Monthly Archives: April 2020

Thank You for Over Six Wonderful Years of Blue Heron Review!

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A Tender Goodbye from Blue Heron Review

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(*Blue Heron logo image by artist Daniel Adams)

This is a gentle closing of things and a joyful welcoming of new beginnings and new creative paths emerging. Thank you to everyone who has joined me on the journey that has been Blue Heron Review for the past 6 ½ years! Without our extensive list of contributing poets and artists, as well as our kind readers, there would be no Blue Heron Review. Last spring, I made the decision to discontinue our 2 issue per year format, but I made a commitment to keep showcasing a new featured author every month. I have made the decision to create more space for myself, in order to have more time to devote to other journeys. As of May 2020, we will say goodbye, with great love, to Blue Heron Review. It has truly been an honor and a privilege (as well as a labor of love) to curate and produce Blue Heron Review for over 6 years. I have made deep connections with fellow creatives over the years. I know that these will last a lifetime. Please know that I am cheering you on in all of your future, artistic dreams! Keep sharing your triumphs and joys with me. If you have a new book coming out, you can still write to me at the Blue Heron gmail address, and I will proudly share your news and links on social media. Thank you for trusting me with your work, your creative offerings, and your hopes for poetry. I have enjoyed shining a bright light on your unique talents. Keep shining, and know that I think you are all wonderful! The world is a more loving, expansive, and joyful place, because your art — your poetry is in it!

With kind thoughts always,
Cristina M. R. Norcross, Founding Editor
Blue Heron Review

Happy National Poetry Month from Blue Heron Review!

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While everyone is staying safe at home during Covid-19 restrictions, I hope that writers are finding the online resources and communities they need, in order to find solace through the arts. I am sharing some links on our homepage, starting with a writing prompt group on Facebook, which I founded 2 weeks ago.

Connection and Creativity in Challenging Times:
Online Writing Prompts (for adults and teens)
(*On Facebook and Instagram)

 

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I hope you’ll join us on weekdays (Mon-Fri) for family-friendly writing prompts and inspiration. This is a FREE creative arts offering, which I would like to provide everyone, while they are working from home or doing on-line learning through the schools. This group is open to ALL ages. All genres of writing welcome. This is meant to be fun, therapeutic, healing, and helpful. We’re here to lift each other up through the creative arts! *For those who prefer Instagram, I will be sharing the same, daily writing prompts and visuals there, as well. Feel free to follow me @cristinamrnorcross

The Poets.org site (The Academy of American Poets) has an amazing listing of offerings and links to help everyone celebrate National Poetry Month! (Shelter in Poems, Poem in Your Pocket Day, 2020 National Poetry Month Poster, 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month in the Virtual Classroom, and many others)

Author, editor, and Blue Heron Review contributor, Robert Lee Brewer, at Writer’s Digest is hosting the 2020 PAD (Poem a Day) challenge (plus many other offerings for National Poetry Month). Need some incentive to write your next chapbook? Visit the Poem a Day page.

Blue Heron Review poet Kai Coggin is hosting a weekly, virtual, poetry open mic on Facebook through the Wednesday Night Poetry series! This is a fantastic group to be a part of and listen to! Community, poetry, and solidarity at a time when we all need nourishment for the soul.  WPN Virtual Open Mic, Poetry Through the Pandemic

Looking for some reading material? Blue Heron Review has over 6 years, 11 issues, and too many featured authors to count, for you to enjoy in the peace and comfort of your home. Every issue has an array of contemporary poetic voices, as well as gorgeous, fine art photography and other art offerings. Have a browse through our archives of issues, and scroll through our Blue Heron Review Featured Author page for some of the most extraordinary voices in poetry today! Just as a teaser, here is a link to one of my favorite, themed issues — The Healing Issue. Have a look, rest awhile, pull up a chair and a cup of tea — and enjoy!  BHR Issue 8 / Summer 2017

Sponsored by Local Gems Press, Bard Con Virtual (March 31-April 7th) is a virtual writing conference experience! Audio recordings of poetry readings (both individual and group readings from anthologies), interviews, audio writing workshops, and so many literary goodies are available to enjoy! A virtual gathering, with resources galore for writers and readers.

One of my audio writing workshops is included on the Bard Con Virtual page (“Coping Strategies Through Creativity: Writing Prompts with author Cristina Norcross” / 15 min.) A BIG thank you to Local Gems Press, and editors James Paul Wagner and Nick Hale, for creating this virtual space of creativity and community!

The online journal Visual Verse provides a new visual prompt on the 1st of every month. The deadline is usually the 15th. Submissions are published on a rolling basis, but you won’t receive an e-mail response. You need to check the site, and scroll to see if your poem is included. Poems are published up until the last day of the month. Word yoga! Try it! 50-500 words / submit your work within 1 hour.  This is such an inspiring practice.

The Globe Theatre in London is streaming a FREE Shakespeare play every fortnight! Need a break from writing, but still want some inspiration? This is just the thing!

Stay safe everyone, and make time to create!
Kind thoughts always,

—Cristina M. R. Norcross, Editor of Blue Heron Review, author of Beauty in the Broken Places (Kelsay Books, 2019) and many other titles