April is National Poetry Month, so I always make sure to put some fun poetry-related events on my calendar during that time. I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of the Jacksonville (FL) Poetry Festival hosted by Hope at Hand and this year I taught a Free Verse Poetry class. People from all over the world joined me and were brave and vulnerable enough to share their freshly written poetry with me and the others on the video call. I was fortunate enough to hold three addi

Dear Reader, Writing has always been my way of saying, I was here. This mattered. When life fractures us, language becomes a bridge between what we feel and what we can survive. Poetry, especially, allows room for truth without explanation—it lets us speak without apology. Lately, I’ve found myself leaning into that more than ever. I am metabolizing grief and transmuting it into art—poems, songs, fragments of feeling that don’t always make sense until they land on the page. M

Spring always feels like a quiet invitation—to begin again, to soften, to step forward in ways we may have been holding back from all winter. As the days stretch a little longer and the light lingers just a bit more, I find myself reflecting on both where I’ve been and where I’m going. My music playlist has been steeped in melancholy these days. I’m going through a tough time and feel like I’m back in the liminal space . Back at book # 1! I can remember a little over a year

Hello Dear Readers, This month, I had the honor of attending a Poetry Jam with the 4th graders at Thoreau Elementary School in Madison, WI. It’s a return visit for me and I always enjoy the event. I shared some of my story and poetry from my new book, Shadow Work, and then listened to students from three classes read their original poems. It’s a big deal to read a poem out loud to your classmates and I never take this for granted. The students and teachers spend so much time

It’s that time of year when I get to attend a Poetry Jam at one of my favorite schools in Madison – Elvehejm Elementary School. I met with 50 4th graders and two teachers. I introduced myself, talked about what inspired me and read some poems from my three books. I did get some questions and comments relating to the poems, which is always interesting to me. It was then their turn to read the poems that they had created. For the first time in four years, they all read their po

I'm beyond grateful and excited to share my third poetry book with you all. This recent work encompasses my last few years of traveling, learning, and new relationships. Thank you to everyone that inspired me. There is a piece of you throughout the pages of Shadow Work. Please see below for the distributed press release. I would appreciate you sharing this news with friends, family, colleagues, and any fans of poetry. --- Acclaimed Wisconsin poet Carrie Voigt Schonhoff announ

Hello dear reader! We are experiencing a second summer in the Midwest right now. Soon we will be fully immersed in all things pumpkin, sweaters, and hot drinks! I took a trip to Colorado and had a great time at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater seeing Brandi Carlile opener, Lucius. A few years ago I was there was for a Sarah McLachlan with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra concert and it was one of the best concerts. We went two out of the three nights Brandi was there and it

Dear Reader, I’m sorry I haven’t blogged recently. Sometimes in life, there is a lot brewing, but I am choosy about what I pick to share with you. Not everyone wants to hear about home repairs, the stresses of my world or what I’m watching on Netflix. Or do you? 😁 In late February, I did a poetry reading for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets at Café Coda in Madison. It was great to listen to fellow poets and make new connections! I have so much to be thankful for as I’m ver

I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of fun things this last month or so. One thing that I’ve been doing more of the last couple of years...

I had a great weekend! On Saturday, I meandered on The Covered Bridge Art Studio Tour in Ozaukee County with my friend Kelly. My parents...

Last weekend, I went on a little adventure! I’d reconnected with Shelly this year and she invited me to visit her and her husband Bill’s...

Travel to the Chateau On Thursday, July 18th, Sydney and I flew from Madison to Paris, with a layover in Newark. We made it out just in...

These last two weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster! I had an amazing week and then a challenging week. On June 19, my friend Jenny played bass and I sang vocals on “The House of the Rising Sun” at the Red Rooster in Madison . It’s a super cool joint. We were joined by two of my heroes, Beth Kille on electric guitar and Jenna Joanis on drums. You just couldn’t ask for a better band! And, we ROCKED! My daughter Sydney was there with friends Maeve and Eric which made it e

I took a little trip to...Colorado! Last year, I reconnected with my cousin Rick and met his lovely wife Martha. They graciously invited...

Exciting news – the orioles have returned! I always enjoy seeing these beautiful birds return. A feeder filled with grape jelly is the...

I have a lot of exciting things coming up in May! The most important event will be my daughter Sydney graduating from college on May...

Hello Dear Reader! It’s been a hot minute since I've blogged. I’ve had some ups and downs (mainly ups) and I thought I’d share some of...

Trip to Temecula, CA to Dorland Mountain Arts Residency 2/18 – 2/25/24 Day Zero – Travel Austin took me to the airport at 4 a.m. for a 6...

Time seems to be flying by! I have a few things coming up in 2024 that I thought I would share with you. Soon I will be heading to my...

Brrrrrr! It’s been very chilly this week and there is a lot of snow and ice remaining from the recent storms. I hope everyone has been...