Ashley Laubinger's Publications

"Creative in its desire to portray the feel of a place—not just its look. Good job."

"Description is well done. Cobblestones, picket fences, sun-bleached shingles. Glistening stars that paint the sky. Kudos!"

"Highly creative word choices and elements to describe an island. Words like Essex and Sconset indicate the Nantucket region of Massachusetts. Well done!"

"Stanzas, cadence, and meters are all consistent and lyrical. Well matched."

" ... the sun-bleached shingles, bicycles with carefully woven baskets (indicating handmade) evening silence and glistening stars – the descriptions are beautifully done and make the reader want to board a plane and visit!"

"The poem shows the artistry of the writer and creates a scene the reader would love to visit. Beautiful!"

"The language in this line is particularly beautiful: “If you find yourself below a tree, she will sparkle light to prompt the forthcoming goodbye.” Another powerful phrase is “elegant melancholy” at the end."

"The push and pull of the fun and joy of August with its end and the anxiety that brings is unique. Usually seasons are written about in one mood or one vein, but this poem brings two different ideas together, and it’s done very well."

"… much of the rhyming is impressive, especially for a high school writer. The imperfect rhyming words in the final stanza are particularly effective (abundance and redundant). Though they are not perfect rhymes, they make sense in terms of meaning. They are well-chosen."

"Mechanics are almost perfect."

"This poem is beautiful, unique, and thought-provoking. It describes a season in a completely new way, one which I’ve not encountered before. An amazing piece by a high school student!"

"This is a poem deserving of recognition in the youth category. Hook, language, creativity, voice, and title selection are quite nice."

"Thank you for your lovely short story submission to The Florida Writer, Ashley -- You are a gem!"