Best Poetry Book for 2019/2020

Love Poems from Vermont by Jon Meyer (Brilliant Light Publishing) has recently been awarded First Place in Poetry 2019/2020 by Readers Reviews Readers Choice Awards, and a Second Place Award in the Travel/Nature category. Also, Best Regional Book and Best North East Book for 2019/2020. (awards images)

The National Readers Choice Awards Reader Views is highly rated among top awards globally, and for this first collection of poems (soon to be followed by a second volume, Can Love Save the Planet?) we’re pleased to see such a positive reception.

Susan Violante, the Director of Contests had this to say:

“I knew I wanted to read Love Poems From Vermont by Jon Meyer as soon as I saw the book. It is a beautiful collection of pictures and poetry presented to readers in the perfect package.”

“The author did an amazing job expressing an array of different ways we can experience love through short poems, visuals, and insight and inspires readers to reflect their own love experiences while enjoying the beautiful pictures as the words linger within.”

Love Poems from Vermont serves as a treasure map to locate the visual and poetic delights that give Vermont its reputation as a haven for the soul. Like the intensity of fresh love where the lover thinks of the beloved night and day, each short poem will last long after you close the book, and prompt you to pick it up again.

With over 60 poignant poems in all, each is embedded in a color photo image of a beautiful place in Vermont. Jon receives each poem and then begins his search for the perfect photo image, to pair with the words. Love Poems from Vermont is the result of 16 years of attentive and dedicated writing, and much traveling.

Embark on an inspired Vermont road trip and discover a love of your own, either online at the author’s website, Indiebound.org, or at your local independent bookstore.

Maintaining Positive Mental Health During Strange Times

For those of us who are finding self-isolation and social distancing challenging to their mental well-being, we offer even more excellent books written by New England authors:

The Possibility Principle (Sounds True)

by Connecticut author and therapist, Mel Schwartz

Author, practicing psychotherapist, marriage counselor, speaker, corporate leadership and communications consultant, Mel Schwartz’s book, The Possibility Principle has broken new ground in illuminating the path to a more fulfilling life. His practice has embraced the emerging worldview of Quantum Physics, offering readers a revolutionary approach to integrating the core principles of quantum theory – inseparability, potentiality, and uncertainty. His writing and ideas are an accessible and practical method for personal empowerment.

Mel has jumped head first into the uncharted waters of human possibility, and surfaced with comprehensive tools to finding relief from personal suffering. He also has an excellent podcast to accompany his work and findings, and shares more practical and helpful tips. He invites listeners to contact him ahead of time with their challenges, and produces podcast episodes addressing them directly, using the concepts outlined in the book. He often invites a guest speaker as well. His latest episode: Staying Psychologically and Emotionally Resilient throughout This Pandemic is online now.

Forest Bathing Retreat: Find Wholeness in the Company of Trees (Storey Publishing)

by Massachusetts author, Hannah Fries

For those who are able to safely get themselves to the woods and nature, check out the suggestions found in Forest Bathing Retreat by New Hampshire native, (now settled in western Massachusetts) Hannah Fries. Spending time alone in the woods for meditation, inspiration and quiet time is nothing new, but recent scientific studies are finding this practice to have tremendous health benefits.

Many colorful forest photos are included in the book (and can be used as part of your quiet time if no woods are available to you) along with the author’s observations and guided mindfulness exercises. A curated selection of inspirational and cross-cultural writings round out a beautiful book offering the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) as an invitation to you, to find fresh insights, inspiration, and well-being in the forest.

Hannah Fries is also an award-winning poet and editor and can be found online at, www.hannahfries.com.

Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection (Green Writers Press)

edited by James Crews, Preface by Ted Kooser

Continuing to shelter in place and self-isolate with Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection, edited by Vermont poet, James Crews, will keep you in a positive state of mind. This anthology was produced in order to move us past differences and closer to a united community: “what Dr. Martin Luther King called the “beloved community,” a place where we see each other as the neighbors we already are.”

Our current situation calls for honest heart-to-heart communication. Delivered in direct language from a poet’s pen, reading a poem or two daily from this collection will help calm the worry, and bring the focus back to humanity as family. Find inspiration and gratitude within the pages of this wonderful collection, as we ride this wave together. May we find relief in perpetual kindness!

League of Vermont Writers fall program

The recent League of Vermont Writers fall program, held on October 6th, was a great success! Each of the three keynote speakers -- Sonja Hakala, Ed Vincent, and Bill Schubart, gave excellent and informative presentations. It was clear from the very positive audience response that each presenter delivered vital information.

Ed spoke from his great experience as a publisher of mystery novels, and demonstrated his expertise, with many stories of how his publishing company works. Sonja detailed the various author choices currently available, from traditional publishing, to self-publishing, to ebooks. She outlined the steps to take, and paths to avoid, drawing on her experience and research used to author her book, Your Book, Your Way. Also, she reviewed publishing vocabulary and which companies could help with the various choices.

Bill Schubart also spoke from decades of personal experience that included numbers to make his point. For example, after outlining the steps to publish, he suggested that for an author to develop a book, pricing could run as much as $2,800 to $3,200. This included the necessary costs to pay critical readers, a copy editor, a literary editor, etc. He also mentioned professional ways to approach bookstores, outlined steps preliminary to printing and promoting a book, and covered royalties from traditional publishers.

The program also included genre break out sessions to help members get to know each other while working on writing as creative groups. The group overall agreed the day was very successful.

On October 8th, Vermont Poet Laureate, Chard DeNiord, conducted a workshop sponsored by Sundog Poetry. His command of the history of poetry was inspiring as he responded to questions. In his critiques of attendees’ poems, he gave examples of specific poets’ solutions to similar issues, along with his own suggestions. It is very apparent that he is an outstanding teacher, and after the session, he read from his own poems.

Welcome to Brilliant Light Publishing

We are excited to launch Brilliant Light Publishing/Media, L3C as a celebration of excellent writing and poetry in New England. We are honored to have Jean Connor as our first featured poet. Her poetry emphasizes a frank beauty that handsomely articulates details, as well as the grand picture. 

Welcome! 

It is instructive to learn about poets’ ideation process. Ruth Stone said that poems floated toward her from the universe. Her job was to grab them and write them down. If she didn’t snag them soon enough, they would float by and disappear forever! Being quick is part of success.

Chard DeNiord in his poem, "The Gift" memorializes Ruth Stone's process.

The Gift

In memory of Ruth Stone (June 8th, 1915—November 19th, 2011)

“All I did was write them down

wherever I was at the time,

hanging laundry, baking bread, driving to Illinois.”

Mary Oliver wrote a two line poem, “Humility.” 

 Poems arrive ready to begin.

      Poets are only the transportation.

Begin is the operative word. The arrival is an exhilarating moment. But after the poem arrives, there is still much to do. Revision ideas arrive as improvements, and they are an equally creative and important part of the process. 

We appreciate these extraordinary poets’ results, as well as how they arrived:

Poet Showcase edited by Alice B. Fogel and Sidney Hall, Jr. and published by Hobblebush Books is an anthology of New Hampshire poets. The editors ask the question, “Why do we have so many poets in New Hampshire?”  The poems themselves offer a wide range of answers. 

Roads Taken: Contemporary Vermont Poetry, edited by Sydney Lea and Chard DeNiord, and published by Green Writers Press states, “With its mystical landscape and fiercely self-reliant citizenry, Vermont has inspired poets from its earliest days.” This certainly resonates. Vermont is an inspiring state to live in and to write in.