Poems for the Writing: Prompts for Poets

Valerie Fox and Lynn Levin’s "Poems for the Writing: Prompts for Poets" offers fourteen classroom- and workshop-tested writing prompts that will appeal to both beginning and experienced poets. Among the book's inspiring and unusual ideas are the Fibonacci poem, advice-column poem, and spirit-of-names poem. The book lends itself to academic courses as well as poetry workshops in less formal settings, such as adult-ed, community-based, and "coffee-shop" classes. Individuals will find the book to be a helpful companion to their independent practice of poetry. In addition to the prompts, scores of sample poems by a variety of poets are included. Contributors include Marie Kane, Lewis Warsh, Christopher Bursk, Peter Wood, Leonard Gontarek, Corie Feiner, John Timpane, Dawn Manning, Hayden Saunier, Joanna Fuhrman, and many others. The book includes witty illustrations by Don Riggs.

Valerie Fox's books of poetry include The Rorschach Factory (Straw Gate Books) and The Glass Book (Texture Press). Bundles of Letters Including A, V and Epsilon (Texture Press) is a collaborative work with Arlene Ang. Originally from central Pennsylvania, Fox has travelled and lived throughout the world, and has taught writing and literature at numerous universities including Sophia University (in Tokyo) and currently at Drexel University (in Philadelphia).

Lynn Levin is the author of the poetry collections Miss Plastique, a Next Generation Indie Books Award finalist in poetry (Ragged Sky Press); Fair Creatures of an Hour (Loonfeather Press), a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist in poetry; "Imaginarium" (Loonfeather Press), a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award; and "A Few Questions about Paradise" (Loonfeather Press). A literary translator, she translates the work of Peruvian poet Odi Gonzales. Lynn Levin teaches at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania.