Charlotte Lit’s Blog

Welcome to Charlotte Lit’s literary arts blog. What you’ll find here: craft essays, book reviews, previews of literary arts events, and anything else that catches our attention.

Charlotte Lit Admin

Origins of a Poem

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by Chen Chen This poem started out as a tweet that was a bit more lyrical than usual. One of my favorite joys: when poems come from unexpected, seemingly unpoetic places. I Love You to the Moon & not back, let’s not come back, let’s go by the speed of queer zest & stay up […]

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Charlotte Lit Admin

What IS an Essay?

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By Randon Billings Noble What is an essay? A basic five-paragraph argument? A long and rambling meditation? A deep dive into academic research? A funny or embarrassing personal anecdote? Yes … but also no. An essay can be so much more than we might first think. Montaigne is known as the father of the essay. […]

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Brooke Lehmann

Mindfulness & Poetry

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by Brooke Lehmann In my meditation circle a few weeks ago, our group leader asked us to name one of our wisdom teachers. The contemporary poet and Zen Buddhist Jane Hirshfield came to mind; I was currently reading her new collection, The Asking. Hirshfield’s poems are filled with ordinary acts such as picking figs or […]

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Ashley Memory

Celebrate the Writer You Are AND the Writer You Can Become

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By Ashley Memory While no one likes to get a rejection email, I recently received one that wasn’t quite as bad as most. It read: “Unfortunately, your submission is not the right fit for what we’re seeking at the moment, but please know that your story is valid and important. We would love to see […]

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