This week, these steps:
Read the poem below, “cruel, cruel summer” by D.A. Powell, from his 2009 book Chronic. I suggest printing this out and reading it through several times slowly.
Bonus: One day I’ll write to you guys about why memorizing poetry will deepen your nonfiction craft, and how to practice. This is a wonderful poem to memorize and recite out loud. You’ll learn a lot about language if you want to take on this extra challenge before moving to step 2.
Choose 10 words—underline or circle in the printed page or make a list. What jumps out at you, what words you find interesting or surprising, or words you don’t know and want to learn to use.
Include them all in a one-page personal essay or reflection. See if a theme for your writing emerges from the words you chose.