Poet Biographies Introduction: Charles Finn & Kim Stafford. SECTION I: I riffed, following the language where it led Chapter 1: Bedtime Story, Joe Wilkins, Linfield University, USA. First Draft: My Son Asks for the Story About When We Were Birds Final Draft: My Son Asks for the Story About When We Were Birds Essay: Finding the Language, Finding Story: Revising My Son Asks for the Story About When We Were Birds Chapter 2: When Thought's Slope Steepens, Jane Hirshfield, Author and Poet. First Draft: Counting, New Year's Morning, What Powers Yet Remain to Me Final Draft: Counting, This New Year's Morning, What Powers Yet Remain to Me Essay: Stepladder, Vinegar, Persimmons: Revising Counting, This New Year's Morning, What Powers Yet Remain to Me Chapter 3: Increasing The Stakes, CMarie Fuhrman, Western Colorado University, USA. First Draft: Land Acknowledgment, Valley County, Idaho Final Draft: Land Acknowledgment, Valley County, Idaho Essay: Rhythm, Repetition, and the Drumbeat of Poetry: Revising Land Acknowledgment, Valley County, Idaho Chapter 4: Researching The Mystery, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Author and Poet. Passage from First Draft: River Run Passage from Third Draft: River Run Essay: What it Took to Get Here: Revising River Run Chapter 5: Creating a More Beautiful Story, Sean Prentiss, Norwich University, USA. Intermediated Draft: The Constellations of Slate Belt, Pennsylvania (with notes) Final Draft: The Constellations of Slate Belt, Pennsylvania Essay: Without Myths or Constellations: Revising The Constellations of Slate Belt, Pennsylvania Section II: My first draft was a word tornado Chapter 6: Inheritance, Frank X Walker, University of Kentucky, USA. First Draft: InHerit Final Draft: InHerit Essay: Revisions in Life and Poetry, Revising InHerit Chapter 7: A Matter of Inquiry, Rose McLarney, Auburn University, USA. First Draft: The Collectors of Local Minerals Are Likelier to Find What They Seek Final Draft: The Collectors of Local Minerals Are Likelier to Find What They Seek Essay: Identifying Gems: Revising The Collectors of Local Minerals Are Likelier to Find What They Seek Chapter 8: Gift From an Older Self, Naomi Shihab Nye, Texas State University, USA. Final Draft: Tears, Appropriate Essay: Gravity Changes: Revising Tears, Appropriate Chapter 9: A Poem's Truest Expression, Yona Harvey, University of Pittsburgh, USA. First Draft: Hickory Street, New Orleans Final Draft: Hickory Street, New Orleans Essay: True Expression as the Last Trolley Stop: Revising Hickory Street, New Orleans Chapter 10: An Inward Dissection, Terry Tempest Williams, Harvard Divinity School, USA. Original Prose Paragraph: When Women Were Birds Revision Into Poetry: When Women Were Birds Essay: Once Upon A Time: Revising When Women Were Birds SECTION III: It felt clunky, false, but I knew I was close Chapter 11: To See Again, Paulann Petersen, Stanford University, USA. Intermediate Draft: A Furrier's Grandchild Final Draft: A Furrier's Grandchild Essay: I Hear the Poem Speak For Itself: Revising A Furrier's Grandchild Chapter 12: Radiant Associations, Philip Metres, John Carroll University, USA. First Draft: Ashberries: Letters Final Draft: Ashberries: Letters Essay: Letters I Must Wait to Open: Revising Ashberries: Letters Chapter 13: An Act of Faith, Abayomi Animashaun, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, USA. First Draft: Exodus Final Draft: Exodus Essay: Discipline and Unknowing: Revising Exodus Chapter 14: Removing Details, Tami Haaland, Montana State University Billings, USA. First Draft: Deer on Crazy Creek Final Draft Deer on Crazy Creek Essay: Making the Local Exact: Revising Deer on Crazy Creek Chapter 15: Forging Something New, Charles Finn, Author and Poet. First Draft: Memory's Anvil Final Draft: Memory's Anvil Essay: The Winch of Imagination: Revising Memory's Anvil Chapter 16: Maintaining Fidelity, Shin Yu Pai, Author and Poet. First Draft: Empty Zendo Final Draft: Empty Zendo Essay: Emptying the Zendo: Revising Empty Zendo SECTION IV: I asked my dreams. Chapter 17: What's at Stake, Kim Stafford, Lewis & Clark College, USA. Final Draft: Lost in Snow Essay: Getting More Intimate with Pain: Revising Lost in Snow Chapter 18: Zeroing in on Intent, Prageeta Sharma, Pomona College, USA. First Draft: The Witness Final Draft: The Witness Essay: The Poem's Psychic Center: Revising The Witness Chapter 19: In Thick Darkness we Listen, Shann Ray, Gonzaga University, USA. First Draft: God of my abandonment Final Draft: God of my abandonment Essay: Obscuring a Formidable Power: Revising God of my abandonment Chapter 20: The Serpentine Path, Todd Davis, Pennsylvania State University, USA. First Draft: Tributary Final Draft: Tributary Essay: Following a Tributary to Find a Poem: Revising Tributary Chapter 21: Dreaming Poetry, Beth Piatote, University of California, Berkeley, USA. First Draft: Because our Roots are in Rivers, Not Latin Final Draft: Because our Roots are in Rivers, Not Latin Essay: How Not to Write A Sonnet: Revising Because our Roots are in Rivers, Not Latin Index