September Writing Prompts
When we think of being captivated by something, we think of immersing ourselves in it, focusing our senses and losing ourselves in a moment. What better expresses this experience than poetry? With its deep focus, rich imagery, and economy of words, a poem can allow the reader to experience the world through the poet’s eyes. And what’s more captivating than that?
This month, we asked our Poetry & the Natural World writers to tell us what they are obsessing over. What are they reading, listening to, watching, eating? What is making them slow down, grabbing their attention, and inspiring them?
September 2020:
What we’re reading …
Melissa Taylor Bahrs is re-reading her two favorite Jane Austen novels “beginning with my favorite (analytically speaking) Persuasion and going next to my go-to Austen novel (emotionally speaking) Pride and Prejudice. Love Austen’s quietly sarcastic observational qualities! I am also reading lots of essays, memoir, and poetry. A book I loved (book club pick) was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman. Can’t wait for her second novel.”
Listening to …
Robyn Paulin says: “I’m hooked on two things right now: 1.) The meditation app Headspace features a new section called “Focus.” They offer various song playlists with ambient and low-beat music to help you focus. When I log onto work in the morning, I always log onto Headspace to turn the music on! No, I do not work for Headspace; I’m just an extremely satisfied user!! 2.) Office Ladies podcast—Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Jenna Fisher (Pam) from the TV show The Office are hosting a series in which they rewatch episodes from the show and discuss behind-the-scenes action. I LOVE that they dig into the scripts and bring guests onto the show, including the writers and directors. It’s so much fun to hear how one of my favorite shows was created from not just the actors’ perspectives, but also from inside the writers’ room.”
Watching …
“I’ll highlight a delightful short horror film called The Quiet Room,” says Roux Bedrosian. “It’s about a guy who attempts suicide and lands in a psychiatric hospital. He happens to be a queer black man who has a romance with another patient. Unfortunately, the hospital is haunted by a jealous female spirit who’s obsessed with him and kills anyone who gets close to him. It’s about 30 minutes long and exclusively on Shudder.”
Eating …
“Outshine raspberry fruit popsicles are my go-to summer treat,” says P&NW Instructor Laura Cyphers. “And, white cheddar poppables are my favorite snack food at the moment. Maybe, I just realized, I like foods with the word ‘pop’ in them.”
Miscellaneous …
Lou Storey has started creating his own artwork in response to the pandemic. He says: “When I knew I’d be doing everything from home for a while, I decided to do one drawing a day about the experience. I made that commitment back when we thought the pandemic would be done in a month or two (sigh)—but I am still doing my one-a-day COVIDrawings and I post them at the end of the week.” (https://covidrawings.com) Lou also has a show at FrameWorks in Red Bank: https://www.redbankframeworks.com/dimattiopnstudioshrines).
Feel free to share any comments or writing inspired by our Captivated column with us at info@projectwritenow.org.
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