Category: Spirituality

  • BOOK REVIEW: Beverley Baird Reviews Evidence of Flossing

    “These are definitely poems to ponder, with words and images to reflect on. Payne gives us poetry that moves us, challenges our perceptions and inspires us to look deeper into our place in the world and what our legacy can or should be. Evidence of Flossing is well worth the read – and one you…

  • Rock Garden: The Best Little Shop in Branford

    Rock Garden 17 S Main St, Branford, CT 06405 http://www.rockgarden.com Established in 1986 by Marilyn “Maddie” Brand, the Rock Garden began life on State Street in New Haven, Connecticut as a crystal and mineral shop. It wasn’t long before they added beads and spiritual and metaphysical books. Since then, they’ve expanded four times, setting roots…

  • BOOK REVIEW: Nicole Pyles Reviews Evidence of Flossing

    “I was so impressed with this book. It conveyed a beauty and yet sadness at the same time. I could sense the spiritual struggle within the poetry and a reflection of the world around (and the masks society often puts forward). This book is definitely a conversation piece and I can’t wait to share it…

  • Words, Crazy Words Reviews Evidence of Flossing

    “Payne’s other work as an essayist is evident in many of the narrative poems. Strong sense of place and point of view carry the individual poems as a cohesive whole. This collection is one I will turn to again and again. I anticipate greater appreciation for this thoughtful collection each time.” – Tara Huck, Words,…

  • WOW! Women on Writing Interviews Jen Payne

    by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto from WOW! Women on Writing CRYSTAL: First of all, congratulations on your book Evidence of Flossing! What was the first book you fell in love with? And why? JEN: There are two books I remember loving as a kid. One was The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. It’s about four…

  • A Poet Learns…

    by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper (Arts Council of Greater New Haven) Jen Payne remembers the first one that she saw. And the one after that. And after that. Tiny, single-use dental flossers, discarded in parking lots, and beaches, and wooded hikes around her hometown of Branford. Each cast off in nature with no…

  • A Way with Words…

    By Pam Johnson, Senior Staff Writer, Shore Publishing No doubt about it, Jen Payne has a way with words. From her place among invitation-only Guilford Poets Guild to her newest book, Evidence of Flossing: What We Leave Behind, the shoreline author and artist brings together words and images to champion the natural world and remind…

  • Blogging as a Creative Tool

    REPRINTED FOR THE 8th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR WRITING BLOG RANDOM ACTS OF WRITING One of the most inspiring art exhibits I’ve seen in recent years was called “Suddenly This Overview.” On display at the Guggenheim in New York, it featured 250 small sculptures by artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss. The sculptures were made of…

  • Finding Inspiration

    When I told a friend last spring that I was writing a poem a day for National Poetry Month, she asked me how I found the inspiration for 30 poems. “It’s like rummaging around in a junk drawer,” I told her. “You’re bound to put your hands on something!” And sure enough, in April, I…

  • Exploring Mindfulness

    I. A Meditation on Bugs I hadn’t walked five minutes up the trail before they ambushed me. A swarm of gnats dropped down in front of my face like a thin, black veil. Two flies laid claim to my ears—bzzzzzzzzzzzzzing in stereo. Their siege left me breathless—afraid to inhale. My swatting—swat, buzz, swat, buzz, swat,…

  • Ingram Publisher Selects…Evidence of Flossing

    Evidence of Flossing: What We Leave Behind was featured in the January 2018 issue of INGRAM ADVANCE as part of their Publisher Selects section. Check it out!

  • The Importance of Retreat

    BUG OUT! That’s what they called it on the TV show M*A*S*H. The enemy is getting closer, someone yells “Bug Out!” and everyone, everywhere packs up everything and bolts! I use the same word, often, when it’s time to get away for a while. BUG OUT! You know that feeling, right? You’ve been working really…