Which of your poetry books should I start with?
If you want to read a slim poetry collection, Calendars is a good entry point. If you want a more complete overview, try Spells: New and Selected Poems. If you are a practicing witch or spiritually inclined, The Poetry Witch Little Book of Spells and Goddess Poems should be of interest. For my epic poem on abortion, see Among the Goddesses.
Which books of yours will help me become a better poet?
Check out the books on this page (and you may be interested in Poetry Witch Community!).
Which books are best for me to learn about meter, form, and scansion?
For practical guidance, check out Best Books for Poets, especially A Poet’s Craft and Measure for Measure–and don’t forget my new baby, How to Scan a Poem! You will also find the free Reader’s Guide to Calendars very helpful. To learn more about my ideas of the meanings of meter–called “the metrical code”– see The Ghost of Meter. For criticism and theory about contemporary formalism, see The Body of Poetry and the Essays on Poetry. Some of my best meter teaching happens in Poetry Witch Community’s Meter Magic Spiral. including a downloadable class in scansion called A Poet’s Ear coming soon, and you can find useful videos on my Youtube channel.
Where can I find your ideas on feminist criticism and women poets?
My ideas about women’s poetry and feminist poetics are interlaced throughout my work. In particular, they are laid out in several essays in The Body of Poetry, many chapters in The Ghost of Meter, and the preface to A Formal Feeling Comes. Also check out the Essays on this site, and you may also be interested in Choice Words: Writers on Abortion.
Where are your writings on witchcraft, earth-centered spirituality, & the Divine Feminine?
These ideas can be found throughout all my poetry, including Eve, Calendars (book and CD), Spells, Goddess Poems, Among the Goddesses, and The Poetry Witch Little Book of Spells. You can also learn a lot by joining Poetry Witch Community, and sign up for the Spellsletter for updates about my magical books-in-progress in this department!
How can I learn more about your own poetry and practice as Poetry Witch?
While all of my criticism grows directly out my poetic practice and contributes to an understanding of it; the best book to read for this purpose is The Body of Poetry: Essays on Women, Form, and the Poetic Self. You may also be interested in Annie Finch’s Patreon, my most intimate online platform, where I post a writing journal including inspirations, photos, and drafts of poems in progress.
Where is the best place to purchase your books so I can support you?
Thank you for this thoughtful question! The very best place to purchase my books (plus my other favorite books on poetry, witchery, love, and life!)–is Poetry Witch Bookshop!
Enjoy!
Yours in love, magic, and poetry,