More substantial posts coming, but I want to sustain whatever small momentum I've found here.
So, last week I spent two full days in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and it was fantastic. Yes, you can quibble about the induction criteria and about who's in versus who's not (the fact that Abba got inducted this year and Darlene Love, who was on the ballot, did not is just a crying shame) - but for anyone who's grown up with this music it is an absolute treasure trove of memory and revelation. So many times I found myself standing in front of an album cover I'd spent hours upon hours staring at in high school while playing the album over and over, and next to that album cover, the actual thing that was on the cover. John Lennon's costume from the cover of Sgt. Pepper. Stevie Nicks' pointe shoes from the cover of Rumours. And, of course, Bruce Springsteen's guitar and leather jacket from the cover of Born to Run. (That jacket is tiny, too. He was a scrawny little dude. So many dreams packed into that small, beat-to-hell-and-back leather jacket.)
Other than the Springsteen stuff (which I'll get to later), probably the thing that made the biggest impression on me was John Lennon's first passport, issued in 1960. When he first got the passport, he filled out all the blanks dutifully, writing "Student" in the space marked for Profession. Later on - and oh, how I wish there were some way of knowing exactly when - he came back and, with a considerably bolder and firmer pen, lined through the word "Student" and wrote "Musician."
The power of naming oneself. Just intense.
* * * * *
Also, I've pretty much decided I am going to do my damnedest to get to AWP next year. More later about why (I'm not on any panels); for now, I just want to throw out there that I will read at the drop of a hat, or a poem, so if any editors or other reading organizers would like a middle-aged Midwestern poet on their bill, you know where to find me. :)
Showing posts with label AWP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AWP. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Checking in quick
Hope everyone in the U.S. had a good Fourth of July holiday. It rained here allllllll day on the Fourth. I think I started growing moss.Just wanted to post a quick check-in as I won't be around much for the next week or so. I'll be headed to Chicago for the big American Library Assn. annual conference, a humongous event which takes over the McCormick Place convention center as well as several of the big downtown hotels. While I'll be doing library-ish stuff most of the time, I do hope to steal away for an hour or so each day to catch some of the readings that will be going on. Not the plethora (I've always thought "plethora" sounded like some kind of a prehistoric fish...) of readings you get at AWP, but still, there are some good ones including Jane Hirshfield, Rachel Zucker, Janice Harrington, and Sherman Alexie.
I've touched bases with at least a couple of Chicagoans, but if you're going to be at ALA or in the area, drop me a note! My conference schedule is looking relatively nuts, which is par for the course, but I'm hoping to escape the ALA-mania for at least one evening. I don't think it will be quite as much of a social whirl as AWP, but hopefully it will be fun.
Speaking of AWP, I didn't get the grant that I applied for, so chances are I won't be going to Denver next year. Oh well. I'm still looking around for funding possibilities, so maybe something will turn up -- but as great a time as I had in Chicago, I can't do another one on my own nickel. Maybe in 2011 (D.C.) though more likely not until 2012 (Chicago again) -- heck, by then I may have finally finished reading all the books I picked up this year, huh? :)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
One last AWP post
3 other things seen during AWP:
* an off-duty Secret Service dude in an elevator at the Hilton, official Secret Service bulletproof vest slung over one shoulder, very adamantly not making eye contact with anyone (I later found out Obama was in town & in fact had dinner not too terribly far from us... sigh!)
* ice sculptures in the park! Very cool, in both senses of the word.
* I already mentioned this, but bloggers, bloggers, bloggers! I think I must have met 30 of y'all, and even then there were several of you I didn't manage to cross paths with. It really was fun, even though I'm basically a shy person and overcompensate by babbling on. ;)
#1 advice I have to pass on to others:
* The coffee in your hotel room is bad. It barely counts as coffee. However: it is coffee. And it is in your hotel room. And if you're too poor for room service, like me, it will get you sufficiently awake to stumble downstairs.
The other #1 advice I have:
* Someone, and I have no recollection who, told me to go get my conference badge as soon as I got checked into the hotel. I did, and it took like thirty seconds once I found the registration counter. This turns out to have been fabulous advice because I hear that people who came in later were standing in line for a really long time, even if they were already pre-registered. If you get in on Wednesday, by all means get your badge and stuff that day. (And actually, getting in on Wednesday & having the evening to relax & acclimate a bit was another really smart thing that I did & will absolutely try to do again next time.)
My 2 resolutions for Denver 2010:
* I really want to read. Editors who've published me, take note! Random poets who can use another random poet in a reading, take note! I know it's egotistical as hell to want to read my stuff, but it is, after all, the Attention Whore Paradise conference (thanks Laine). And I love reading, and I'm really good at sticking to my time limit. ;)
* I really, really want to be there. I have no idea how I'm going to fund it, but I'm going to start working on some ways.
Some good news, just in from the Indiana Coalition for the Arts:
Some good news, just in from the Indiana Coalition for the Arts:
Update on Indiana State Arts Budget!
House Ways & Means Committee Releases BudgetToday the House Ways and Means released its budget which includes an 8% reduction for the Indiana Arts Commission, rather than the Governor’s recommended 50% reduction. This would make the proposed appropriation around $3.68 million (the last biennial budget was at $4 million). This is terrific news, as it treats the IAC on par with other state agencies.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
AWP index
Number of people whose names I mispronounced upon meeting them: At least 1, possibly as many as 3
Number of official panels attended: 7 plus the keynote address
Number of those panels which were readings: 3
Number of offsite events attended: 3, depending on what you count and depending on what happens tonight
Number of books bought or taken for free at theden of iniquity bookfair: DON'T ASK
Number of my own chapbooks sold, traded, or given: 11 so far
Number of meals eaten in restaurants: 2 so far
Number of bloggers I have gotten to meet in person: I can't count that high!
Number of poets I've hugged: I can't count that high x 2!
Number of free drinks imbibed: [redacted]
Number of people seen Trying Way Too Hard: [redacted]
Number of people seen looking glazed and overwhelmed: all of them, at some point!
Number of hours left before I have to check out of this room at the Hilton with the extremely comfy bed: 17
Number of bizarre dreams dreamed in said aforementioned extremely comfy bed: 0, actually
Number of new poems drafted: 4 (I know, I'm shocked too)
Number of "f-bombs" dropped in one of those poems: 10 (12 if you count the epigraph)
Tonight I'm headed for the Jeffrey McDaniel/ Susan Somers-Willett/ Patricia Smith reading. If you're at AWP and you don't know what to do tonight, this oughta be a good one!
Number of official panels attended: 7 plus the keynote address
Number of those panels which were readings: 3
Number of offsite events attended: 3, depending on what you count and depending on what happens tonight
Number of books bought or taken for free at the
Number of my own chapbooks sold, traded, or given: 11 so far
Number of meals eaten in restaurants: 2 so far
Number of bloggers I have gotten to meet in person: I can't count that high!
Number of poets I've hugged: I can't count that high x 2!
Number of free drinks imbibed: [redacted]
Number of people seen Trying Way Too Hard: [redacted]
Number of people seen looking glazed and overwhelmed: all of them, at some point!
Number of hours left before I have to check out of this room at the Hilton with the extremely comfy bed: 17
Number of bizarre dreams dreamed in said aforementioned extremely comfy bed: 0, actually
Number of new poems drafted: 4 (I know, I'm shocked too)
Number of "f-bombs" dropped in one of those poems: 10 (12 if you count the epigraph)
Tonight I'm headed for the Jeffrey McDaniel/ Susan Somers-Willett/ Patricia Smith reading. If you're at AWP and you don't know what to do tonight, this oughta be a good one!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Gratitude...
... to everyone who stopped by my chapbook signing today and made me feel like a rockstar!
... to all the poets who've been so gracious about signing books for me and listening to me gush (I swear, it truly is sincere)
... to all the bloggers, facebookers, etc. who have peered at my nametag and said "Anne!" and greeted me happily and made me feel welcome -- I can't believe how many of you I've been able to meet here! Maybe now I'll start having interesting dreams about bloggers too. ;)
... to all the poets and editors for getting words out there in the world. Never doubt that it matters.
* * * * *
Started off my Friday the 13th with the most incredible French toast at the Eleven City Diner. Made with challah, battered just right, piled with strawberries & bananas & coconut. It was just the comfort food I needed this morning.
Walked around the bookfair until I was overwhelmed again, then spent some time chilling in my room.
Went to the Graywolf reading, which was terrific. Eula Biss and D.A. Powell both sent the room into that absolute still silence that happens once in a rare while at readings.
Then I had my chapbook signing, which was a lot of fun. Sold a few, signed a few more, chatted with a bunch of people.
Then I went to something else, I forget.
Shortly I'll head out to the diode/Anti- offsite reading, which should be a lot of fun.
Yep, definitely loving AWP! :)
... to all the poets who've been so gracious about signing books for me and listening to me gush (I swear, it truly is sincere)
... to all the bloggers, facebookers, etc. who have peered at my nametag and said "Anne!" and greeted me happily and made me feel welcome -- I can't believe how many of you I've been able to meet here! Maybe now I'll start having interesting dreams about bloggers too. ;)
... to all the poets and editors for getting words out there in the world. Never doubt that it matters.
* * * * *
Started off my Friday the 13th with the most incredible French toast at the Eleven City Diner. Made with challah, battered just right, piled with strawberries & bananas & coconut. It was just the comfort food I needed this morning.
Walked around the bookfair until I was overwhelmed again, then spent some time chilling in my room.
Went to the Graywolf reading, which was terrific. Eula Biss and D.A. Powell both sent the room into that absolute still silence that happens once in a rare while at readings.
Then I had my chapbook signing, which was a lot of fun. Sold a few, signed a few more, chatted with a bunch of people.
Then I went to something else, I forget.
Shortly I'll head out to the diode/Anti- offsite reading, which should be a lot of fun.
Yep, definitely loving AWP! :)
Overheard at AWP...
..."A couple of times I thought somebody was somebody, and they were."
Yeah, there are some somebodies here. But also, there are so many people here that if you think you are a special snowflake just because you write or even just because you've had a book published or whatever, you will quickly be disabused of that notion. I think that's probably good for a person now and then. Boy, there are a lot of poets with a lot of books. Also, if you're thinking about starting up a literary journal? Think again. Because we have a crapload of them! There are tables for journals I've never heard of, and I've heard of a heck of a lot of them.
Having a lovely time, though. Every time I turn around I meet another blogger or facebooker or somebody I know from Provincetown or someplace else. I've even run into somebody I know from my undergrad days!
By late afternoon I had a splitting sinus headache, so I retreated to my room and took some Excedrin and closed my eyes for a while -- as a result I missed the 7 pm offsite reading I wanted to go to (Lambda Literary Fellows, which I'm sure was very good) but was feeling better enough an hour later to go to the keynote speech, which was Art Spiegelman. The sinus headache that changed my plans was sort of a blessing in disguise, because Spiegelman's presentation was absolutely terrific, and helped me understand some things about the relationship between structure and time. That's vague, but I know what I mean by it, and it's making me think in new ways about my current project... can't ask for much more than that. Plus he's just a terrific speaker.
A bunch of people have said they are going to stop by my chapbook signing at 3:00 tomorrow, which is really cool! And if 25% of the people who said they're going to stop by actually do stop by, it will feel like a very successful signing. (I know that people often have very good intentions and then don't make it -- goodness knows I've failed to show at several things I meant to be there for, just today! -- I've been saying that I'll be happy if two or three people stop by and say hi during the hour I'm at the FLP table, and that is seriously how I feel about it.)
Other stuff I went to today: the book fair (duh), a panel on narrative distance in fiction (which really did help me understand some stuff for my current project), the NER reading (which was terrific -- 3 fiction writers and 3 fantastic poets [Jennifer Grotz, Carl Phillips, & Natasha Trethewey]), and a panel on online poetry communities. And the book fair again.
And I've heard bloggers describing crazy dreams they've had about other bloggers' hotel rooms, and hugged a whole bunch of people, and gushed to the point of inappropriateness about people's work that I like. (I seriously do mean it when I do that, I just don't know when to shut up sometimes. Better that than not knowing when to shut up when I'm saying things that aren't so nice... right?? *grin*) I still have a few people on my "people I really want to run into here" list, but not many at this point. It has surprised me how easy it is to run into people here.
There are a few things I want to do tomorrow, but mostly the Graywolf reading and the Diode/Anti- reading. And if anybody wants to do lunch or dinner, I really need to have a proper meal at some point; the trail mix & Luna bars in my room have saved me a lot of money yesterday & today, but I'm starting to feel the need for actual food! :)
Yeah, there are some somebodies here. But also, there are so many people here that if you think you are a special snowflake just because you write or even just because you've had a book published or whatever, you will quickly be disabused of that notion. I think that's probably good for a person now and then. Boy, there are a lot of poets with a lot of books. Also, if you're thinking about starting up a literary journal? Think again. Because we have a crapload of them! There are tables for journals I've never heard of, and I've heard of a heck of a lot of them.
Having a lovely time, though. Every time I turn around I meet another blogger or facebooker or somebody I know from Provincetown or someplace else. I've even run into somebody I know from my undergrad days!
By late afternoon I had a splitting sinus headache, so I retreated to my room and took some Excedrin and closed my eyes for a while -- as a result I missed the 7 pm offsite reading I wanted to go to (Lambda Literary Fellows, which I'm sure was very good) but was feeling better enough an hour later to go to the keynote speech, which was Art Spiegelman. The sinus headache that changed my plans was sort of a blessing in disguise, because Spiegelman's presentation was absolutely terrific, and helped me understand some things about the relationship between structure and time. That's vague, but I know what I mean by it, and it's making me think in new ways about my current project... can't ask for much more than that. Plus he's just a terrific speaker.
A bunch of people have said they are going to stop by my chapbook signing at 3:00 tomorrow, which is really cool! And if 25% of the people who said they're going to stop by actually do stop by, it will feel like a very successful signing. (I know that people often have very good intentions and then don't make it -- goodness knows I've failed to show at several things I meant to be there for, just today! -- I've been saying that I'll be happy if two or three people stop by and say hi during the hour I'm at the FLP table, and that is seriously how I feel about it.)
Other stuff I went to today: the book fair (duh), a panel on narrative distance in fiction (which really did help me understand some stuff for my current project), the NER reading (which was terrific -- 3 fiction writers and 3 fantastic poets [Jennifer Grotz, Carl Phillips, & Natasha Trethewey]), and a panel on online poetry communities. And the book fair again.
And I've heard bloggers describing crazy dreams they've had about other bloggers' hotel rooms, and hugged a whole bunch of people, and gushed to the point of inappropriateness about people's work that I like. (I seriously do mean it when I do that, I just don't know when to shut up sometimes. Better that than not knowing when to shut up when I'm saying things that aren't so nice... right?? *grin*) I still have a few people on my "people I really want to run into here" list, but not many at this point. It has surprised me how easy it is to run into people here.
There are a few things I want to do tomorrow, but mostly the Graywolf reading and the Diode/Anti- reading. And if anybody wants to do lunch or dinner, I really need to have a proper meal at some point; the trail mix & Luna bars in my room have saved me a lot of money yesterday & today, but I'm starting to feel the need for actual food! :)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Chasing angels in Chicago
A sunny day in Chicago, after lots of rain yesterday (I think I managed to catch one of the few brief dry spells for my short hike from the South Shore train station to the Hilton -- pure luck). I'm at AWP -- yes, my first AWP. Last night I already ran into maybe a dozen people I know, some of whom I'd never met in "real life" before -- which eased the "fish out of water" feeling considerably! I do have to say I am not the sort of girl who habitually stays in fancy hotels, so I'm suffering from a bit of sticker shock... I did splurge on 24 hours of internet, but after today I may just purchase an hour a day to stay minimally caught up. If you think you might want to get hold of me, ping me for my cellphone number.
I'm getting a slow start this morning, drinking bad in-room coffee and looking out at the windows of the Essex Hotel next door and the little patch of sky I can see. I'm trying not to be excessively ambitious; there are a bunch of panels and readings I defintely want to get to, but I know that I will miss more than I make. And that's okay. I want to spend some time wandering aimlessly and overstimulated through the bookfair (who started that Facebook group? that cracked me up when I saw it!), and just people-watching in general. I think I'm actually going to go to a fiction panel (I know... I'm just a poetry mutineer) because I found one that covers some ground that will likely be helpful to me in my current series of persona-ish poems.
Today I'm wearing my "tramps like us, baby we were born to run" T-shirt (last night I wore the midlife-crisis motorcycle jacket everywhere, but I think it will be too warm and heavy for all day) and jeans. If you're at AWP and you see me, please say hello, because I'm probably too shy to say hi to you! :) I may be a chatterbox here online, but in real life I am sometimes hesitant -- but harmless, really. *grin*
I'm getting a slow start this morning, drinking bad in-room coffee and looking out at the windows of the Essex Hotel next door and the little patch of sky I can see. I'm trying not to be excessively ambitious; there are a bunch of panels and readings I defintely want to get to, but I know that I will miss more than I make. And that's okay. I want to spend some time wandering aimlessly and overstimulated through the bookfair (who started that Facebook group? that cracked me up when I saw it!), and just people-watching in general. I think I'm actually going to go to a fiction panel (I know... I'm just a poetry mutineer) because I found one that covers some ground that will likely be helpful to me in my current series of persona-ish poems.
Today I'm wearing my "tramps like us, baby we were born to run" T-shirt (last night I wore the midlife-crisis motorcycle jacket everywhere, but I think it will be too warm and heavy for all day) and jeans. If you're at AWP and you see me, please say hello, because I'm probably too shy to say hi to you! :) I may be a chatterbox here online, but in real life I am sometimes hesitant -- but harmless, really. *grin*
Monday, February 09, 2009
poems and prizes and piscatorial plans
Looky what I found!
* * * * *
Did anybody else watch the Grammy Awards last night? I have to say that M.I.A. should get a special award for performing at 9 months pregnant... on her actual due date no less. Maybe we should call it the "ovaries to the wall" award.
* * * * *
Looks like I'll be getting to the Hilton right around 3 pm on Wednesday. Trying to decide if that gives me enough time to dash over to the Shedd Aquarium before they close at 5. Probably not, depending on how long the check-in process takes me. It's been ages since I've been in Chicago! If anyone wants to get together, I'll be easy to find... I'll be the one wandering around wide-eyed, overwhelmed and overstimulated. Oh wait... that doesn't help at all, does it?
See (some of) you there!
* * * * *
Did anybody else watch the Grammy Awards last night? I have to say that M.I.A. should get a special award for performing at 9 months pregnant... on her actual due date no less. Maybe we should call it the "ovaries to the wall" award.
* * * * *
Looks like I'll be getting to the Hilton right around 3 pm on Wednesday. Trying to decide if that gives me enough time to dash over to the Shedd Aquarium before they close at 5. Probably not, depending on how long the check-in process takes me. It's been ages since I've been in Chicago! If anyone wants to get together, I'll be easy to find... I'll be the one wandering around wide-eyed, overwhelmed and overstimulated. Oh wait... that doesn't help at all, does it?
See (some of) you there!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Fun and games, the AWP edition
Reminder: I'll be signing chapbooks at AWP at the Finishing Line Press table, 3:00-4:00 pm on Friday the 13th. (it's your lucky day! *hee*) And unless I get desperate and eat it all myself between now and then, I will have milk chocolate hearts and dark chocolate kisses for the taking. So stop by and say hello!
* * * * *
Of course, scant days before checking into the most expensive hotel I've ever visited in my life, my trusty '91 Corolla decides it needs a huge amount of money put into fixing it. Doesn't that just figure? Thank goodness my mechanic came up with a "twelve months same as cash" offer for me. Still... I'll be the one subsisting on Luna bars and peanut butter (the non-salmonella variety) in her hotel room next week. I'll probably go out for dinner once or so, but let's just say that "free appetizers" will be the magic words when trying to decide which offsite events to go to. Sigh! I'll still be buying a few books, though. Because I'd rather read than eat.
* * * * *
I do plan on blogging from AWP, although if I get busy and overwhelmed I reserve the right to take a nap instead. Rest assured I'll refrain from posting incriminating photos though. For a small fee. Muahahahahahahaha!
* * * * *
I managed to land tickets for the upcoming Springsteen shows in Denver and Chicago. After the Super Bowl halftime performance, demand for these shows was ridiculous, so I'm pretty relieved to have gotten these. I actually thought about trying to hit the tour opener in San Jose on April Fool's Day as well, but rationality and good sense won out.
This means I have three trips to Chicago in my future: next week for AWP, mid-May for Bruce, and July for the American Library Association conference. Even though it's only a couple hundred miles away, I just don't get to Chicago that often, so it's funny to be going there three times this year.
* * * * *
In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to meeting some of my fellow poet-bloggers in Chicago. Please do say hi if you see me!
* * * * *
Of course, scant days before checking into the most expensive hotel I've ever visited in my life, my trusty '91 Corolla decides it needs a huge amount of money put into fixing it. Doesn't that just figure? Thank goodness my mechanic came up with a "twelve months same as cash" offer for me. Still... I'll be the one subsisting on Luna bars and peanut butter (the non-salmonella variety) in her hotel room next week. I'll probably go out for dinner once or so, but let's just say that "free appetizers" will be the magic words when trying to decide which offsite events to go to. Sigh! I'll still be buying a few books, though. Because I'd rather read than eat.
* * * * *
I do plan on blogging from AWP, although if I get busy and overwhelmed I reserve the right to take a nap instead. Rest assured I'll refrain from posting incriminating photos though. For a small fee. Muahahahahahahaha!
* * * * *
I managed to land tickets for the upcoming Springsteen shows in Denver and Chicago. After the Super Bowl halftime performance, demand for these shows was ridiculous, so I'm pretty relieved to have gotten these. I actually thought about trying to hit the tour opener in San Jose on April Fool's Day as well, but rationality and good sense won out.
This means I have three trips to Chicago in my future: next week for AWP, mid-May for Bruce, and July for the American Library Association conference. Even though it's only a couple hundred miles away, I just don't get to Chicago that often, so it's funny to be going there three times this year.
* * * * *
In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to meeting some of my fellow poet-bloggers in Chicago. Please do say hi if you see me!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
AWP scheduling and a non-football draft
For those who are going to AWP: I will be at the Finishing Line Press table from 3:00-4:00 on Friday the 13th. I'll be happy to sell you a chapbook or sign one you already have -- or just stop by and say hi! I'd love to meet a bunch of folks.
* * * * *
Yesterday morning it was 5 below zero. Today it is 45 above, with brilliant sunshine. Everything is melting and the whole outside world sounds like a waterfall. We Midwesterners complain about the weather, but it's the fond complaint one makes about someone you've lived with forever and can't imagine leaving. Snow and ice, summer humidity -- it's the socks left on the floor that you know you'll be picking up every week for the rest of your life.
Granted, some socks are stankier than others. And we've had some pretty rancid snow & ice this winter.
* * * * *
Here's a drafty draft for everyone who's not preoccupied with that football game today. (Me, I'm just counting down till the big halftime show! Awwwwyeah.) This draft will go *poof* in a day or so.
*poof!*
* * * * *
Yesterday morning it was 5 below zero. Today it is 45 above, with brilliant sunshine. Everything is melting and the whole outside world sounds like a waterfall. We Midwesterners complain about the weather, but it's the fond complaint one makes about someone you've lived with forever and can't imagine leaving. Snow and ice, summer humidity -- it's the socks left on the floor that you know you'll be picking up every week for the rest of your life.
Granted, some socks are stankier than others. And we've had some pretty rancid snow & ice this winter.
* * * * *
Here's a drafty draft for everyone who's not preoccupied with that football game today. (Me, I'm just counting down till the big halftime show! Awwwwyeah.) This draft will go *poof* in a day or so.
*poof!*
Saturday, January 10, 2009
terminal time-deficit disorder
Many, many thanks to everyone who posted recommendations on my previous post! It also occurs to me that Charlie Jensen's chapbook The Strange Case of Maribel Dixon is another great example of the kind of thing I'm thinking of -- also Carol Guess' Tinderbox Lawn, which I mentioned a while back. Poem-beads that string together to make a story, though you have to guess at much of the narrative. Maybe I should go to some fiction panels at AWP.... Anyway, I'm keeping track of the recommendations, so keep 'em coming!
* * * * *
Speaking of AWP, it's coming up in a month! If anyone wants to make a point of getting together, drop me an email and I can give you my cell phone number. I'll also be shelling out the extra $ for wi-fi in my room at the Hilton (you know, one of those amenities you get for free at every cheap Best Western in the world, that the fancy-schmancy Hilton charges extra for...) so I'll be checking email every so often while I'm there, as well. I'll be there by Wednesday evening, and company for dinner might be welcome! I'm not averse to just putting on my bunny slippers (er, metaphorically speaking, that is... I don't own any actual bunny slippers) and chilling out in my room with a good book that night, either. So, no pressure.
* * * * *
Thanks to the Arts Council of Indianapolis for this tidbit, which some of you may want to pass along to your students:
Employment Opportunity: Putney School in southeast Vermont seeks writers, visual & performing artists for Summer Programs positions.
The Putney School Summer in southeast Vermont is seeking to hire college students, recent college grads, and young art professionals as apprentice teachers/dormheads with experience in the following areas:
visual arts: drawing, painting, filmmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics
performing arts: theater, modern dance
creative writing: fiction, poetry, playwriting, multi-genre
Apprentice teachers/dormheads are paid $2,000 plus room and board for 7 weeks in the summer. Duties include supporting the residential life of the high school students – living in the dorms, supervising recreational activities and field trips, serving as assistant teachers in one arts workshop (morning or afternoon) and also designing and leading an evening arts workshop. Candidates must be at least 21 years old.
More Details: www.putneyschoolsummer.org/contact_us/employment.html
* * * * *
And thanks to Esquire Magazine, of all places, for this bit of amusement: Steven Van Zandt: What I've Learned. Little morsels of wit and wisdom (more or less) from Little Steven (Underground Garage, E Street Band, Silvio Dante). The guy is funny as hell. If he ever gets tired of trying to save rock&roll from its untimely demise, he could go be a comic or something. "We are all suffering from a terminal time-deficit disorder. What'd you do today? I don't know, but I had no time for it."
Yeah. Me too, Steve... me too. ;)
* * * * *
Addendum: Condolences to poet laureate Kay Ryan, whose life partner, Carol Adair, recently passed away (here's her obituary). Thanks to Choriamb for this news.
* * * * *
Speaking of AWP, it's coming up in a month! If anyone wants to make a point of getting together, drop me an email and I can give you my cell phone number. I'll also be shelling out the extra $ for wi-fi in my room at the Hilton (you know, one of those amenities you get for free at every cheap Best Western in the world, that the fancy-schmancy Hilton charges extra for...) so I'll be checking email every so often while I'm there, as well. I'll be there by Wednesday evening, and company for dinner might be welcome! I'm not averse to just putting on my bunny slippers (er, metaphorically speaking, that is... I don't own any actual bunny slippers) and chilling out in my room with a good book that night, either. So, no pressure.
* * * * *
Thanks to the Arts Council of Indianapolis for this tidbit, which some of you may want to pass along to your students:
Employment Opportunity: Putney School in southeast Vermont seeks writers, visual & performing artists for Summer Programs positions.
The Putney School Summer in southeast Vermont is seeking to hire college students, recent college grads, and young art professionals as apprentice teachers/dormheads with experience in the following areas:
visual arts: drawing, painting, filmmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics
performing arts: theater, modern dance
creative writing: fiction, poetry, playwriting, multi-genre
Apprentice teachers/dormheads are paid $2,000 plus room and board for 7 weeks in the summer. Duties include supporting the residential life of the high school students – living in the dorms, supervising recreational activities and field trips, serving as assistant teachers in one arts workshop (morning or afternoon) and also designing and leading an evening arts workshop. Candidates must be at least 21 years old.
More Details: www.putneyschoolsummer.org/contact_us/employment.html
* * * * *
And thanks to Esquire Magazine, of all places, for this bit of amusement: Steven Van Zandt: What I've Learned. Little morsels of wit and wisdom (more or less) from Little Steven (Underground Garage, E Street Band, Silvio Dante). The guy is funny as hell. If he ever gets tired of trying to save rock&roll from its untimely demise, he could go be a comic or something. "We are all suffering from a terminal time-deficit disorder. What'd you do today? I don't know, but I had no time for it."
Yeah. Me too, Steve... me too. ;)
* * * * *
Addendum: Condolences to poet laureate Kay Ryan, whose life partner, Carol Adair, recently passed away (here's her obituary). Thanks to Choriamb for this news.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
shamelessly self-promotional
The podcast of my "appearance" (does one actually appear on the radio, I wonder?) on "The Poets Weave" is now up. Download it on the Poets Weave podcast page. It's a five-minute show, and includes 3 poems: two from Breach and one newer poem -- "First Earthquake," my elegy for E Street Band organist/accordionist Danny Federici, who died this past April.I'll stick a link over in the right-hand side of my blog pretty soon, too.
* * * * *
Speaking of Breach, poet Collin Kelley said some darn nice things about it over on his blog! Seriously, I got all blush-y when I read it, and I wasn't even having a hot flash. :) Also, I totally want to steal his phrase "harbingers and incidents."
I was sort of getting used to the fact that a few people had actually bought my chapbook, but for some reason it still surprises me just a little bit (in a good way!) when I find out somebody actually read the thing, much less that they actually liked it. Hee!
* * * * *
Looking over the AWP schedule... plenty of good stuff, but for the most part it looks like I won't be too overwhelmed in each time slot by fifteen different things I am just dying to attend. I probably overlooked a few, though. I will be there for sure, barring anything unforeseen like ice storms or plague of locusts.
I'm sort of wondering whether any other poet-bloggers want to throw together an informal late-night guerrilla reading? Poet-bloggers and friends? Round-robin format, so if there are a bunch of us you might only get to read a couple of poems but at least everyone will get to read something? Heck, if only a few folks are interested, I'll even host it in my room at the Hilton -- I probably wouldn't feel the need to boot y'all out until 2 a.m. or so. Bring a bottle of wine! :) I'm sure there will be larger and better spaces we could commandeer, as well. I'm sure I will say this again as we get closer to February, but if anyone does want to get together for a guerrilla reading -- or for a cup of coffee or a beer, or what-have-you -- drop me an email and we'll figure out how to coordinate things.
Yes, I am totally paranoid about AWP; I've never been before, and I have this fear that if I don't plan some stuff out ahead of time, I will end up drifting around the place aimlessly and never meeting anybody. Never mind that it's a conference full of poets and so there's no way in heck I will be the only shy, socially-backwards person there! *grin*
Looks like I will be attending the ALA conference for the first time next year as well (that's the American Library Association), which is also in Chicago. 2009: The Year Of Conferences. Hoo boy.
Monday, August 11, 2008
AWP hotel heads-up
Hey, everyone who's going to AWP in February -- for some reason I thought to check the Hilton website tonight and lo & behold, the only non-smoking rooms left at the lowest price level (which is still more than I make in a day, sigh...) are rooms with one double bed. If you're going, and planning to stay at the Hilton, it might be prudent to go ahead and book now, or soon.
I'm sure there will be cancellations, and rooms with a king or two doubles will probably open up. But I'm a low-risk kind of gal, so I booked my room tonight just to be safe.
There are probably cheaper places to stay nearby, but I decided it's worth at least 20 bucks a night NOT to have to go outside in a Chicago winter. :) The Hilton charges a ridiculous amount for parking, so I'm going to drive to my mom's in northern Indiana, leave the car there, and take the train into Chicago. Should work fine. I may decide to forego paying for wi-fi in my room to save a few bucks -- maybe some nice poet who's less broke than I am will let me bring my laptop into their room and sponge off theirs for a few minutes a day if I ask real nicely. ;)
* * * * *
RIP Isaac Hayes.
I'm sure there will be cancellations, and rooms with a king or two doubles will probably open up. But I'm a low-risk kind of gal, so I booked my room tonight just to be safe.
There are probably cheaper places to stay nearby, but I decided it's worth at least 20 bucks a night NOT to have to go outside in a Chicago winter. :) The Hilton charges a ridiculous amount for parking, so I'm going to drive to my mom's in northern Indiana, leave the car there, and take the train into Chicago. Should work fine. I may decide to forego paying for wi-fi in my room to save a few bucks -- maybe some nice poet who's less broke than I am will let me bring my laptop into their room and sponge off theirs for a few minutes a day if I ask real nicely. ;)
* * * * *
RIP Isaac Hayes.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Primary, Promo, Progress (Plus AWP)
Watching the primary results roll in. So far it looks like most of the local races are falling the way I wanted them to, which is nice (though it's a little early yet on some of them). The networks are still declaring the Obama/Clinton race as "too close to call" here. So bizarre, having the Indiana primary in such a spotlight! I've never seen anything like this. I actually voted early, on Sunday afternoon, because I was scheduled to work the reference desk till 6:00 tonight and didn't trust myself to get there before work today to vote. It felt really weird not voting on Election Day, even though I kept reminding myself that it was OK because I had already voted.
I like voting in a very nerdy sort of way. Since 1979, when I was 18 and registered to vote for the first time, I've missed I think one primary election and no general elections (and that primary was a tiny little all-local one without very many contested races). I try to find out about the local races, like judge and treasurer and assessor and county council and stuff. Sometimes there are some really good people in those races who can make a big difference in their not-so-big jobs.
Indiana cracks me up sometimes. One of our State Senator candidates (District 44) is listed on the ballot as Tony "Big Dog" Van Pelt. I guess people wouldn't recognize the name if they put it down as Anthony.
"Big Dog" is getting whomped, though.
The newspeeps keep mispronouncing the names of places in Indiana. I think Indiana's holding back on the results so they'll keep saying we are Too Close To Call and talking about Indiana for a while longer. Because how often do all the newspeeps spend this much time actually acknowledging the existence of the state of Indiana? Flyover country, my ass! *grin*
* * * * *
SSP (Shameless Self-Promotion) Department: This coming Sunday, May 11, you can hear me on the radio again.
What: Me! Poems! Three of 'em! Five minutes!
When: Sunday, 11:46 am Eastern Daylight Time
Where: WFIU radio, if you're in Central to Southern Indiana; http://wfiu.org/ (click on "Listen Online") if you're anywhere else in the world. It will be up on their podcast page in a few days, too.
* * * * *
Plunging headlong into the twentieth century: I finally broke down & signed up for DSL (yes, I was the last person you knew who was actually using dial-up ... what can I say, I get dial-up for free, and free versus "the price of a plane ticket to someplace good every year" has been a powerful incentive. But times change. :) I got my router and stuff today, and the service is supposed to be activated on Thursday. Yay!
If you never hear from me again after tomorrow, you'll know I broke my computer trying to install stuff. ;) (Somehow, though, I suspect I'll be able to manage.)
* * * * *
I'll put it in writing: I have every intention of going to AWP 2009. Chicago isn't that far away, after all! I will probably drive up to my mom's in South Bend and take the South Shore commuter train into the city, so I don't have to deal with a) driving in Chicago and b) parking in Chicago. I may actually splurge and stay at the Hilton; it's horribly expensive and I really can't afford it, and I'm sure there are cheaper hotels within a few blocks of there, but the thought of NOT having to set foot outside in Chicago in February is verrrrrrrrrrry appealing.
See you there?
I like voting in a very nerdy sort of way. Since 1979, when I was 18 and registered to vote for the first time, I've missed I think one primary election and no general elections (and that primary was a tiny little all-local one without very many contested races). I try to find out about the local races, like judge and treasurer and assessor and county council and stuff. Sometimes there are some really good people in those races who can make a big difference in their not-so-big jobs.
Indiana cracks me up sometimes. One of our State Senator candidates (District 44) is listed on the ballot as Tony "Big Dog" Van Pelt. I guess people wouldn't recognize the name if they put it down as Anthony.
"Big Dog" is getting whomped, though.
The newspeeps keep mispronouncing the names of places in Indiana. I think Indiana's holding back on the results so they'll keep saying we are Too Close To Call and talking about Indiana for a while longer. Because how often do all the newspeeps spend this much time actually acknowledging the existence of the state of Indiana? Flyover country, my ass! *grin*
* * * * *
SSP (Shameless Self-Promotion) Department: This coming Sunday, May 11, you can hear me on the radio again.
What: Me! Poems! Three of 'em! Five minutes!
When: Sunday, 11:46 am Eastern Daylight Time
Where: WFIU radio, if you're in Central to Southern Indiana; http://wfiu.org/ (click on "Listen Online") if you're anywhere else in the world. It will be up on their podcast page in a few days, too.
* * * * *
Plunging headlong into the twentieth century: I finally broke down & signed up for DSL (yes, I was the last person you knew who was actually using dial-up ... what can I say, I get dial-up for free, and free versus "the price of a plane ticket to someplace good every year" has been a powerful incentive. But times change. :) I got my router and stuff today, and the service is supposed to be activated on Thursday. Yay!
If you never hear from me again after tomorrow, you'll know I broke my computer trying to install stuff. ;) (Somehow, though, I suspect I'll be able to manage.)
* * * * *
I'll put it in writing: I have every intention of going to AWP 2009. Chicago isn't that far away, after all! I will probably drive up to my mom's in South Bend and take the South Shore commuter train into the city, so I don't have to deal with a) driving in Chicago and b) parking in Chicago. I may actually splurge and stay at the Hilton; it's horribly expensive and I really can't afford it, and I'm sure there are cheaper hotels within a few blocks of there, but the thought of NOT having to set foot outside in Chicago in February is verrrrrrrrrrry appealing.
See you there?
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