The Ghazal Page published my poem "Rilke Returns to Ronda" -- late to report

For some reason, I never announced the publication of my latest favorite poem,

"Rilke Returns to Ronda,"

a ghazal in an earlier issue (number 63) of The Ghazal Page.

This poem was inspired by my visit to Ronda, Spain last year.  I found out that Ernest Hemingway had famously visited Ronda, and so had Rainer Maria Rilke, one of my favorite poets. Rilke had been experiencing terrible writer's block and stayed a few months in a hotel in the hills there, during which he experienced a re-awakening of inspiration and began writing again.

I had been toying with the idea of writing about Rilke in Ronda but had not hit upon a way to approach the theme when I heard of The Ghazal Page's "places" challenge and realized it had to be a ghazal!  I had not written a tercet ghazal before but this one seemed to demand to be one, maybe because Rilke wrote his famous "Spanish Trilogy" in Ronda! 

Rilke's real first name was "Rene" so I used "reborn" in the last stanza, according to the tradition.
I make a passing reference to Hemingway as well!  While I was in Ronda, my travel companion wanted to see the bullring, which is the oldest existing one in Spain, so I saw that firsthand.  And the carpark we used was called "Poeta Rilke!"

The Ghazal Page publishes my ghazal "Wings" about Ada Lovelace in their Freedom issue.

POEMS

Beatriz F. Fernandez
Wings

Ghazals galore for Valentine's day!

Valentine's Day month, is also very appropriately the month several of my ghazals about famous pairs of lovers are appearing:  first, "Maid Marian's Many Silences" was published by Quarterday Review in their Imbolc issue.

This poem, as I mentioned in an earlier post, was inspired by the film "Robin and Marian" starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as an older Robin Hood and Maid Marian.

Another pair of ekphrastic ghazals, "On Viewing 'Dante and Beatrice' by Henry Holiday, 1884" was republished by The Ghazal Page, in their Issue 58.

These ghazals are companion persona ghazals, written in the voice of Beatrice, then Dante, and inspired by the painting by Henry Holiday:

First acceptance of the New Year!

Ah, how sweet it is!  The first acceptance of the year comes from the Quarterday Review for their Imbolc issue. (The editor also offered candid feedback from her and her staff readers, so that was very helpful.  It's always interesting to see what other readers focus on when reading your poems.)

They accepted my latest ghazal Maid Marian's Many Silences!  This poem was inspired by the film "Robin and Marian" starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn which must have made an impression on me since I have never forgotten it!  Contrary to most portrayals, this film showed an older Robin Hood and Maid Marian.

Right now I'm working on a free verse poem entitled Plague Graffiti and another one about Joan of Arc.  I guess I'm sort of mentally stuck in the Middle Ages right now!

My latest ghazal in The Quarterday Review

http://nebula61.tumblr.com/post/128271704766/clippedonissuu-from-the-quarterday-review-august

The Ghazal Page is back! (and contains three of my ghazals!)

I'm very thrilled to be part of the comeback of The Ghazal Page! This inaugural issue of the revived Ghazal Page is chock-full of an amazing variety of this fascinating and fun poetry form, collected by the new editor, Holly Jensen, who kindly included my poems "Hypatia's Revenge", "The Ghazal Ghazal (or How to Write a Ghazal), (which she uses as an example below) and "Ghazal Upon Hearing of a Mutual Friend's Death" in this new issue!

The Quarterday Review to publish my latest ghazal and review my chapbook!

I'm happy to have a new ghazal, "Thirteen Days and Nights" upcoming in the new journal The Quarterday Review: Poetry of Mythic Journeys. This is an ekphrastic ghazal inspired by the painting “The Amazon Queen Thalestris in the Camp of Alexander the Great” by Johann Georg Platzer, with thanks to Adrienne Mayor’s article on the subject in History Today 1/15. Her article and Platzer's painting really brought the encounter to life for me.

Quarterday's editor also kindly agreed to review my chapbook, Shining from a Different Firmament!

The new Ghazal Page will publish four of my ghazals!

Holly Jensen has re-launched The Ghazal Page and accepted FOUR of my ghazals; three for the summer issue and one for winter.  I am very happy to be included in this journal that originally debuted in 1999 under the editorship of Gene Doty and features poets from all over the world.  The ghazal has become my signature form poem--definitely my favorite and most comfortable poetry form! 

Holly is still reading for the Summer issue until May 15th and also invites poets "to send us ghazals inspired by our Challenge topic: FLORA." by August 15th.