Poetry mentoring & critiquing services

what other poets are saying ...

Camille Norvaisas, author of “Rare as the Kotuku”

Bill Wunder, author of "Welcome to Paradise, New and Selected poems"

Bill Wunder, author of "Welcome to Paradise, New and Selected poems"

Lorraine helped me tremendously with my manuscript – the enthusiasm she exudes is most contagious and sparked my writing further than I imagined. She showed a genuine interest in helping me realize the arc my manuscript was taking and suggested other poems to write to further enhance that arc. Lorraine provided me detailed feedback on each poem, generously celebrating the parts she loved and gently suggesting edits in parts that weren’t as clear. I recommend Lorraine as an ambassador to your poetry, whether it be two poems, ten poems or a whole manuscript. The result will surpass your expectations. 

Bill Wunder, author of "Welcome to Paradise, New and Selected poems"

Bill Wunder, author of "Welcome to Paradise, New and Selected poems"

Bill Wunder, author of "Welcome to Paradise, New and Selected poems"

 

Lorraine Henrie Lins is a poet, editor, and author with whom I have had the privilege and good fortune to work with and learn from for over 20 years.   First and foremost, she is a poet’s poet, with an exceptional sense of what belongs and doesn’t belong on the page. And perhaps as important as her poetic skills, is the knowledge that your work is in the safe hands of someone you can trust. Take it from me.

Tom Mallouk, author of “Nantucket Re-visited”

Bill Wunder, author of "Welcome to Paradise, New and Selected poems"

Bernadette Karpa, author of “And She Does Shine,” “Heirlooming, “ & “Chocolate Brown Satin Hot Pants and Other Artifacts”

Lorraine Henrie Lins loves poetry, writes sense of what the poet is trying to accomplish. By that I mean she has no particular bias about what a poem should be but provides feedback that will augment the poet’s and the poem’s intent. She has a keen eye for what works on the page and ear for the music of the spoken poem. Perhaps most importantly for those seeking her feedback, she is kind and understands how the best poems are written from a place of acute vulnerability. That said, she has the courage and compassion to give the criticism the poet and the poem may require to realize their ambitions. I have experienced these qualities firsthand

 and can wholeheartedly endorse 

her editorial abilities.

Bernadette Karpa, author of “And She Does Shine,” “Heirlooming, “ & “Chocolate Brown Satin Hot Pants and Other Artifacts”

Bernadette Karpa, author of “And She Does Shine,” “Heirlooming, “ & “Chocolate Brown Satin Hot Pants and Other Artifacts”

Bernadette Karpa, author of “And She Does Shine,” “Heirlooming, “ & “Chocolate Brown Satin Hot Pants and Other Artifacts”

A great workshop partner is not prescriptive or overly directive. A great workshop partner will sink down into the speaker that you have created and help them get to what it is they need to say and how they need to say it. A great partner will help you discover a speaker’s voice and honor it by finding the authenticity and honesty that makes that voice reverberate. That is what you find when you work with Lorraine Henrie Lins: a great partner who helps you honor your work and the voice that only you can create. She helps identify what resonates from a reader’s perspective and supports authors as they explore possibility and potential.

Jane Edna Mohler, author of "Broken Umbrellas"

Bernadette Karpa, author of “And She Does Shine,” “Heirlooming, “ & “Chocolate Brown Satin Hot Pants and Other Artifacts”

Jane Edna Mohler, author of "Broken Umbrellas"

I highly recommend Lorraine Henrie Lins’ editing skill and style. Yes, she meets your commas and semicolons at the door, but quickly asks them to hold her coat. She wants to enter your poem to see what that aroma might be coming from the kitchen. Then she plops on your couch to see how (or if) it fits in the poem. Lorraine understands that poems have their own soul and direction. She works to find that soul and to assist the poet to make it thrive. 

Connie Wrzesniewski, author of “One More Time”

Bernadette Karpa, author of “And She Does Shine,” “Heirlooming, “ & “Chocolate Brown Satin Hot Pants and Other Artifacts”

Jane Edna Mohler, author of "Broken Umbrellas"

Former Pennsylvania county poet laureate, Lorraine Henrie Lins rides the crest of a wave when it comes to polished poetry; whether she reads, writes or critiques it. She is always at the head of the class while others look toward her for leadership. Often giving feedback and coaching others in the master class that we have shared over the years. Her direct style in her initial book,   "I Called It Swimming," is evidence of her easygoing style, yet firm reliance on principle.  She tells it like it is.