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Poetry Roundup

Amy King put together a great list of Poetry Calendars from all over the U.S.

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In their electronic newsletter, Tupelo Press offers prompts for writers. This is an excerpt from their newsletter, which they have not posted yet but as soon as they do I will update the link.


Tupelo Authors Offer "Prompts" for Writers
"Getting Started and Keeping Going"

Seamus Heaney quipped that the challenge of being a writer is "Getting started. Keeping going. And getting started again."

In our newsletter and on our website, we'll be offering prompts and exercises for poets and writers, which you can try out, adapt, use with students, and transform in surprising ways. Send us your own ideas for Tupelo Press's Writers' and Teachers' Resources archive, available soon at http://www.tupelopress.org/.

In this issue of The Tupelonian, we send you a sampling of the dozen Writing Exercises from the Reader's Companion created by Karen An-hwei Lee for her book Ardor :

# 1. You are a well. Jing shui. What's at the bottom? Write in the language of water.

# 3. Create a rainstick or any musical instrument out of paper. Write a poem describing how to make rain or how to make paper.

# 4. Write a poem about sweetness arising from bitter things or the reverse.

# 9. Compose an aleatory (chance-based) poem using the dictionary, algebra, or any formula for data.

# 10. Without using e-mail and the internet, find an economical way to share your poems as gifts or as forms of witness. Share with one hundred people.

# 11. Research or invent a marginalized (rare) language. Write a poem in this language.

# 12. Set up a typewriter in a place where there is a lot of foot traffic. Post a sign offering your Poem-Writing Service. Write poems for free.

In addition to Ardor (Tupelo Press, 2008), Karen An-hwei Lee is the author of In Medias Res (Sarabande Books, 2004). She lives and teaches in California. She is also a novice harpist.

Also, Tupelo's Open Submission Period runs until the end of July.

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Over at Poet Hound, a great suggestion to comb your used poetry book stores for poetry titles. Makes sense in these difficult economic times. (Thanks Jilly)

Also, if you have a used bookstore or local library that will take your titles, this is a great way let go of old titles to make way for new ones.

The Boston Lobsters

These are pictures of Martina Navratilova at Thursday's team tennis event. She's part of a professional team tennis team called the Boston Lobsters. I forgot my camera, so these were taken with my iPhone. Can't believe she's 52; she still plays as if she's 22.

Missed out on meeting her because she came to the "meet and greet" an hour earlier than scheduled. Still, a good time was had by all. (Thanks HG!)

Staycations and Stuff

Today at 4:30 p.m., my “staycation,” or stay-at-home vacation, begins. Taking a break will help me rejuvenate other parts of my life, I hope. I’m looking forward to spending time with the kids on day excursions and mini-adventures, as well as sleeping in and eating too much ice cream! I’m also planning large chunks of time by myself to read, write, and relax.

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Tonight I’m going to a charity event where I’ll get to meet none other than tennis legend Martina Navratilova. Go figure! I'm a huge tennis fan so I'm really looking forward to it.

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I’ve been thinking about Phoebe’s Confession Tuesday post. In it, she said something that really resonated with me:

“… I confess that I've never been confused about my own power. I am a powerful person, always have been. This comes up a lot … me marveling at my own ability to move through the world the way I want to. Me wishing I could use more of that power for good. If only I can make that strong sense of self and creativity connect with some ambition. I often feel like I'm missing the ambition.”

Like Phoebe, I have a keen sense of who I am—always have. Yet, I don’t suffer from a lack of ambition (neither does Phoebe, in my opinion). For me, the bigger issue is intent. I have a lot of good intentions, but no follow through. It’s easy enough to talk/blog about stuff, but to act on intention is often difficult. If I acted on half of my intentions, I wonder how much different (maybe even better) my life would be. And what if I used my intentions to help others. What if I championed one cause—what kind of difference would that make in someone else’s life?

Something for me to ponder on my staycation.

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I'll be blogging and posting with wild abandon this week. Stop in and say hello!

Confession Tuesday

It’s Tuesday! Time to share that pound of flesh with us (metaphorically, of course), and don’t forget to visit the repeat offenders in The Confessional.

It’s very rare that I get out for a kid-free night out. But last night—yes, Monday night—this Poet Mom went out with another poet mom for a few tasty beverages. Let’s just say that I’m feeling it this morning. And that’s why I don’t go out that much anymore! We did have fun chatting away. Thanks CM!

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In my new-found frugality, I’m finding a lot of deals that have always been around but I’m just now noticing. Writers, check out whatever office supply store is in your area. These stores are gearing up for back to school sales, so lots of basics on sale in the upcoming weeks. (Back to school already… can you believe it?) I bought two packs of Staples brand copy paper for $3.69 each. By taking advantage of an online rebate, the paper costs just $0.01!

*Writers, how are you being frugal during these difficult economic times?*

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Being more frugal has also led me down a path of greater self control! Had to talk myself out of buying a Lenovo Ideapad S10-2, a mini-laptop, for $315. *big sigh* But truthfully, it is a “want,” not a “need.” That’s how I make most of my financial decisions these days, by asking myself, “Is it a need or a want?” Usually puts things into perspective for me.

Oh, but I really, really want it. Someone may need to talk me down off the ledge. I’ll get one later this year. I love that the minis are lightweight, no larger than the size of a book, and cheap. It’s perfect for writing in a coffee shop or for use during travel. Did I mention this laptop is blue?

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Haven’t made much progress on my poetry to-do list. Honestly, after a long day at work and a few hours with the kids, I crawl into bed at 8:30 p.m. Doesn’t help that I’m up at 5 a.m. during the summer to take advantage of my college’s flexible work hours. So it’s hard to motivate myself to write. Ugh. I need to stop complaining and just get on with it.

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I’m slowly working through the second manuscript. Will fell better once I solidify the poems in the last section. There are three sections currently, but that could change the deeper I get into the process.

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I’ve lost 15 lbs in 3 months. It may be the one benefit to the chaos in my life.

Superhero Sunday

The kids and I spent Sunday morning at the Wenham Museum and their exhibit, "Colorful Characters: Storytelling Through Comics."

Superheroes in training

"Yes, Alex, we used to have these things called 'phone booths' to make telephone calls ..."

Kibbles and Bits

Finally, the sun is out in Boston! The kids and I will be hanging out poolside at our local Y this afternoon.

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Looks like I'm reading in two different sessions of the Mass Poetry Festival this October. Woo hoo! Also, I'm on the list for NYU's spring 2010 alumni reading. And I just applied to read at the VA Festival of the Book for 2010. Keep your fingers crossed because I am a Virginia native and I would be a little crushed if I didn't read at this event in my home state.

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Don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of stories about poets making no money. Old news, if you ask me. Nonetheless, NPR has a nice story about emerging poet Elizabeth Haukaas and established poet Mark Strand.

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Tomorrow, I plan to take a substantial about of time revising my second manuscript. I should get in some reading and writing, too.

Have a great weekend!

Dunken Boat 10

Finally, Drunken Boat 10 is up! Go check it out. I'm one of 100 poets and writers included in the 10th anniversary issue. Tickles me to no end to be in an issue with Kim Addonizio and Marilyn Nelson, and so many others.

Check me out, and listen to the audio clip.

Confession Tuesday

Welcome to the first Tuesday of July. You know what that means? Time to confess. Share a little of yourself with us and we'll do the same. And don't forget to check in with the sinners lollygagging in The Confessional.

True Confession: I've been reading the same book for months: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Now, I love this book, yet I've become a very casual reader when it comes to novels. Poetry, newspapers, magazines articles and blog posts I'm voracious about. But novels? Not so much.

Feeling incredibly guilty about my lack of effort, I picked up the book again and fell right back into the story. I seem to pick it up during the times when I need it most on an emotional level. So the passage I read yesterday was this:

"And the question now for me is, What are my choices to be? What do I believe that I deserve in this life? Where can I accept sacrifice, and where can I not?"

I've spent a good portion of my adult life taking care of others. Now that the marriage is ending, I must focus on me. I have to move in a direction that brings peace and stability for my children and me. It's quite a daunting task to go it alone, but here I go, slowly moving toward happiness. I will accept nothing less.

As for Eat, I've decided to finish it this month so I can fill my cavernous heart with more words. Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is waiting patiently for me.

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This summer I had planned to take the kids to Sesame Place. But the thought of taking two kids under 6 to an amusement park by myself scares the BEJESUS out of me! So I've decided to stay local and plan a staycation full of awesomeness! We'll stay overnight at a local water park, visit the "other" Children's Museum in the metro Boston area, take a ferry ride from Salem to Boston, hang out at the pool at our local Y, go bowling, play miniature golf, eat well, stay up late, and just laugh a lot. I'm even planning a few excursions for myself. Maybe even a SPA DAY! Figure I'll spend half as much money and we'll get just as much enjoyment.

I wanted this to be the trip that said to the world, "I'll be OK. We'll be just fine." But I think the most important thing is to relax and enjoy this time with the kids. Maybe this week with mom will be a time they cherish for the rest of their lives.

We'll save the big trip for next year when I have help.

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Still mourning Michael Jackson. *Sadness.*

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And on the poetry front, here are my July To-Do's

1. Read a friend's manuscript to write a blurb for his upcoming book (I haven't forgotten, J.B.)
   
2. Finish the first draft of my second manuscript
   
3. Write four poems
   
4. Finish Eat, Pray, Love. Start Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (I have a thing for three-word titles)
   
5. Update marketing plan for Underlife.
   

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Today's neighborhood is Fenway Park. The Red Sox beat the Mariners 8-4. Pictured are Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew (7) and Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (51).