No Means No Even Before Physical Contact

Overheard Conversation “I was at the gym and I bent over to tie my shoes and Keyshawn came over to me and he had his thing right in my face and he was wearing small shorts.” So began a conversation in the booth behind me at the coffee shop. I do not go to the … Continue reading No Means No Even Before Physical Contact

Surprise and the Volta: How Twists Deepen Poems and Stories

Surprise- Volta Surprise in poetry is the use of unexpected shifts, imagery, or structural turns—often called a volta—to disrupt predictable patterns and engage the reader, preventing boring, linear narratives. It acts as a “gentle shock,” fostering discovery by breaking conventions through off-rhymes, strange ideas, or sudden thematic reversals. Shakespeare uses Volta in his sonnets: My … Continue reading Surprise and the Volta: How Twists Deepen Poems and Stories