Poets & Writers

Piano Lessons

JIM SOLLISCH is creative director at the Marcus Thomas advertising firm in Cleveland. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many other publications.

ON THE day my son Max discovered his superpower, Raffi was singing “Big Beautiful Planet” on the car stereo as the two of us tooled around town doing errands while leaves fell like giant confetti from the sky.

Max ran into the house ahead of me, and as I put away the groceries, I heard the last song we’d been listening to in the car playing in the living room. I rushed into the room, and there was Max, three and a half years old, playing the antique

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Poets & Writers

Poets & Writers3 min read
Maldonado Leads the Academy
Last June, Ricardo Alberto Maldonado became the first Latinx president and executive director of the Academy of American Poets. Founded in 1934 “to support American poets at all stages of their careers, and to foster the appreciation of contemporary
Poets & Writers5 min read
Picking What to Submit
WINNING a writing contest can lead to amazing things beyond a fancy line on your CV, including prize money, publication, and promotion. Contests can also connect you with judges and other writers who respect your work. But as with many aspects of the
Poets & Writers17 min read
Recent Winners
Karisma Price of New Orleans won the 2023 Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize for “The Art of London Firearms.” She received $1,000, and her poem was published in the September/October 2023 issue of American Poetry Review. The editors judged. The annual aw

Related Books & Audiobooks