by Holly Jahangiri | Dec 4, 2024
CHILDREN’S FICTION
A New Leaf for Lyle, written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated by Carrie Salazar. (Juvenile fiction, available in both eBook and paperback.) Lyle’s heart is in the right place, but his habit of lying about everything from whether he’s brushed his teeth to why he’s missed the bus make it hard for people to believe him when he does tell the truth. He doesn’t want to be known as “Lyle the Liar.” Can Lyle ever regain the trust of family and friends?
https://www.amazon.com/New-Leaf-Lyle-Holly-Jahangiri-ebook/dp/B00K1TW6DY
https://www.amazon.com/New-Leaf-Lyle-Holly-Jahangiri/dp/1497566118
CHILLS and THRILLS for TEENS/ADULTS
Innocents & Demons, by Holly Jahangiri (short story collection – PG-13 – for teens/adults, available in both eBook and paperback.) An eclectic collection of short stories that delve into the shadowy corners of the human mind, occasionally illuminating them with a flashlight tinted with a wicked sense of humor.
Mitchell Allen says, “Holly Jahangiri casts a spell whose imprint remains long after the final page has been turned.”
Alan Jobe writes, “I found that I was as impressed by Jahangiri’s fast paced story telling and believable characters as by the artful twist she gave to each story. I highly recommend Innocents and Demons to anyone who enjoys fast-paced stories with good writing and believable characters.”
https://www.amazon.com/Innocents-Demons-Holly-Jahangiri-ebook/dp/B00D803UD8/ (eBook)
https://www.amazon.com/Innocents-Demons-Collection-Short-Stories/dp/1490331824/ (paperback)
ANTHOLOGIES
I am both a contributor to and producer of the following anthologies.
Celebrating the Seasons: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose, by Pen & Keyboard Writers, an Affiliate of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (Available in eBook and paperback from multiple online retailers.) A collection of poems and short stories that celebrate the seasons – both the four seasons of nature and the parallel “seasons” of a human lifetime. The Pen & Keyboard Writers hope that you enjoy reading their work. Regardless of the number of candles on your birthday cake, their wish is that you may have in your life all the gifts to be presented by each season.
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Seasons-Pen-Keyboard-Writers-ebook/dp/B0BPH5TPXT (eBook)
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Seasons-Pen-Keyboard-Writers/dp/B0BN1KR8FQ (paperback)
People, Places, and Pets: Pen & Keyboard Writers 2024 Anthology (Available only in paperback from multiple online retailers.) This book is a collection of short stories about people, places, and pets, written by members of Oklahoma-based Pen & Keyboard Writers. It was awarded First Place in Anthologies in the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. (OWFI) Annual Contest in 2025.
https://www.amazon.com/People-Places-Pets-Keyboard-Writers/dp/B0DC1B7S9C/
Dreams+Nightmares: Poets Northwest Anthology 2023 (Available only in paperback from multiple online retailers.) We don’t control where our brains take us when we surrender to sleep. In this anthology, twenty poets take us on that wild ride with unique perspectives. Some of the poems feature the theme literally, while others highlight aspirations and disasters from their waking life. These poets are members of Poets Northwest, a group that meets monthly in the northwest region of Houston, Texas, to improve their craft and share their talents. Check out these varied perspectives, and see what happens the next time you drift off to sleep!
https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Nightmares-Poets-Northwest/dp/B0CK7FJC33
Poems from the Rebel Outpost. The Rebel Outpost is the creative virtual space for a close-knit group of poets who met during the inaugural year of The Stafford Challenge, 2024, during which registered participants wrote a poem (more or less) each day for a year. Members of The Rebel Outpost are mercurial: by turns serious, playful, collaborative, open to experimentation, and always eager to learn and to try new things.
Creating an anthology together is one of those things, and we hope that you enjoy the poems contained in our little book.
It seems fitting that this book is being published on William Stafford’s birthday, the one-year anniversary of the day these poets first met and the start of the second year of The Stafford Challenge.
https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Rebel-Outpost/dp/B0DTPLBDJG/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poems-from-the-rebel-outpost-the-rebel-outpost/1146869670?ean=9798230083436
I am just a contributor to the following anthology, but I highly recommend it. My poem rubs elbows with some very fine poems by a community of poets I love and respect:
The Stafford Challenge 2024-25 Anthology, from Wild Poet Press, contains over 200 poems from an international community of poets who committed to writing a poem a day for a year.
Featuring original work from acclaimed poets like Kim Stafford, Naomi Shihab Nye, CMarie Fuhrman, and more (including me!), this collection represents just a fraction of the thousands of poems written between January 17, 2024, and January 16, 2025, by the poets of The Stafford Challenge community. Inspired by the daily writing practice of William Stafford, these writers—from seasoned poets to those discovering their voices—dedicated themselves to this yearlong poetic journey, and each poem here stands as a tribute to that commitment. This collection is a celebration of the creative spirit, dedicated to anyone who has ever felt the deep pull of language, creativity, and the desire to express something potent and true.
https://wildpoetpress.com/anthology/
Watch this space – more to come!
by Holly Jahangiri | Nov 2, 2024
“Ah, Holly Jahangiri—the woman who’s never met a word she didn’t want to hoard like a literary squirrel. With a coffee cup in one hand and a thesaurus in the other, Holly’s been known to turn a simple greeting into a ten-paragraph essay. A “quick” blog post? Set aside your afternoon. Her idea of “brevity” involves only two plot twists and one existential crisis.
“She claims to write for all ages, but it’s clear she’s just trying to corner every market, from toddlers to philosophers. Who else could turn a children’s story about a monster under the bed into a deep dive on the human condition and the psychological effects of nocturnal disruptions? If Trockle were any more well-rounded, it would be rolling off the shelves.
“Holly’s blog is like a digital labyrinth—once you enter, good luck finding your way out. You came for a quick tip on writing, and three hours later you’re contemplating the meaning of creativity while signing up for a flash fiction contest you didn’t even know existed. She doesn’t just lead you down rabbit holes—she digs new ones as you follow.
“And let’s not forget her dedication to “lifelong learning.” At this rate, Holly will still be taking online courses at 102, trying to figure out how to write a sonnet in binary code. But in the end, it’s her boundless energy and enthusiasm that keep us all engaged, wondering what grand adventure—or diatribe—she’ll take us on next.”
From time to time, I quibble with AI and mock ol’ Cat Farts mercilessly, but even my husband agrees with it on this, and I am laughing too hard to be mad. It’s not wrong.
by Holly Jahangiri | Sep 2, 2024
If I had a dime for every time someone says, “I’ve read up on the rules for a [some complex poetry form] and no [expletives deleted] way can I write that!” followed by, “Still, I kinda want to try it” I’d be rich. If I had another dime for every time I’ve said or thought it, myself, I wouldn’t be writing this – I’d be buying a very large yacht. My friend Necia said it best, when she wrote, “Sestinas are not the cute green-eyed tree frog. They’re the formaldehyde-soaked bullfrog stuffed into a too-small jar that’s been forgotten in the back of a witch’s dilapidated shed.”
I quibbled with her. “That’s a villanelle. Sestinas are the newts’ eyes in a vat of pickling spices.”
“Ahhh, my bad,” she replied.
“They are the six-fingered chameleons needed for the Spell of Madness,” I added.
“Oh, absolutely!”
Necia and I have a lot of fun. Irreverent fun, when it comes to some of these mind-bending forms. We love a challenge…dammit.
Now, having tried the villanelle, the sestina, the ghazal, the ballade and more, and having wrestled each into submission at least once or twice (usually after muttering, “Never again!”), I’ve found that the easiest thing to do is to use an Excel spreadsheet. Forget pen and paper. Forget Word. The last sestina I wrote was called “an engineering marvel” and what engineer doesn’t love a good spreadsheet? I don’t like to hoard the goodies, so I’m sharing this here for my fellow poets. The rest of you can cast your spells using more mundane equipment. You’ll need Excel (Libre Office will probably open this, too).
poetic-forms-template (new) <<– click that, or right-click and Save as… (It’s a zip file containing one very simple little Excel file.)
There are two tabs in the zipped Excel file; the second is nothing more than a copy of the first, to use as a scratchpad when drafting a poem so that the first need never be touched. I’ll probably add onto this and update it, from time to time. The latest version adds a Sestina worksheet that makes rearranging your end words easier!
This post is dedicated to my new friend, Shannon Perry, in the hope that it helps to uncross her eyes from studying up on the sestina, and to Mervyn Seivwright, who also uses Excel as a scaffold for some of the trickier forms.
by Holly Jahangiri | Aug 28, 2024
No, NOT Ketchup (or Catsup, for that Matter)
I didn’t throw food. I’m not a heathen.
But I haven’t blogged since April, and I think it’s about time to catch up with you, my three – make that four – faithful readers. Please accept my apologies if you got swept up in my housekeeping flurry – after archiving all 800+ posts here, I have been selectively restoring them. I wasn’t aware that they would go back out to you in email, again. I wasn’t trying to spam you, honestly. Maybe just remind you that I’m not dead. Nor is my blog. Forgive me?
Writing News
Last year, I was named a Councilor and Webmaster for The Poetry Society of Texas (PST). In May, I was elected a Director; my term starts September 1, 2024. The Poetry Society of Texas (PST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose purpose is “to secure fuller public recognition of the art of poetry, to encourage the writing of poetry by Texans, and to kindle a finer and more intelligent appreciation of poetry, especially the work of living poets who interpret the spirit and heritage of Texas.” If you’d like to support PST while searching the internet and having a bit of fun with games and quizzes, check out Give with Bing (instructions for selecting PST so that your searches count towards donations by Microsoft are located here).
In February, I submitted three poems to the National Federation of Poetry Societies (NFSPS) Annual Contest; none were chosen as winners. My friend and fellow poet Mervyn R. Seivwright suggested aiming for at least 200 rejections a year, which means that I’m still behind! After all, if you’re a writer who is not winning contests, getting published, or receiving polite rejection slips, you’re not submitting your work often enough.
In May, I submitted 24 poems to Poets Northwest (I judged one category, or I’d have entered 25). As my mom used to say, “You can’t win if you don’t enter!” My poems won or placed in eleven categories! In August, I submitted 24 poems to the Poetry Society of Texas Annual Contests. I can’t share them here, because doing so would make them ineligible for contests and publication in some markets, but keep your fingers crossed for me – the Annual Awards Banquet is in Dallas on November 9, 2024, and I’ll know then how those did. Meanwhile, I have a few more looking for good homes.
In June, I participated in the Summer Writers Institute at the University of St. Thomas. I think of it as a 3-4 day retreat to focus solely on poetry or fiction. I’m always tempted to enroll, then, in the MFA program, but it makes little financial or practical sense for me, at this point. Still, it’s fun to stay in the dorm and be a full-time student for a few days!
I co-wrote a couple of poems, which my partner-in-crime, aka Necia Campbell, submitted to contests and journals. We have a little poetry group that’s an offshoot of the Stafford Poetry Challenge, and have been experimenting with invented, collaborative forms. We’re also planning to create an anthology later in the year.
Speaking of anthologies, this one is hot off the press: People, Places, and Pets. And if you missed it, I helped Poets Northwest publish Dreams+Nightmares last year.
Globe-Trotting
My husband and I have almost met our goal of visiting every state in the USA. Surprisingly enough, he’s ahead of me. And I have set foot in more countries than he has. He’s told me I ought to find a writing conference or workshop to attend in Kansas and in New Mexico – he’s been there, but I haven’t, and he’s happy for me to go alone. Now I’m worried – he doesn’t want to go back, or he’s tired of traveling with me? Maybe a little of both, by now!
We traveled to Rodanthe, NC, for a family reunion, then to the opposite coast to visit our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. It seems almost silly to say “on vacation” when you’re retired, but it was a pleasant change from the usual routine, and it’s always fun to spend time with family.
We were not renting the house that floated down the beach on our last day in Rodanthe, and thankfully, no one was in it when it broke loose from its moorings and took a swim in the sea. In fact, between the thunderstorms and the red flag warnings from Hurricane Ernesto and the runaway house, we had a few lovely beach days and lazy afternoons by the pool.
While we were in Oregon, we visited the Hopscotch immersive and interactive art exhibit. I highly recommend it, if you get the chance – especially with kids. It was my first-ever time playing in a huge, colorfully-lit ball pit. And we all got a chance to spray-paint laser graffiti on a digital brick wall.
Earlier this year, we visited Louisville, Kentucky, where we toured Bourbon distilleries, ate some great food, walked across the Ohio River to Indiana, and took a tour of Mammoth Cave – which I did not find “disappointing” in the least. We also met an online friend of mine, Sandy Knauer Morgan, who I met on the now-defunct writing site, Gather, longer ago than either of us care to admit. My husband admitted, after meeting her, that I have nice online friends. He’s now open to meeting more of them. We’ve come a long way since the late 1990s, when the family made one of my sisters-by-choice meet everyone and pass muster as “probably not a serial killer” before I could grab a coffee with her.
We traveled to Japan in March, to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. That was in June, but we figured we ought to go while the Sakura (cherry blossoms) were in bloom. They started blooming a day or two after we arrived. We enjoyed sightseeing in Tokyo, Fujikawaguchiko, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tōdai-Ji at Nara. I had told my husband that I would hold off eating any sort of Kobe (or Wagyu) beef until we were in Japan – preferably in or near Kobe. It was worth the wait! ! It practically melts in your mouth.
We met another online friend of mine, Yosuke, in Tokyo. He showed us around, had a lovely sushi dinner with us, and helped me find a replacement cable for my Garmin watch! Yosuke and I had once been in the same room, but not met, in 2012, at a Frank Zappa Unlocked tribute concert at UNT, featuring Arthur Barrow, Tommy Mars, and student musicians – my daughter was one, at the time. He was saluted from the stage for coming the farthest to see the concert, then left nice comments online about my daughter’s performance. We became Facebook friends, and I reached out before going to Tokyo asking for suggestions of things to see and do – and he agreed to meet up with us!
In April, we went to Dallas for the eclipse. The weather cleared just in time, and just long enough to give us a breathtaking view of a full solar eclipse. I could see, then, why people would “chase eclipses” around the world. It was entirely worth it, and we had a peaceful, uncrowded spot in an open field, with an unobstructed view, from which to watch it.
In May, I attended the annual Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc (OWFI) conference, hob-nobbed with fellow writers, and placed in one of the poetry contests. It was a fun, slightly bittersweet time, as it may be the last time my friend and publisher, Vivian Zabel, and I, attend.
We went to Austin for our niece, Lauren’s, graduation. There were two ceremonies! One for her college and one for all the graduates, together. UT Austin put on a stunning show – it was almost rained out, but again, the weather cleared and we were able to watch a drone show with congratulatory messages, a longhorn steer, a graduation cap with a moving tassel, and more looming over the stadium. While we were there, Lauren showed us where Thomas Dambo‘s Malin lives.
We traveled to Sacramento and to Yosemite National Park. I was surprised by how much of Yosemite you can see in a couple of days; I’d assumed we would miss a lot, but we left satisfied with the whole experience. So many beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails for every ability.
Invention is the Mother of All Poetry
Our Stafford “small group” of writers that meets on Zoom – originally dubbed “The Nameless” but now also calling itself “The Rebel Outpost” invented a new poetry form: the “Rebellian” (pronounced like “rebellion”).
Rules for the Rebellian:
- Blank verse written in any number of couplets (If co-written, each participant should alternate submitting couplets)
- A chosen word (eg, “Today”) must be the first word of the first and every other couplet (lines 1, 5, 9, 13, etc), and it must be the last word of the alternating couplet (lines 4, 8, 12, 16, etc)
- Each quatrain should be able to stand alone, linked only by the word “today”
TIP: Start with a word that’s an iamb to make the meter easier. A very short phrase might be okay, as long as it could work at the end of the next couplet, is iambic, and isn’t too “leading” in its message Example: “Another day” or “A bird in flight.”
Give it a try! Send me a link to your poem, if you post it.
