Suzette Richards Biography

Mission statement: I don’t use AI to generate or even tweak my poetry, because I am a better poet than it.

 

Poetry has been my passion since my retirement from an accountancy based career a dozen years ago. I currently live in South Africa and this rainbow nation has inspired many of my poems. I also have British nationality and embrace their grammar and spelling, but I read widely and am not fazed by strict grammar rules: A pavement/sidewalk; glasses/eyeglasses; judgement/judgment, et cetera; they are one and the same to me when I read poetry. To date, I have self-published a number of books, including the poetry anthology by international poets, © Time, 2014 ISBN 978-0-620-60578-6, and have been cited in many international publications, both poetry journals, as well as in scholarly handbooks. Some of my short stories have been published in international electronic publications, and one of my novellas had been short-listed for an Afrikaans SA publication.

I serve on the Board of Advisers, of Taleemi Baithak.

I have a number (14 to date) poetic forms to my credit, notably, Suzette Prime, 2012 (listed here on PoetrySoup under Types of Poems), as well as The Tesla 3-6-9, 2017, and Suzcrostic, 2021 (listed under New Poetic Forms here on PoetrySoup), Suzette sonnet (Suznet), 2023 - introduced via an article here at PoetrySoup, as well as the brand new Suzette Swan Arc, 3  April 2025. These all resist AI imitation.

My most recent books which include examples of my poetry as well as notes regarding poetry - available directly from me:

  1. © The Eutony of Words, 2018 ISBN 978-0-6399382-0-2
  2. © Docendo discimus, 2021 (Revised 2023) ISBN 978-0-620-95432-7
  3. © Flight of Thoughts, 2023 ISBN 978-0-6397-8880-7
  4. © Downtown - Poetic Devices, 2023 ISBN 978-0-7961-1968-1
  5.  © Rocking Poetry, 2033 ISBN 978-0-7961-2824-9
  6. NEW: moonwake - Suzette Prime poetry, ISBN 978-1-0370-1836-7(PDF). It is a collection of 61 Suzette Prime poetry spanning from 2012 (when I designed the poetic form), up till now.

When Words are not Enough

Blog Posted by Suzette Richards: 10/19/2024 10:22:00 PM

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Date: 10/20/2024 8:12:00 PM
Suzette, you create such beautiful blogs, I love them. I was gifted a Life Time Membership years ago from a lady, called, Linda Marie, now gone to Heaven. It has been the most amazing gift ever given to me, has opened the door so my poetic voice could flow, love Constance
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Suzette Richards
Date: 10/20/2024 10:41:00 PM
I remember Linda Marie - such a loving soul. She was one of the winners in the very first Suzette Prime contests I ran here (in 2012). Your poetry has gone from strength to strength (especially this past year and a half), Constance. Thank you for the kind compliment - much appreciated.
Date: 10/20/2024 11:26:00 AM
I love verismo the most, beautiful. And i love the cherry blossom scent. Katana and ikebana two words that sound exotic. And i love your blog title. Hope you are doing well dear Suzette Sending you light always
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Suzette Richards
Date: 10/20/2024 10:43:00 PM
Mmmmmm ... I think that 'cherry blossom scent' sounds better than '...blossoms'...I will update the poem in the poem text field. Thanks :)
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Suzette Richards
Date: 10/20/2024 10:36:00 PM
I wish I could pin Verismo - I was in a happy place when I wrote and designed the picture. Sara K helped to tweak the final line and this is what makes the poem. Thank you for your visit. I am well, thank you. Hugs, Su
Date: 10/20/2024 9:24:00 AM
Verismo is so pretty.
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Suzette Richards
Date: 10/20/2024 10:33:00 PM
It is also my favourite, Andrea :)
Date: 10/20/2024 9:23:00 AM
gosh, you are such a techi. I am the oldest at the ESL school and everyone catches onto all the new programs so easily. I feel like a dinosaur. Mechanical and technological things were my downfall on the SAT test. Other than those things, I scored very well. I eventually adapt when I am forced to learn something but it sure doesn't come easy. You are blessed to know how to do all these cool things for yourself. I barely have figured out how to post videos and pictures!
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 10/21/2024 3:48:00 PM
My handwriting is so awful looking I myself cannot always read what I took notes on. I wrote extremely fast!
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Suzette Richards
Date: 10/20/2024 10:32:00 PM
I grew up in a household where mathematics ruled the day and the forerunners of accounting progammes where hotly debated. My only regret is that I cannot seem to master calligraphy, something my daughter excels at. So, I have to rely on computer apps to do the script on my haiga ...

Previous Blogs

Rhyme and WHY AI gets it Wrong - The Pirouette
Date Posted: 9/17/2025 1:43:00 AM
Reinventing the Wheel? Have your say
Date Posted: 9/8/2025 7:02:00 AM
Go Fish winners
Date Posted: 8/30/2025 1:56:00 AM
‘nough said
Date Posted: 8/24/2025 1:24:00 AM
To Quote or Not to Quote - That Is the Question
Date Posted: 8/15/2025 8:04:00 AM
GO FISH FOR CONTEST DETAILS
Date Posted: 8/14/2025 6:33:00 AM
Haibun - Subtle and Respectful
Date Posted: 8/9/2025 12:35:00 PM
Haiku - A Lesson in Humility
Date Posted: 8/8/2025 2:08:00 AM
Prose Poetry versus ‘Regular’ Poetry - A Vignette’s Whisper
Date Posted: 8/7/2025 1:12:00 AM
Poets as Truth Tellers
Date Posted: 8/2/2025 11:26:00 PM
Go Fish - A Book Prize
Date Posted: 7/30/2025 1:37:00 AM
Mathematics, Poetry, and Trust Issues
Date Posted: 7/26/2025 2:10:00 AM
A Fascinating Cultural Tension
Date Posted: 7/20/2025 1:20:00 AM
Blasphemy
Date Posted: 7/14/2025 8:12:00 PM
A Gentle Nudge is not a Critique
Date Posted: 7/13/2025 3:17:00 AM
Tonal Slippage – The Ins and Outs
Date Posted: 6/30/2025 4:45:00 AM
THE AI-BRAIN SYNDROME SYMPTOMS
Date Posted: 6/26/2025 3:09:00 AM
JUDGING GUIDE FOR SPONSORS
Date Posted: 6/20/2025 1:10:00 AM
Suzette Swan Arc - Contest Finale
Date Posted: 6/14/2025 12:12:00 AM
Suzette Swan Arc and AI with Examples
Date Posted: 5/25/2025 6:00:00 AM
Lost in Translation
Date Posted: 5/21/2025 3:17:00 AM
Elements of Nature - Suzette Swan Arc Poetry
Date Posted: 5/14/2025 11:20:00 PM
Klein’s Vase Verse - A New Poetic Form Freer than Free Verse
Date Posted: 5/7/2025 12:54:00 PM
Free Verse – How Free is It?
Date Posted: 4/26/2025 11:37:00 PM
Gender Influences on Contests
Date Posted: 4/20/2025 2:54:00 AM

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