Crafting Poetry One Syllable at a Time
Posted on September 2, 2020 by Colleen M. Chesebro
“A Piece of Living History!”
This anthology and compilation is for everyone wherever you live in the world. We are all experiencing the impact of COVID19 and lockdown. As writers, bloggers and creatives we express our thoughts and opinions in writing: in heartfelt poetry, pieces on isolation and the impact of COVID19 and the ‘new normal.’ There are twenty-eight talented contributors, including the creative NHS Mask Making Fundraising Team of Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago Val. The contributors come from as far afield as Australia, Canada, USA and Zimbabwe, or closer to my current home in England – in Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
It is as Willow Willers, a contributor said, ‘A piece of living history.’
This extraordinary and unexpected time period will be shared with future generations one day.
Compiling and editing this anthology has given me a purpose over the period of Lockdown and for that I am grateful.
It is an anthology and compilation of diaries, short stories, poetry and flash fiction set during extraordinary times. This Is Lockdown is written from many perspectives, including a writer’s perspective highlighting the day-to-day life and struggles experienced during such an uncertain and frightening time. It also gives a glimpse into the blogging, writing world. The book showcases several authors and their thoughts on what it is like to experience ‘isolation’ as a writer. I discuss the handling of the pandemic and my opinion about what might happen next. In the final part of the book I share my latest short story: a YA romance set post lockdown along with poetry, and flash fiction inspired by the pandemic.
Goodreads Quotes:
“When people look back on the events of 2020, books like this will assume a great importance. They will remind us of all the little things that we took for granted and were suddenly gone.”
“MJ Mallon begins this heartening book with a stunning foreword to mark the times that are sure to become part of a testament of our times in history on the 2020 global pandemic Covid19 that has rocked our collective world.”
“I was fortunate to have an opportunity to read an early copy of this book and was delighted to see the author putting this collection out into the world. A highly recommended read that I imagine readers of the future looking to”’
“’It’s a privilege to be a small part of this book as one of the ‘isolation writers.’ It feels like contributing to a little piece of history for the future. Fascinating to read all the thoughts and musings and feel that none of us were ever really alone.”
The full list of contributors: Richard Dee, (Sci Fi , Steampunk, Amateur Detective author,) Catherine Fearns, (Amazon Bestselling Author of Police Procedural/Mysteries and Music Journalist,) Lynn Fraser, (Author,) Jackie Carreira, (Writer, musician, designer and aspiring philosopher,) Willow Willers, (Poet and Writer,) Sharon Marchisello, (Murder Mystery, Financial non-fiction author,) Fi Phillips ,(Author, Copy Editor,) Jeannie Wycherley, (Dark stories, Suspense, Horror,) Chantelle Atkins, (Urban Fiction, Teen/YA,) Tracie Barton-Barrett, (Speaker/Author,) Peter Taylor-Gooby, (Crime, Love Stories, Political Fiction,) Ritu Bhathal, (Chick Lit, Romance, Poet,) Alice May , (Author, Artist and Speaker,) Miriam Owen, (Blogger, Doctoral Researcher,) Drew Neary and Ceri Williams (Ghost Horror, Supernatural,) Katherine Mezzacappa, (Historical Fiction/Romance,) Sally Cronin, (Huge supporter of indie community/Blogger/Author) D G Kaye, (Memoirist/NonFiction,) Adele Marie Park, (Fantasy, Horror, Urban fantasy,) Marian Wood, (Blogger, Poet and Writer.) Samantha Murdoch, (Writer, Blogger,) Beaton Mabaso (Blogger, African storyteller,) Frank Prem (Poet, Author) Anne Goodwin (Author, Book Blogger) Sherri Matthews (Writer, Photographer, Blogger,) Jane Horwood and Melissa Santiago-Val – Community Masks for The NHS .
Amazon.com
M J Mallon has outdone herself by writing a memoir of her time in lockdown in England while the Covid-19 Virus held the rest of the world hostage (and still does). Partially written in the form of a diary and called the “COVID 19 diaries,” Mallon shares the daily activities of her family during the crises. She doesn’t sugarcoat their concern for the safety of their family—she tells it like it is.
In a historical context, Mallon also shares the U. K. numbers of those infected and those who have succumbed to this terrible disease, along with a few political opinions of her own. There is a poignancy to her words that touches us all no matter where we live, as we stand united in fear against a little-understood disease.
“We are all in this together,” truly becomes the mantra for the collection as the book expands to include an extraordinary collection of writers from the author’s writing community, who also share how the virus changed their lives. The honesty and sincerity of these authors deeply touched me. I connected to their experiences because as an empathic writer, I shared many of the same feelings, doubts, and concerns.
The second half of the collection features short stories, flash fiction and poetry written by the author during this troublesome time.
In the years to come, I hope the author’s story, “Stay at Home,” serves as a testament to the unusual times we lived through. The story carries a “family-trigger warning” as it portrays one man’s struggle to survive the virus. Its truth is as haunting as the rest of the book.
*I follow the Amazon Rating System*
I am a diverse author who blogs at: https://mjmallon.com. My interests include writing, poetry, photography, and alternative therapies. My favourite genres to write are: Fantasy YA, Paranormal, Ghost and Horror Stories and I love writing various forms of poetry and micro poetry – haiku and Tanka and flash fiction.
I am proud to be included in the best-selling horror anthology Nightmareland which received best seller status with best-selling author Dan Alatorre at the helm.
It is one of my greatest pleasures to read and I have written over 100 reviews: https://mjmallon.com/2015/09/28/a-z-of-my-book-reviews/
I write collaborative articles celebrating the spiritual realm and love of nature and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.
My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros! I was born on the 17th of November in Lion City: Singapore, (a passionate Scorpio, with the Chinese Zodiac sign a lucky rabbit,) second child and only daughter to m parents Paula and Ronald. I grew up in a mountainous court in the Peak District in Hong Kong with my elder brother Donald.
As a teenager, I travelled to many far-flung destinations. It’s rumoured that I now live in the Venice of Cambridge, with my six-foot hunk of a Rock God husband, and my two enchanted daughters.
When I’m not writing, I eat exotic delicacies while belly dancing, or surf to the far reaches of the moon. To chill out, I practise Tai Chi. If the mood takes me I snorkel with mermaids, or sign up for idyllic holidays with the Chinese Unicorn, whose magnificent voice sings like a thousand wind chimes.
I am a member of two professional writing bodies: the Society of Children’s Writers and Book Illustrators – SCBWI and Cambridge Writers.
Authors Website: https://mjmallon.com
Collaborative Blog: https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC: Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/
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Category: Book ReviewsTags: #poetry, 2020 Book Reviews, author testimonies, Book Reviews, Covid-19, COVID-19 Diaries, flash fiction, MJ Mallon, short stories, This is Lockdown, UK Lockdown
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“A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him.”
—Dylan Thomas
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Colleen M. Chesebro is an American Poet who loves crafting paranormal fantasy and magical realism, cross-genre flash fiction, syllabic poetry, and creative nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called Tanka Tuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of haiku, senryu, haiga, tanka, gogyohka, tanka prose, renga, solo-renga, haibun, cinquain, Etheree, nonet, and shadorma poetry. Colleen's syllabic poetry has appeared in the Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal, and in “Hedgerow, a journal of small poems.” She’s won numerous awards from participating in the Carrot Ranch Rodeo, a yearly flash fiction contest sponsored by carrotranch.com. In 2020, she won first place in the Carrot Ranch Folk Tale or Fable category, with her story called “Why Wolf Howls at the Moon.” Colleen is a Sister of the Fey, where she pursues a pagan path through her writing. When she is not writing, she is reading. She also loves gardening and crocheting old-fashioned doilies into works of art.
These books will be a valuable part of everyone´s library. A reminder if this unusual time and how we coped.
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Yes indeed Darlene. It kept me busy which was such a good thing. I miss it now! But on to new projects. 🙂
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Yes! I thought that as well, Darlene. ❤️
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😍
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Thank you so much Colleen for your wonderful review. ❤ x
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You’re welcome. I thought this was a brilliant collection! ❤️
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Aww thank you so much Colleen. ❤
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Great review! I just started it last night.
Congrats on your new book too!!!
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Thanks, James. It’s a brilliant collection. ❤️
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Sounds like a valuable collection for future generations to reflect upon.
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I agree. It was interesting to hear from other authors and how they were affected.
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Yes this worldwide virus connects us all in shared experiences Colleen.
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Thanks Craig. Yes thanks so much for your interest. I hope to bring it out in paperback too for anyone who doesn’t enjoy reading kindle.
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I hope people enjoy e-readers. I’ve based my career on them.
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Oh yes. I read in all formats Craig. I’m hoping to get a copy for my mum and dad! 🙂
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Lovely review Colleen. Thanks for sharing. This one is for the posterity! Nobody should forget these times. Congratulations Marje for doing a fabulous job of recording these experiences.
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I agree, Balroop. This book is worth having just to record what it is like. ❤
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Thank you Balroop. And many thanks to Colleen for her wonderful review. This is very different from my usual writing but these are extraordinary times.
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Great review, Colleen:) I added this to my TBR list, but will wait to read for a bit.
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Hi Denise thank you. It’s very much about community and family and getting through difficult times. Hope you enjoy.
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A wonderful and heartfelt review, Colleen. I have a copy in my kindle and your review only makes me want to get to it faster. Congrats to Marje and that long list of contributors. What a great concept. I can’t wait to dive in. 🙂
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Thanks, Diana. I thought it was a brilliant idea. An amazing group of authors from around the world contributed, as well. Historically a keeper for sure! ❤
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I have my copy. Now I just need some breathing room to read! Lol
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Hi Diana. Awesome thank you so much for downloading a copy. It is as Willow Willers says: A Piece of Living History!
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I’m so intrigued, Marje, and looking forward to the read!
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Apologies for late reply you were in my pending file! Thank you. It’s different but in a good way. I hope you will enjoy.
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No worries. Some blogs are moderated and WP loves to pop me into spam too. Lol. I just go with the flow. 😀
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Yes, WP is keeping us safe! I’ve had to rescue a few people from the spam folder of late.
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That reminds me… I better check mine!
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Lol. Always a spam monster getting up to mischief!
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Fab review for this time capsule of a book. I was thrilled to be part of it. Congrats to Marje ❤
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Well done, Sis! I loved all the author stories and poetry! ❤️❤️❤️
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Thanks ❤
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Thank you Debby, so thrilled you are a part of it too. ❤ x
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Yay, we’ll all be together in history ❤
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Yes! Lol. ❤ x
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A lovely review of this book, Colleen.
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Yes many thanks to Colleen, it is indeed a thoughtful review. Thanks Robbie. 🙂
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Thanks, Robbie. It was a fabulous collaboration between authors sharing the writing process during the pandemic. Brilliant! ❤
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