David E. Navarro's Blog: WARP Speed: Writers Authors Readers Poets

Hello folks. I have been living at Writer, Author, Reader, and Poet (WARP) speed. I moved from Southern California to Tucson, Arizona and finally feel like I am settling in. I reengaged in university studies to pursue advanced degrees and have written a new book on early childhood education. So yes, it's been WARP speed.

What's new in the hyper space of WARP speed and publishing? The "facilitated model" of publishing is gaining traction. That's where an independent press will put its name and reputation behind an author's work, but the author will participate in the expenses of publication and marketing. More and more presses are embracing this model or variations of it.

The writing and reading life is a fantastic journey and I will soon be adding many new reviews here on Goodreads. I am the kind of reader who shies away from what everybody else is doing and reading and I like to find rare gems that I believe are life-impacting and have underrated or hidden value that the vultures of market frenzy are overlooking.

So the books I will be sharing soon will be some real secret treasures that will enhance your appreciation of life and help you to enjoy the exploration of the universe at WARP speed.

NavWorks Press Announces the release of two great landmark volumes of poetry, Dropping Ants into Poems, by DE Navarro, and Sometimes Anyway, a compilation of 39 remarkable poets worldwide.

Available for distribution January 20. Get a PRE-ORDER discount NOW at the Curio (see below).

Dropping Ants into Poems
A masterful work of literary merit in which DE Navarro gives us 27 engaging contemporary poems, 18 Zen poems, and 1 piece of flash fiction that all work together in an amazing way to develop the main theme of gathering words and seeds from the Timeless Lore and planting the seeds of words and knowledge for future generations. Includes an article on Contemporary Poetry, and a surprise bonus to spice things up.

DE has been called a word-master who writes with an intelligent poetic flair that demonstrates his symbiotic relationship with the English language and extraordinary ability to deliver powerful themes through words and imagery. This book is no exception. If you love poetry you will love this book. Powerful words from a word-master.

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Sometimes Anyway: Pride in Poetry Volume II
Powerful poetry by the 2016 Pride in Poetry Prize winners and selected poets. A remarkably compelling compilation of 63 poems by 39 poets from all over the world that explores the character and quality of life and humanity—past and present—in the full span of our lives. It also features 8 micro-essays.

Poems were chosen by word-master DE Navarro for their quality, readability, and poignant impact, and will please all poetry readers everywhere from this time forward, in every place under the sun. There is something here for everyone and everything here is for someone.

Get a PRE-ORDER discount NOW:

http://thecurio.ecrater.com/

Become a Patron of the Arts and help to keep the arts and humanities alive and well in our world today.

Please click the link to read about how you can become a patron of Pride in Poetry Volume II.

Any extra shares or reposts on your social media will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for being a friend of the writing arts.

Yes, I want to help with Pride in Poetry Volume II

NavWorks Press announces the 2016 Pride in Poetry Prize

All "selected" poems will be published in Pride in Poetry, Volume 2 [Title to be Determined], and all "prize winners" will be featured in the volume.

1st Prize = $50 plus 2 copies of the book -OR- 7 copies of the book (your choice)

2nd Prize = $30 plus 1 copy of the book -OR- 4 copies of the book (your choice)

3rd prize = $20 plus 1 copy of the book -OR- 3 copies of the book (your choice)

There will be 7 other Honorable Mention prize winners = 1 copy of book

All prizes receive a certificate/letter.

Submission Rules

Submissions will be open from August 30 - October 31

Submit each poem for $3 at the Curio (see link below).

Poems can be up to 40 lines (including blank lines or line spaces).

Poems of any kind and any style are welcome.

Flash fiction or prose poetry of up to 30 lines is welcome (block style text).

Haiku is welcome. Submit 3 haiku for every submission purchased, in other words, 3 haiku for $3.

There will be 3 independent judges.

Submit poems by paying at the Curio and sending them to the email account given in the instructions when purchasing. Here is the link:

the Curio

Check out our book Between Life and Language to see past winners of the Pride in Poetry Prize and to see the incredibly high quality of our book, which sold over 500 copies worldwide.

Between Life and Language

Enjoy.

Stay involved in the craft you love and share your work in our exciting new Ezine, the Poetry and Writing Arts Ezine, Editor: DE Navarro, Published monthly by NavWorks Press.

FREE subscription, FREE gift for subscribing.

Nothing to lose and everything to gain by interacting with others of like-passion.

Share your work with thousands of other readers and poets.

Read all about it and subscribe to it at DE-Navarro.com [http://www.de-navarro.com/poetry-and-...].

Enjoy.

Reading a poem is not like reading a story. Many people do not enjoy poetry simply because they read it like a story and do not approach it like a song. A poem should be approached more like a song than a story. Poetry does not simply convey information to our minds, like a story, but it actually imparts itself by way of one or more of a number of different poetic devices and characteristics, such as the music and sound of language, the cadence, the tone, the interplay of word meanings both figurative and literal, charged language, its shape, its pace, and on. These characteristics and devices of a poem convey additional meaning and say more than just the words themselves.

That's why a poem needs to be read again and again to be absorbed. It is so much more like a song or musical piece that we listen to over and over again in order to fully enjoy and appreciate. Even if the poem tells a story, it is still a poetic story and must be approached as a poem. Poetry has its full impact in repetition. It is in the reading and listening, again and again, that subtle nuances are manifest, that intricacies unfold, that the profound is reached. That’s when a poem really lives, impressing itself on the heart and not just the mind.

A poem should be engaged rather than just read. Don't read a poem just to gather information, sink your teeth into it and suck the juices out of it. You cannot get the juices out of a poem in one read anymore than you can get the juices out of a piece of fruit by one bite. The real joy and depth in a poem is in the repeated hearings or readings.

So when you come to a poem, read it at least five times on your initial engagement as follows:

The first time, read it at a natural pace and follow the poem along just as it reads in order to get what jumps out at you and to see what it seems to be saying on the surface.

The second time, read it slowly and emphasize the cadence, the beat, the pauses, the sounds and rhythm, the rhymes.

Then, read it out loud and really listen to it with your ears.

The fourth time you read it, consider key words and phrases, ponder the meaning of key words, quickly consider the relation of these words to the rest of the poem, look at any repeating structures or phrases, what do they emphasize, make sure you understand each word in the poem, dictionary meanings as well as common meaning and usage, notice any references to outside sources or literary works and what these allusions mean or bring into this poem.

Finally, read it again at a natural pace and follow the poem along, and let it speak to you with all its added meaning from your first four readings.

If you follow this simple pattern and give a poem the time it deserves, new elements will resonate in your heart with each reading. You will see or hear things that you did not see and hear on previous readings. New meanings will pop out at you. You will make connections that eluded you on the initial reading. Deeper understanding will give you pause and thrill your heart. Only then can you determine whether or not you truly appreciate a poem.

If you appreciate the poem after these initial readings, put it aside and plan to come back to it on another day. Within a week or so, read it again at least twice, once out loud. Follow it along at its natural pace the first time, and then ponder it more deeply the second time, pausing to reconsider key words and phrases.

After repeating this a few times, if you still love the poem and new things are still coming to light, put it on your favorites list and come back to read it frequently. Read it as many times as you like and if you like to read it out loud for its sound and music, do it. Enjoy it fully the way you want to.

Favorite poems become favorites because of how they roll off the tongue, because of their interesting sounds, because of the beauty of the language and words employed, and because of the charged and compact meanings in the words and phrases. As you engage poetry and let it live through repeated readings of poems, many will become your favorites and you'll recite them to yourself for enjoyment through the many years ahead.

Down the road, you will still be mining the rich depth of that poem you love, that poem that says what reaches your heart in such a perfect way that it thrills you each time you read it. ••••

by: DE Navarro, © 2014, NavWorks Press. Permission is granted for this essay, How to Read and Enjoy a Poem, to be copied and posted or published freely anywhere as long as this byline, copyright mark, and permission statement are included with the essay.

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"Get your own copy of DE Navarro's amazing new poetry book, Dare to Soar. You cannot begin to understand how beautiful and easy to read this inspiring book of poetry and essays can be until you pick up a copy of this treasured read." GP Florida

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