blogging while intoximacated (a little)

okay, I'm not that intoximacated but two beers is definitely enough to loosen me up a bit. whoops. :) Just got back to my b&b after saying goodbyes to my workshop people. I think the only time I've found it quite this hard to say goodbye after a workshop was Michael Carey's workshop at Iowa, whatever summer it was that I did that ... but no ... I think this one was actually harder. This group just really jelled for some reason -- six students and one teacher -- and I'm not just saying this because I gave out my blog address to everyone: every one of them is someone I feel privileged to have gotten to know. Every one of them is just ridiculously talented as a poet, and worked their butts off. Every one of them amazed me at some point with something they wrote or revised this week. And as for D.A. Powell, what can I say ... if you ever have a chance to take a workshop with the man, do it (especially if it's on revision *grin*). I think the best word for him as a teacher is generous. (Though "funny as shit" should work in there somewhere too.) I know that so much of it is happening to stumble across the right teacher in the right setting at the right time, and some of it is the student being open to learning, but above & beyond all that, he's just a fabulous teacher, and f'ing brilliant to boot.

Enough gushing, I suppose. I could go on all night, and I can't because I have to *sigh* pack my stuff so I can *sniffle* leave tomorrow. I may cry as the ferry pulls out of the harbor. I really may. All my feelings are just so heightened right now. It is probably a good thing there was no one of the appropriate gender/persuasion combo in the workshop, because I could have gotten myself in big trouble, letting myself be so heightened & vulnerable and in such a, yes this is the word for it, a loving space.

Oh! Sam Witt zipped out to P-town for the weekend, so he stopped by our last class as a Special Guest and read us the long poem of which we'd seen drafts -- it's really an amazing piece, and it was neat to hear him read it. He's a sweetheart too (he joined us for drinks tonight). Carl Phillips also showed up for tonight's reading, though I didn't get to meet him. Tonight's reading was much, much fun -- Doug Powell & Sonia Sanchez. She is quite an amazing performer/reader, and though she went over the usual allotted time you gotta admit she's earned it at this point in her life; and D. read really well too, with just the right amount of intro, and humor, and moments when the audience was just completely silent -- especially during his Poseidon Adventure poem ("[morning broke on my cabin inverted. tempest in my forehead]") -- god, that poem just wrecks me. His work makes me want to take more risks with my own. A lot of this week was about taking risks. That's the part I didn't expect to get from this, but got (and needed).

We did decide that there should be a poetry-workshop reality show -- somewhere in between American Idol and The Real World -- & it was decided that Jorie Graham would definitely have to be one of the poets. Maybe you had to be there. I know some of you are gonna find your way to this blog and read it, so feel free to chime in. *grin*

Okay, I'm going to start getting all maudlin and "don't want it to be over" and "I love youse guys" and all if I don't shut up and start packing my suitcase. So.

(I must remember to be very, very kind to myself for the next couple of weeks as I go through re-entry. A high as high as this week has been will almost inevitably have a crash to follow.)