Category Archives: Poetry

Poem

Posted on November 13, 2019 by PB Rippey

Flawbag There is the girl, woman this 3:02p.m., midway on twinkling crosswalk. Her voice thumps her hip, tucked in a dropped- bottom bag working on its 5th shoulder strap. Walk-lope: she doesn’t like you, though it is doubtful she could … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2019, books, humanity, Inspiration, life, poetry, whothefuckcares, WTF | Leave a comment

Death Poem

Posted on August 22, 2019 by PB Rippey

Orphan We are the children. Cream to curse. In- structed: here ya go, go, here ya, here ya go, go, go fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck Did you say that? Well. I did. Finally: where were you … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2019, bullshit, chaos, Death, death of parents, fun, innocents, life, poetry | Leave a comment

Rain Or Shine: Strike On

Posted on January 17, 2019 by PB Rippey

A couple of weeks before the strike, I was John Snow: I knew nothing. There are always excuses I can credit a busy mother. But everyone is busy. I simply wish I had paid any attention to events leading up … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2019, art, Beutner, books, Caputo-Pearl, Family, humanity, Inspiration, life, Teachers strike, UTLA, UTLA Strike, writing | Leave a comment

#MeToo

Posted on October 16, 2017 by PB Rippey

I didn’t look at Twitter for 24 hours a few days ago. #ROSEARMY I posted a bit on FB. #metoo I switched FB from public to only friends. #WTH”FRIENDS”??? I’ve been reading FB and Twitter in bed before turning out … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Faction, Poetry, Quotes, Writing | Tagged #BBC, #emmathompson, #IT, #metoo, #rosearmy, #SNL, 2017, kittens, WTF | Leave a comment

4th Fireworks (“Shh!” Edition)

Posted on July 7, 2017 by PB Rippey

Happy 4th! This: This splendor in this country: Here, they viewed this: Our 4th? This: Visiting family, as we were in the middle of watching ‘Moana’, I cried: OMG TIME FOR FIREWORKS. And my FIL brought us here, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, To Explain, Writing | Tagged 2017, 4th of July 2017, California, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Family, Fireworks, Hemet, Independence Day, Legoland, life, movies, Soboba Indians, Summer fun | Leave a comment

Where I Discovered Poetry Last Weekend

Posted on May 25, 2017 by PB Rippey

Here: And here: How my family inspired me last weekend? Via this: And this: And this: What it feels like to finish a pre-mini-vacation writing goal and move to the next? This: Came down with the flu upon returning from family shenanigans. However, today … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2017, books, flu, graduation, Health, humanity, life, Literature, novels, Pets, Sacramento Delta, swimming pools, UC Davis Med School, writing | 1 Comment

Inspiration (Mother’s Day Edition)

Posted on May 15, 2017 by PB Rippey

What inspiration looks like. Feels like. That guy, reading me his MDay card.

Posted in Adult writing, Children's Books, Faction, middle grade, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2017, books, Family, Inspiration, life, love, Mother's Day, writing | Leave a comment

Third Eye (April Edition w/Cat)

Posted on April 28, 2017 by PB Rippey

Woke up at 430am, pressed on with the last 40 pages of revision, my 3rd eye drowsy, but game. Now that I’m wide awake, overly caffeinated and the little boy is at school and the husband is off to heroic … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Pets, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2017, books, cats, Critique, Family, Literature, middle grade writing, Muses, Pets, poetry, revision, The New Yorker, Third Eye, writing | 2 Comments

Coffee Kick & Go (Tremble Edition)

Posted on April 12, 2017 by PB Rippey

It may be poetry month in the USA, but here at PB Writes the author was up late revising her MG novel, prepping it for the agent requesting a read. This sweet, cool and sunny spring morning–after creating pancakes-secreted-with-carrot-puree for the boy, feeding … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Pets, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2017, books, cats, coffee, Dogs, Family, fiction, life, Literature, Los Angeles, middle grade writing, muse, Pets, poetry, Poetry Month, revision, spring | 2 Comments

April Is Poetry Month (As If You Didn’t Know)

Posted on April 7, 2017 by PB Rippey

At the recent SCBWI Writers & Illustrators Day (see my SCBWI piece), editor Pam Gruber had her workshop attendees write down a bit of world building. In honor of all those writing a poem a day this month (I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2017, April Poetry Month, cats, middle grade writing, poetry, Poets, Santa Barbara, writing | Leave a comment

SCBWI-LA Writers & Illustrators Day 2017 (Links Edition)

Posted on March 20, 2017 by PB Rippey

I was asked by SCBWI-LA to write about my experience at the recent WID. The piece is up on the Kite Tales blog. 1, 2, 3: LINK. Such a luxury for me to discard certain hats (taxi-mama, chef of sorts, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2017, books, Kate Messner, life, Lisa Cron, Literature, Los Angeles, middle grade writing, Picture Books, SCBWI, SCBWI Writers & Illustrators Day, Skirball Cultural Center, Wired for Story, Writers Conferences, writing | 2 Comments

Kids Poetry Night

Posted on March 2, 2017 by PB Rippey

Tuesday, February 28th, a freaky political event occurred on TV, but also Poetry Night at my son’s school. Children and parents gathered to read/share poems from books they brought to the event and books supplied by the school’s librarian. Loved hearing … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Poetry, poetry reading, Writing | Tagged 2017, books, children's education, elementary schools, Kids poetry, lfie, Los Angeles, poetry, poetry readings, Poetry Speaks To Children | Leave a comment

Hearts

Posted on February 14, 2017 by PB Rippey

Just. So. Simply. Timely. And simply nice.

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2017, animals, California, dolphin heart, Earth, Family, hearts, humanity, life, Literature, Thanks, valentine's day, writing | Leave a comment

Island Infusion

Posted on October 24, 2016 by PB Rippey

Recently a boat deposited me on Santa Rosa Island for a few days, one of a handful of remote scapes comprising the Channel Islands National Park . I traveled with a geologist, an art dealer and two canvas artists who … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged 2016, Bear Mountain, books, California, California orogeny, camping, Channel Islands National Park, Earth, Eowyn Ivey, history, humanity, John McPhee, John Muir, life, Literature, novels, Pacific Ocean, Plein Air, Sant Rosa Island, Teddy Roosevelt, Thanks, Whiskey, Wow, writing | 1 Comment

Boo On Drugs

Posted on October 6, 2016 by PB Rippey

I wrote in a frenzy from 10 a.m. to 1:00p.m., then lay down for a nap before zooming to fetch my 3rd grader from school, but my iPhone was on mute, so I didn’t hear the alarm, but I did hear, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2016, art, books, Emily Dickinson, Family, Halloween, hope, humanity, life, Literature, Los Angeles, Muses, Sexy Mama, Ventura Blvd., Zen | Leave a comment

Louise Penny

Posted on October 3, 2016 by PB Rippey

Where has Louise Penny been all my life? I was completely not swept up, but vacuumed into A Great Reckoning and have since been binge reading the Chief Inspector Gamache novels–but I have to say, so far the other books … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2016, art, books, Canada, Chief Inspector Gamache, Dogs, Literature, Louise Penny, Murder mysteries, Muses, Three Pines, writing | 2 Comments

RIP Poem

Posted on September 13, 2016 by PB Rippey

Because my father resides in me I am what others expect to see– though not as or not ever without less this or that & always 1 count behind or is it ahead of much worse: that 70’s divorce, old split/split … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2016, fathers, Los Angeles, poetry, writer's angst | Leave a comment

Valley Chapbook

Posted on August 6, 2016 by PB Rippey

Part of our summer my son and I spent with family in my Ye Olde Hometown. We ate organic foods. Socialized con gusto. And my soon-to-be-3rd-grader attended a local summer camp. His hands were slobbered by the purple tongues of … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2016, 5K Run, beach, domestics, Finishing Line Press, Funk Zone, heatwave, Los Angeles, Nite Moves, personal goals, poetry, Poetry Chapbook, Santa Barbara, shark warnings, West San Fernando Valley, writer, writing | 4 Comments

Chapbook Publication

Posted on January 15, 2016 by PB Rippey

Finishing Line Press is releasing my chapbook of poetry, Valley Meditation (with Palomino), March 23rd, 2016. Yes, that’s right: This March, the one right around the corner from El Nino–except that EN isn’t really hitting my portion of summer-deflated valley. … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Steps In Promotion, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2016, chapbook, Finishing Line Press, Los Angeles, poetry, San Fernando Valley, writer, writing | 7 Comments

Fire

Posted on August 4, 2015 by PB Rippey

We left our drought-socked stifling valley at 815am and by 2pm—Hwy 99 to orchard-heavy back roads with stop signs, to another “highway”, to back roads with stop signs and colonies of slender giants we realized were members of the Stanislaus … Continue reading →

Posted in Faction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2015, CA, Dogs, fiction writing, forest fire, Groveland, poetry, Pyrite, Stanislaus National Forest, vacation, writer's angst, writer's retreat, writing, Yosemite | 12 Comments

Snooze House

Posted on March 31, 2015 by PB Rippey

Lately, instead of writing at night I’ve resorted to rising early in order to revisereviserevise certain projects and I’ve realized: The loudest sound in the house at 5am? Despite our small zoo? And the programmable coffee maker’s generous peeps? And the refrigerator … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, dog, Faction, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, Quotes, Santa Barbara, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2015, children's literature, dog, fish, globa warming, labrador, life, Los Angeles, middle grade writing, Santa Barbara, writer's block, writing | 1 Comment

This Just In (Elusive World of Poems Edition)

Posted on February 7, 2015 by PB Rippey

Bigger than George Clooney’s marriage. Bigger than my son eating cheese flavored Chex Mix for the first time yesterday (wish it had been broccoli, but at least he’s branching out…double edged sword, this pickiness business), bigger than the beachwalk I recently … Continue reading →

Posted in dog, ocean related, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2015, alien invasions, Beach weddings, Chex Mix, dog, Family, fiction writing, George Washington Carver, life, Los Angeles, Louise Erdrich, ocean, personal goals, poetry, Santa Barbara, Wild, writer's angst, writing | 2 Comments

Step Away From All Chariots (Burning Edition)

Posted on December 2, 2014 by PB Rippey

CONTENT WARNING: Vague to extreme silliness–and back again. Since 1990 I’ve been visiting Ana S. every other month, less when I was younger and single and living on a leaky sailboat and a semi-working actress with miracle hair never listing towards … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2014, fiction, gods, Isis, life, Los Angeles, martinis, personal goals, poetry, road rage, Santa Barbara | Leave a comment

Relief (Death’s Placards Edition)

Posted on October 17, 2014 by PB Rippey

There are fairly positive placards to be discovered–usually somewhere behind closed eyes–when Death (not waltzes in, there was no waltzing in my dad’s case) knocks down continents to claim, abscond-with, pose in a peasant blouse splotched in redwood forest mulch … Continue reading →

Posted in Faction, Me and Us, Poetry, Writing, WTF | Tagged 2014, beach, Death, fiction writing, grieving, Holbein the Younger, life, Los Angeles, ocean, poetry, writing | 2 Comments

Overcast In The Valley

Posted on August 19, 2014 by PB Rippey

Craving a view, I rode the escalator to the 3rd and final floor of that Macy’s and speculated on valley through tinted windows grand enough for a museum. No thunderheads. Not the merest ribbon of blue sky. No sun. Mounds … Continue reading →

Posted in Faction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2014, fiction writing, life, Los Angeles, poetry, writer's angst | Leave a comment