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Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages
“Join Heller on her quest to help save the world, one poet at a time.” — from the foreword by Susan G. Wooldridge Write a Poem, Save Your Life helps writers of all ages and experience levels navigate their way through all aspects of life. With writing prompts, tools, encouragement, and moving student examples, Meredith Heller gently guides us in the art of using poetry to figure out who we are and what matters to us and to heal the deeper issues many of us face, such as depression, addiction, health and body image issues, low self-esteem, trauma, gender and sexual identity issues, and home and family problems. Along the way, we learn that writing poems helps us believe in ourselves, make positive life choices, and find direction, purpose, and meaning.
- GenresPoetryWritingNonfiction
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2021
17 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Heller
2 books1 followerMeredith Heller is a poet, singer-songwriter, educator, and avid nature woman. She is the author of three poetry collections. A California Poet in the Schools, she leads workshops for grades 1-12 in public & private schools, at Juvenile Detention Centers, and online for women & kids. She lives in Northern California in a tiny cottage. She is mused by nature, synchronicity, and kindred souls. For more info: www.meredithheller.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 17, 2022
A generous and soulful collection of ideas, writing prompts, and poems written by students between the ages of 9 and 18.
September 11, 2021
As a California Poet in the Schools, Meredith Heller teaches poetry workshops “for kids of all ages in both public and private schools.” She says, “Writing poems helps people believe in themselves.”
It’s evident in all the examples shared by students in the book that they have learned to connect to themselves through the writing of poetry. And now the book makes it possible for many more to realize the many gifts of writing poetry. Each chapter of Write a Poem, Save Your Life is inspiring with Heller’s engaging writing, students’ poems, and invitations to write followed by prompts she calls “just write.”
Each chapter begins with an excerpt from well-known artists and poets like Muriel Rukeyser and Pablo Neruda. The first chapter describes various aspects of poetry, such as “writing voice,” which Heller describes as the capturing of one’s unique speaking style in their writing. “Your own way of saying things is the voice you want to write with,” Heller advises, echoing the words of poet William Stafford.
One of my favorite chapters is “Muse of the Ordinary,” in which Heller suggests writing poems as a letter, a horoscope, a dictionary entry, or a magic spell. The chapter includes examples of black-out poems (also called erasure poetry)—using a page from a magazine or a portion of a newspaper to circle words for a poem, blacking out the rest.
“Body Language” includes an invitation to write a love poem to a favorite body part as well as an invitation for students to think about their relationship with sex, sexuality, and gender identity. These are poems the students could opt to not share, although there are poems from two students aged 19 and 17.
“Message in a Bottle” invites students and readers to use their imaginations to write messages and fortunes. “Dream Catcher” is another chapter that encourages students to get in touch with their own inner wisdom. As Heller says, “I think all poets are shamans. We write our way through our darkness and disconnection with self and community, and we write our way back returning with something to share, a map, a remedy, a way of wisdom.”
Kate, an eight-year-old, says in her contribution How to be a Thinker: “Stargaze and make memory constellations / When it rains, visit the mildew in the morning / the unknown is your happy place / Puddles are for jumping . . .” Kate’s poem is in the final chapter, “Wildly Alive.” Here, Heller invites students and readers to write about what inspires the poet in them and to write about what “celebrates and honors who you are.” The chapter is all about being a poet as a way of life and being true to oneself, living a life of joy and purpose.
I agree with Heller when she says, “When you commune with your own being and touch your own truth, it saves you.” I hope people of all ages will find this book to encourage them to write their own truth and to find the powerful medicine in sharing those truths with others.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Mary Ann Moore for this review.
It’s evident in all the examples shared by students in the book that they have learned to connect to themselves through the writing of poetry. And now the book makes it possible for many more to realize the many gifts of writing poetry. Each chapter of Write a Poem, Save Your Life is inspiring with Heller’s engaging writing, students’ poems, and invitations to write followed by prompts she calls “just write.”
Each chapter begins with an excerpt from well-known artists and poets like Muriel Rukeyser and Pablo Neruda. The first chapter describes various aspects of poetry, such as “writing voice,” which Heller describes as the capturing of one’s unique speaking style in their writing. “Your own way of saying things is the voice you want to write with,” Heller advises, echoing the words of poet William Stafford.
One of my favorite chapters is “Muse of the Ordinary,” in which Heller suggests writing poems as a letter, a horoscope, a dictionary entry, or a magic spell. The chapter includes examples of black-out poems (also called erasure poetry)—using a page from a magazine or a portion of a newspaper to circle words for a poem, blacking out the rest.
“Body Language” includes an invitation to write a love poem to a favorite body part as well as an invitation for students to think about their relationship with sex, sexuality, and gender identity. These are poems the students could opt to not share, although there are poems from two students aged 19 and 17.
“Message in a Bottle” invites students and readers to use their imaginations to write messages and fortunes. “Dream Catcher” is another chapter that encourages students to get in touch with their own inner wisdom. As Heller says, “I think all poets are shamans. We write our way through our darkness and disconnection with self and community, and we write our way back returning with something to share, a map, a remedy, a way of wisdom.”
Kate, an eight-year-old, says in her contribution How to be a Thinker: “Stargaze and make memory constellations / When it rains, visit the mildew in the morning / the unknown is your happy place / Puddles are for jumping . . .” Kate’s poem is in the final chapter, “Wildly Alive.” Here, Heller invites students and readers to write about what inspires the poet in them and to write about what “celebrates and honors who you are.” The chapter is all about being a poet as a way of life and being true to oneself, living a life of joy and purpose.
I agree with Heller when she says, “When you commune with your own being and touch your own truth, it saves you.” I hope people of all ages will find this book to encourage them to write their own truth and to find the powerful medicine in sharing those truths with others.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Mary Ann Moore for this review.
May 27, 2024
I wouldn’t say I am very interested in poetry, but I enjoyed this book.
Scintillating poems from Meredith Heller’s students are an integral part of this book.
The book is organized into different categories of subject matter, such as: “who am I,” “Come to Your Senses”, (the 5 senses) and “Ode à la Mode” (food). Each chapter has a few prompts. Each prompt includes a famous quote, brief introduction, an invitation to reflect, an invitation to write, and some example poems.
I enjoyed doing a few of the prompts with friends. They all wrote thought provoking poems. It was neat to learn about each other with poems.
I wrote with the prompts up to page 113, skipping a couple that I didn’t have inspiration for. Some of the poems were fun to write, some were interesting, and some were mediocre. Overall, it was a nice experience, I just got tired of writing halfway through the book.
Heller encourages walking to help solve problems, and that resonates with me.
Her book gives off a very compassionate hippie vibe.
Scintillating poems from Meredith Heller’s students are an integral part of this book.
The book is organized into different categories of subject matter, such as: “who am I,” “Come to Your Senses”, (the 5 senses) and “Ode à la Mode” (food). Each chapter has a few prompts. Each prompt includes a famous quote, brief introduction, an invitation to reflect, an invitation to write, and some example poems.
I enjoyed doing a few of the prompts with friends. They all wrote thought provoking poems. It was neat to learn about each other with poems.
I wrote with the prompts up to page 113, skipping a couple that I didn’t have inspiration for. Some of the poems were fun to write, some were interesting, and some were mediocre. Overall, it was a nice experience, I just got tired of writing halfway through the book.
Heller encourages walking to help solve problems, and that resonates with me.
Her book gives off a very compassionate hippie vibe.
May 16, 2021
This book is a gem. Meredith writes from deep personal experience of her love, knowledge and devotion to writing and teaching. The many fun and ingenious exercises included in this book are meant to point the readers toward their true-self...bringing to light that which inspires and motivates the creative act. I’m a visual artist and have taught painting for many years. I know firsthand the importance and joy of this journey toward our deepest selves that art-making can facilitate. Write a Poem, Save Your Life lends a helping hand to this process and is a book to keep returning to for its insight and wisdom. I highly recommend it for artists working in any genre...writing, painting etc. and also for those just beginning to respond to the need and desire to create. Write a Poem, Save Your Life is a ticket to the great galaxy within - so jump on board!
June 1, 2021
What insight and inspiration Meredith Heller brings to all who read her books. Write a Poem, Save Your Life could save someone's life, emotional and/or physical. Thank you for sharing your story and for giving so selflessly to others.
February 11, 2024
Interesting enough to finish, though I probably only did about half of the exercises. Definitely targeted at adolescents, even though it says "All Ages" in the title itself. But nonetheless worthwhile for anyone.
November 24, 2023
Definitely a tool I will incorporate into my teaching. I think you can do this in almost any class, maybe not Math but who knows. It’s tweakable.
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November 28, 2023This is a great book for teachers and young aspiring writers. I was not exactly the target audience, but appreciated all the work and love that went into it!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews