... by an unpleasant bit of stomach flu. The norovirus is going around this area, and I'm pretty sure that's what it is (which is a good thing in a way, as its incubation period is short enough that I can't blame AWP for it!).
Before this thing hit me like a ton of bricks (seriously, it was one of those "one minute you're okay and the next you're definitely NOT" things), I was having a very pleasant Sunday. I went out for brunch at the Runcible Spoon, where I had a lovely omelet and lots of lovely coffee and started reading D.A. Powell's new book, Chronic (about which I may have more to say when I finish it, but it's pretty great). Then I set the book aside and started drafting a something or other. Eventually I got up and left the Spoon and thought I'd drive home, but realized as I was driving that my head was definitely still in the middle of the poem & that in fact there was more. So I bypassed my street & went to Starbucks (because lately I write better when I'm not at home), where I had a skinny vanilla latte and wrote some more. I haven't had a chance to work on it yet (that whole "sick as a dog" thing sort of interferes).
So because I am still ill enough that my judgement is probably impaired, here's the draft. I'll take it down in a day or so, as per usual. I'm actually not sure whether this is my voice, or the protagonist in my current project. I'm okay with that confusion, though. (And actually I think it's more the persona. The snowflakes are all mine, though. And the fox.)
*poof*
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Saddle, back in the
Always lovely to come home from AWP and find an acceptance note in ye olde email. Thanks to the kind folks at fiore, a new local journal, who will be publishing "Forte, Fortissimo" and "My Clothes" in their upcoming issue.
Starting to get back on track with the minutiae of po-biz. I've missed a few contest deadlines that I didn't mean to miss, but tonight I'm getting the book manuscript ready to go out one more time. And as I was paging through it I think I caught, out of the corner of my eye, a glimpse of what I can do to make it stronger. So maybe this weekend I'll get out the hard copy and mess with it for a while. But for now, I'm going to go ahead and send out what I've got.
This weekend I'll work on the journal submissions. I hardly sent out anything last year because I was so focused on the book ms., but now that the book-thing seems to be at least somewhat housebroken and capable of visiting others on its own without making an embarrassing mess, I want to turn my attention back to some of the poems.
This poetry stuff, it's hard work.
Starting to get back on track with the minutiae of po-biz. I've missed a few contest deadlines that I didn't mean to miss, but tonight I'm getting the book manuscript ready to go out one more time. And as I was paging through it I think I caught, out of the corner of my eye, a glimpse of what I can do to make it stronger. So maybe this weekend I'll get out the hard copy and mess with it for a while. But for now, I'm going to go ahead and send out what I've got.
This weekend I'll work on the journal submissions. I hardly sent out anything last year because I was so focused on the book ms., but now that the book-thing seems to be at least somewhat housebroken and capable of visiting others on its own without making an embarrassing mess, I want to turn my attention back to some of the poems.
This poetry stuff, it's hard work.
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!*
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Snow day!
Monday night I worked the late shift on the reference desk; when I left at 9 pm it was snowing and apparently my town had misplaced all its salt trucks, so the drive home was slow and uneasy. Tuesday we'd had about four inches of snow, and when I left work at 6 pm the freezing rain had begun, so it was another uncomfortable drive home. The freezing rain continued until after I'd gone to bed last night. When I woke, we had a good 9 inches of snow on the ground; I lay there in bed listening to the school closings and dreading how difficult it was going to be to get to work.
Then the miracle happened -- my university was declared CLOSED until at least noon! Understand, it's a residential campus and they very, very, very rarely shut down -- maybe twice in the last 15 years or so. By 10:30 in the morning it had stopped snowing (leaving a little more than a foot of the stuff on the ground -- according to the evening news, this is our biggest snowstorm since 1996) and they'd updated the closing to an all-day thing. Whoooo!
I finally gritted my teeth and put on my boots and headed out to shovel the driveway in the early afternoon. The sun had come out, and although the temperature was only in the mid-twenties it was actually kind of pleasant out. And I wasn't out there five minutes before a neighbor I'd never met materialized in my driveway with a shovel in her hand and a smile on her face, asking if she could help. Considering that yesterday morning a good friend of mine showed up to dig me out after that first wave of snow, I think I've had some ridiculous shoveling-assistance luck this week.
After shoveling I came in and had a lovely, lazy afternoon of listening to music, watching a bit of tennis on TV, and listening to my cats purr in the sunshine. You really can't ask for a nicer snow day.
* * * * *
The reason humans make music is that we are in love with time.
* * * * *
Yes, it's true that my favorite rockstar is the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl. He's also going out on tour in a couple of months. Tickets for the US dates go on sale Monday. I'm planning on chasing him to Denver and Chicago; unfortunately, there are no other dates within anything like plausible driving distance for me, and I can't really swing more than one fly-in show this tour. But at least I get to see the E Street Band at least a couple more times in my life, which I wasn't sure would happen after the last tour. My little three-city road trip (aka the "summer vacation in the E Street Nation") this past August was so energizing and inspiring; I'm tremendously glad to be looking forward to a couple more evenings spent in the company of the greatest rock & roll band ever.
* * * * *
So I have all these poems in this series, and some of them really need the context of the series in order to work, I think -- or at least they need to be read alongside a couple of the other poems. Can anybody think of journals that especially like to get clumps of related poems, and might like to publish at least a couple or three of them? I don't think I want to try to pull together a chapbook -- the poems are coming along quickly enough that there will be a full-length ms. ready to send out within a year or so, I think -- but I'd love to get a few of them out there. Recommendations, anyone?
Then the miracle happened -- my university was declared CLOSED until at least noon! Understand, it's a residential campus and they very, very, very rarely shut down -- maybe twice in the last 15 years or so. By 10:30 in the morning it had stopped snowing (leaving a little more than a foot of the stuff on the ground -- according to the evening news, this is our biggest snowstorm since 1996) and they'd updated the closing to an all-day thing. Whoooo!
I finally gritted my teeth and put on my boots and headed out to shovel the driveway in the early afternoon. The sun had come out, and although the temperature was only in the mid-twenties it was actually kind of pleasant out. And I wasn't out there five minutes before a neighbor I'd never met materialized in my driveway with a shovel in her hand and a smile on her face, asking if she could help. Considering that yesterday morning a good friend of mine showed up to dig me out after that first wave of snow, I think I've had some ridiculous shoveling-assistance luck this week.
After shoveling I came in and had a lovely, lazy afternoon of listening to music, watching a bit of tennis on TV, and listening to my cats purr in the sunshine. You really can't ask for a nicer snow day.
* * * * *
The reason humans make music is that we are in love with time.
* * * * *
Yes, it's true that my favorite rockstar is the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl. He's also going out on tour in a couple of months. Tickets for the US dates go on sale Monday. I'm planning on chasing him to Denver and Chicago; unfortunately, there are no other dates within anything like plausible driving distance for me, and I can't really swing more than one fly-in show this tour. But at least I get to see the E Street Band at least a couple more times in my life, which I wasn't sure would happen after the last tour. My little three-city road trip (aka the "summer vacation in the E Street Nation") this past August was so energizing and inspiring; I'm tremendously glad to be looking forward to a couple more evenings spent in the company of the greatest rock & roll band ever.
* * * * *
So I have all these poems in this series, and some of them really need the context of the series in order to work, I think -- or at least they need to be read alongside a couple of the other poems. Can anybody think of journals that especially like to get clumps of related poems, and might like to publish at least a couple or three of them? I don't think I want to try to pull together a chapbook -- the poems are coming along quickly enough that there will be a full-length ms. ready to send out within a year or so, I think -- but I'd love to get a few of them out there. Recommendations, anyone?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Dancing into history
Like pretty much everyone else, I watched the Inauguration on Tuesday and was tremendously moved by the power of the occasion. (I credit Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma for reducing me to a blubbering mess, though I wasn't far from there to start with.)
Later in the evening, I did something I have never done before on an Inauguration Day: I watched a couple hours of the coverage of the inaugural balls. The Obamas looked, dare I say it, completely adorable as they danced together. Like many people in this country right now, I'm a little bit in love with them, with the whole family (Sasha and Malia are just so completely beautiful!). And I recognize that part of what I'm in love with is the illusion of them, not the reality of the fallible, imperfect human beings who will inevitably screw up at some point (being President, and even being First Lady, is like being a parent; it's just such a huge job that it's not possible to do it without screwing up somewhere along the way). But I think I, and maybe we, need that illusion right now, the illusion of the shiny happy perfect family and the visionary leader who will haul us up from the crappy place we've fallen into. It's been so long since I felt any kind of real affection for the occupants of the White House, and I need to feel this for a little while, just as an antidote to these last few poisoned years.
I never really understood how people just a couple of decades older than me felt about the Kennedys, back in the "Camelot" days -- until now. I think how I feel about the Obama family is probably a lot like what folks my parents' age (I was born in 1961, same as President Obama) felt about the Kennedy family. Except, of course, that when JFK took office, you couldn't sit there and watch the inaugural balls live on your TV until the wee hours. (And everyone criticizing Michelle's dress can just hush. She would look graceful and elegant in a paper bag, and she looked absolutely fine in that dress.)
Later on, I watched an online video of the Obamas dancing at one of the balls -- not the ballroom dancing with each other, but cutting loose a bit and dancing with the crowd. And there was Barack, big as life, DOING THE BUMP. If ever there was a moment that really drove home for me the fact that he and I are exactly the same age, it was that. Barack, Barack, Barack. You and I both know that we danced that way in the Seventies, and I love you to death, Mr. President, but could we possibly just consider LEAVING that stuff back in the Seventies?
DOING THE BUMP. Lordy.
Yes, it's blowing my mind a little bit that the President is exactly my age -- about two months younger, to be precise. He and I have had very very different lives, of course, but just by virtue of sharing some of the same cultural milestones -- the assassinations of MLK and JFK are some of my earlier vivid memories, for example, and my childhood was punctuated by Walter Cronkite on the evening news announcing how many American casualties there'd been that day in Vietnam; I vividly remember the day I learned what the word "casualty" meant -- it makes him seem more human to me than previous Presidents somehow. The night before the inauguration, I had a little trouble falling asleep (experiencing a bit of that "Christmas eve too excited to sleep" sensation) and it occurred to me that he was probably lying in bed wide awake, wide-eyed in the dark, silently imagining what the next day -- and the next four or hopefully eight years -- might be like. I've never really thought about a President in those little moments of humanity, before.
Nah, from what I've seen of him, he's the epitome of calmness and control. He was probably sleeping like a baby. :)
Anyway. This isn't a blog about politics, or rockstar celebrity Presidents. It's supposed to be a blog about poetry, and writing. So to that end, I will say that the other evening I finally got some poems sent out to a couple of places, for the first time in quite a few months. (I've been sending out the book manuscript, but not individual poems lately.) It felt pretty good. And I'm mulling over a possible grant application, as well -- which will have to be done this weekend if I'm going to do it (eek). Maybe I'm just a little bit inspired, seeing what somebody my age can achieve with a lot of really hard work (okay, in his case it's also involved just a wee bit of brilliance, talent, timing, and luck). Maybe I'm feeling like it's a little bit okay to believe right now.
And so it is.
Later in the evening, I did something I have never done before on an Inauguration Day: I watched a couple hours of the coverage of the inaugural balls. The Obamas looked, dare I say it, completely adorable as they danced together. Like many people in this country right now, I'm a little bit in love with them, with the whole family (Sasha and Malia are just so completely beautiful!). And I recognize that part of what I'm in love with is the illusion of them, not the reality of the fallible, imperfect human beings who will inevitably screw up at some point (being President, and even being First Lady, is like being a parent; it's just such a huge job that it's not possible to do it without screwing up somewhere along the way). But I think I, and maybe we, need that illusion right now, the illusion of the shiny happy perfect family and the visionary leader who will haul us up from the crappy place we've fallen into. It's been so long since I felt any kind of real affection for the occupants of the White House, and I need to feel this for a little while, just as an antidote to these last few poisoned years.
I never really understood how people just a couple of decades older than me felt about the Kennedys, back in the "Camelot" days -- until now. I think how I feel about the Obama family is probably a lot like what folks my parents' age (I was born in 1961, same as President Obama) felt about the Kennedy family. Except, of course, that when JFK took office, you couldn't sit there and watch the inaugural balls live on your TV until the wee hours. (And everyone criticizing Michelle's dress can just hush. She would look graceful and elegant in a paper bag, and she looked absolutely fine in that dress.)
Later on, I watched an online video of the Obamas dancing at one of the balls -- not the ballroom dancing with each other, but cutting loose a bit and dancing with the crowd. And there was Barack, big as life, DOING THE BUMP. If ever there was a moment that really drove home for me the fact that he and I are exactly the same age, it was that. Barack, Barack, Barack. You and I both know that we danced that way in the Seventies, and I love you to death, Mr. President, but could we possibly just consider LEAVING that stuff back in the Seventies?
DOING THE BUMP. Lordy.
Yes, it's blowing my mind a little bit that the President is exactly my age -- about two months younger, to be precise. He and I have had very very different lives, of course, but just by virtue of sharing some of the same cultural milestones -- the assassinations of MLK and JFK are some of my earlier vivid memories, for example, and my childhood was punctuated by Walter Cronkite on the evening news announcing how many American casualties there'd been that day in Vietnam; I vividly remember the day I learned what the word "casualty" meant -- it makes him seem more human to me than previous Presidents somehow. The night before the inauguration, I had a little trouble falling asleep (experiencing a bit of that "Christmas eve too excited to sleep" sensation) and it occurred to me that he was probably lying in bed wide awake, wide-eyed in the dark, silently imagining what the next day -- and the next four or hopefully eight years -- might be like. I've never really thought about a President in those little moments of humanity, before.
Nah, from what I've seen of him, he's the epitome of calmness and control. He was probably sleeping like a baby. :)
Anyway. This isn't a blog about politics, or rockstar celebrity Presidents. It's supposed to be a blog about poetry, and writing. So to that end, I will say that the other evening I finally got some poems sent out to a couple of places, for the first time in quite a few months. (I've been sending out the book manuscript, but not individual poems lately.) It felt pretty good. And I'm mulling over a possible grant application, as well -- which will have to be done this weekend if I'm going to do it (eek). Maybe I'm just a little bit inspired, seeing what somebody my age can achieve with a lot of really hard work (okay, in his case it's also involved just a wee bit of brilliance, talent, timing, and luck). Maybe I'm feeling like it's a little bit okay to believe right now.
And so it is.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Come on up for the rising
The "We Are One" concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, televised on HBO this afternoon (on an open signal so that even we non-subscribers could view it), was just remarkable. Bruce Springsteen! Queen Latifah! U2! Pete Seeger! My neighbor (okay, he lives a few miles away) John Mellencamp! So many nice moments, and watching the Obama family dancing happily to Stevie Wonder made me absurdly happy. I think it's going to take a long time for Springsteen and Seeger to stop grinning. Who would have ever thought I'd see those two performing for the President-elect with Lincoln's visage looming in the background. Very, very, very cool.
* * * * *
Speaking of rising, the temperature finally rose above freezing for a few hours yesterday. It sank down again today, but stayed in the twenties, which is still considerably warmer than it was late last week. And I'm trying to break out of my own frozen stasis & get my act together about sending out some poems. That's tomorrow's task. Although I may work on a grant application instead. In any case, the plan is to work on getting stuff out there. Because it's not like anybody's going to do it for me.
* * * * *
Here's a brand-new draft, which I'll leave up for a day or so.
[snip!]
* * * * *
Speaking of rising, the temperature finally rose above freezing for a few hours yesterday. It sank down again today, but stayed in the twenties, which is still considerably warmer than it was late last week. And I'm trying to break out of my own frozen stasis & get my act together about sending out some poems. That's tomorrow's task. Although I may work on a grant application instead. In any case, the plan is to work on getting stuff out there. Because it's not like anybody's going to do it for me.
* * * * *
Here's a brand-new draft, which I'll leave up for a day or so.
[snip!]
Thursday, January 15, 2009
I wanna be where the bands are
The nice man on TV just informed me that tomorrow morning will be the coldest morning in five years. Should be around twelve below. I know that's nothing to you folks in Minnesnowta and so forth, but around here, we think this is pretty freaking cold. Especially those of us with drafty old houses. I have a new favorite thing: a bright red, super soft, fleecy hat that is soft and cozy enough to wear to bed.
At least it isn't icy, or even snowy. That helps.
* * * * *
Along with the depressing news about the Dodge Festival, I've also learned that the Writers' Center of Indiana has laid off its staff, given up its rented space, and cancelled its spring classes due to lack of funding. And there will be more such news to come, I'm sure. Sigh.
* * * * *
On a happier note, check out -- and submit to! -- the Found Poetry Project. Be sure to read the "about" section, which explains what sort of found poetry they're looking for.
Other things that are pleasant to contemplate (especially when it's this cold out): the Fine Arts Work Center has published its schedule of summer workshops, and the Indiana University Writers' Conference has announced its 2009 faculty. These are both very good programs, though very different from one another. If I had the money, I'd go to FAWC again this summer. But at least I can look forward to attending the IUWC readings in June, which are free whether you're attending the conference itself or not.
* * * * *
Also looking forward to Sunday's celebratory inaugural kickoff, featuring Bruce Springsteen (who'll be singing "This Land Is Your Land") and a ton of other fabulous performers. HBO will be televising a couple hours of it later in the evening, and will be opening up their signal so that anyone with satellite or cable can tune in, even if (like me) they don't get HBO. Very cool.
And despite the Rick Warren thing (I'm still peeved about that), I am looking forward to the Inauguration itself on Tuesday. I plan to take a couple hours off work midday so I can go watch the festivities.
* * * * *
I'm making an iTunes playlist of songs that seem to go along with my current writing project. I'm really starting to think about the whole of it more than about the individual poems, which is something I've never done before. The playlist has lots of Springsteen and Indigo Girls (pretty predictable if you know me), as well as some Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, Ani DiFranco, Catie Curtis, and some other folks. Like the poetry project, it's a work in progress. It's mostly songs about what it's like to be a musician, be on the road, etc. and a few songs about being a music fan: "Where the Bands Are," "Language or the Kiss," "Keith Don't Go," "Refuge of the Roads," and so on. Fun stuff.
I've also been listening quite a bit to the new Springsteen album (yes, I know it doesn't come out for another couple of weeks... sshhhhh... don't ask so many questions). I'm really loving it, though in some ways it's different from any of his previous work. It's very textural, and very ... mature, I guess you'd say. He's working with themes of mortality, and of appreciating what you've got while you can because life is short. It's an album he couldn't have made thirty years ago, or even five years ago, I suspect. I look forward to buying it on January 27 when it officially drops & will probably stop on my way home from work to pick it up rather than trusting an online pre-order to get it to me on time. Yes, I am such a fangirl.
At least it isn't icy, or even snowy. That helps.
* * * * *
Along with the depressing news about the Dodge Festival, I've also learned that the Writers' Center of Indiana has laid off its staff, given up its rented space, and cancelled its spring classes due to lack of funding. And there will be more such news to come, I'm sure. Sigh.
* * * * *
On a happier note, check out -- and submit to! -- the Found Poetry Project. Be sure to read the "about" section, which explains what sort of found poetry they're looking for.
Other things that are pleasant to contemplate (especially when it's this cold out): the Fine Arts Work Center has published its schedule of summer workshops, and the Indiana University Writers' Conference has announced its 2009 faculty. These are both very good programs, though very different from one another. If I had the money, I'd go to FAWC again this summer. But at least I can look forward to attending the IUWC readings in June, which are free whether you're attending the conference itself or not.
* * * * *
Also looking forward to Sunday's celebratory inaugural kickoff, featuring Bruce Springsteen (who'll be singing "This Land Is Your Land") and a ton of other fabulous performers. HBO will be televising a couple hours of it later in the evening, and will be opening up their signal so that anyone with satellite or cable can tune in, even if (like me) they don't get HBO. Very cool.
And despite the Rick Warren thing (I'm still peeved about that), I am looking forward to the Inauguration itself on Tuesday. I plan to take a couple hours off work midday so I can go watch the festivities.
* * * * *
I'm making an iTunes playlist of songs that seem to go along with my current writing project. I'm really starting to think about the whole of it more than about the individual poems, which is something I've never done before. The playlist has lots of Springsteen and Indigo Girls (pretty predictable if you know me), as well as some Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren, Ani DiFranco, Catie Curtis, and some other folks. Like the poetry project, it's a work in progress. It's mostly songs about what it's like to be a musician, be on the road, etc. and a few songs about being a music fan: "Where the Bands Are," "Language or the Kiss," "Keith Don't Go," "Refuge of the Roads," and so on. Fun stuff.
I've also been listening quite a bit to the new Springsteen album (yes, I know it doesn't come out for another couple of weeks... sshhhhh... don't ask so many questions). I'm really loving it, though in some ways it's different from any of his previous work. It's very textural, and very ... mature, I guess you'd say. He's working with themes of mortality, and of appreciating what you've got while you can because life is short. It's an album he couldn't have made thirty years ago, or even five years ago, I suspect. I look forward to buying it on January 27 when it officially drops & will probably stop on my way home from work to pick it up rather than trusting an online pre-order to get it to me on time. Yes, I am such a fangirl.
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.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Astonished...
... to find that I have over forty poems written towards the new series or project or whatever it is that I'm working on. Some will end up getting junked, many will end up getting revised -- of course. But I didn't realize how much work I'd done already. Wow.
Along those lines, I'm looking for recommendations. I'm interested in books of "poetry as biography" (whether of historical or fictional personages, I don't care which). I recently finished leadbelly by Tyehimba Jess, which is a good example of the kind of thing I'm looking for -- and is a phenomenal, powerful collection to boot. I'm currently reading Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill, which is another one; I'm not blown away by the individual poems, but I like the concept, the way the poet writes from a bunch of different points of view & includes footnotes to explain some of the biographical details. And while I was in Colorado for Christmas, I spent a few hours at the Tattered Cover Bookstore (aka "heaven") in Denver & picked up It's Hard Being Queen: The Dusty Springfield Poems by Jeanette Lynes. Haven't read that one yet, but it looks most intriguing.
Are there others I should know about? I'm interested in how others have worked with similar material -- chronology, plot, structure. I'm toying with the idea of interspersing bits of ephemera among the poems -- snippets from interviews and articles, that kind of thing -- and am currently debating about how much of the plot (you know, the "facts") I need to lay out & how much I want the reader to have to trust the gaps.
Books that aren't necessarily biographical per se, but which use individual poems to tell a larger story, would be of interest as well. I'm less interested in the "verse novel" sort of thing than in books of individual poems that fall together to tell someone's story. What I'm envisioning has more in common with a series of linked short stories than with a novel, if that makes sense.
I'm also interested in poems that use the imagery of rock & roll. Those are a little easier to find, I think, but I bet there's some I don't know about.
Any & all recommendations are most welcome!
Also: Happy New Year one and all! May 2009 bring us all prosperity, happiness, and the right words at the right time.
Along those lines, I'm looking for recommendations. I'm interested in books of "poetry as biography" (whether of historical or fictional personages, I don't care which). I recently finished leadbelly by Tyehimba Jess, which is a good example of the kind of thing I'm looking for -- and is a phenomenal, powerful collection to boot. I'm currently reading Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill, which is another one; I'm not blown away by the individual poems, but I like the concept, the way the poet writes from a bunch of different points of view & includes footnotes to explain some of the biographical details. And while I was in Colorado for Christmas, I spent a few hours at the Tattered Cover Bookstore (aka "heaven") in Denver & picked up It's Hard Being Queen: The Dusty Springfield Poems by Jeanette Lynes. Haven't read that one yet, but it looks most intriguing.
Are there others I should know about? I'm interested in how others have worked with similar material -- chronology, plot, structure. I'm toying with the idea of interspersing bits of ephemera among the poems -- snippets from interviews and articles, that kind of thing -- and am currently debating about how much of the plot (you know, the "facts") I need to lay out & how much I want the reader to have to trust the gaps.
Books that aren't necessarily biographical per se, but which use individual poems to tell a larger story, would be of interest as well. I'm less interested in the "verse novel" sort of thing than in books of individual poems that fall together to tell someone's story. What I'm envisioning has more in common with a series of linked short stories than with a novel, if that makes sense.
I'm also interested in poems that use the imagery of rock & roll. Those are a little easier to find, I think, but I bet there's some I don't know about.
Any & all recommendations are most welcome!
Also: Happy New Year one and all! May 2009 bring us all prosperity, happiness, and the right words at the right time.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Down to the thin end of the year
My holiday travels began in terrifying fashion: as I was driving to Indianapolis, the drizzle began to freeze and within five minutes the roads went from wet to sheer ice. Cars were going every which way; I passed one really bad accident, a few fender-benders (one of which I saw happen), and a bunch of slide-offs. There was quite a bit of traffic on the highway, and for about ten miles -- maybe more -- we were all driving about 5 mph at most, easing over towards the left shoulder where we could get at least a little bit of traction. I was on a stretch of road with a drop-off on either side. It was the most frightened I have ever been in a car. I was this close to just yanking on the wheel (actually it would have taken the merest tap) and sending myself into the guardrail just to get it over with, since crashing seemed inevitable. I made it through without incident, somehow; it took me 2.5 hours to get from the north side of Bloomington to the south side of Martinsville (about 20 miles), and the 50-mile drive to the airport took me four hours.
Fortunately, I'd decided to book a "park'n'fly" deal at the airport Radisson, since I had a 7 am flight & had thought it would be nice to have a relaxing evening in a hotel room rather than leaving my house at butt o'clock in the morning. So at least the ice didn't make me miss my flight.
Family Christmas in Colorado was laid-back; we'd decided to exchange only stocking stuffers & did charitable donations in one another's names instead of presents. My sister & I spent several hours in the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver, which was wonderful as always -- what a great bookstore! I restrained myself and only bought 3 or 4 books and 1 literary journal, but if I'd had unlimited funds (and luggage space) I could easily have left with a lot more than that. You'd think somebody who works in one of the best academic libraries in the country, & thus has super-convenient access to nearly any book in the world, wouldn't want to buy books all the time... but you'd be very, very wrong. It's an addiction, I'm telling you.
So it's been an interesting year. My first chapbook was published; I put together my first book-length ms. (finishing the first version of it on my first writing retreat) and started sending it around; I wasn't very good at all about sending poems out to journals; I wrote a lot of poems & started on a series altogether unlike anything I'd ever written or attempted before. A job promotion. My first earthquake. I also rediscovered music as a primary source of inspiration & creativity, going to a lot of good concerts including four Bruce Springsteen shows (one of which was pretty much the best concert I have ever seen by anyone ever) and coming back to playing guitar myself a bit, and bought my sweet little blue Stratocaster, becoming an electric guitar owner for the first time since 1979 when I sold my old single-pickup Gibson Melody Maker because I needed the money for college. (Sigh.)
And I continued to overuse parentheticals throughout the year (as you may have noticed already).
What's coming up in 2009? A new President, a new Springsteen album (and presumably a tour; I'm going to do my damnedest to make it to at least 2 or 3 shows), several new books I'm excited about, poems to read, poems to write. My first AWP to attend. Hard work to be done, all around. I hope to challenge myself creatively and push myself beyond my comfort zone, though just how that will happen remains to be seen. I want to waste less of my time; I'll be turning 48 and every year I feel more aware that time just isn't an unlimited thing. Resolutions? I don't know... maybe.
What about you? Are you making resolutions? What does 2009 hold in store for you?
I wish each of you the happiest of New Years. I'm grateful for everyone who humors me by reading this blog, and I look forward to meeting some of you at AWP!
Fortunately, I'd decided to book a "park'n'fly" deal at the airport Radisson, since I had a 7 am flight & had thought it would be nice to have a relaxing evening in a hotel room rather than leaving my house at butt o'clock in the morning. So at least the ice didn't make me miss my flight.
Family Christmas in Colorado was laid-back; we'd decided to exchange only stocking stuffers & did charitable donations in one another's names instead of presents. My sister & I spent several hours in the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver, which was wonderful as always -- what a great bookstore! I restrained myself and only bought 3 or 4 books and 1 literary journal, but if I'd had unlimited funds (and luggage space) I could easily have left with a lot more than that. You'd think somebody who works in one of the best academic libraries in the country, & thus has super-convenient access to nearly any book in the world, wouldn't want to buy books all the time... but you'd be very, very wrong. It's an addiction, I'm telling you.
So it's been an interesting year. My first chapbook was published; I put together my first book-length ms. (finishing the first version of it on my first writing retreat) and started sending it around; I wasn't very good at all about sending poems out to journals; I wrote a lot of poems & started on a series altogether unlike anything I'd ever written or attempted before. A job promotion. My first earthquake. I also rediscovered music as a primary source of inspiration & creativity, going to a lot of good concerts including four Bruce Springsteen shows (one of which was pretty much the best concert I have ever seen by anyone ever) and coming back to playing guitar myself a bit, and bought my sweet little blue Stratocaster, becoming an electric guitar owner for the first time since 1979 when I sold my old single-pickup Gibson Melody Maker because I needed the money for college. (Sigh.)
And I continued to overuse parentheticals throughout the year (as you may have noticed already).
What's coming up in 2009? A new President, a new Springsteen album (and presumably a tour; I'm going to do my damnedest to make it to at least 2 or 3 shows), several new books I'm excited about, poems to read, poems to write. My first AWP to attend. Hard work to be done, all around. I hope to challenge myself creatively and push myself beyond my comfort zone, though just how that will happen remains to be seen. I want to waste less of my time; I'll be turning 48 and every year I feel more aware that time just isn't an unlimited thing. Resolutions? I don't know... maybe.
What about you? Are you making resolutions? What does 2009 hold in store for you?
I wish each of you the happiest of New Years. I'm grateful for everyone who humors me by reading this blog, and I look forward to meeting some of you at AWP!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Freeze and stasis
Solstice Blessings to all who celebrate that particular, oldest of holidays.
In my neck of the woods, it is currently 3 degrees, with winds gusting up to 25-30mph creating wind chills well below zero. I am bundled up in my drafty house, wearing a hat, lots of socks, a blanket, the new blue scarf a friend made for me, and all kinds of other interesting items of clothing. I need to get up and clean house in preparation for holiday travels, but it's so much warmer to stay bundled up underneath this blanket on the couch, listening to Little Steven's Underground Garage on the radio (it's the Christmas A-Go-Go edition, and you just gotta love an album with tracks like "Come All Ye Faithful Surfer Girls" and "Back Door Santa"). I'm just glad that I had the foresight to run all the errands I could think of yesterday, plus put gas in the car before it got this cold; the little door over the gas tank is most probably frozen shut now anyway.
But there are blessings to count. It's not as cold here as it is in Minnesnowta, for one thing. And we have only the slightest dusting of snow. And the ice that we had a few nights ago melted before it got cold again, and the bruises that I got from falling on aforementioned ice are beginning to fade. (They were pretty impressive, though. Oof.) My house is drafty but I have power, and running water, and soft fluffy blankets, and cats taking turns on the heated kitty-bed. Things could be a whole lot worse.
I'm already starting to look past the holidays at the year to come. I feel like I need to clear some space, though I'm not yet sure what that is going to entail. But there are things that have been getting crowded out of my life, especially the past couple of months. I've been atrociously atrocious at keeping up with email, and that's got to change. I've been even worse at getting poems sent out there, and if I make one New Year's resolution, getting poems sent out there is going to be it. And I need to be more proactive about promoting the chapbook, trying to get some readings here and there, et cetera. I have at least managed to get the book manuscript out to a bunch of places, and I need to keep that up. I need to spend more time reading, for sure. And working on poems for the new manuscript, though that's probably the one writing-related thing that hasn't been given short shrift lately. (Could stand to put some effort into revising the darn things, though.) And finally it's been a few weeks since I've picked up a guitar, and that has GOT to change: life is so much happier with more music in it.
So, yeah, I've got to clear some space, both physically and mentally. I promise I won't drop off the face of the Internet, but I may need to try to spend less time here. We'll see.
Anyway, in case I don't manage to blog again before my holiday travels, I hope you all have wonderful holidays -- that you are warm, and safe, and loved. And most importantly, I hope you only get caught under the mistletoe by someone you want to get mistletoeded by. :)
In my neck of the woods, it is currently 3 degrees, with winds gusting up to 25-30mph creating wind chills well below zero. I am bundled up in my drafty house, wearing a hat, lots of socks, a blanket, the new blue scarf a friend made for me, and all kinds of other interesting items of clothing. I need to get up and clean house in preparation for holiday travels, but it's so much warmer to stay bundled up underneath this blanket on the couch, listening to Little Steven's Underground Garage on the radio (it's the Christmas A-Go-Go edition, and you just gotta love an album with tracks like "Come All Ye Faithful Surfer Girls" and "Back Door Santa"). I'm just glad that I had the foresight to run all the errands I could think of yesterday, plus put gas in the car before it got this cold; the little door over the gas tank is most probably frozen shut now anyway.But there are blessings to count. It's not as cold here as it is in Minnesnowta, for one thing. And we have only the slightest dusting of snow. And the ice that we had a few nights ago melted before it got cold again, and the bruises that I got from falling on aforementioned ice are beginning to fade. (They were pretty impressive, though. Oof.) My house is drafty but I have power, and running water, and soft fluffy blankets, and cats taking turns on the heated kitty-bed. Things could be a whole lot worse.
I'm already starting to look past the holidays at the year to come. I feel like I need to clear some space, though I'm not yet sure what that is going to entail. But there are things that have been getting crowded out of my life, especially the past couple of months. I've been atrociously atrocious at keeping up with email, and that's got to change. I've been even worse at getting poems sent out there, and if I make one New Year's resolution, getting poems sent out there is going to be it. And I need to be more proactive about promoting the chapbook, trying to get some readings here and there, et cetera. I have at least managed to get the book manuscript out to a bunch of places, and I need to keep that up. I need to spend more time reading, for sure. And working on poems for the new manuscript, though that's probably the one writing-related thing that hasn't been given short shrift lately. (Could stand to put some effort into revising the darn things, though.) And finally it's been a few weeks since I've picked up a guitar, and that has GOT to change: life is so much happier with more music in it.
So, yeah, I've got to clear some space, both physically and mentally. I promise I won't drop off the face of the Internet, but I may need to try to spend less time here. We'll see.
Anyway, in case I don't manage to blog again before my holiday travels, I hope you all have wonderful holidays -- that you are warm, and safe, and loved. And most importantly, I hope you only get caught under the mistletoe by someone you want to get mistletoeded by. :)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
'Tis the season
Dear friends,
Ho ho ho! I'm Santa Bear, and I'm today's guest blogger here at Land Mammal HQ. Yes, I am every bit as fluffy and jolly and all-powerful as I appear to be. So tell me what you want for Christmas. Go on, tell me! Even if you don't celebrate the holiday... that doesn't mean I might not be able to work a little seasonal miracle for you.
Disclaimer: I have absolutely no sway over editors and publishers, and no, I can't get everybody's book published in 2009. And if I could, my own human would have dibs on that particular gift. But I might be able to come up with something else you'd like.
I won't ask you to sit on my knees... but tell me what you want and I'll see what I can do.
Ho ho ho!
Love,
Santa Bear
Sunday, December 07, 2008
panning for gold
Today's Poetry Daily poem, like much of Goldbarth's work, strikes me as being just a bit overly verbose -- but I'm glad I read it for this one image: "the volts that bump in the heart / like small trapped minnows of longing" -- an image that's saved from being just a bit too much by its placement directly after the utterly mundane "groceries leaking / out of the paper bag."
I'm a sucker for bits of science and medicine in poems, like volts in the heart; that's something Goldbarth seems to like as well. I know I said he's often overly verbose, but I'm often willing to sift through his poems because I find these little gems that thrill me.
I'm a sucker for bits of science and medicine in poems, like volts in the heart; that's something Goldbarth seems to like as well. I know I said he's often overly verbose, but I'm often willing to sift through his poems because I find these little gems that thrill me.
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