Unlocking the Poem

Here’s what distinguished poets are saying about Unlocking the Poem—

“Unlocking the Poem brings both the creative writing teacher and the
aspiring writer a trustworthy guidebook and a generous resource. Few have
had the long experience and proven success of Ottone Riccio in leading
writing workshops. His rich trove of assignments ought to get writers going
and then help them discover abilities they didn’t know they had. Introducing
students to the wealth of traditional verse yet at the same time encouraging
experiment, authors Riccio and Siegel have put together a book that deserves
a place on every poet’s shelf. Moreover, I expect, its copies will become
well-worn and dog-eared from future service.”
–X. J. Kennedy

“For any poet who has confronted the terror of the blank page, who has
approached his or her desk with dread, Unlocking the Poem provides welcome
relief. Its clear, succinct discussions of rhyme, rhythm, and form are the
perfect introduction for beginners and can also be used to fill in the gaps
in the more experienced poet’s knowledge. But the heart of this book can be
found in its astoundingly wide range of writing assignments. Whether you
write or teach the writing of poetry, whether you are a free verse or formal
poet, whether you’re “blocked” or searching for a new direction in your
work, the 450 writing prompts found in this book are guaranteed to make you
reach for the nearest pen. Riccio and Siegel deserve the gratitude of poets
and writing workshop leaders everywhere for their no-holds-barred approach
to stimulating the imagination and unlocking the poems in all of us.”
–Sue Ellen Thompson

“For years, for decades really, I had heard from members of New England
Poetry Club and other poets what a fantastic class Ottone Riccio conducted:
‘He’s the best teacher in the world.’ ‘He’s fantastically helpful.’ ‘So
insightful—he goes right to the problem!’ ‘What Ricky does is inspirational.
You’ve got to come to one of his classes.’ Now for those who can’t get to
his workshops this remarkable teacher, together with Ellen Beth Siegel, has
compiled a book of inspiring lessons to help writers on their way to good
poems.”
–Diana Der-Hovanessian