A Word with Laurie

The word for today is (your) NAME.

Last Saturday I had the privilege of meeting Robert Lee Brewer, editor of Poet’s Market and Writer’s Market, author of the popular Writer’s Digest blog Poetic Asides, husband and father (just to name a few of his multifarious titles). I discovered that he is tall, has a deep resonating voice and is as kind and easy to talk to as Andy Griffith (but much younger). It was amazing to visit with Robert and experience his poetry reading. I have also had the opportunity to meet other poets such as Linda Evans Hofke and Paula Wanken, and can now hear their voices and imagine their demeanors when I communicate with them over the web.

Many of us meet at various poetry sites such as Imaginary Garden with Real Toads and proceed to visit one another's blogs, but we don’t know much about the people behind the screens. It's like we are on a tour of homes; we take delight in the atmosphere, but miss out on meeting the host/hostess. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had the opportunity to step into the kitchen and meet the cook? Well, that is exactly what I have planned for today.

What I’d like you to do is find the meaning of your first name on zelo.com (click here) and use it in a poem. Perhaps you might want to write a poem about what makes you unique, or an acrostic using your sobriquet. Maybe you would prefer using your nom de plume. You can combine all of these ideas or come up with your own; just incorporate something about your name in your piece. I can’t wait to finally meet YOU.