New Releases by Patrice Vecchione

The ultimate writing guide that is "a helping hand to anyone who dreams of telling their truth through words on a page.” —Ellen Bass, author of Indigo "[This book] gives us endless ways to access our creative selves and shows us how to shape our experiences into poetry...This book reassured me that we all have the capacity to create something beautiful.'" —Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, author of Children of the Land Ever had an emotion or experience you wanted to express, but didn't know how? This guide by Patrice Vecchione encourages new writers of all ages to find their voices, step up and speak their truths, and articulate what matters to them most—both personally and politically—whether it be boldly to an outside audience or just privately for themselves. Young adults are reading and writing and performing poetry more than ever before. Written in short, easy-to-digest chapters by the editor of Ink Knows No Borders, My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice includes prompts and inspiration, writing suggestions and instruction, brief interviews with some current popular poets such as Kim Addonizio, Safia Elhillo, and others, and poem excerpts scattered throughout the book. My Shouting, Shattered Whispering Voice offers ways to express rage, frustration, joy, and sorrow, and to substitute apathy with creativity, usurp fear with daring, counteract anxiety with the joy of writing one word down and then another to express vital, but previously unarticulated, thoughts. Most importantly, here you can discover the value of your own voice and come to believe that what you have to say matters.

"The natural world has inspired artists, seekers, and thinkers for millennia, but in recent times, as the pace of life has sped up, its demands have moved us in doors. Yet nature's capacity to lead us to important truths, to invigorate and restore our imagination and equilibrium, is infinite. Step Into Nature is a guide to make nature personal again, to stimulate awareness and increase our understanding of the environment while inspiring readers to develop and strengthen their imaginations. But being in nature doesn't mean flying off to remote, faraway places. Nature is as close as opening your front door--the sky above, the miniature gardens that insist their way up between the sidewalk cracks, the river just down the road. Patrice Vecchione shows readers how nature can support and enhance their own creative output, invigorate their curiosity, and restore their sense of connection to the earth. Plus, included in each chapter is "The Cabinet of Curiosities," exercises and suggestions for practical and unexpected ways that readers can stimulate their imaginations, deepen their relationships with nature, and experience the harmony between creativity and the natural world"--

Using easy-to-follow processes and activities readers can discover the strength and resonance of their own voices. The book aims to help the writer hone in on their true spirituality to show writers: how to find depth in their writing; how to tell their story better; how to develop trust and faith in what they are writing about; where to find the source of the spirit and creativity; how spiritual practice can be a form of introspective prayer and crafting of language all at once; how to quiet the mind of doubt and criticism when writing; and how to capture the discoveries of the sacred and pull them inward as a writer.

Poetry. In her new book Patrice Vecchione proves you can be 'in two places at once.' Her poems drift seamlessly between the world of the living and dead...and we discover heaven is much nearer that we might suppose (Gary Young). Patrice Vecchione's poems are a wonder. They knife to the heart of the inner planet where each of us lives .... Her range is astonishing and her words soar. She is, in fact, what I call 'a poet of the pure lyric.' Her voice calls us back to the place where poetry breathes eternally -- in the language. TERRITOY OF WIND is a marvelous collection. Don't miss it (Morton Marcus). Mother, your voice is freezing. It is winter enough / for a fire. I want to see you every day. (My Mother Is A Horse) Patrice Vecchione is editor of FAULT LINES: CHILDREN'S EARTHQUAKE POETRY. Through her program, The Heart of the Word: Poetry and the Imagination, Patrice teaches poetry along California's central coast.