In Wondrous Instruction and Advice from Global Poets, Charlotte Digregorio takes on what seems an impossible task: teaching people how to broaden their approach to writing poetry; demonstrating the healing power and wisdom available through poetry; and guiding poets through the complex business of publishing and promoting their work. She succeeds on all counts. While other resources also address these topics, Digregorio’s book stands apart in several ways.

Available from author*

First, she presents a plethora of informative comments from writers around the world in addition to the abundant sample poems (full disclosure: I have comments/work in this book). Second, she includes an entire section on Japanese poetic forms and their relationship to promoting wellness. Third, she walks her talk, offering a collection of her own poetry as part of the book. Finally, she combines all of this material, including an extensive primer on promoting one’s writing, into a single volume. The result is a valuable collection of information for any poet wanting to expand their poetry, nurture their well-being, and successfully support their career as a poet.

The first section, “The Nuts and Bolts of Writing Poetry,” is especially helpful for new poets. It focuses on understanding the elements of poetry, skills development, and finding ideas for poems. Consistent with Digregorio’s emphasis on community, this section provides material on starting a critique group and collaborating with other creative people. It also begins the book’s emphasis on writing as a profession by helping readers develop the mindset of a writer and recommending places to publish their poetry. Its accurate information bears the imprint of Digregorio’s many years as a dedicated educator and professional writer.

The second section, “Wisdom and Heart: The Short Forms of Haiku, Senryu, and Tanka,” contains knowledgeable presentations of these forms; however, it moves beyond a “how to ” approach. Instead, Digregorio addresses how they can support healing, well-being, and a purposeful life. She includes statements and sample poems from many other poets as well as material from psychologist and poet Robert Epstein on haiku’s ability to help people face their own mortality. This section is an excellent example of Digregorio’s statement in the introduction, “Thoughtful poetry helps us deal with life’s experiences.”

The third section, “Thrive as an Author,” addresses the many steps involved in creating a book of poems and in publishing and marketing the book. Digregorio has decades of experience as an award-winning author and sought-after speaker and workshop leader, and this experience allows her to reliably guide readers through the hard work of being a professional author. She discusses how to organize and title a book; how to become an adept publicist for one’s work; how to build a professional network; and how to effectively give poetry readings and workshops.

Digregorio concludes the book with her own collection of poetry, Blue Lines, and an author interview comprised of questions she has been asked in the many interviews she has given in her career. Combined with her bio, these final additions will encourage and motivate readers.

Wondrous Instruction and Advice from Global Poets is an accessible, informative book. The sections include digestible amounts of information with guidance for pursuing topics in more depth. Poems and comments from poets around the world offer additional support, augmenting Digregorio’s own material. All told, it is a multi-volume book under a single cover, and its sole purpose is helping other poets through inspiration and practical instruction.

* Publisher’s Note:

This book is not listed with online booksellers such as Amazon and Bookshop.org, but can be ordered directly from Charlotte Digregorio. For details, please see her Writer’s Blog post of 22 April 2025:
Wondrous Instruction and Advice from Global Poets Is Published!

Bio: Ce Rosenow