CUSTOMIZED CRITIQUES FOR ALL LEVELS 

·  Individual Poem Critiques  ·   Poetry Manuscript Critiques

·   Customized Critiques

(scroll down for details)

  

SERVICES OFFERED

Individual Poem Critiques

           · regular mail ·  e-mail

$10/page-length poem (additional pages considered on a case-by-case basis, fee negotiable)

The critique includes detailed line-by-line feedback, as well as a paragraph or two of summarized comments and one follow-up e-mail exchange. 

For a more detailed descripton of how the critiques work, scroll down to the bottom of the page.

To contact Angela, click here.

 

Manuscript Critiques

      · regular mail ·  e-mail

$10/page for a group of eight or more poems.  (Customized manuscript critiques also available.  Contact Angela at ajrydell@wisc.edu for details.)

You will receive brief line-by-line comments on each poem.  The majority of feedback will be in a written response to the group of poems as a whole, including:

  • a craft focus
  • revision and exercise suggestions
  • reading suggestions
  • submission suggestions
  • one follow-up email exchange to discuss the comments

To contact Angela, click here.

 

One-to-One Meetings

$35/hour

As a supplement to an individual or manuscript critique, instead of a follow-up email exchange, you can request a meeting to talk about where you're at with your work as well as discuss comments.

 

HOW DO THE CRITIQUES WORK?  

Frequently asked questions:

 

HOW DO I READ THE COMMENTS IF I E-MAIL MY POEMS?

  • For e-mailed critiques, I ask that you send your work in an attachment.  For my response, I use the "comments" feature in Word.  If you don't use Word, I will respond to your work w/comments in capitals or a different colored font.
  • All you need to do to read the comments feature is click on "View" (in the bar across the top of the Word page), and about 4-5 categories down in the pop-up box is "Comments."  Click there and the comments will appear.

WHAT IF I PREFER TO SNAIL MAIL MY POEMS?

  • To snail mail your work, print out your poem(s), single-spaced and send the work in a regular letter-sized envelope, unless you plan to send six or more pages of work. 

SHOULD I SEND ONE OR MORE POEMS?

  • It all depends on where you are in your own writing process.  The critiques can be customized to meet your needs--whether it's one critique for just one poem, an ongoing series of critiques (one or more poems at a time), or a manuscript critique.  
  • For beginning writers, I recommend sending one to two page-length poems at a time, and considering an ongoing series of critiques (you can specify a period of time: one poem a week for four weeks, three poems once a month for three months).    An ongoing series can give you constructive feedback that will help you connect more deeply to the craft elements in your work, discover new ideas for how to approach new work, and experiment with creative strategies for revision.

WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND SENDING PAGE-LENGTH POEMS?

  • I encourage writers to send page-length poems, especially when beginning the critiques.  I believe working in short forms can help inform any longer work, and once I get a sense of your style I'll be able to guide you more on either expanding and stretching out or condensing and tightening (usually it's a give and take).

 

ANGELA'S CRITIQUE STYLE

My goal is to honor the poem's intentions, and give detailed, objective line-by-line feedback on ways to best realize those intentions. 

I focus on craft elements, identify what stands out, and give suggestions on places to contract/cut or expand. 

I also work to help you discriminate between what's working in the poem and the elements that seem to be at cross-purposes with the poem's potential. 

But poetry isn't all craft, of course.  I like to talk about the pleasures of risk and mystery in poems, too.  And I'll help you identify your strengths so you can continue to push into new territory and discover insight and revel in the joy of discovery as you write.

For more information about Angela, including a bio and published poems accessible online, go to the Welcome page.