Samantha Lazar, Writer
Monthly Digest
February 2022
Dear Readers,
I took most of the month of January off from my public writing life, and it was a much-needed break. For those of you who are new here- welcome to my newsletter, which I will send out monthly. My letter will inform you of my writing projects, stories, blog posts, and poetry. You may even find something that inspires you.
Thank you so much for reading!
What’s New
The poetry podcast is now live!
I am grateful that Arjan Tupan invited me to be on his poetry podcast, Tripple Effect, #trpplffect. In this episode, I share about writing poetry, writing and responding to poetry prompts, my book Reaching Marrakesh, and my involvement in a writing community. Take a listen. It’s about 10 minutes long.
Speaking of community, Christina M. Ward hosts The Poet’s Lair. We had our first meeting last weekend where we delved into our first book study, Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. I have read the book many times, but each time I get something new out of it. We pulled out some gold from our reading, and then we had time to write and share. Much of my writing, both poetry and fiction borders on being autobiographical, so I am now reading The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr. I highly recommend both of these books
FEATURED STORIES
Book Review
2021 was a year of reading for me. I didn’t reach my goal of 100 titles, but it is probably the most books I have ever read in one year. I highlight some of the books and authors in Sammy’s Bookshelf in Review. Maybe you will see something worth reading!
Poetry
I mentioned The Poet’s Lair above. During our meeting, Christina gave us a writing prompt: My mother’s purse. It was a powerful writing exercise. See what happens when you excavate your thoughts about this topic. What memories does it evoke? What fictions? Here is my piece that came out of that exercise:
My Palms Turned Up For Another Quarter
my mother’s purse is my purse
excavation, archaeology — softened mint Trident — need
at least three pieces to satisfy my jaw
she’s got a tangle of something we all mean to go back
to unwinding — the headphone cords, the fishing line, the god-damned strap
she always has cash — she believes in it
my palms turned up for another quarter — pinball doesn’t last long
enough as she sips her least favorite drug of choice
I dig deeper
she’s got some talisman — metalwork from Arizona
copper bells and a dragon ring
I’ve got cards — tarot and spite and malice —
you never know tampons and lavender oil
we carry other people’s lives — might as well be a backpack
the music plays and I look for what I’m looking for
she’s got care and a hair elastic
bobby pins and a puppy toy
she carries my handprint from kindergarten
she doesn’t let go.
In Memory
Part of the reason I took a hiatus from public writing was the loss of a great poet and editor, Michael Hall. I was shocked and saddened by his death, due to COVID-19. I hope his words and memories live on!
Project Updates
If you missed December’s news:
I am thrilled to announce the arrival of The Embrace of Dawn, edited and directed by Thomas Gaudex and published by Librinova. Along with a collection of over 100 poems, two of my poems: “More Than Survival” and “Snails This Time” now live in print! Here is the description:
A new dawn, a birth, an embrace. One hundred and twenty-four poems written by sixty-two writers from all over the world. Writers who every day make the Scribe publication shine on the publishing platform Medium with their emotional verses. This poetry book is a gift from me to them, and a gift from them to all poetry lovers. As you turn the pages of this collection, you will read poems that will make you smile, laugh, and sometimes cry. But most of all, you will read poetry that will make you love life even more. Because life is always more breathable when it is tinged with poetry.
-Thomas Gaudex, Publishing Director.
To hold the book in your hands, purchase here. Please note that it is published and distributed in France, so it will most likely take two weeks to arrive. You can also purchase the book for Kindle here.
Did you know you can read endless stories by myself and many other inspiring writers on Medium? Consider upgrading to a monthly subscription here.
Follow along on my writing journey and be in touch here.
That’s all for now. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my writing work. If you enjoy it, please consider sharing it with a friend or your sister.
Love, Sam