so that you work each day on your new collection. The haiku and photo you shared seemed so relevant. Enjoy your book event. The museum sounds like the perfect venue! Enjoy.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh thank you, Janice. My brain is a little odd, so I have to just do things in a way that feels manageable to me.
Sara Lewis Holmes
East City Books is in my neighborhood! I’m going to try to come see you. I’ve long been interested in the history of the suffragitsts and Lorton Prison (used to live near there) —and for you to explore it in a novel in verse—well, all that makes it a must read for me. So excited for you.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh hooray!! I hope you’ll be able to come! Are you going to Maggie Smith’s event that they are doing this week at MLK library?
Linda Baie
Oh, Marcie, there’s much to love in your post, your book launches and all your plans coming. Congratulations for your book! Like others, I love “a good cry”! Thanks for hosting!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much, Linda!
jan godown annino
CONGRATS in BookLaunch Weekend! Brava! Marcie.
And appreciations for all the ideas & nlurishment here.
The perfect words of your haiku are as potent as your image is, pretty.
I sent you an email [ actually a #PoetryFriday group email for those I have emails in contacts] & it includes a poet you can add to your poety study list, Nancy White Carlstrom, who just earned the 2025 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, which Irene also recieved. I feel you & Nancy, if you visit her site, are kindred spirits.
Happy Poetry Month, too
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you for your email! I will read some of Nancy’s poems.
Rose Cappelli
As always, thanks for such a jam-packed post. I hope everything goes well with your book launch, and congratulations also on your bookshop event. I love your April poetry plan – 30 minutes a day! Yes, that works!
Thanks for hosting.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Rose! Jen came to my launch.
Thank you so much for connecting us!
Margaret Simon
I am so excited for you as your book gets more and more exposure to the world. I have a new book coming out this week. I can’t wait to open the box! Thanks for hosting today with your beautiful haiku image poem. I need one of those good cries!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yay for new books!!!
Tabatha
Hi Marcie! Those water-logged blooms– so good!
What kind of seedlings are you growing? Hooray for playing in the dirt.
Thinking about the suffragists in jail reminds me of a workshop I took about trauma and state-sponsored violence. So many aspects of other people’s lives were under my radar until 2017.
Good luck with your April Poetry Project and thanks for hosting!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So many seedlings!!! Tomatoes, cukes, various peppers, rudbeckia, cornflowers, sunflowers, basil, and more more more!
Carol Labuzzetta
Marcie, I thank you for hosting and congratulate you again on your book and launch! I wish you much success! I do not have any plans for Poetry Month except for participating in Jone’s Poetry Pop-up on the 5th and a Highlights Foundation Mini-Course later in the month. I am trying not to overschedule. I have been asked to write a book chapter proposal that’s due on the 30th of April, so I will be busy.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Trying not to overschedule is so smart! I tried to go to your post to read and comment, but I’m getting an error message about an unsecure connection. So sorry–not sure why I can’t see it.
Sarah Grace Tuttle
Congratulations on having so many wonderful events coming up Marcie– and also on your pending book launch. Hooray!!! Your poem and photo pair wonderfully– thank you for sharing. I talk about my Poetry Month project on my blog– I’m really looking forward to it!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I love your Poetry Month project! May the inspiration of April help us along.
Mary Lee
Sorry I dropped my link and ran yesterday without even a note to say thanks for rounding us up! It was one of those days. Today is the opposite — blessedly empty. I look forward to blogs and reading and stitching and doing a bit of cleanup in the garden if it doesn’t rain and give me some of those “makeup streaked” blossoms in your (perfect, as usual) haiku.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh a blessedly empty day sounds divine!
I hope you enjoyed!
Cathy Stenquist
Wish I lived nearby to come to your launch, Marcie! Congratulations on the book. Hope you have a great time.
I loved your haiku. That form amazes me how you can say so much in so few words.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much, Cathy!