Writer & Translator
It's been a while since I released a poem into the wild, but right now, you can read 'Solstice Blót' in the brand new, horror-themed issue of the Canadian publication Polar Borealis Magazine. You can read the issue here (scroll down to issue 4 and click to see the magazine in PDF). It includes stories and… Continue reading Read my poem ‘Solstice Blót’ in the new issue of Polar Borealis Magazine
Never (Always) Never again is not a statement of fact, no matter how many times we repeat it. As if we had never heard of Pol Pot, Srebernica, or Rwanda. As if we hadn’t stood on the shore and watched children drown in the Mediterranean. As if we hadn’t allowed them to suck water into… Continue reading Never (Always) – a poem
This Is The Truth This is the truth: we are not a single-minded monolith of coin-operated, automated, righteous action, not an army of caped crusaders painted in primary colours, not a force of nature cloaked in radiant light. But then neither are you. There is no invincible robotic overlord, no Sith, no Saviour. We are… Continue reading This Is The Truth (a poem)
October was another fun and busy month for me. Here's what happened: I spent a wonderful weekend at The Surrey International Writer's Festival. Read my conference recap here. It really was an amazing event, and I hope to be able to attend next year too. I learned a whole lot about writing from amazing people… Continue reading October recap – poetry & stories in the wild, a review, a new anthology, a conference
The new issue of The Lorelei Signal is hot off the internet-press, and my poem 'Stories Beneath The Skylight' is part of it! It's been a while since I released some new poetry into the wild, so this is quite exciting for me. It's accompanied by some beautiful artwork by Lee Ann Barlow! Thanks so… Continue reading Read my poem ‘Stories Beneath the Skylight’ in The Lorelei Signal
I'm featured on author Renee Scattergood's website right now (thank you so much, Renee!), talking about poetry, writing, and short stories: specifically my upcoming stories in anthologies by Inklings Press and The Mind's Eye Series! Find it here: Author Spotlight: Short Stories and Poetry Collections by Maria Haskins Also, check out Renee's books, like her Shadowstalker series!
This poem is taken from Cuts, my collection of poetry published in 2015. It's available as an ebook and in paperback. Find it here. HAWK Every morning perched on the lamp post above the highway onramp she sees me: hawk. Eye cocked looking for that twitch of life in the grass for that smudge of death… Continue reading ‘Hawk’ – a poem from CUTS, for Poetry Month
My second post at author Robert Zimmermann’s website for Poetry Month is all about translation and poetry. I used one of my poems, ‘Bird-cloak’, to illustrate some of the challenges of translating poetry. Thanks so much to Robert for having me over. Check out his website for some fantastic posts on writing in general, and poetry in particular.
Maria Haskins is on the blog today for her second Poetry Month contribution! She’s sharing another poem from her collection ‘Cuts’. This time it’s a little bit different. Maria is sharing both the Swedish (original language the poem was written in) and English versions of a poem. If you remember last week’s post with the audio for S.M. Boyce’s poem A Life for Sale, I talked about how interpreting a poem can differ between reading text and listening to it. Another way a poem can change is through translation. In may ways this can be more drastic.
Before I start rambling on about this, I’ll hand the blogging reigns over to Maria. She’s more qualified to talk about translation than I am anyway. But this post has challenged me to read more work in translation, along with the original languages…even if I can’t speak them. At least I…
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I visit Robert Zimmermann’s website ‘A Life Among The Pages’ for Poetry Month, and of course I brought a poem!
See those two images up there? It wasn’t a mistake. Even during Poetry Month there’s room for Story Time Friday!
Like STF in general, I include poetry as the “story” part of the series title. Today, I have a poem from poet Maria Haskins to share. To go with that, Maria has been nice enough to share a bit of the story behind the poem, as well. I’m happy when I get to share a little bit of what goes on behind the piece itself, and this is no different.
You can also read up on the collection Maria’s poem came from after you’re done. And if you enjoy it, there’ll be another poem from this poet next week. It isn’t an STF post. It’s something even better! Don’t forget to come back for that one.
Now, I’ll hand the blog over to Maria, the real reason you’re here…
This…
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Warsan Shire's poetry is beautifully sharp, and I love the way it cuts through the world she sees and feels. You might have seen some of her poetry online, like the amazing 'Home' which was widely shared online when the refugee crisis hit Europe: no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark you… Continue reading Poetry by Warsan Shire
Pär Lagerkvist is one of my favourite Swedish authors. His poetry is brilliant, and so is his prose. There's a sadness and longing in most of his writing: sometimes more of the longing, sometimes more of the sadness, but usually both of them tightly wound together. Lagerkvist often expresses the kind of direct, raw emotion that… Continue reading Two poems by Pär Lagerkvist
Back in the stegosauraus-era when I studied Spanish in high-school (AKA 'gymnasiet' in Sweden), our teacher had us read Spanish poetry for part of the course. One of those poems has stuck with me ever since: even if my knowledge of the language has faded a bit with time, this poem is still there. It's… Continue reading A master-class in poetry & the rhythm of words
I wrote this poem after one of my friends died last year, another victim of cancer. This week, for many reasons, the words and the feelings I had then are haunting me again. PAIN IN PROGRESS/MY FRIEND IS DEAD All the lamps are lit in every window. I feel the warmth beneath my own hands… Continue reading Pain in progress (again)
The Goodreads giveaway for my collection of poetry 'Cuts & Collected Poems 1989-2015' is over. 655 people (whoa!) entered for a chance to win one of three paperback copies: thank you so much to everyone who put their name in the Goodreads hat! I have the addresses of the winners in my hot little hands right… Continue reading Goodreads giveaway complete: thank you to all who entered!
2015 was a momentous year for me. I first started out as a published writer in the dinosaur-age known as 'the 1980s', and plodded along rather nicely for a decade or so after that. Then, things happened (as things seem to do in life), and for a long time I wasn't sure I would ever… Continue reading My 2015 in the rear-view mirror
I've been playing around with my poems, trying to present them visually online and this is my first attempt. The poems are 'Sparrow' and 'Peek' from my new book. 'Sparrow' is inspired by and dedicated to my daughter, and 'Peek' is inspired by and dedicated to my son. These two human beings are really the deepest inspiration… Continue reading Two poems, two heartbeats
Enter to win one of three copies of 'Cuts & Collected Poems 1989-2015' at Goodreads! To celebrate the upcoming holidays, and the fact that I have a brand new book of poetry out (yay!), I am giving away three paperback copies of my new collection of poetry 'Cuts & Collected Poems 1989-2015'. You can enter… Continue reading A giveaway – enter to win a copy of my new book!
It's almost December, which means it's almost my birthday, and almost Christmas. To celebrate, I'm giving away a free short story from ODIN'S EYE. The short story is 'Lost And Found', and right now the free version is live on Smashwords and it's also available from Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble! Note Dec. 11, 2015: I'm having some… Continue reading Get a FREE short story from ODIN’S EYE!
Finally got my author copies of 'Cuts & Collected Poems 1989-2015'! It's a great feeling to hold your own words in your hands! The book is available in paperback via Amazon and CreateSpace! All the links and details to the ebook edition and paperback edition are in my Shop.
You can read a brand new interview with me at poet and writer Ben Ditmars' website, talking about poetry, writing, and getting into fights with Shakespeare! Ben also reviewed 'Cuts & Collected Poems 1989 - 2015' recently, and gave it a 5-star review: needless to say, I'm thrilled and grateful for all his kind words.… Continue reading New interview & review at Ben Ditmars’ website
Maria Haskins 