How a Poem Moves started as a way to revisit poems that I had first read when I was a juror for the Griffin Poetry Prize. I wanted to introduce new encounters to the friends I have in the poetry world. And for my friends who are not regular readers of poetry, I wanted to provide an entry-point, an escort or field guide into the world of contemporary poetry.

So I started a blog. The blog consists of short essays on single poems, 1000-word expressions of enthusiasm and delight. In the first burst I wrote an essay every two weeks until I found myself with a sizeable pile. It started to feel like a book, and the good people at ECW Press helped make that happen.

Here’s a link to my publisher’s website, which has lots of information about the book.

Since then I’ve added essays occasionally, and hope to continue to do so. The blog (and the book) can work as an educational tool for teachers, and I’m happy to link up to support those efforts.