Join me for “Writing is for the Birds” on Tuesday, February 17 from 2 – 4 pm ET

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Month? Writers and bird lovers, I bet you can barely keep your feeder full, especially if you got as much snow as I did today. Recently, I was honored to write “Wings to Words,” an article about the powerful connection between birds and writing for the introduction to the February newsletter for Women on Writing. Read it here.

If birds enchant and inspire you, I hope you’ll consider joining me for a 2-hour workshop, “Writing is for the Birds” on February 17 from 2 – 4 pm ET. For more information and to sign up, see below.

WRITING IS FOR THE BIRDS: A WORKSHOP INSPIRED BY OUR AVIAN FRIENDS with Ashley Harris

WEBINAR DATE: Tuesday, February 17, 2026

WEBINAR TIME: 2pm – 4pm ET

DURATION: 2 Hours

LOCATION: Live webinar via Zoom

FEEDBACK: The last 15 minutes of the lecture will be open to Q&A. Students can also send questions ahead of time, to be addressed during the lecture.

SPECIAL OPTION: Receive a personal critique from the instructor of 3 double-spaced pages of your work within two weeks of the class for an extra fee. This includes at least one submission recommendation.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Did you know that cardinals symbolize fidelity and that their appearance may represent a visit from a lost loved one? Did you know the wood thrush has a Y-shaped voice box, allowing the last two notes of its song to fork off and harmonize? It’s no wonder that our avian friends find their way into the work of so many writers, from John Keats to Jane Kenyon to Amy Tan. In this special workshop, we’ll uncover the many ways that birds can elevate both poetry and prose through sounds, sights and themes.

This live Zoom webinar starts and ends on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Time: 11 AM – 1 PM PT | 12-2 PM MT | 1-3 PM CT | 2-4 PM ET

The webinar can be viewed on a tablet, phone, or computer (both Mac and PC).

We’ll record the class and have it available for anyone who would prefer to view the class at a different time and date.

Format
This course is offered via Zoom webinar. Webinars are workshops given online, where you can view the workshop and websites/materials I share on my screen, making it an interactive experience. Webinars make learning from your home or office convenient.

COST: $40, which includes one two-hour webinar with a 15-minute Q&A with me. Enrollment is limited to 10 students so I encourage you to register early.

Register here by clicking and scrolling to the bottom of this page.

Hope to see you there, but in the meantime, please stay warm and safe!
Ashley

Poem #8 – One About a Ghost

Posted on by Ashley Harris

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One of my favorite sources of poetic inspiration is dreams. They offer an endless variety of unfettered thoughts with hoards of images and surprises. Today’s poem is inspired by someone else’s dream.

Want to read it? If so, scroll down in the alphabetical list for Poem #8 to read “Why My Lover Dreamt of a Naked Ghost Named Rebecca.”

If you love poetry, I hope you’ll consider supporting a poet this month.  Please do read my work (and those of the other poets) if you can, and consider supporting me with a small donation. Supportive comments on this blog are also very welcome because they inspire me to keep going!

Many, many thanks to all of you have contributed to the cause so far — either through a monetary donation or moral support, which are equally valuable.

Please know that your contributions are going to a great cause. Tupelo Press is a prestigious non-profit press, and for 17 years their mission has been to publish new voices. They are giving my work some exposure, and bringing me into a community of over 350 alumni helping each other publish our work.