January Book Giveaway!
I’m delighted to announce that Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems edited by Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R. Wilson is our next Book Giveaway. Poetry of Presence is the perfect book to start off the New Year. It answers our need for New Year resolutions, yet also gives us permission to be still and quiet. As the editors wrote, “Mindfulness poems inspire us to live better, and to make our world better. At the same time, they grant us a taste of being good enough, just as we are, in this world, just as it is.”
I first “met” Phyllis through Judy Brown, a friend whose poetry is in Poetry of Presence and our own Teaching with Heart. (We also featured Judy’s poetry in a series of posts for a “Week of Fire” in January 2016. Check them out, they’re a great way to stay warm in this cold season.) From the very start, our email correspondence was warm and lively—as if we’d known each other for years. I was drawn to Phyllis’ generous spirit and her poetry. Last December, we posted her poem “On How to Pick and Eat Poems” on our blog. I love the way she encourages us to take poetry off the shelf and bring it into our life, as I wrote then, “The poem brings home the luscious, earthy, sensual qualities of poetry. Read it, then go pick your own poem, bite into it, and let it stream down your cheeks.”
Knowing of her work, I was honored when Phyllis and Ruby asked me to endorse Poetry of Presence: “After reading just a poem or two in Poetry of Presence, I started quieting down, breathing easier. The poems had already begun to do their work. What a gift! This will be a book I return to again and again to find the peaceful presence I need to face the day.”
How to win a copy of Poetry of Presence:
As a special thank you to our blog subscribers, each month we will give away autographed books by a wide range of authors and poets. Winners are picked randomly at the end of each Giveaway. Subscribe to our blog by January 17th and you will be entered into a drawing for Poetry of Presence and all the following Book Giveaways.
Copies of Poetry of Presence are also available directly through the editors, the publisher Grayson Books, and all major retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Quantity discounts are available.
About Poetry of Presence:
Poetry of Presence is a collection of more than 150 mindfulness poems, mostly by contemporary or recent poets. Mindfulness poems invite us to bring our whole self to whatever moment we’re in, and truly live it. They encourage us to be more present, more attentive and compassionate, in the living of our days. They grant us a taste of being good enough, just as we are, in this world, just as it is.
Anthologized poets include Yehuda Amichai • Margaret Atwood • Ellen Bass • Wendell Berry • Robert Bly • Billy Collins • Mahmoud Darwish • Thich Nhat Hanh • Joy Harjo • Tony Hoagland • Miroslav Holub • Marie Howe • Erica Jong • Kabir • Galway Kinnell • Ted Kooser • Howard Nemerov • Kathleen Norris • Mary Oliver • Rainer Maria Rilke • Rumi • May Sarton • William Stafford • David Wagoner • Alice Walker and many more.
What is mindfulness poetry? Why is it important?
Mindfulness is a buzzword these days, whether in health and wellness, parenting, education, the workforce, counseling, spirituality … but what does it mean? Here’s one way to understand it: Mindfulness is keeping our heads and hearts where our bodies are. Moment by moment, we sustain a deep, nonjudgmental awareness of our thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and surroundings, right where we are. We cultivate mindfulness throughout our days by returning to the present moment, again and again. This allows us to actually live our lives instead of just going through the motions. The more mindful we become over time, the happier we are. Studies reveal that regular mindfulness practice reduces stress, promotes health, stimulates learning and creativity, enhances relationships, helps us face suffering and loss, and strengthens our compassion for others.
We cultivate mindfulness throughout our days by returning to the present moment, again and again. This allows us to actually live our lives instead of just going through the motions.
About the editors:
Originally from Ohio, Phyllis Cole-Dai makes her home in Brookings, South Dakota, where she resides with her husband and teenage son in a cozy 120-year-old house. Poetry of Presence is her seventh book, and her only volume of poetry. She has also created four music albums and is in demand as a public speaker. “My profession,” she likes to joke, “is whatever doesn’t pay well.” But don’t let her humor fool you. Her work is driven by a profound desire to help create a more humane world for this and future generations. In 2013 her adopted city awarded her the 14th annual Dorothy and Eugene Butler Human Rights Award.
Ruby R. Wilson graduated from South Dakota State University with majors in German and Geography. Though she had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to 
be when she grew up, she has now found her niche as an archivist in the University Archives & Special Collections Department at SDSU and as a freelance writer and photographer. She has published three poetry chapbooks: Campus Sketches: Images of South Dakota State University in Word and Photograph (2012), At the Rim of the Horizon (Finishing Line Press, 2014), and Maybe the Moon is Falling (South Dakota State Poetry Society, 2014), one of four winners of the Society’s chapbook competition. Ruby lives on a small acreage in rural Brookings County with her husband Jim. She can sometimes be seen gathering seeds from big bluestem and other native plants, or gazing at stars that aren’t crowded out by city lights.
Remember to subscribe to our blog by January 17th to be entered to WIN an autographed copy of Poetry of Presence!
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