D.S. Chapman

Everyone has had that moment—a vibrant shining memory that reaches for your shoulder, reaching to turn you around. If you close your eyes, you might return there now. Sometimes it is the single moment that shaped your life—love, an achievement, a decision. More often they are small moments quickly forgotten—dreams that fade like rainbows, a hawk wings spread just so, a smile that catches its eyes aflame. (read more...)

It has been over a month since I finished writing a poem every day for a year. Once every 24 hours for 365 days I sat down to write a new poem from scratch. I have enjoyed the break this last month from late nights writing poetry by LCD screen. I will admit that I have not spent the entirety of the last month thinking of more poems, editing my overflowing supply of poems, or even contemplating the benefits of writing a poem every day for a year. But it was a unique experience, and I learned a great deal in the process about poetry, writing, and habits. Here are a few of those lessons. (read more...)

During the past seven months since I finished writing a poem every day for a year, I have not used this site much. In truth my own writing has been inconsistent. I've been jumping from project to project with long breaks in between writing or editing sessions. In fairness my life has been full of many good things including reading! Right now I am half-way through John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Near where I left off there's an extended discussion on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. (read more...)

There are not many options when trying to typeset a collection of poetry. A word processor provides the necessary functionality, but it is not well suited for the work. Adobe's InDesign provides the necessary precision but at a high cost, especially for smaller teams attempting to compile poems without paying Adobe's monthly fees. For those who are looking for alternatives, LaTeX provides both the precision and due to its license its available at the lovely price of free! (read more...)

A friend recently asked me which four stanzas poetry form was the best. It’s not a question with an easy or definitive answer, but it is worth considering - since it gets at the broader question of how poetry works and how we can write it. (read more...)

In June I self published my book. By the end of 2019 I had sold 55 copies. 55 copies of poetry kindly bought by friends and friends of friends. I recently watched the new adaptation of Little Women. One of my favorite scenes was Jo March watching the first copies of her book being made. I have always loved the physicality of books, although I own a kindle now, when I was younger I was quite vocal about my preference for physical books, and I still prefer reading the printed word on pages I can put my finger in-between and mark with a pen. (read more...)

It has been over a month since I finished writing a poem every day for a year. Once every 24 hours for 365 days I sat down to write a new poem from scratch. I have enjoyed the break this last month from late nights writing poetry by LCD screen. I will admit that I have not spent the entirety of the last month thinking of more poems, editing my overflowing supply of poems, or even contemplating the benefits of writing a poem every day for a year. But it was a unique experience, and I learned a great deal in the process about poetry, writing, and habits. Here are a few of those lessons. (read more...)

During the past seven months since I finished writing a poem every day for a year, I have not used this site much. In truth my own writing has been inconsistent. I've been jumping from project to project with long breaks in between writing or editing sessions. In fairness my life has been full of many good things including reading! Right now I am half-way through John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Near where I left off there's an extended discussion on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. (read more...)

A friend recently asked me which four stanzas poetry form was the best. It’s not a question with an easy or definitive answer, but it is worth considering - since it gets at the broader question of how poetry works and how we can write it. (read more...)

Self publish. It’s a phrase that carries a lot of baggage for authors and readers alike. For readers it can conjure images of 99 cent kindle books with a PowerPoint cover and text riddled with plot holes and misplaced punctuation. For authors it is a chance to make it big like Andy Weir (The Martian) , E.L. James (Fifty Shades of Grey), Christopher Paolini (Eragon), and others who have used digital and traditional methods to publish their own work. But it can also feel like a last resort, a desperate bid to find the recognition and success associated with traditional methods. (read more...)