Over decades of running and participating in writing workshops, I’ve found that the best workshops happen when they include simple but effective guidelines for responding.
This Four Points of Good Workshopping handout has served me well for creating a community of writers. It helps authors take in critiques and it helps participants guide their responses. It uses well-known interpersonal communication principles in order to achieve these goals.
(more…)I played acoustic and electric guitars and sang as a soloist and in a bunch of bands, gigging the small bar circuit throughout the 70s and 80s before moving to Nashville for a while. I never did break into the songwriting business then, and I gave up for many years. After I joined Indiana University Southeast as a writing faculty, I started songwriting, playing and singing again. My music has had a little bit of a renaissance lately, and I’ve enjoyed coming back to one of the loves of my life.
In today’s video podcast, I show you where I’m at so far in the process of arranging the Who’s rock classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again” to a more Americana/Roots style. Check out my progress, as I explain and play through the decisions I’m making for working up this tune to fit my playing and singing style.
If you liked this podcast, you might like my cover of Donovan’s “Colours.”
Hearing a poem is often stronger and more enjoyable than reading one. I’ve placed audio files of me reading eight of my poems on Soundcloud. Enjoy these.
Pick an opening line:
If you enjoyed listening to my poems on Soundcloud, you might like to hear some of my music as well. I suggest my cover of “Colours” by Donovan.
Music is so important to poetry, that not developing it is equivalent to being tone deaf and trying to create a song. Remember, Sonnet means “Little Song” in Italian, and lyric poetry is so named for its musical qualities. Yet so many poets omit taking the time to train the ear.
(more…)In 2002, I was a frequent guest writer and columnist for a Louisville, KY magazine called The Snitch. With the rise of concern about prison education reform, I’m reprinting this article, which is still relevant. It first appeared in The Snitch of Louisville, August 15, 2002, under the title, “Teaching Inmates the Hard Way.”
(more…)I still own a 2007 Honda Fit Sport, a fun, lovely little car that’s versatile, has good milage for a gas-burner, and a rabid fanbase. Believe it or not, it was my first new car purchase, and I was so crazy about it I wanted to write about my experience.
Back when I worked as an editor and freelancer, I had a friend who owned (and probably still owns) Autochannel.com. I pitched him A More Perfect Fit and he took me up on the Honda Fit column. I was delighted when I discovered that my old columns were still posted. I still find them relevant, so enjoy.
This column has links to the others: “Toward a More Perfect Mileage”
In FINDING THE WORDS 1: BLACKOUT/ERASURE POETRY I presented a lesson on how to get out of your word rut and discover new vocabulary through that form. In this lesson, you’ll discover new words by playing the “Eight Words Game.” The game also works as a poetry generative exercise.
(more…)
Mike Jackman, Singer-Songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist, Writer