Category #1 Why and How I Review

Why I review:
I review others writings so that they might feel how their words impact a reader. I feel that we as writers write to make contact; so, I review to let them know that they have made contact. I believe it is as true as that which Carl Buchener said “They may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.” Many times as a reviewer, I have been moved to tears, or even chicken skin; afterwards, it is the emotion of the piece that moved me as I tend not to remember all of the content in words, but I can feel the piece in the context that it is written.

I am emotionally driven into action; with that in mind, a piece that moves me is providing a reckoning of sorts with my emotions. A moving piece says ‘hey, remember?’ or ‘wake up dummy’ if you catch my drift; it makes me take note; that mental note reminds me of how their words make me feel. That is poetry – in – motion. A moving piece is one that keeps moving through the reader; I want the writer to move me. When that happens, I want them to know that their writing is working. That is why I review.

How I review:
First and foremost it is important to strike an identifiable chord with the writer; whereby identifying with the subject to which they have been moved to write. I like to let them know how their words have moved me and how I am able to identify with what they are writing.

Next, and ever so delicately, I offer technical information if I find the body of work lacking technically. Although, I try not to let the technical deformities cloud my ability to grasp the work, sometimes, it gets a little foggy. I find that I am not unlike most writers; we are amateurs. As amateurs, with the proper guidance our writing has the ability to mature into real bodies of work. When I say guidance, I refer to help with metered rhythm, end-stops and end-jambments, metaphor usage, diction, rhyme and lastly spelling. I know that many people would been thrown off by misspelled words, but if I know what the intent is, a lot of times, I will not place a great deal of emphasis on spelling. I will make mention of spelling, but not degrade the writer; I believe we ‘add to dictionary’ that which we believe looks right.

I must say that punctuation is very important to me, as I presume it is for many readers. Punctuation lets us know when we are to pause our thoughts by means of caesuras, become excited, or be moved to tears in the composition of elegies. Punctuation is as important to me as are the words; as much as I dislike admitting this, for me a well punctuated body of work speaks volumes. That is how I review.