Just a reminder that there will be another fabulous Monsoon Voices at Unlimited Coffee on August 14th. Lucky you and any other listener: I'll just be enjoying the readers, not blathering at the mike.
Coincidentally, Bard's Books is also holding An Evening of Poetry that same night! Jack Evans and Judy Green-Davis will be offering their harmonious poetry for your instruction and edification.
Aarrgghh! Can't be in two places at once!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Falling into more classes
I'm registered for two classes this fall at Phoenix College. Yet another on-line essay class -- you'd think they'd cut me off, I've done so many -- and Tuesday Night Poetry with Jed Allen. I'm very excited to be in another Poetry class, even if it is listed as "Introduction to Poetry." That's about as far along as this college gets, introducing people to things. Anything beyond that you have to really want to do. I've taken this same class from Jed before and even still have my textbooks, but just being in class and having an excuse (motivation? imperative?) to write once a week is enough.
The essay class is with Susan Meyn (I think I've got her name right. If not, a million apologies.) Sue runs a business called Journal Magic, in which she seeks to help everyone be better through Journaling. I'm hoping I can put aside my native skepticism and deal honestly with the class.
Usually (big confession, this) I go into these classes with some yet unseen work set aside in case the muse is taking a long bath while I'm supposed to be creating. This time, not so much. We'll see how it goes!
The essay class is with Susan Meyn (I think I've got her name right. If not, a million apologies.) Sue runs a business called Journal Magic, in which she seeks to help everyone be better through Journaling. I'm hoping I can put aside my native skepticism and deal honestly with the class.
Usually (big confession, this) I go into these classes with some yet unseen work set aside in case the muse is taking a long bath while I'm supposed to be creating. This time, not so much. We'll see how it goes!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
'The Writer' for August
I'm a lucky writer. My job provides me plenty of opportunity to wander around the Web and find out how to use the wealth of goodies waiting there. In the August issue of The Writer, a special section examines wonderful Web tools and ways that writers can thrive with them. There's a step-by-step on how to incorporate technology into your fictional characters' lives. You can see how to use YouTube for research, how to make use of social-networking sites, and ways to help your writing surf (the Web, that is.) My favorite section featured '8 Great iPhone apps for writers,' which is amazing because I don't own an iPhone and don't really want one, but the gadgets they describe might change my mind someday!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Another Cool Monsoon Voices
The evening of June 12th fell in the middle of a cold snap—a Phoenix cold snap, with the temperature not topping 100 degrees for two weeks running. So a little group of us gathered at Unlimited Coffee to share some warmth, heart to heart, and make the best of the chilly evening. On June 12th Monsoon Voices happened.
It’s a fine Friday for some voices just before the monsoon. I drive over early to put my head in the right frame with a few tunes from the Brazen Heads. After I join the group asking Annie ‘Who’s yer Paddy?’ a few hundred times, I can’t resist singing ‘His Dream’ – never can – but then I need to ramp it up with ‘One-Eyed Reilly.” Blood properly pumping, I spot new sawhorse-signs showing the way to Monsoon Voices! We grow and grow.
For once I get to the room early, get a spot at the great table, and watch the room fill in around me. Plenty early to plop down a few notes. Seven laptops are flipped open and three ‘analog’ writers scrawl around the room. The setting sun slants across the whatever writing surface gets in its way. Luckily, a big headed laptop-user is shading me from the rays.
I spot Traci & Patrick ducking out the east door as I come in the west. They’d set up the table with the sign-in-for news list and the love donation vase. They’re so soft-sell.
So far the mood is totally mellow. Will it build? We’ve had a mellow night or two, but we’ve had plenty where the crowd and the ice-cruncher battled for dominance. Jenny won’t bring Rowan because she’s afraid is little baby ears will be harmed. There’s a family across the way with a baby younger than Rowan – if that little one doesn’t like our work she’ll let us know!
During my noting, the room has filled in. MaryAnn has come in and greeted me, and introduced me to Betsy. With my usual grace I tell her how great it is to finally meet her, and tell her how much I enjoyed taking her online course last year. The look on her face is one I’ve seen so often: once again, I have enthusiastically made a fool of myself. This is not the Betsy (Andrews) I knew from the digital world; this is an analog Betsy (McPhee) who terms herself a new writer but later shows herself to be an old soul. But she’s gracious and the awkward moment passes quickly.
MaryAnn gives Betsy some advice on reading to a group and shortly another first-time reader, Catania, joins them and MaryAnn takes them on tour, up to the front where the microphone will be. I take a moment to order an iced mocha, and while it’s being thrown together, a man comes in and stands near me at the counter. “Wow, what’s going on in here?” he breathes out, stunned by the fullness of the room. He’s young and sandy haired, disheveled and windblown, and he might even be half my age. I smile at him.
“We’re going to read some crazy poetry and short essay, fun stuff. It’s a cheery group.”
“Cool. I can get into that.” He smiles too, and I notice his pierced lower lip. My coffee’s ready and I take it, and think it’s just as well that he probably doesn’t go for the overweight 50ish mocha-drinking writer type, ‘cause I’m married and hate those piercings.
When I settle back at the great table, carefully losing track of the pierced child, Patrick and Traci are making their way to the microphone. Good, good, hooray, we’re getting started.
The Moores welcome everyone and call on Catania Larson, our first reader. Catania is the mom of the cute little infant and her two older sisters. Three little ones and still writing! She offers up five poems (about four more than I managed the year James was born) and they are lovely, well-formed, diverse observations of life. The first, ‘Voice’ (how appropriate to the reading) discusses the sound of life running through life. ‘Merry’ (a Christmas poem) visits with past holiday Catanias. ‘The Spider’, which Catania shyly announced as a sonnet, certainly is a good one, in which a busy spider gets a meal she almost couldn’t handle, but does. ‘Happiness is…’ exults in the moments of pleasure, day to day. ‘The Moroccan Box’ holds a precious mundane treasure, because the extraordinary treasures can’t be fit in boxes. Catania celebrates the treasures of her life in every words she writes.
After the listeners show Catania their appreciation, Patrick introduces me. I read an essay called ‘Mosquitoes,’ which is in its seventh incarnation since last fall. That poor essay! It’s been long and short and funny and bitter and sweet. This group gets the short version, which they seem to like. They laugh at the right places. As a humor writer, you come to love the laughs that come in the right places. The ones that come in the wrong places, you learn to work with.
Candice Aragon sings two songs as I resume breathing at my seat.
Candice is 23 and lovely and so talented. Her first song, ‘Pitter patter,’ is a sad song to wrap around your shoulders, rain against the window. She helps us move on with ‘Your old Heart,’ a cheery love song full of wild rhymes and exultant repeated “I love you”s that sweep us into the break.
During the break, I go and visit with the restroom. It’s more than just going to the restroom or visiting the restroom, because at Ultimate Coffee, the restroom is very personable. It’s an old friend. In fact, once you go in and sit down, you get a message: “I am sensitive. Please hold down my handle for at least 5 seconds, and be sparing in your use of paper. Thank you.” It’s signed “The Ultimate Toilets” and has a self-portrait off to one side. It always makes me feel like family.
There’s a chance that reflects badly on my concept of family. If it does, blame it on my brothers.
I get back to the table just in time to hear Gary Bowers tell the crowd about the upcoming Bard’s Books event. Then came an invitation to a reading at Glendale Public Library. I miss the name of the young woman who invited us to GPL, but recognize her as the writer of the blog Heart-Shaped Hole. I even go to her when she sits down, and tell her how much I love her blog, but am simply not smart enough to get her name. I’m really bad at this social-skill stuff.
We start again with MaryAnn McCullough at the mic. MaryAnn is a veteran writer and the essay she reads is recently published in A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers II. I am steeled up, determined not to cry in front of all these folks, but MaryAnn saves me: the essay is funny and she delivers it wonderfully, and pulls out after saying that she and her companion are aging gracefully. As she does everything.
Susan Vespoli, who claims to have ‘moved to a shack in the forest to attend poetry school,’ makes me wish I could go find that shack. It must have poetry magic in it. Susan tells us that this is only ‘my second time reading in public, and my first without tequilia.’ She belied her words with the ease of her reading. Where are all these graceful women from, anyway? She reads ‘Another nice thing about Dogs’ and ‘Daylilies.’ You can read Another Nice Thing at the Monsoon Voices blog, but if you do, be sure to imagine a beautiful woman with easy humor reading it. ‘Daylilies’ is about the aftermath of an argument, and after she reads it she gets a big hug from the other argument participant, which makes us all clap even harder.
Candice finishes up the evening with three more songs. On the last of them she instructs us all to clap, because it’s a clapping song. We clap, and we are enthusiastic clappers, but we are not good at it. A roomful of writers! Bright cheery, good writers. Bad clappers.
Seriously, if you’ve read this far but never treated yourself to Monsoon Voices, talk to your therapist. You deserve this kind of easy happiness. We all do. Real life is more fun than blogs.
It’s a fine Friday for some voices just before the monsoon. I drive over early to put my head in the right frame with a few tunes from the Brazen Heads. After I join the group asking Annie ‘Who’s yer Paddy?’ a few hundred times, I can’t resist singing ‘His Dream’ – never can – but then I need to ramp it up with ‘One-Eyed Reilly.” Blood properly pumping, I spot new sawhorse-signs showing the way to Monsoon Voices! We grow and grow.
For once I get to the room early, get a spot at the great table, and watch the room fill in around me. Plenty early to plop down a few notes. Seven laptops are flipped open and three ‘analog’ writers scrawl around the room. The setting sun slants across the whatever writing surface gets in its way. Luckily, a big headed laptop-user is shading me from the rays.
I spot Traci & Patrick ducking out the east door as I come in the west. They’d set up the table with the sign-in-for news list and the love donation vase. They’re so soft-sell.
So far the mood is totally mellow. Will it build? We’ve had a mellow night or two, but we’ve had plenty where the crowd and the ice-cruncher battled for dominance. Jenny won’t bring Rowan because she’s afraid is little baby ears will be harmed. There’s a family across the way with a baby younger than Rowan – if that little one doesn’t like our work she’ll let us know!
During my noting, the room has filled in. MaryAnn has come in and greeted me, and introduced me to Betsy. With my usual grace I tell her how great it is to finally meet her, and tell her how much I enjoyed taking her online course last year. The look on her face is one I’ve seen so often: once again, I have enthusiastically made a fool of myself. This is not the Betsy (Andrews) I knew from the digital world; this is an analog Betsy (McPhee) who terms herself a new writer but later shows herself to be an old soul. But she’s gracious and the awkward moment passes quickly.
MaryAnn gives Betsy some advice on reading to a group and shortly another first-time reader, Catania, joins them and MaryAnn takes them on tour, up to the front where the microphone will be. I take a moment to order an iced mocha, and while it’s being thrown together, a man comes in and stands near me at the counter. “Wow, what’s going on in here?” he breathes out, stunned by the fullness of the room. He’s young and sandy haired, disheveled and windblown, and he might even be half my age. I smile at him.
“We’re going to read some crazy poetry and short essay, fun stuff. It’s a cheery group.”
“Cool. I can get into that.” He smiles too, and I notice his pierced lower lip. My coffee’s ready and I take it, and think it’s just as well that he probably doesn’t go for the overweight 50ish mocha-drinking writer type, ‘cause I’m married and hate those piercings.
When I settle back at the great table, carefully losing track of the pierced child, Patrick and Traci are making their way to the microphone. Good, good, hooray, we’re getting started.
The Moores welcome everyone and call on Catania Larson, our first reader. Catania is the mom of the cute little infant and her two older sisters. Three little ones and still writing! She offers up five poems (about four more than I managed the year James was born) and they are lovely, well-formed, diverse observations of life. The first, ‘Voice’ (how appropriate to the reading) discusses the sound of life running through life. ‘Merry’ (a Christmas poem) visits with past holiday Catanias. ‘The Spider’, which Catania shyly announced as a sonnet, certainly is a good one, in which a busy spider gets a meal she almost couldn’t handle, but does. ‘Happiness is…’ exults in the moments of pleasure, day to day. ‘The Moroccan Box’ holds a precious mundane treasure, because the extraordinary treasures can’t be fit in boxes. Catania celebrates the treasures of her life in every words she writes.
After the listeners show Catania their appreciation, Patrick introduces me. I read an essay called ‘Mosquitoes,’ which is in its seventh incarnation since last fall. That poor essay! It’s been long and short and funny and bitter and sweet. This group gets the short version, which they seem to like. They laugh at the right places. As a humor writer, you come to love the laughs that come in the right places. The ones that come in the wrong places, you learn to work with.
Candice Aragon sings two songs as I resume breathing at my seat.
Candice is 23 and lovely and so talented. Her first song, ‘Pitter patter,’ is a sad song to wrap around your shoulders, rain against the window. She helps us move on with ‘Your old Heart,’ a cheery love song full of wild rhymes and exultant repeated “I love you”s that sweep us into the break.
During the break, I go and visit with the restroom. It’s more than just going to the restroom or visiting the restroom, because at Ultimate Coffee, the restroom is very personable. It’s an old friend. In fact, once you go in and sit down, you get a message: “I am sensitive. Please hold down my handle for at least 5 seconds, and be sparing in your use of paper. Thank you.” It’s signed “The Ultimate Toilets” and has a self-portrait off to one side. It always makes me feel like family.
There’s a chance that reflects badly on my concept of family. If it does, blame it on my brothers.
I get back to the table just in time to hear Gary Bowers tell the crowd about the upcoming Bard’s Books event. Then came an invitation to a reading at Glendale Public Library. I miss the name of the young woman who invited us to GPL, but recognize her as the writer of the blog Heart-Shaped Hole. I even go to her when she sits down, and tell her how much I love her blog, but am simply not smart enough to get her name. I’m really bad at this social-skill stuff.
We start again with MaryAnn McCullough at the mic. MaryAnn is a veteran writer and the essay she reads is recently published in A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers II. I am steeled up, determined not to cry in front of all these folks, but MaryAnn saves me: the essay is funny and she delivers it wonderfully, and pulls out after saying that she and her companion are aging gracefully. As she does everything.
Susan Vespoli, who claims to have ‘moved to a shack in the forest to attend poetry school,’ makes me wish I could go find that shack. It must have poetry magic in it. Susan tells us that this is only ‘my second time reading in public, and my first without tequilia.’ She belied her words with the ease of her reading. Where are all these graceful women from, anyway? She reads ‘Another nice thing about Dogs’ and ‘Daylilies.’ You can read Another Nice Thing at the Monsoon Voices blog, but if you do, be sure to imagine a beautiful woman with easy humor reading it. ‘Daylilies’ is about the aftermath of an argument, and after she reads it she gets a big hug from the other argument participant, which makes us all clap even harder.
Candice finishes up the evening with three more songs. On the last of them she instructs us all to clap, because it’s a clapping song. We clap, and we are enthusiastic clappers, but we are not good at it. A roomful of writers! Bright cheery, good writers. Bad clappers.
Seriously, if you’ve read this far but never treated yourself to Monsoon Voices, talk to your therapist. You deserve this kind of easy happiness. We all do. Real life is more fun than blogs.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Bard's Books -- even more lit events!
If you are already sick of summer 'television'....
If you love bookstores...
If you like to save money, meet people with working brains, see a business engage in community outreach, or enjoy a comfortable seat while you pore over your potential purchases...
You have to visit Bard's Books!
and if you enjoy listening to the poetry of the ages read by local vocal artists, you have to visit Bard's Books twice this month!
Sven and Leeann Rosckowff and Gary Bowers have designed a two-night event called "Let us now praise Great Poets." Several Sonoran Bard readers will offer selections from the poets they admire most. The names being tossed around include Thomas Hardy, Gregory Corso, Leonard Cohen, Alan Ginsberg, Algernon Swinburne, e.e. cummings, and Billy Collins, and the list is growing. There is so much joy to be found in hearing these writers out loud -- don't deny yourself this pleasure.
So much excitement has built up around this event that one Friday night wasn't enough: we're going to read on June 19th and June 26th. Check Bard's Books website (link at left) for location and time, and peek at the event calendar for all the other great community activities this very exciting store offers.
If you love bookstores...
If you like to save money, meet people with working brains, see a business engage in community outreach, or enjoy a comfortable seat while you pore over your potential purchases...
You have to visit Bard's Books!
and if you enjoy listening to the poetry of the ages read by local vocal artists, you have to visit Bard's Books twice this month!
Sven and Leeann Rosckowff and Gary Bowers have designed a two-night event called "Let us now praise Great Poets." Several Sonoran Bard readers will offer selections from the poets they admire most. The names being tossed around include Thomas Hardy, Gregory Corso, Leonard Cohen, Alan Ginsberg, Algernon Swinburne, e.e. cummings, and Billy Collins, and the list is growing. There is so much joy to be found in hearing these writers out loud -- don't deny yourself this pleasure.
So much excitement has built up around this event that one Friday night wasn't enough: we're going to read on June 19th and June 26th. Check Bard's Books website (link at left) for location and time, and peek at the event calendar for all the other great community activities this very exciting store offers.
Long Time Gone
The Spring semester ate up all my writing energy, so this is the first post in months! I had two great classes online, got a lot of work done and took refuge from the big bad world, so no regrets. Now there is good reason for me to visit the Beachglass house again: Monsoon Voices will be in session this Friday.
Traci and Patrick have kindly asked me to read, so I'm spending this week reading and practicing and probably getting sick to death of my essay 'Mosquitoes'. But before that I'm enjoying frissons of anticipation for the other readers: Catania Larson and Susan Vespoli, who I have not heard before, and Maryann McCullough, who I have and who is terrific, and then Betsy McPhee. I've read Betsy's work and can't wait to meet her, because I've taken an online class from her and she's a great teacher!
One of the quirky aspects of online classes is getting to know people through their work and comments, sharing learning but never actually meeting them. Later on you run into them at a reading, in another class or even on campus, and it's joyous and scary as you run through your mental file cabinet pulling out memory files so you can speak to them halfway intelligently. I'm particularly bad at this. I've embarrassed myself horribly by pouring out my admiration about pieces to a writer only to discover that while she admired the work as well, she was not the author. My facial-recognition skills leave much to be desired. I'm thinking about asking online classmates to post photos to help me out!
Save money and have fun this Friday by coming out to Unlimited Coffee for Monsoon Voices. There'll be laughter and noise and soul-comforting literature, and the Unlimited folks will sell you tummy-cheering drinks and gelato. You can't go wrong!
Monsoon Voices (a live literary magazine)
at Unlimited Coffee
741 E. Glendale Ave, East of 7th Street on the south side of Glendale
7:30 p.m.
Traci and Patrick Moore host this great event, and you can visit their blog by clicking on the link at the left. Hope I get to meet you there!
Traci and Patrick have kindly asked me to read, so I'm spending this week reading and practicing and probably getting sick to death of my essay 'Mosquitoes'. But before that I'm enjoying frissons of anticipation for the other readers: Catania Larson and Susan Vespoli, who I have not heard before, and Maryann McCullough, who I have and who is terrific, and then Betsy McPhee. I've read Betsy's work and can't wait to meet her, because I've taken an online class from her and she's a great teacher!
One of the quirky aspects of online classes is getting to know people through their work and comments, sharing learning but never actually meeting them. Later on you run into them at a reading, in another class or even on campus, and it's joyous and scary as you run through your mental file cabinet pulling out memory files so you can speak to them halfway intelligently. I'm particularly bad at this. I've embarrassed myself horribly by pouring out my admiration about pieces to a writer only to discover that while she admired the work as well, she was not the author. My facial-recognition skills leave much to be desired. I'm thinking about asking online classmates to post photos to help me out!
Save money and have fun this Friday by coming out to Unlimited Coffee for Monsoon Voices. There'll be laughter and noise and soul-comforting literature, and the Unlimited folks will sell you tummy-cheering drinks and gelato. You can't go wrong!
Monsoon Voices (a live literary magazine)
at Unlimited Coffee
741 E. Glendale Ave, East of 7th Street on the south side of Glendale
7:30 p.m.
Traci and Patrick Moore host this great event, and you can visit their blog by clicking on the link at the left. Hope I get to meet you there!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday the 13th Blueschaser
On Friday the Thirteenth of February, the Monsoon Voices gathered again at Unlimited Coffee on Glendale Ave to fight off any sinister omens and take joy in spoken and sung stories. What a fine night it was!
Certain sinister overtones occurred: Gary Bower presented a surprisingly un-acrostic set of poems that nonetheless amazed the assembly. Elizabeth Early, a "recent transplant from Chicago" read a fictional memoir of deafness, stunningly vivid, colorful, heartrending. Bakeem Lloyd's powerful poetry nearly always has a dark side, and Friday night he did not disappoint us.
Lighter moments were offered by Paula Ashley's nature poetry, although even she reminded us somehow of the sorry state we've fallen into. Heather Hanssard's quite optimistic views cheered us, and Kevin Hall, who calls himself a 'blue-collar poet,' made us laugh, and then nearly cry. Blue collar, perhaps, but top-notch.
Two women that I'm lucky enough to be in a class with this semester read memoir. Maryann McCullough told us about growing up very Irish and very Catholic in inner-city Chicago. Sandra Yee read "Chenglish as a second language," leading us through her adventures growing up with multiple linguistic influences that led to multiple confusions. We should all be so challenged!
Iain Walinck, a gifted guitarist, sang us a range of folk songs about the working man's struggles in tough economic times. It served to remind us that for some there are always tough economic times, and the best you can do sometimes is laugh.
The evening flashed past. Monsoon Voice hosts Traci and Patrick Moore are masters at choosing and presenting lively readings, and the casual setting at Unlimited makes it easy for everyone to lighten up, even while sharing excellent writing on some tough topics. It all happens again in April -- hope to see you there.
Certain sinister overtones occurred: Gary Bower presented a surprisingly un-acrostic set of poems that nonetheless amazed the assembly. Elizabeth Early, a "recent transplant from Chicago" read a fictional memoir of deafness, stunningly vivid, colorful, heartrending. Bakeem Lloyd's powerful poetry nearly always has a dark side, and Friday night he did not disappoint us.
Lighter moments were offered by Paula Ashley's nature poetry, although even she reminded us somehow of the sorry state we've fallen into. Heather Hanssard's quite optimistic views cheered us, and Kevin Hall, who calls himself a 'blue-collar poet,' made us laugh, and then nearly cry. Blue collar, perhaps, but top-notch.
Two women that I'm lucky enough to be in a class with this semester read memoir. Maryann McCullough told us about growing up very Irish and very Catholic in inner-city Chicago. Sandra Yee read "Chenglish as a second language," leading us through her adventures growing up with multiple linguistic influences that led to multiple confusions. We should all be so challenged!
Iain Walinck, a gifted guitarist, sang us a range of folk songs about the working man's struggles in tough economic times. It served to remind us that for some there are always tough economic times, and the best you can do sometimes is laugh.
The evening flashed past. Monsoon Voice hosts Traci and Patrick Moore are masters at choosing and presenting lively readings, and the casual setting at Unlimited makes it easy for everyone to lighten up, even while sharing excellent writing on some tough topics. It all happens again in April -- hope to see you there.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Voices for the Solstice
Monsoon Voices finished a terrific year of literary sharing and celebration on December 19th at Unlimited Coffee. If you haven’t gone by Unlimited, either for a reading, a drink, or a gelato, you should know that the building began life as a pizza hut. Red brick walls and large windows surround the once-dining room. Down the center of the room, a table worthy of a CEO’s boardroom runs north to south; performers stand at the north end, with Glendale Avenue and neon window signs behind them. At the south end of the room the coffee/gelato magic happens.
On Friday night the returning readers all seemed to pull up chairs at the big table. There were at least five of us, not counting our reader-hosts, Traci and Patrick. The room was surprisingly filled for the last Friday before Christmas. I sort of thought we’d be reading only to each other. Maybe people found it more satisfying to be in a full reading than an empty department store. Maybe word has gotten out that Monsoon Voices is a great time.
I was lucky enough to be invited to read and it was a great way to spend part of the winter solstice. I intended to riff on the solstice before reading, but on Friday I ran through the piece one more time before the show and realized that it was written off an assignment in a class this fall. I decided to mention how beneficial I find being in class: the motivation, the inspiration. The deadlines. So I talked about that, then read “Red Silk iPod,” which made people laugh in many of the right places. I finished with “Dieting at Christmas,” one of those ditzy poems that people (with the exception of magazine editors) always seem to like. But I was the last reader, and before me, there were treasures:
Steven Lufkin – guitars and vocals – This 15 year old marvel pleased the crowd with several well-crafted songs of his own creation. We got the feeling that his talent would develop beautifully in the fullness of time. Then he played “Hey Joe” from Jimi Hendrix. He mastered “Hey Joe.” The guitar that had only supported his words earlier now blasted us, slaughtered us, enthralled us. I can’t wait to see this kid smack the world in the eye.
Rosemarie Dombrowski – Editor of ‘merge’ magazine – this terrific poet treated us to two short personal essays: “Flour, sugar, stir, repeat,” and “Converse.” Both were polished, funny, memorable. I hope poetry can hang on to her, but fear that prose might win.
bakeem lloyd – poetry – this is the first time I’ve met bakeem but I know it won’t be the last – he read two long poems: ‘Jigsaw Puzzle in Reverse,’ and ‘The Mating Habits of Binary Stars.’ bakeem seemed shy, quiet; his poetry is powerful and deep. He reads beautifully. I think we’ll all hear more about him.
Pascal Marco – longtime newspaper man and new essayist – read us ‘Heliotrope,’ the story of meeting his wife of thirty years at the age of seventeen. Pascal brings us the humor and joy of his life. We’re lucky.
Jessica Standifird – introduced as ‘a poet heavily into the local scene’ which she promptly told us might be true, but she feels “not nearly as accomplished as that might seem to imply.” All of us who strive to read in public can empathize, but she’s wrong in her own case: this poet has got it on. She read us several excellent pieces, and I hope the print outlets are picking up on them.
Sarah Moore – young happy college student – this bright light has a lot to share. Like so many good writers, she took a small moment--losing her keys in a forest—and spun it into a story that threw light on the kindness and wonder of the world; and did it all while making us laugh.
Shawnte Orion – another regular on the local scene, this one with a loyal fan base, several of whom were there to cheer him on. If they hadn’t come, well, no worries; the rest of us made enough noise to cover it. He gave us a sermon on the creation of Phoenix by the god L.A. Shawnte has a good time with his writing, and happily, so do the rest of us.
Anyway, if you weren’t there in 2008, I hope you’ll be inspired to come listen in 2009. Monsoon Voices is a great time. Treat yourself to it.
On Friday night the returning readers all seemed to pull up chairs at the big table. There were at least five of us, not counting our reader-hosts, Traci and Patrick. The room was surprisingly filled for the last Friday before Christmas. I sort of thought we’d be reading only to each other. Maybe people found it more satisfying to be in a full reading than an empty department store. Maybe word has gotten out that Monsoon Voices is a great time.
I was lucky enough to be invited to read and it was a great way to spend part of the winter solstice. I intended to riff on the solstice before reading, but on Friday I ran through the piece one more time before the show and realized that it was written off an assignment in a class this fall. I decided to mention how beneficial I find being in class: the motivation, the inspiration. The deadlines. So I talked about that, then read “Red Silk iPod,” which made people laugh in many of the right places. I finished with “Dieting at Christmas,” one of those ditzy poems that people (with the exception of magazine editors) always seem to like. But I was the last reader, and before me, there were treasures:
Steven Lufkin – guitars and vocals – This 15 year old marvel pleased the crowd with several well-crafted songs of his own creation. We got the feeling that his talent would develop beautifully in the fullness of time. Then he played “Hey Joe” from Jimi Hendrix. He mastered “Hey Joe.” The guitar that had only supported his words earlier now blasted us, slaughtered us, enthralled us. I can’t wait to see this kid smack the world in the eye.
Rosemarie Dombrowski – Editor of ‘merge’ magazine – this terrific poet treated us to two short personal essays: “Flour, sugar, stir, repeat,” and “Converse.” Both were polished, funny, memorable. I hope poetry can hang on to her, but fear that prose might win.
bakeem lloyd – poetry – this is the first time I’ve met bakeem but I know it won’t be the last – he read two long poems: ‘Jigsaw Puzzle in Reverse,’ and ‘The Mating Habits of Binary Stars.’ bakeem seemed shy, quiet; his poetry is powerful and deep. He reads beautifully. I think we’ll all hear more about him.
Pascal Marco – longtime newspaper man and new essayist – read us ‘Heliotrope,’ the story of meeting his wife of thirty years at the age of seventeen. Pascal brings us the humor and joy of his life. We’re lucky.
Jessica Standifird – introduced as ‘a poet heavily into the local scene’ which she promptly told us might be true, but she feels “not nearly as accomplished as that might seem to imply.” All of us who strive to read in public can empathize, but she’s wrong in her own case: this poet has got it on. She read us several excellent pieces, and I hope the print outlets are picking up on them.
Sarah Moore – young happy college student – this bright light has a lot to share. Like so many good writers, she took a small moment--losing her keys in a forest—and spun it into a story that threw light on the kindness and wonder of the world; and did it all while making us laugh.
Shawnte Orion – another regular on the local scene, this one with a loyal fan base, several of whom were there to cheer him on. If they hadn’t come, well, no worries; the rest of us made enough noise to cover it. He gave us a sermon on the creation of Phoenix by the god L.A. Shawnte has a good time with his writing, and happily, so do the rest of us.
Anyway, if you weren’t there in 2008, I hope you’ll be inspired to come listen in 2009. Monsoon Voices is a great time. Treat yourself to it.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Red Silk iPod
Wow, the fall semester's almost over. I've been in a couple of classes and always feel said when good classes end. These classes have been very compelling and motivated a lot a writing on my part, and some of it might even be good.
I'll be test-driving one essay, 'The Red Silk iPod' at Monsoon Voices on Friday, December 19th. If you'd like to come(and we'd love to see you) a link for information/directions is on the left. I wrote this piece as part of an assignment, but it's been spruced up and it makes me smile, so I hope it will make others smile as well. I'm going to offer up a poem, too, called 'Dieting at Christmas.' I am dieting this Christmas, and much more seriously than I was when I wrote this piece. If all goes well this week, I'll have bookmarks of this poem to share. I hope you come Friday night so I can give you one!
I'll be test-driving one essay, 'The Red Silk iPod' at Monsoon Voices on Friday, December 19th. If you'd like to come(and we'd love to see you) a link for information/directions is on the left. I wrote this piece as part of an assignment, but it's been spruced up and it makes me smile, so I hope it will make others smile as well. I'm going to offer up a poem, too, called 'Dieting at Christmas.' I am dieting this Christmas, and much more seriously than I was when I wrote this piece. If all goes well this week, I'll have bookmarks of this poem to share. I hope you come Friday night so I can give you one!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Seven Talented Writers Read
I took part in a reading at Phoenix College this week, as one of the students in the college's Creative Writing Certificate Track. We had such a good time! I don't think that most disciplines arrange a time for associates in a program to experience each other's art, but that's essentially what happened Wednesday night. We invited other people to listen, but the great thing was to share each other's work. It made me want to work with these people much, much more.
I read a fairly humorous piece called "Mosquitoes." I had a charming scene in which my family gathered around me while I screamed. People laughed in many of the right places, and I remembered how to breathe again.
My fellow writer and their work took my breath away again and again. They are:
Traci Moore, who read "The Wonder of Wonder," in which a man gets too involved with the bread of life;
Debby Mitchell, whose web-like poetry brings nature to the page;
Sandra Yee, who told us secrets about locker rooms and the strange compassion of young girls;
Dawn Marie, who took us into the world of a woman becoming divorced;
Jim Griffin made us all think about “The other 5%”;
and Janet Burruel’s compelling truths danced in fiction and poetry.
Tonight, Friday the 7th, Dawn Marie will read again at Monsoon Voices, a live literary event hosted by Traci Moore and her husband Patrick.
The desert is alive with the sound of literature!
I read a fairly humorous piece called "Mosquitoes." I had a charming scene in which my family gathered around me while I screamed. People laughed in many of the right places, and I remembered how to breathe again.
My fellow writer and their work took my breath away again and again. They are:
Traci Moore, who read "The Wonder of Wonder," in which a man gets too involved with the bread of life;
Debby Mitchell, whose web-like poetry brings nature to the page;
Sandra Yee, who told us secrets about locker rooms and the strange compassion of young girls;
Dawn Marie, who took us into the world of a woman becoming divorced;
Jim Griffin made us all think about “The other 5%”;
and Janet Burruel’s compelling truths danced in fiction and poetry.
Tonight, Friday the 7th, Dawn Marie will read again at Monsoon Voices, a live literary event hosted by Traci Moore and her husband Patrick.
The desert is alive with the sound of literature!
Monday, October 20, 2008
My Fall Classes
Apparently I am a poor blogger. I look at other people's blogs, and they post nearly daily. I'm hitting a rate of one a month at the moment. Shabby.
I meant to write about the classes I'm taking long since. Maybe this is better. I can tell you how much I'm enjoying them.
Literature and Film began in the last week of August, and Non-Fic Chick Lit began in the last week of September. They are both online classes.
I took Literature and Film because two of the three required movies were Stephen King golden oldies: Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. The other movie was Jaws, which I watched for the first time because of this class. Let me say this: Stephen Speilberg is a wizard. The film mesmerized me.
So far the class has been relatively easy, if a little light on the literature end of the equation. The second half of the class is swathed in mystery: even the schedule ends midway and says "The remainder of the schedule will be posted later." That later should be soon. I hope I like what happens.
Non-Fic Chick Lit intends to create Sarah Vowells and Mary Roaches of us all. Despite the horrible, horrible name (only oldies like me dispair of the use of the term 'chick.' But I say I can put up with chick lit as long as we can also discuss dick lit. Discussion in this class is lively and writing we've seen so far from class members shows promise. We're only in week 4.
On 'class days' I can hardly wait to sign in and see the new lectures, the reading questions, and the exercises. And I get to do it in my p.j.s and have coffee during class! Not all online experiences are great, but so far I've got a good semester going.
I meant to write about the classes I'm taking long since. Maybe this is better. I can tell you how much I'm enjoying them.
Literature and Film began in the last week of August, and Non-Fic Chick Lit began in the last week of September. They are both online classes.
I took Literature and Film because two of the three required movies were Stephen King golden oldies: Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. The other movie was Jaws, which I watched for the first time because of this class. Let me say this: Stephen Speilberg is a wizard. The film mesmerized me.
So far the class has been relatively easy, if a little light on the literature end of the equation. The second half of the class is swathed in mystery: even the schedule ends midway and says "The remainder of the schedule will be posted later." That later should be soon. I hope I like what happens.
Non-Fic Chick Lit intends to create Sarah Vowells and Mary Roaches of us all. Despite the horrible, horrible name (only oldies like me dispair of the use of the term 'chick.' But I say I can put up with chick lit as long as we can also discuss dick lit. Discussion in this class is lively and writing we've seen so far from class members shows promise. We're only in week 4.
On 'class days' I can hardly wait to sign in and see the new lectures, the reading questions, and the exercises. And I get to do it in my p.j.s and have coffee during class! Not all online experiences are great, but so far I've got a good semester going.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Ballistics!
Billy Collins' new book of poetry, Ballistics, is out, and my darling husband Jack bought it for me right away. I've had it in one hand or the other pretty much ever since. How kind of him to send out 68 more nearly perfect spaces into the world. It seems to me that the voice in this book is a little less joyous, a little more in touch with all the things that go wrong, but it is still a voice I could listen to every day.
One of the best things about poetry is the infinite variety, and that there is space in that variety for all of us. Billy can't be every man's cup of meat, but if you're not sure where your poetic stick floats, he's a very good place to start.
One poem, called January in Paris, seems to say everything I feel about poetry, and everything I hope poetry feels about me.
I hope you find joy.
One of the best things about poetry is the infinite variety, and that there is space in that variety for all of us. Billy can't be every man's cup of meat, but if you're not sure where your poetic stick floats, he's a very good place to start.
One poem, called January in Paris, seems to say everything I feel about poetry, and everything I hope poetry feels about me.
I hope you find joy.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Free Rice!
Freerice.com is a vocabulary building site that fights world hunger. It's one of the best things on the web. If you love words, if you love humans, if you have ten minutes and are looking for something to pass the time, this is a great site.
The creators of the site arrange for rice to be purchased with the money paid for adspace on the main page. Players earn 'rice' each time they guess the correct definition for a word. Words become increasingly more difficult as you play.
If you look around the site, you'll find a page that show the total amount of rice they have donated by date. First, be amazed that people playing a word game have helped distribute more than 14 billion grains of rice in about 10 months. But then, notice that donations have dropped since last December. I imagine that there has not been a great publicity push for the site since then. So this post is my little publicity push for them; and if you like the site, maybe you'll push a little, too.
The creators of the site arrange for rice to be purchased with the money paid for adspace on the main page. Players earn 'rice' each time they guess the correct definition for a word. Words become increasingly more difficult as you play.
If you look around the site, you'll find a page that show the total amount of rice they have donated by date. First, be amazed that people playing a word game have helped distribute more than 14 billion grains of rice in about 10 months. But then, notice that donations have dropped since last December. I imagine that there has not been a great publicity push for the site since then. So this post is my little publicity push for them; and if you like the site, maybe you'll push a little, too.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
August Writers' Magazines
Great articles and advice abound in this month's issues of Poets & Writers, The Writer, and Writer's Digest:
My favorite living poet, Billy Collins, is on the cover of Poets & Writers' September/October issue. His new book, Ballistics, releases September 9th. P&W looks at Collins' career and life, and how he succeeds by focusing on his readers.
Even if Mr. Collins doesn't make you dive headlong into this issue, P&W is always worth a look. Besides the cover story, this issue contains articles on making your own chapbooks, getting an agent, and 100 Writing Contests with Upcoming Deadlines.
After you've made your chapbook by hand, you'll need a website to promote it, and that's what Writer's Digest promises this month: a how-to for turning a website into a wonder. They also show off the winner and finalists of their website contest, and we can all visit and learn from those sites. I have friends whose only website success so far has been to even try -- that puts them ahead of me!
Writer's Digest also offers an interview with Isabel Allende, advice from Debbie Macomber, and more get-an-agent tips.
The Writer for September drew me in with a screaming cover story on 104 Worst Cliches. This list-type article hit the heads of many a nail. But what really impressed me was the magazine's willingness to follow that story with one on exploiting the hidden power of cliches! They present possibilities positively.
There's also a good interview with Tess Gerritsen, tips for successful collaborations, and overall, the you-can-do-it push I always get from The Writer.
We have all of these magazines here at the library (although I'm going to buy P&W; Billy's really my guy, poetically) and I hope you come and enjoy them.
My favorite living poet, Billy Collins, is on the cover of Poets & Writers' September/October issue. His new book, Ballistics, releases September 9th. P&W looks at Collins' career and life, and how he succeeds by focusing on his readers.
Even if Mr. Collins doesn't make you dive headlong into this issue, P&W is always worth a look. Besides the cover story, this issue contains articles on making your own chapbooks, getting an agent, and 100 Writing Contests with Upcoming Deadlines.
After you've made your chapbook by hand, you'll need a website to promote it, and that's what Writer's Digest promises this month: a how-to for turning a website into a wonder. They also show off the winner and finalists of their website contest, and we can all visit and learn from those sites. I have friends whose only website success so far has been to even try -- that puts them ahead of me!
Writer's Digest also offers an interview with Isabel Allende, advice from Debbie Macomber, and more get-an-agent tips.
The Writer for September drew me in with a screaming cover story on 104 Worst Cliches. This list-type article hit the heads of many a nail. But what really impressed me was the magazine's willingness to follow that story with one on exploiting the hidden power of cliches! They present possibilities positively.
There's also a good interview with Tess Gerritsen, tips for successful collaborations, and overall, the you-can-do-it push I always get from The Writer.
We have all of these magazines here at the library (although I'm going to buy P&W; Billy's really my guy, poetically) and I hope you come and enjoy them.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Good news all around
Two exciting bits of news:
Jed Allen, poet and faculty member here at PC, stopped by the library this morning to mention that Jack Evans will be reading on Thursday, August 21st, at Copper Star Coffee. Should be good times; hope you can come by. There's nothing about it on the Copper Star site, but I imagine the evening will get going about 7:30. If anyone out there hears a more definitive time, let me know!
The second bit of news is less exciting to the general world, but I did want to say that I got the CRW Distribution List up and running. Hooray!
Jed Allen, poet and faculty member here at PC, stopped by the library this morning to mention that Jack Evans will be reading on Thursday, August 21st, at Copper Star Coffee. Should be good times; hope you can come by. There's nothing about it on the Copper Star site, but I imagine the evening will get going about 7:30. If anyone out there hears a more definitive time, let me know!
The second bit of news is less exciting to the general world, but I did want to say that I got the CRW Distribution List up and running. Hooray!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Technology blues
I've been trying to update the Creative Writing Distribution list for the English Department here at PC. The list was a long running success that in the last year or so just stopped working. We looked into it last year and Tech support said that there were duplications and misspellings that were causing the creature to crash. Just this week Marty transferred 'ownership' of the list to me and I took the list apart, emailing each name on the list, removing the names that bounced back, and inviting people to let me know if they wanted to be removed or preferred another email address, etc. Made all those corrections, tested the list again, and bang! Failed. I've emailed the tech people for help.
For people who think that writers just sit around scribbling and dreaming: it may be that that's all we're fit for. No, I don't mean that. But technology -- yecchh!
For people who think that writers just sit around scribbling and dreaming: it may be that that's all we're fit for. No, I don't mean that. But technology -- yecchh!
Monday, August 11, 2008
A Live Literary Magazine?
Monsoon Voices is a live literary magazine. You might be scratching your head, wondering how that works -- the answer is, wonderfully! Two crazy Phoenix writers met in a coffee house, confessed their love of literature, fell in love with each other, and started Monsoon Voices. Most evenings end up as a cross between a Paris Salon and a hootenany. Readers, singers and audience members meld into a creative riot. Such madness needs time to simmer, however, so events occur only every six weeks or so. Here is a link to Patrick and Traci's nascent blog: http://monsoonvoices.blogspot.com/
I hope you'll visit the blog, and try to come to a reading. I hope I see you there.
I hope you'll visit the blog, and try to come to a reading. I hope I see you there.
Friday, August 8, 2008
To Blog Anew
It's been 11 months since the last post. I'd started the blog with the idea of featuring Phoenix College's writing classes and events, but several things went wrong: due to money issues, the college cut back on classes and strictly enforced minimum class sizes, so that few of the classes I wanted to take actually occurred; the Microburst Writers' conference here on campus coincided with a diabetes complication, so I didn't get much out of it; and generally, I felt a bit of disappointment with all things PC/writing for the past year.
So on returning to the blog I'm going to focus on writing in general, family in small, and people I know and like, specifically. There are several writers I'd like to talk to and then tell you about. Some friends of mine have a 'live literary magazine' that makes me very happy. And my husband and kids have some news that, while not literary, makes me want to write. And so I will.
Soon.
So on returning to the blog I'm going to focus on writing in general, family in small, and people I know and like, specifically. There are several writers I'd like to talk to and then tell you about. Some friends of mine have a 'live literary magazine' that makes me very happy. And my husband and kids have some news that, while not literary, makes me want to write. And so I will.
Soon.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Only one class!
The class in Poetry: First Books will not take place. I don't know if that is due to a lack of teachers or students. It's a shame -- that was to be my weekly workshop. I do still have 'Sit Down and Write' to look forward to, and it begins on Monday. SD&W is a 'WebCT' class -- it never meets in person, so it's an odd kind of workshop. 'Workshop' is entirely the wrong word for it, in fact. The class is designed to ingrain the habit of writing into the writer. I've known more than a few people (some of whom claim to have a blog but almost never post!, she said with irony,) with intentions of writing. Intentions, it's been said, lead to all the worst places. The course requires 450 words a day, five days a week, for five weeks. If you produce properly, you'll have 9000 words at the end, which might be a decent essay or the start of a good short story.
I planned to write poetry, and the instructor indicated that she wouldn't mind that at all; but the layout of the class makes me think I might work towards an essay about why I've never gotten over the love of poetry and how at the edge of 50 I'm decidedly glad I didn't. My essays don't usually run 9000 words, but maybe I can fill in with the sonnet sequence. Well, we'll see.
I planned to write poetry, and the instructor indicated that she wouldn't mind that at all; but the layout of the class makes me think I might work towards an essay about why I've never gotten over the love of poetry and how at the edge of 50 I'm decidedly glad I didn't. My essays don't usually run 9000 words, but maybe I can fill in with the sonnet sequence. Well, we'll see.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Fall Semester
The weather people tell us that it will reach 111 degrees today, and we have no reason to doubt them. Nevertheless, the fall semester is underway and so, once again, is this blog. July and most of August were not good writing-months for me; vacation and family matters took up all my attention. With a little luck and work, I can mine some raw material out of those lost days.
I've signed up for Sit Down and Write, this semester moderated by Jimmy Berlin, and hope to push through a poetry project that I've been noodling on for some time. If anything comes of it I'll go into detail another day. I also signed up for Topics in Writing: First Books again, in hopes of having Sarah Vap as an instructor, but for the second time it is not to be. Sarah has left the college and the state for the northern clime -- Oregon or Washington, so I'm told. The last time this happened I was lucky enough to have Josh Rothkamp take over the class instead; I can only hope for that much fun again.
Today I have an appointment to speak with Lisa Miller about the CRW Certificate Program. I've taken most of the classes; I may as well do what is necessary to finish the program. More on that soon.
I've signed up for Sit Down and Write, this semester moderated by Jimmy Berlin, and hope to push through a poetry project that I've been noodling on for some time. If anything comes of it I'll go into detail another day. I also signed up for Topics in Writing: First Books again, in hopes of having Sarah Vap as an instructor, but for the second time it is not to be. Sarah has left the college and the state for the northern clime -- Oregon or Washington, so I'm told. The last time this happened I was lucky enough to have Josh Rothkamp take over the class instead; I can only hope for that much fun again.
Today I have an appointment to speak with Lisa Miller about the CRW Certificate Program. I've taken most of the classes; I may as well do what is necessary to finish the program. More on that soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)