Category Archives: Publications

A Pause

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At the beginning of December, I stopped writing poems. I did so to step back from a layer of ego and deepen my spiritual practice.

So far this is working for me.

I started my poem-a-day practice 12 years ago. Since then I have published over 3800 poems on my blog, and published ten books of poetry. I found the practice served to increase my perception and focus my honesty. The almost daily poems provide a chronicle of my life journey and learnings through that time. And I love writing poetry!

During this period when I am not writing, I encourage you to use the search feature of my blog to find poems of interest, or explore the chain of related poems as curated by WordPress at the bottom of each poem. As always, I love to hear from you – I receive notification when you comment on my poems, and will respond. Or you can send me email at wmulhern@gmail.com

I wish you all a beautiful unfolding of your spiritual journey, and a growing love for the nature that accompanies us and the people that deepen us –

with love,
Wendy Mulhern

Upcoming book event

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I’m delighted to announce an upcoming book event, to be held on Zoom. This is put on by Third Place Books, my favorite bookstore in the Seattle area. It is about my newest book, Time, and Times, and Half a Time. My talented illustrator, Susanna Maria Weiss, will also be there, and we will be interviewed by my dear friend Allie Pontrello. I invite you all to tune in – here’s the link:

https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/virtual-event-wendy-mulhern

It’s good to register if you think you might attend. I hope you can!

Come and get my book!

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Come and get my book!

The last change to go in was a refining of the last picture, making the wonderful details that could be seen in the digital version come out on paper. It is an inspired illustration for the last poem in the book.

The second last change was the inclusion of a note from Heather’s dad, which adds what I feel is an essential dimension.

So I now officially open the door, and let this project, which I have held close for so long, fly on its own. I hope it will go far – hope it touches a chord in our common humanity and brings us all together maybe a little deeper than before. I hope it comforts,  I hope it inspires.

The quickest way to get a copy is to order it from your favorite bookstore, or any bookstore,  actually: Time, and Times, and Half a Time, by Wendy Mulhern.

If you want to get one directly from me, it will take a little longer, as I have to wait for my shipment to come in before I can send any out. But if you want to do that, send me a check for $23 at PO box 598, Marcola, Oregon. 97454, and indicate,  if you like, who you’d like me to sign it to.

Thanks for your interest and support –

Book Progress

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The jackets to my book finally came today  – a little difficult to work with because they came flat and I had to bend them around the book. But I am pleased with them. A couple of positional nudges (which I’ve already made and will upload tomorrow) and I think it will be ready to go. Things have been taking longer than I’ve wanted them to – I will miss Heather’s birthday for a publication date, and probably my own as well. But I feel the timing will turn out to be just right –

Press notes – Time, and Times, and Half a Time

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I’m publishing my new book with a different service, because the one I’ve used before has changed, and besides, it only does paperbacks. I wanted this book to have a more substantial heft – not to be ponderous or imposing, but to reflect the gravitas of something that has the ability to comfort. I also wanted it to be intimate, so I designed it smaller than other books I’ve published.

The proof arrived Wednesday. I like the heft and feel of it. There were certain disappointments; it came without its jacket and there are some things on the cover and inside that I need to nudge into place (not unexpected, but one wishes for first time perfection). The missing jacket part may cause some delay in publication, but that may turn out to be propitious, as there is something more that may be added to the book. More later …

New book out soon

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Announcing my next book:
Time, and Times, and Half a Time

My next poetry book, my tenth, is coming out soon. This is my most intimate work so far … the poems were written in the first two years after our daughter’s passing

As a poet, it is my discipline to write a poem each day.  My primary criterion as I write is that my poems be deeply honest – that they explore the landscape of truth, as precisely as I can understand it, at whatever level of experience is accessible to me at the moment. Therefore, my daily poems, when I look back on them, depict the terrain of my life more vividly than a diary might.

Some poems in this collection reflect the altered state I/we were in, and the changed perspective with which I found myself viewing everything. Many show the spiritual support that allowed me to find meaning in the place my life was shattered. Many are a tribute to our daughter’s wonderful spirit.

I hope this book will be meaningful to others  – those who have experienced deep loss, those who know deep love, and those who yearn to understand the experience of others, to stand with them.

My book is illustrated by my friend susanna maria weiss, who captures the spirit of our daughter Heather, and of the experience of this passage.

I’ll post more details soon  –

An Anniversary

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Ten years ago today I started my poetry blog. It was my intention to publish a poem a day. In practice,  I have averaged about 24 or 25 poems a month. My blog now contains over 3000 poems, and I plan to publish my 10th book of poetry in March.

People have asked me, a few times, how I can manage to find something new to write about each day. The answer is that each day is new. It’s not up to me to come up with new things  – the day does that. It’s just up to me to listen and  notice. And I’m not a static being existing separate from the day. The day includes me, and everything I think and observe. If I’m humble and willing, I will find myself in the great joy of being in service to the present opportunities for unfoldment and delight. This may be my current definition of a poet’s life.

I have great gratitude to everyone who reads my poems. Your reading completes the circuit and brings the poems to life. Thank you very much for your participation, throughout these years, in this endeavor.

With love,
Wendy

A Note on Typos

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Typos should never happen in poems!!! People wonder whether it’s poetic license – they say to me, “I think maybe there’s a typo in your poem.” A typo can ruin the whole experience of reading a poem.

There was a typo in my poem yesterday. I caught it right after I published it, and fixed it on my blogs, but the email had already gone out. I realize as I write this that there are things I could do, like schedule for the poem to be published later. But I’m already at the edge with the technology, typing my poems out with two fingers on my phone…. not confident that I would catch it in time anyway (this is what I sound like when I ramble, which I generally don’t let myself do in poems.)

(Well, as long as I am rambling: I got put off Emily Dickinson by a typo in a pale purple mimeograph handout in eighth grade – “how dreary to be comebody (sic)” ) – But honestly, I don’t think she would’ve been my favorite, anyway…

Anyway, I’m very sorry about yesterday’s typo, especially because I really liked that poem. FYI, for those of you who get my poems via email, if you suspect a typo, you can click on the blue title, which will take you to my blog , where hopefully I will have fixed it.

Thank you all so much for reading my poems – it completes the loop for me.

Two big firsts!

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I’m very excited to announce the publication of my latest book, Vessels. One big first is that this one is published by Schiffer Press, which is well known for its beautiful art books. The other big first is that this is a collaboration with my sister, Jennifer McCurdy, who is an amazing artist.

I’m delighted with the book. Our collaborative process was very inspiring. I feel the poems we chose bring out the lyricism of Jennifer’s vessels, and her vessels bring out the beauty of my poems. The process also brought out insights for both of us about our creative processes. Schiffer did a wonderful job of taking our design and making it sparkle, and were able to produce a book of a much higher quality than I have available through my self-publishing channels.

You can buy the book from Schiffer or from Amazon. Your positive review would also be of great value to me.