January Gill O'Neil Recommends...

"Like most writers—specifically parents who are writers—I don't have a lot of time to find inspiration. Galway Kinnell once told me to keep a notepad handy so I can take notes wherever I am: in the grocery store, listening to NPR, in the doctor's office (I once wrote a poem waiting for my annual mammogram). On my commutes to and from work, I dictate my thoughts into my iPhone to store ideas until I can get to my computer. These are some favorite phrases currently rolling around in my head: universal joint, hounds will hunt forever without any reward, silent as stars, boxed lunch, white athletic socks around hairy calves.

"Part of the fun of poetry is making sense out of ordinary randomness, thereby making everyday experiences extraordinary."
—January Gill O'Neil, author of Underlife (CavanKerry Press, December 2009)