POETS, INC. / SUMMATIONS

Today at the Escondido Municipal Art Gallery in Escondido, CA, Summations III, the third annual chapbook filled with the interpretation of art through poetry was unvailed with a rousing reading/feasting and emotional four-hour book release.

Many of the artists of the work we wrote to were in attendance; it was inspiring to hear how they came up with the idea for their painting, wall piece, photograph, or sculptor. It was more amazing to see how "right-on" many of the poets were in the word picture they painted without ever having met the artist of their chosen work.

For more years than I care to admit, I have taught classes and workshops for beginning writers. In advance, I request that they show up for the first session with a photograph. It doesn't have to be a personal photograph and, if it is, it doesn't mean you have to know everyone in the photo or the story that goes with it. I ask my students to write the story they see there. That's the same thing we poets did with our chosen works of art; we wrote the story we saw there.

I challenge writers to do this as a prompt, or when you are stuck and can't seem to move forward with your latest project. It will stretch your imagaination and create personal pieces you never knew you had in you.