Did you know that Mark Twain said history does not run in cycles; it rhymes? Now why would anyone say that? Because it is true.

Poetry is about the rhythms of life. These are not always neatly rhymed and metered, though it would be nice if they were and we can always celebrate that perfection when it happens. Women know about these rhythms because awareness of them is built into our bodies, but they are everywhere: In men, in nature, in the business of human life and that of all other animals, in the slightest movements of plants, in the changing seasons and daily weather, in the planet, and the universe itself. Life moves at a steady pace that can be like the breath of sleep, or it thunders along like the pant of exertion, but it always moves to a rhythm. The poet finds those rhythms and shows them to us in words.

Sounds really hard! How can anyone aspire to such an effort?

Everyone can write poetry and every writer should. It is already there; all you have to do is find it. If you are going to be an honest writer — and to be a good writer you must be honest — you have to learn to listen and look, to find the rhythm and to put it into words.

The most important step in poetry is to find the perfect word. Keep in mind that you are not looking for exotic words, long words, impressive words. You want natural words, words the reader feels were always there — as if you never had to work at this at all. You want those words to feel so perfect that the reader feels like she would have said them herself and maybe did.

On the other hand, poetry is a spare form and that means fewer words. When I say fewer words I am not suggesting that those perfect words I just told you were needed should be sacrificed. The words you don't need are the extra modifiers. If you have described a mountain touching the clouds, there is no need to use the word tall.

The perfect image wrapped in the words that make the reader see what you see, what you want her to see, also makes those extra words unnecessary. Poetry is the language of images. It appeals to all of your senses: sound, smell, touch, taste, but most of all to sight, that sense that pulls images out of shifting clouds and abstract patterns.

In most cases you do not need to worry about grammar or syntax in poetry. You can eliminate most conjunctions (and, but, etc.). Your line structure will help provide syntax, and careful use of the same punctuation you would use in prose can substitute for conjunctions in poetry. A simple rule is: If the word doesn't make the image clearer, delete it.

Poetry usually starts as a very personal image, a personal rhythm. It is here that a pome becomes a poem. There is nothing wrong with writing a smaller, more personal "pome." It is, in fact, often necessary before the poem can become a reality. A poem about your miserable childhood is only a personal anecdote until it touches on the shared misery that is the childhood state. What makes good poetry and great poets is the ability to take that personal image and make it real and immediate to the reader, to give it universality.

There are a few simple rules that apply to all poetry and there are rules which are specific to each poetic type. I am not going to try to touch on all of the types here.

In all poetry, line structure should be treated as a pattern which the line shape helps to emphasize. In modern verse, this structure and the close interrelation between the sound and meaning of the words is the only rhythm, but it is just as real a rhythm as what you will find in the heavily metered styles.

The writing must be spare in words, but lush in images. Another simple rule which is especially useful in modern verse is to never start a line with the. Word order, like line structure, is used to create emphasis and to give the poem power. Some words just sound better in a certain order, while others are stronger if the image they describe precedes the story element word, the one that carries the point of your images.

Images should never be in conflict with one another. If you start out with nature images, don't switch midstream to mechanical words and images unless the switch carries a meaning the reader will readily understand.

Read your poetry out loud. Don't mumble through it the way you might read prose aloud in order to concentrate on meaning. Say it as if you were singing to an audience. Listen to the sound of it. Then read it aloud again and listen to the meaning. Poetry must sound right, both as pure sound and as sound with meaning.

Rewrite. All writing requires this of you: A sense of perfection. Not necessarily perfection itself but the attempt. The difference between a successful writer and one who is merely talented is rewriting.

Find the image, choose the right word, learn to be concise, to reach an understanding with your reader; all of these are basic to poetry and necessary to all good writing. Poetry is the basic workout of writing. Even bad poetry will make you a better writer.

copyright 1996 Georgia Jones
Georgia Jones is owner/founder of LadybugBooks.com, editor of Women on a Wire and author of A Garden of Weedin', published by LadybugBooks.com and available through this site. She is also author of other works of both poetry and prose.

INTRODUCTION

Research of the theory and practice of the building and promoting of a global and regional cultural climate of peace, counteracting Violence and War, should be a top priority in peace research today, when it has become evident that conflicts wars are caused not only by territorial claims, but also have an ethnic-cultural basis.

Some time ago I had the pleasure to be part of a Middle East panel at a United Nations NGO Committee Conference on "Arms Control, Disarmament and Peace in the Middle East" (September 21, 1995). I was surprised and glad to find out on this occasion that some of the Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian scholars who were on the panel, not only lectured and suggested new initiatives for peace in the Middle East, but moreover, they read some moving peace poetry, which had a powerful impact on the audience.

During the Conference, I realized again, as I had often done in the past, how important it is to use the arts, including creative works by poets, writers and peace-literature researchers and critics, to help through their scholarship and creative work in the crucial effort of building a new global cultural climate of peace - which is so needed for ushering a world beyond war. After this important conference and experience, and on seeing the immense impact of this new trend upon the mixed audience of Christians, Jews and Arabs - I decided to suggest to IPRA to set up a new commission entitled "Peace Through Literature," which could add an important new angle and open novel "vistas" to global and regional peace research. IPRA agreed, and I am delighted that we are founding this new PTLC: Peace Through Literature Commission today.

On this happy occasion, I would like to thank IPRA for its openness in accepting this new and unconventional approach to both the Arts and Peace Research, and in recognizing the symbiotic link between them. In so doing, IPRA has realized the importance of building a peace climate with the help of the arts. Moreover, it is hoped that with the help of IPRA and the distinguished Board of Directors of the PTLC, the conception of building a cultural peace climate through the arts, will soon be adopted by other NGO's too, and it will become widespread throughout the world.

I would especially like to thank the distinguished members of the Board of Directors of the PTLC, for kindly agreeing to impart the benefit of their experience to the founding of this commission.

THE AGENDA OF THE PEACE THROUGH LITERATURE COMMISSION

The basic functions of the PTLC which I suggest are the following:

1. Researching Peace Literature and Peace Culture.

2. Promoting the Creation of Peace Literature and Culture.

3. Encouraging the knowledge and understanding of the ethnic-cultural heritage of the "other."

4. Translating and publishing the works of the "other" so that it becomes available for the building of bridges between nations.

5. Encouraging anti-discriminatory literature and art.

6. Disseminating and spreading both classical and modern peace works.

7. Promoting involved and "engaged" peace works of arts and literature.

It is hoped that the members of the Board will suggest further ideas and initiatives for the Agenda of the PTLC.

The mention of both modern and classical peace works signifies promoting not only new contemporary creations, but also using more the great classical works of peace literature, as for instance, Tolstoy's masterpiece "WAR AND PEACE." Both the new and the classical works should be more researched, written about, published and used in the satellite electronic media, as well as in schools and universities all over the globe.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PEACE THROUGH LITERATURE COMMISSION

The development of this commission could indeed be not only to research national and international cultural peace works, but moreover to encourage writers and artists to create new peace works in the various arts. This could be helped through the setting up of International and National Creative Peace Awards and Competitions, for the various art forms such as: TV and film script writing and production, novels, poetry, prose drama, music, painting, and even journalism. Cultural contests already exist in the various cultural fields at the national and international levels, but they are not specifically devised to promote peace peace creativity. The PTLC could help in developing the new required contents and trends.

The Peace Literature discipline should be developed through special institutes set up for this purpose, as well as through inter-discipline and literature departments in universities, colleges and schools. The courses devoted to this aim should be both based on research, and on the creativity. Their should also be courses for "cultural engineers" or "officers", whose function would be that of cultural peace communicators who would specialize in the development and the fruitful outcome of the global culture of peace, as well as on the regional levels. These "cultural engineers" should be versed in all the the aspects of peace literature in its widest sense and especially in the three following dimensions:

a) The concept and ideology of peace literature.

b) The compendium of peace works - what is available here at home, and "out there" in the "other's" culture.

c) Promotion of the creation of new peace works.

d) Expertise and knowledge how to communicate it to the "global village" and to our own "village."

FUNCTIONS Of the PTLC

Though the work of this new PTL commission encompasses culture and arts in general, it has been suggested to call it "Peace Through Literature," seeing literature is widely considered throughout the world to be the crux of culture and the arts. "Literature" is therefore used not only in the academic and literary sense, such as literary research, published books, etc. but it also includes the materials offered to the wide public throughout the world through Television and the electronic media, which are considered today the major educational vehicle.

A second comment I would like to make concerning the relation between the title and agenda of this commission, is that it does not only denote a specific kind of literature that deals with peace, but moreover, it has an active component. The preposition "through" has a special role and meaning. The commission hopes to deal with art not only for "art's sake," but for people's sake, "through" literature, mainly for the sake of building a regional and world climate of peace, toward a world beyond war.

We will try to regard the literature and culture we are researching, in addition to its intrinsic artistic qualities, as active components and vehicles that can help not only in the creation of a peace cultural climate, but also in the prevention of conflicts, by opening a special door of knowledge and comprehension concerning the "ethnic cultural identity" of "the other". Understanding usually leads to respect and tolerance, which can provide part of the basis for bridges among nations.

One of the poets who developed this conception, was Wilfred Owen, the British peace poet of World War I. His poetry is the background and main theme of the moving film: ALL'S QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. His poem "STRANGE MEETING," for instance, describes two young former enemies, a British soldier and a German one who meet, after they have killed each other on the battlefield. The recounting to each other of their former plans and hopes for their future, before they had killed each other on the battlefield, is extremely moving. Their plans and hopes are descriptive of those we have for the whole of humanity.

Owen's poetry is very skillfully crafted and contains powerful lyrical and narrative elements, but it is not mainly for its form that I have remembered it since I studied it at school, but rather for its content and its powerful peace message about the "pity and absurdity of war." Wilfred Owen was one of the first writers who taught me (already at that early age), that both the concept and practice of War should be anachronistic. He fully realized that Poetry is one of the best vehicles for describing the absurdity of war in our modern world, and for helping to throw the whole concept away in the anachronistic bin of history - as it deals both with both thoughts and feelings. Even after Peace is made, as in Israel, Bosnia, Ireland, South Africa, and Rwanda, there are deep levels of emotions in the hearts of the people on both sides, who had been former enemies, that can only be touched and bridged by a vehicle of emotions, and what could be more suited for that than Poetry?

However, we must remember that good Peace Poems are authentic, and really express not only some specific reality but also our true deepest thoughts, feelings and aspirations, and neither mawkish or charlatan outpouring, or hollow pseudo-snobbish so called 'avant-garde scholarly expertise.'

One of the main reasons why poetry's status has gone down the drain in recent years, is the fact that it has not enough dealt with, or been at the forefront of our true human aspirations. What could be a greater aspiration today for humanity than to get rid of our fears concerning the danger of being blown up by the nuclear arsenals around the world, which as we are told, are more than a hundred times the amount needed to blow us up? As foremost scientists have often warned us - when something exists, one day it will be used! We should beforehand, use all the means humanity has devised, including our literature and our art, not to let it happen.

copyright 1997 Dr. Ada Aharoni
Dr. Ada Aharoni, Conflict Studies, Dept. of General Studies, Technion, 57 Horev Street, Haifa, Israel 34343
Ada Aharoni, INTERNET:ada@techunix.technion.ac.il

Lucky Accidents Do Happen

I'm sure there are numerous publications telling one how to break into the newspaper game. I didn't read them. I fell into being a regional correspondent for a daily newspaper quite by accident.

During the summer of 1987 I applied for a correspondent job with the Kearney Hub out of Kearney, Nebr. I had never written news before, except for the annual 4-H camp gossip stuff. Oh yes, I very much wanted to be on my high school newspaper staff too but that was a specialized class and my advisor said I was better served by taking an extra math or science class in preparation for university attendance. (Bad idea, but that's another story.)

I also indicated an interest in training in journalism during a brief stint in the U.S. Navy W.A.V.E.S. I was only 18 at the time. I was told being a service connected reporter required attendance at numerous functions wherein alcohol would be consumed so I was too young. I became a dental chairside assistant instead.

I didn't get the job with the Hub either so fate seemed against any career as a pad toting, pencil chewing, newsperson until the Hastings Tribune decided to feature a story about a writer's group I belonged to.

During the interview the other person involved in the story mentioned to the reporter I had applied for the Hub position. The reporter immediately asked if I would like to do the same sort of thing for the Tribune. The rest is history.

It isn't always that simple. I just got lucky and compounded that luck by discovering I really do like reporting, even when it involves setting through interminable governmental meetings or calling the local hospitals for patient admissions and dismissals.

Breaking Into "News" Print

If you don't have a happy accident, then slogging through the normal channels may have to suffice. In that case, thorough research of your market is a must.

Start by reading your local newspaper, be it a weekly, a small daily like the Tribune, or even a major daily like the Denver Post. See if they run bylines like "Harriet DeLay, Daily News Correspondent". Carefully read those articles for news reporting style: how they word sentences, how they organize the article, even length of sentences and difficulty of words used.

Most U.S. dailies subscribe to a wire service such as the Associated Press (AP). They use the AP to add news of national and international importance to their pages. Over the years AP has been influential in how most newspapers write their stories and articles. While each paper develops its own, unique style, all try to write "tight'', using concise language and brief quotes. AP has developed a style book, entitled the Associated Press Style Book which gives some broad, and not so broad, guidelines for this style. If you are serious about being a reporter, ask your local bookstore about ordering a copy of this book.

There are other news services in addition to AP but they haven't had the influence on modern news writing AP has had. They include Ruetters News Service, Inc., a more international market, Scripps-Howard, a service which carries mostly columns and feature stories and United Press International (UPI), although that market is mostly confined to radio. Two additional services include ones developed by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Once you have researched your market, contact the editor of the paper you are targeting. If it is your home town's weekly or small daily, and you are likely to know the editor of the paper, a phone call might be appropriate. If it is someone you don't know, good writing etiquette requires you send a query, with an S.A.S.E for response, to the editor.

Don't, however, ask vague questions or give non-specific ideas of things you could write about. Be specific.

For instance, you could suggest an article about an area family who makes history come alive by living portions of it. Points of interest to mention: they participate in living history re-enactments, dressing as mountain men and their families. They tan leather using Native American techniques. They do wood carving and make leather saddlebags and clothing. They decorate the clothing, and make jewelry, using porcupine quills and beads, both Native American crafts.

Not into local interest but think sports is more your game? Send a query stating you'd like to write a story about the local high school wrestling team's shot at the state championships or interview the basketball player who's being recruited by the univeristy for their women's nationally rated team.

Then again, maybe there's a community concern or issue that really gets you moving. It's being discussed at a local townhall meeting or neighborhood gathering. Offer to cover it for the paper but be sure you keep your emotions out of the finished article. Newsreporting should be non-biased. "Just the facts, Ma'am. Just the facts."

Nine B's For The Interview

Most people like to talk about their interests. When you don't have your notepad and pen or your camera, they'll talk your head off. The minute they see that "reporter's equipment" their minds dry up and all their words blow away.

Of course, that's a pretty big generalization but it's surprising how many people are struck dumb in shyness as soon as they learn you want to put their words on paper. They are very afraid of looking or sounding dumb or being embarrassed by an inaccurate remark. Suddenly, they can be held accountable.

Therefore, research your subject ahead of time. Prepare some questions that will show the interviewee you are interested in their hobby, news, and-so-forth. It will also demonstrate your ability to write an intelligent, knowledgable article. Don't be too knowledgeable though or the person might wonder why you want to talk to them at all.

Be professional. Dress in an appropriate manner. Don't show up in shorts and a t-shirt or grubby jeans. For instance, if you are interviewing a business person, dress in a neat suit or good slacks and shirt or sweater. On the other hand, if you are planning an article about some aspect of farming, you wouldn't want to wear high heels and nylons or a sport coat. Blue jeans and a nice shirt with boots or tennis shoes would be more appropriate.

Be polite. Telephone your subject ahead of time and make an appointment. People's lives are full of all sorts of activities. Be respectful by asking permission to use part of their day. Set a specific time and the Be On Time. There's nothing that will make people more edgy or irritated than someone who is late. It shows a lack of caring and respect. If you are unavoidably detained, call your interview and explain. Ask if another time is more convenient or if they mind if you are a few minutes late.

Be prepared. Make sure your camera is loaded and ready. Then you don't have to fuss with it in front of your subject and they won't be so nervous about having a picture taken. Make sure you have two or three working ink pens and plenty of paper.

Be friendly and relaxed. Smile. Don't be afraid to chit chat a bit if it seems to help your subject relax but don't spend to much time in unrelated conversation. Take a cue from your subject about this.

Be patient. It takes some people longer to get warmed into the idea of being the center of attention. Listen carefully to what they have to say. Repeat to them information you think is critical and make sure of any comments you may want to use as direct quotes. If you are not positive you can catch all the information as you write, take a tape recorder but ask your subject if they mind if you use it. It's impolite, not to mention illegal in some states, to tape a conversation without the other person's permission. Remember Watergate?

Be alert. Sometimes the best quote, or most interesting information, will come when you least expect it, like when you are ready to walk out the door after what seems like a fruitless hour. This may seem odd but, you are preparing to leave so you are no longer a perceived "threat". Guards go down. If this happens pick up on it but don't pounce. Do it gently and your interview won't even be aware they let their guard slip.

Be sure. If, when you begin to write your story you find you are the least bit unsure about something, don't be afraid to call your subject back to check it out. It's better to call than to make a mistake and create friction or even anger and embarrassment for them, you or the newspaper.

The Nitty Gritty

Once again, there are many books about how to write various things, including the news. It's not a bad idea to check out what text book your local college or university uses. There are certain niceties involved in putting your work on paper.

Neatness counts. So does revising and editing. Of course, if you are working on something that is timely, or time sensitive, like a public meeting, a sporting event or something else that is breaking news, you don't have a lot of time. That's where the pictures of the "newsroom wreck" come from.

So, we'll assume you have enough time to make a first draft, do some revising and make a final copy, double spaced with proper margins, on good paper with no mistakes. If you have a computer and it's compatible with the one used at the newspaper you might even ask if they would like the story or article on disk. Then all they have to do is bring up the file, edit as necessary and print it out. This saves them the labor of retyping the piece to enter it into their machine.

Do be aware your piece may be edited, be it for space or some other reason. Newpapers must sell ads to support the news. There has to be a certain number of inches of ads in the paper to pay for those inches of real reading. If this bothers you; if you believe your words are pure gold and someone else isn't worthy to change one syllable of your work, then maybe news reporting isn't your game. There is a frustrated revisionist lurking in the hide of every newspaper editor. They aren't mean or nasty, usually. They may just think they have a slightly better slant on the way to say something or the "hole" for your story will only take 10 inches of copy and your article is 15 inches long. When you are notified your piece is going to be accepted, discuss this little matter. Then you won't get a nasty surprise when you open the paper and don't find your exact words.

The Glory Of It All

There is nothing in this world like opening the morning, or afternoon, paper and seeing your byline. It's a powerful, and humbling, experience. People read your words and believe you. They believe you must know what your are saying or it wouldn't be in print. You are helping them form opinions about matters that daily affect them.

What's really scary is you can manipulate their thoughts and emotions. That's why, we as journalists, must be so careful to present both sides of an issue, and only to report the facts, without embellishment.

Just report the facts, without embellishment. The facts are usually startling enough without trying to sensationalize them. The old adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction" really is true.

What Mr. Donald Seaton, the publisher of the Tribune, must never find out is that I love being a correspondent so much I just might consider doing it for nothing. In fact, I do write some articles for a few of the local weeklies without compensation but only about issues that deeply affect people in this area.

I love to talk to people and I like to drive. In this job I cover parts of five counties which means I get to drive all over them. In addition I get to snoop in all sorts of places and talk to all kinds of people I wouldn't ordinarily even know, and I get paid for it!!! How sweet a deal is that?

copyright 1998 Diana L. Lambson
Diana Lambson is a reporter, poet, and fiction writer whose work is regularly available to readers of the Hastings Tribune and is occassionaly seen in the Writer's Room at LadybugBooks.com where she is generous in sharing her experience with others.