I offer one on one online poetry sessions to poets who are looking to develop their writing, and-- essentially-- to find their voice. Learning to write poetry isn't, at first, about the nuts and bolts of form and scansion. It's about the labor of developing an acute ear for the music of poetry, and of being able to listen to both your own heart, and to something outside of yourself that few know how to name. Just as important is the need to develop the skill of observation-- of being able to use detail from the outside world in the development of your voice. These are all aspects (and there are many more) that poets need to work at, but that few know much of or talk about. Once we, as poets, pay attention to these areas, the form of the poem will emerge far more naturally.

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I have experience teaching poetry to mental health patients, and students, as well as individual writers outside any formal community. My only qualifications are a lifelong devotion to the art of poetry, the publication of four books of my own poems, and the editing of Word on Fire's "100 Great Catholic Poems" for which I also wrote 100 commentaries. I've also published three prose works which are rooted in poetic structure and language.

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My students range from the well-versed and published to absolute beginners. For all of us, writing poetry is a journey: it calls for wide-reading, attentiveness, and a willingness to sacrifice ego. I feel privileged to accompany writers on this path.

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I do also, sometimes, offer editorial assistance on completed manuscripts, but this is subject to a screening process to ensure that my input will be timely and beneficial. 

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Please get in touch at the contact page to request details. 

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"I was drawn to Sally's consultancy after reading "Night's Bright Darkness" and "Dawn of this Hunger", two texts that resonated with me.....The poems we discussed and that I studied prior to the sessions, directed my attention to great examples of the craft. The writing assignments have been particularly helpful and I value how these things have helped me pay more attention to the images in my poems. It's not easy to obtain constructive feedback on one's poetry, so finding someone who is able to do this is a great blessing..."

 

Maura, poet 

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"Sally's meticulous attention to detail is accompanied by an ability to instantly sense my broader vision for the text...She has helped me hone my craft without ever imposing her own style or preferences. She has a true gift for enabling writers to flourish on their own terms."

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Sofia, memoirist

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"As an old yet fledgling want-to-be poet, the first person I send any of my work to is Sally Read. She has wisdom, sensitivity and an encyclopedic knowledge of poetry that enables US to work together to help me create what it is that I am attempting to say on my own. I think that her life experience, her conversion, and her faith provide a perfect backdrop to help the variety of eccentricities that poets as a whole bring to their work and to their readers. I trust no one else."

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Pat, poet

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"Sally's feedback was sensitive, constructive and encouraging. The line to line suggestions were detailed, and she helped identify overall themes. I wholeheartedly recommend her."

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Maria, poet