Archive for July, 2009

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July 30, 2009

Why I Love Read Write Poem

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The internet is a big place.  When you dip your toe (or plunge yourself full body) into this virtual world, you may not find people who love the same things you do. You may find some people who share your interests, you may uncover a few old friends, or you may get stuck in a surreal loop where you only find spambots and ex-boyfriends.  The thing that’s truly difficult to find is community.

I love Read Write Poem, because it’s always been about the community we create together.  Sure, there’s weekly prompts, great articles, fun polls.  But really, it’s about the people you meet when you visit each other’s blogs and read each other’s poetry.  It’s a wonderful thing.

So, as you may have heard by now, this community is stretching and growing. Through the new Read Write Poem site, which will launch on Friday, there will be a bunch of new features, such as:

  • Groups organized around a shared interest
  • Personal Profiles
  • News wires that allow you to broadcast your updates
  • Private Forums
  • And of course, opportunities to friend each other

Let me just say, that I’ve seen the test site, and it is a thing of beauty to behold.  Now, I’m a member of a few social networks, from my college alumni page to Facebook.  What I love about this new format for Read Write Poem is that it’s all poetry, all the time.  It’s a small, quiet corner of the wide virtual world where you can  find writing partners and co-conspirators and obsess about poetry as much as humanly possible.

If you have ever visited Read Write Poem, please take the time to check out the new site when it launches tomorrow at 6 AM Eastern.  And if you are one of my in-real-life friends who is thinking of starting a blog or likes poetry (you know who you are), please go check it out now.  You won’t regret it!

Posted in Creative Community, Read Write Poem | 1 Comment »

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July 30, 2009

Living in Minneapolis Without Faces

cemetery in malvern

“Cemetery in Malvern” by Douglas Shaver, used via Read Write Poem

Living in Minneapolis Without Faces

You know night lasts for months here.
Even without eyes, you see

 blue twilight extending for days before
you plunge into darkness. The trick 

is to find, before first frost, a person
you don’t mind sitting with, in the dark. 

You will spend weeks exploring each other’s
faces, tracing fingertips across 

the smooth expanse of skin where
mouths, noses, and eyebrows used to be.

 It gets so cold here, extremities freeze.
Fingers numb, even as they continue

 to touch, probe, scratch.  Spending time
pressing the same slate of skin, you will

 forget the tender pressures, the kindness of early winter.
What else is there to do? You will draw blood,

 just as the ice on the lake cracks and splits. 
You will ask how your hands got so sticky.

 After this happens, remember you weren’t always
so anonymous. Once, you didn’t feel so cold.

 

This poem is part of the Read Write Image prompt, over at Read Write Poem.  I tried writing this poem for the previous week’s prompt, and just couldn’t hack it. I’m glad that this picture, with the blurred faces, helped me to find the central image. 

Check out everyone else’s results!

Posted in Drafts, Poetry, Read Write Poem | 49 Comments »

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July 29, 2009

What We Think Of When We Say “Poetry”

I know that I’m not the only one to post this funny and brilliant video of William Shatner reciting Sarah Palin’s farewell speech, so please forgive the repetition.  As I watched this video this morning, just to see what everyone else was laughing about, I started thinking about it more deeply.

What struck me, other than the absolute absurdity of the speech, was the other story behind this joke.  This is what we as a culture think of when we talk about poetry.  We don’t think of the modern culture of poetry: slam poets, lyric poets, or any living poets who are producing work.  We think of the Beats.  That’s pretty curious. 

Now, I appreciate the Beat style (a lot), but they haven’t been actively producing work in this style for at least 30 years, if not more.  So, what is so indelible about their contribution to poetry? Is it because its a distinct and recognizable American style? Is it because they seem to have been the only recent poetry movement that has gotten mainstream play?  Is it easier to imitate and replicate?  Is it Maynard G. Krebs?

I’m wondering how new poets can find something so distinctive that decades later, it’s still recognizable, if even only in parody.  I think I need to noodle on this one for awhile.

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July 28, 2009

Oh, Happy Day!

I just learned that my favorite food critic, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, is coming out with a new book.  (And she has a blog. Even better!) Grumdahl, formerly of the City Pages and currently of Minnesota Monthly, will be releasing Drink This: Wine Made Simple in November. 

November!  At least I have something to look forward to this winter.  In the meantime, here are three of my favorite Dara articles ever:

The Doughnut Gatherer

Intoxicating

Raising Cane

Posted in Books, Food | Comments Off

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July 27, 2009

So Much Poetry Goodness

Read Write Poem has unveiled their new editorial line-up today, which looks to be awesome. In addition to my new column called Just One (Book) Thing, where I will be micro-interviewing poets after reading their books, there are columns on technology, games, writing challenges, and even celebrity poet participation.

If you haven’t checked out Read Write Poem yet, you better start soon!

Posted in Publication, Read Write Poem | 1 Comment »

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July 25, 2009

Taking Time

Towards the end of the school year, I had an unusually brilliant idea, if I do say so myself.  I had a surplus of vacation and time and I thought, why don’t I take three day weekends for the whole summer? This thought was unusual for me, because like so many of us, I don’t normally think of things to do to relax or take care of myself. Especially if I have to choose between working and taking care of myself through relaxation.  It was brilliant because my husband only works Monday through Thursday and frankly, I needed the free time.

The school year for me (and for the students with whom I work) runs September through the end of June, with every other weekend reserved for work.  The concept of a three day weekend is so foreign to me, since half of the time I have a one day weekend.  I began my three day weekends at the end of June, but the time has been taken up by Other Things, like the vacation with my mother, my father’s visit, and recuperating from my injury. So this weekend in late July is my first real three day weekend with Nothing to Do. 

Like any good workaholic confronted with free time, I’ve been desperate to fill up this Nothing with a whole lot of Somethings.  I’ve almost worked myself up into quite a lather. How can I best use my free time?  What will be the most productive, the most successful, the most relaxing?  Not a great start to the weekend.

Lucky for me, I’ve found some good activities are things that are feeding my creativity, such as…

  • Hunting for CDs at my local library. This weekend, I found Edith Piaf, an American Roots Music CD, some Interpol, Patti Smith, several Belle and Sebastian discs, and KoKo Taylor.  I’m looking forward to listening to them while I cook and create.
  • Speaking of cooking, I’ll be making a batch of Potato, Chicken and Fresh Pea Salad for my lunches this week. Over the past year, I’ve slowly fallen in love with cooking. I’m a really late bloomer in this respect, but I am so glad that I’ve come around.  I’ve finally found that meditative aspect of chopping, boiling, and seasoning in silence and I tend to look forward to it.  As long as I’m not starving while I’m doing it, of course.
  • Working on my handmade gifts for my five friends on Facebook. One of the projects is really ambitious (for me) and I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to pull it off.  I can’t wait to find out.
  • Writing a bit. I’ve already written one poem for next week’s Read Write Poem prompt. I’m hoping that I can ride that creative wave for a bit longer, and perhaps make up last week’s prompt that I missed.
  • Aaron and I are also, of course, taking some time to have plain old fun. Yesterday afternoon we took a rare trip to the casino on the edge of town and won $30, which we promptly spent on a dinner out with friends.  Later today, we’re attending two festivals today and I know I’ll have pictures to post for each of them. 
  • Catching up on reading. Even though I have a stack of books to get through, I just bought a used copy of Julie & Julia yesterday, in preparation for the movie. 

I have to remember, of course, how lucky I am to have this free time right now. Hopefully, I’ll be able fill my well enough to have some reserves for the early school year, at the very least.  I think this is the most important part.  I’ve got to get over the panic associated with free time to fill and focus on balancing my errands, chores, and mandatory fun with enough time to be creative by myself. 

I always wonder how other people accomplish this, especially if they have families to care for and stressful jobs.  So, how are you filling yourself up this weekend?

Posted in Filling My Well | Comments Off

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July 22, 2009

Best Picture of the Weekend

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Even though I’m still recovering from the weekend fun extravaganza, I just had to share my favorite picture of the weekend.  Above is my husband riding an experimental bike at the Tour de Fat.  As he passed me by, he exclaimed, “I love riding this bike!”  I love the look of joy on his face.

Posted in Paying Attention, Photography | Comments Off

July 18, 2009

Playing Tourist

It’s always fun to have out of town guests, because I get to play tourist in my own neck of the woods. This weekend, my father is visiting from Palm Springs. (Here are some tourist shots of my visit to his ‘hood, back in December.)  When we have visitors, my husband and I get to remember all the reasons why we love Minnesota and Minneapolis. We do things that we hardly ever get to do and get reacquainted with our little slice of the world.  Of course, I brought my camera along and got to capture some of what we saw.

thursday tourist 1

View of the Minneapolis skyline, through a lattice work panel at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Thursday

thursday tourist 2

Slice of the sky, Minneapolis Institute of Arts outdoor gazebo, Thursday

friday tourist 2

Whirley Pops, inside Tremblay’s Sweet Shop, Stillwater, MN, Friday

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Self portrait outside of Tremblay’s Sweet Shop, Friday

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Door outside of Ruby Begonia’s, Stillwater, Friday

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Cup of hot chocolate from Luna Rosa Espresso Bar, Stillwater, Friday

On Friday, we took the Joseph Wolf Brewery Cave Tour, which was a fun way to learn the history of Stillwater.  However, it was only 58 outside and then a chilly 51 inside the caves. So after the tour, I needed a warm cup of cocoa. In July. (It is Minnesota, after all).  The lovely barista took her time drawing this happy sun in my cocoa, and when she handed it to me she said, “I hope this brings some sunshine into your day.”  Of course, it did. 

friday tourist 3

Portrait of my husband (back turned) and father (yellow hat), in front of  a bookstore in Stillwater, Friday

When walking around with my dad, I got to see my inherited shutterbug instincts in action.  Every time I was about to take a picture of something, my dad would already be taking a picture with his camera. We both got some nice shots and had a really good time playing around.  My husband, camera-less as he was, very patiently waited while we both snapped away.

I anticipate that more pictures will come as we continue to tour our fair city, cameras at the ready.

Posted in Paying Attention, Photography, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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July 16, 2009

I Got A Wordle!

Here’s my goal, stated in public:  I’ve got to participate in more Read Write Poem prompts. I love them each week and then I lose them in the stream of work and episodes of So You Think You Can Dance. Since I want to start off fresh with the prompts, I figure that I may as well start with the Read Write Word prompt I help to organize.  They are my favorites, after all.  Below is my offering:

 

What I Learned in College

We did not wear fur; we cloaked ourselves in flannel
and denim.  Enough to keep ourselves warm.

We coveted fire, the flaming ends of cigarettes, the burnt
scent of mashed potatoes, singe marks on lounge couches.

We slumped and sulked to class. We rolled down hills
on skateboards. We hitched rides.  Never walked.

Every night, we hosted seances at a concrete wall. We
conjured spirits then stamped out their memories in inches

of black ash.  How did we protect our hearts? We held them
close in our cages, turned them to ice. Even as we coveted

acuity and intimacy, we lost ourselves in empty halls
and the snow gray sky.  Before we bought ourselves

work clothes, before mortgages, before copping
sanguine stares from nine to five daily, we once

loitered and loved, studied and slept, argued
and awed.  We made and unmade ourselves daily.

 

The prompt words were: heart, seance, acuity, slump, flaming, sky, loiter, fur and sanguine.

Posted in Read Write Poem | 18 Comments »

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July 15, 2009

Taking Deep Breaths on June 15

I have a dean at work who uses this phrase whenever she confronts something difficult or challenging. She says, “we’ll just take a deep breath,” in these situations.  Of course, after she takes her deep breath, she does what she’s going to do anyway.  I admire this moment of breathing before plunging in, like filling your lungs with air before submerging underwater.

I think it’s important to take deep breaths, even if you enjoy the task ahead.  Even if it’s something that you love and look forward to, that moment to pause is crucial. It allows you to center yourself, bring oxygen to your muscles, and energize yourself before committing to a project. 

I wanted to mark today all of the things that challenge me, in good and strange ways, for which I need to take deep breaths.  Hopefully, it will remind me to pause, reflect, and breathe, before I rush in, screaming.   

Today, I’m taking a deep breath because:

  • My father is coming to town tonight.  I love that I get to see him. He lives in Palm Springs and I see him about once a year.  Having any family member visit for a few days tends to be a huge project. (I turn it in to a huge project.)  There will be loads of fun and trips around the Twin Cities to things like the Highland Fest, Deep Blues Festival, and Aquatennial, but I expect that I will be exhausted come Monday.
  • My body will heal on it’s own time. I’ve been pushing myself a bit, because of my dad’s visit, and I am kind of disappointed in my pace. I think I have to recognize all of the progress I’ve already made (off crutches and Frankenstein-ing around in a full leg brace) and that my leg has been through a major trauma and will need time to recover.
  • I’ve stumbled upon a fun project on Facebook. You write a note offering a handmade gift to the first five people who respond.  Lucky for me, five people from five different times in my life responded.  I get to make a gift for a friend from high school, a friend from college, a student from my culinary school days, an online friend, and a Minneapolis friend.  I already know my project for each of them and I can’t wait to get started.  When I have time, I’m going to write more about the potential that social networking like Facebook presents for working artists/writers, because this experience reminded me of all we could do with it.
  • At work, I feel like I have an infinite number of tasks to complete in a finite amount of time.  Since I’m taking all sorts of sick time for doctor’s appointments and pre-arranged vacation time, I don’t know how I’m going to complete it all.  This is when I need to breathe the most.

These are the things for this day, this week that are asking me to slow down and take a deep breath.  What in your life is asking you to breathe deeply?

Posted in Paying Attention | 1 Comment »

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