Joanne the Poet - The Poetry of Joanne M. Clarkson

A Taste of Poetry

I am so excited to have a poem and a recipe in A Taste of Poetry, released September 2015 by the Walt Whitman birthplace association. My poem is titled: “In Praise of Honey,” and the recipe is for my Homemade Honey Granola. What a great idea to honor this quintessential American poet who tasted all aspects of life!

Artists Trust International Dancing Poetry Contest

Artists Trust International Dancing Poetry Contest. My poem, “Seamstress Masters Her Craft” was Grand Prize winner and was performed as a dance at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology

My poem, “The Nine of Cups,” is included in Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology just released by Minor Arcana Press. It is a ‘true’ poem about my psychic Grandmother, Esther. This nine is the ‘wish card,’ and was her favorite. The release party for Arcana was at Hugo House. I read both Palms and Tarot and my poem with amazing poet/psychics including editor Marjorie Jensen.

Snapdragon: A Journal of Art and Healing Two

Snapdragon: A Journal of Art and Healing Two of my poems appear in the Summer 2015 issue of Snapdragon: “Hospice Road” and “Requiem for Lillie.”  The theme is ‘Bones and Stones.’  The Hospice one is about the tradition of carrying a stone when a person is passing and a while after as a token of remembrance and the weight of life.  The Lillie poem is about a spine and the reminiscence of the backbone of a dead horse found in a field.  Access to the journal is by subscription only ($5).  After subscribing, the editor sends a link to your email.  I enjoyed all the poetry and non-fiction pieces.  Very thoughtful.

“Night Terrors” issue of Perfume River Poetry Review 2015

“Ouija After Midnight,” my poems about girls at a sleepover playing with this psychic tool, made it into the “Night Terrors” issue of Perfume River Poetry Review 2015. Editor Vuong Quoc Vu gathered a wonderful group of poems mysterious and insightful.

 

Baltimore Review’s Winter 2015

My poem, “The Stone Masons,” won the Baltimore Review’s Winter 2015 contest!  I wrote the poem after visiting Reardan, the small town in Eastern Washington where my grandfather and great uncle grew up — and built a small, stone church.  My quiet, strong grandfather has long been something of a mystery to me, more so since he suffered from severe dementia at the end of his life.  This poem is a tribute to him as well as Uncle Ted was one of the finest men I have every known.  You can both read and hear the poem at http://baltimorereview.org

Baltimore Review, Print Edition

My poem, “The Stone Masons,” won the Baltimore Review’s winter contest and appeared on their website.  I just received the journal’s print anthology in which my poem also appears.  I respect both online and paper publications.  Online versions reach a wider audience but print seems more permanent and allows note-taking and dog-ears.  So pleased to have my poem appear both ways.  It is about my great-uncle and grandfather building a church in a small town although both of them were atheists.

Ascent

My poem, “The New CPR,” was posted on the Ascent website November 23, 2014. Go towww.readthebestwriting.com to read it! This journal is very cool because you can subscribe to it free via email. Each month 2 or 3 poems and a fiction or creative non-fiction piece is sent to you along with the author’s bio. I had tried to break into this journal with several submissions before they accepted this piece.