Thank you to our invited readers! Poetry (in Brief) II Theme: Thorns. The video is on YOUTUBE! December Readers:  Samantha Terrell  tommy wyatt blake Cierra G. Rowe Nina Nicole Garner Derek Thomas Dew Caitríona Walsh Here is the word cloud of the live “in vivo” collection by Rachel Turney -   If you missed it see it here: THORNS/Heartbreak :

Christmas Writing Prompts - Record Player Life (the b-side) Coming: January 2026 with The Poetry Lighthouse off-key solo in the Christmas Pageant forralt bor hot in my hands at a freezing Christmas market the snow on the west mountains the crunch of boots in wet white his skin a little sunken from the cold all the hurts of my childhood wrapped in a little box warm socks and the smell of a fire *Please credit Rachel Turney if you create using the prompts.

Poetry (in Brief) moderated by Dr. Rachel Turney (Erie, CO) Poetry (in Brief) is a poetry community focused on conversations and short readings with some of the most fabulous poets of our time! Readers are invited and scheduled in advance. Come by to check it out. Our live online readings are free and open to the public. December 6th 11am Mountain…

Press: Thistle & Thread Favorite Poem: Poppy Three things I loved: 1. The premise! Flowers in the Garden is a short collection personifying flowers as they are used in or represent healing. Through this collection Tyler asks the reader to listen to nature and the wisdom and solace there. 2. Tyler's examination of the poppy as friend and foe draws attention to the very real pain that The Opioid Crisis has caused as juxtaposed to what the poppy was meant to heal.

 My monthly column went live with Bare Back Magazine! Please read Friday Night in the Suburbs on barebackmag.com ! In October 2025 I published poems/photographs in: Croak The Forge Zine Macabre Pinch Phylum Double Speak Quill of the Goddess The Hoogley Review Quill Kepper Coin Operated Press Three Panel Press - Interview Press Pause Ghost Light Death Wish Red Coyote…

During the first session of Poetry (in Brief) I worked on, what I would like to call, an elementary level In Vivo coding project. This is a qualitative data collection process that uses the exact words of a research subject in order to guide labeling etc. This type of research model introduces a lot of subjectivity and bias, but I felt it was an appropriate way to capture the data (words) shared by our poets.

Poetry (in Brief) is a poetry community focused on conversations and short readings with some of the most fabulous poets of our time! Our live online readings are free and open to the public. Message me or an invited reader for the Zoom link.  Invited poets will read 1-3 short poems and then discuss their work as it connects to November’s theme: IDENTITY.

Parlyaree Press Favorite Poem: I Am the Man That I Wanted to Be Three things I loved: 1. A lot of what Chris describes are things I thought were part of the female condition, like imposter syndrome and self-doubt, but it turns out men have feelings and insecurities too. (I’m being facetious.)  2. I haven’t read much work through this gaze and I was impressed with Chris’s navigation of daily life and the poetic.

Waiting;Street Food; Snacks Happy to See You; Breakfast #2 Photography The Argyle Lit Mag September 2025 Across the Street; You; In the Mist;  Port;Taberna; Belem  Photography Rawhead September 2025 Art Like Honey; Fall Honey  Photography Three Panel Press September 23, 2025 Building Walls Poetry Skeleton Flowers Press September 22, 2025 At Least I Watered the Plants Poetry Dazed Santa

Preverbal by Carroll Beauvais Publisher: Lit Fox Books  Favorite Poem: Why The Arsonist Lit the Match Three things I loved: I really enjoyed Carroll's mix of cnf and poetry about life, the complicated relationship with her mother, and love. These are all things I write about as well, so I found this collection spoke to me with clarity.  I was very drawn to the poem “Orphan Supper”.

Hypersensitive by Taylor N. Williams Press: self-published I was familiar with Taylor’s work as a digital artist, but she recently (very quietly) released a short book of poems! Favorite poem: Mother Three things I loved: 1. Taylor puts the emotions of being enough while feeling you aren’t enough into words (poets will know what I mean).  2. Taylor writes as both the observer of her life and the protagonist.

by Rachel TurneyI watch as she balls the white corn paste in her hands—circling the dough round and round in a movement I could not replicate. She slaps the ball down hard on her wooden press. The lit...

Her Place on the Map - 18 Women and the Colorado Wonders Named for Them Press: Wolverine Farms (which is also a shop and gorgeous events space) Favorite Story: Rosalie Peak Three things I loved: Sarah wrote a collection that is empowering and even salacious (scandal being one of my favorite things). I'll never look at a Bierstadt painting the same way again thanks to this story about Rosalie.

August Newsletter TURNEYTALKS.COM I used to live in Chicago, once in 2007/2008 and again in 2012ish. Couldn’t make it stick. I wrote a longer poem about things I lost on the CTA, which was published this month by Cosmic Daffodil. One reason I like working with them is because they send proofs - I usually catch something I missed. …

My Heresies by Alina Stefanescu Press: Sarabande Books Favorite Poem: I am unable to choose due to how different each poem in this collection is and how they spoke to me in different ways as I reread them.  Three things I loved: I have been reading this book for months, and indeed rereading it. Since I did ask my library to purchase it for me, I should probably return it soon.

Long Island Sad Poems by Jane-Rebecca Cannarella Publisher: Serotonin Press  Favorite Poem: Quilted Rainbow Three things I loved: I am obsessed with the way Jane-Rebecca has titled her poems. They reveal so much and are a poem in themselves.  As a collection, this really hit. I would read one poem and think that I perfectly understood, then read the next and think I was lost in a dream. 

Calm in the Dark by Cat Speranzini Publisher: Grey Coven Note: I do not know Cat, so these are only my opinions, based on the presentation of the poetry as I saw it. (Authors can always reach out to me to amend or edit my Thumps if they wish.) Favorite poem: The Memory  Three things I loved: Cat is a woman who has been through a gauntlet.

July Newsletter turneytalks.com In July, I was delighted to have some sci-fi/fantasy poems featured on Cajun Mutt Press. That was encouraging because not much of my sci-fi/fantasy work has been picked up. Zach thinks I don’t know enough about the genre, which is probably true because I have never even watched a whole Star War or whatever. Thistle and Thread also featured me.

Caffeinated by Annette Gagliardi Publisher: Island of Wak-Wak Favorite poem: "I Thought I Loved Your Breakfast Bacon" (Annette - did you slip a saucy little sex poem right in the middle of this intellectual coffee chapbook - you did and I love it!) Three things I loved: 1. I also write a lot about coffee and was intrigued by how alike some themes were and also how very differently coffee 'brews' creativity and writing.

Vonku by Vaughn Ross Press: Crying Heart Press (Vaughn's Press) Favorite Poem: Three things I love: Vaughn, like his press, is unpretentious, clear, and genuine. This small collection is a personal look into the daily life of Vaughn. Writing about 'the basics' of daily life resonated with me. I have been using these short "vonkus" as writing prompts and the relatable imagery has helped spark my own creativity. Thank you for Vonku, Vaughn. You’ve been THUMPED! Read THUMPS on my website turneytalks.com and Bluesky @rachelturney