Vacation Story Board

So, I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures and see if you can find a thread of narrative. Here's my version. We all have our vices. You have to wear protective gear to keep you climbing up that path you want, or to keep the birds from shitting on you. No matter, nature will cleanse you!

Jet Lag, Blog Lag

I've been on vacation (I still am) and have some great photos and stories, but since I'm still on vacation (just down here to print my boarding passes) I'll make you wait---however, you can hear them before I post them if you come to Burlesque Poetry Hour tomorrow where I will be fresh off the plane from the west coast---that means I will have gotten up at about 3 am east coast time to greet you, so it's a good thing I'm hosting and not reading. So we've got three wonderful poets who you should come out and hear...Natalie Illum, Fred Pollack, and Ravi Shankar! Who will be fresher than a daisy or at least more so than Lolita!

Chrysallis

While at the gym this morning, I learned that this was the title of the Toni Basil album that had the "Hey Mickey" song---makes me wonder what those other tracks sounded like as I only remember bouncing around my mom's bedroom on Saturday mornings listening to the top 40 and how one time Toni didn't make it and I was sad because we had had this great dance as it had been on every Saturday. Though I suppose change is natural, but at 6, I just wanted my song to be played---I wasn't yet tired of it.

But getting back to the word of the day---I had ice cream with an old friend who I met at camp when i was 15. Since then, he has traveled all over the world and has most recently left his job as a speech writer for the Israeli ambassador at the UN to attend law school here in DC. His nickname back then was Bug. Talk about change! And here he was impressed with my book...?! However, it was my book that scored us free scoops at Larry's and Larry bought the book as well!

Check Me Out

www.wwph.org

This week I'm wrapping up my online class and then it's off to Portland and Seattle, but don't worry, I'll be back before you can say Burlesque Poetry Hour.

My copy of Ekphrasis came in the mail today and I'm really excited to read all of these poems about art---I don't even really remember how I got so into that---I think a friend said, you have to see this statue and then it seemed like I was always in the National Gallery, wandering around and writing. As I was talking to one of my students the other day, I was explaining how at some point, her writing will shift away from herself---what I like about writing about art, is that it takes you away from the self--and lets you jump in the minds and bodies of other selves. When I was younger, it seemed like I had to write about me (I still do, after all, this is my blog) but I find myself, now, not appearing in my own poems. What can I say, I'm boring :). Today I graded, did laundry, went to the drug store and the grocery store and will be baking my raspberry chocolate brownies---who really wants to read about that!

I think that's why I like the voice of the persona, you get to be someone else, or at least take your attention away from your own life.

A Lazy Friday

Since Blackboard is down, I can't access any of my students' writing and so that means karmically, I think I'm supposed to have the day off. I even woke up before nine to start reading their short stories. Ah, well, I sent out the evite for the book party and now I'm going to make breakfast and hope some of them have emailed me their work so we don't get set back too much. The other day I freaked out because my internet was working and I got so frantic thinking I wouldn't get everything done that needed getting done. But I did, *sigh*, of course I knew I would and that none of it would really mattered in the grand scheme of things, but oh, how we let ourselves get all riled up!

So today, yoga, ordering the new couch, coffee, and some salsa later on with Jonathan--and hopefully some short stories zing their way over :)

It's Here!

And you can order the book on Amazon.com or through Small Press Distribution---pick your vendor :)

Shannon helped me pick out the shoes to match!

A Lot of Personality

Noah dubbed me little miss sunshine at the Rouge last night. My hair can't take the heat--it curls and frizzes so it's back to braids, up do's, and of course flowers! And why wouldn't I be--Shannon is coming tomorrow to pick up the book with me from Piotr's place in B'more, then a cool lunch in Hamden and date night at Asia Nora (Ramona's playing third wheel). I've been working on so many of my other projects that she feels neglected. After all, she's the one who started the flowers, not me :) I hope she doesn't get too jealous of this ghostly woman she's about to meet.

Sunshine Day

Yesterday I found out the book will be here friday! I'm so excited and nervous to see it. To celebrate, Karl and I went to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and The Portrait Gallery---which are my new favorite museums in DC (sorry National Gallery and Hirshorn). We've decided to start collaborating and our first poem was incredible (I may be biased). But it was uncanny to see how easily they resonated. We've made a pact to keep it up so here's hoping this wasn't a fluke. And yesterday the most gorgeous books arrived from Kore Press in Arizona---I'll definitely be reviewing something they sent for the KGB Lit Mag. And to top it off we had an incredible lunch at Poste---conveniently located right across from the museum so I have a funny feeling I'll be spending a good number of afternoons there. Everything is good in ice cream form--including mustard and cucumbers. Really, I swear!