“Think Mormon thoughts, then write a good poem”
I asked at a poetry reading in 2022 how to write Mormon poetry that was good, because I wanted to express my feelings, my experiences, my faith—but I didn’t want to continue writing the sappy, overly sentimental poems I had been writing.
This was the response, to think Mormon thoughts and write good poetry.
Mary Oliver says that poets should practice just like any other artist, copying the masters until they have developed the skill to press forward with their own style. Poets should write often, they should write when they don’t feel like writing, they should write poems that aren’t even aesthetically any good, but that give the poet practice with form, structure, sound, or word choice.
Since January of 2023, I’ve been trying to write a Mormon poem every day. I’ve grown to have a deeper connection to my faith and a better way with words.
I’ve also published one book that you can purchase here:
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