Thursday, March 20, 2008

Detroit Rock City!!

is one of my favorite places to read. James and Kim have an amazing home in the Zeitgeist gallery and a great group of friends who came out for dinner before the reading and drinks afterwards. Chris who is teaching my book (yesterday was my day on the syllabus) what a coincidence, brought some of her students. It was a lovely turnout and the first time I read in a place I wasn't familiar with in a community that I didn't know---but now, I feel very connected here. I think it was the CVS bag o'cash they presented me with---a whole different thing than passing the hat! And we had a coin toss to see who read first. I picked tails and won, so I read first---I actually like that so I can pay attention to the other readers and I'm glad I did. Robert Fanning has an amazing series of poems about America's next prophet--some haunting images of bloody birds becoming men. And all the while, I'm staring into the face of a dead moose on the wall!?

And Woodford is only $6.50! My kind of town :)

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Poetry in the Present Tense

I knew it was going to be a great night with Reb on Tuesday when we got to harass a famous poet in a pizza parlor! She was a rockstar on the panel and it was nice to get out of my normal night routine of Drisha then yoga class (ha ha, went to yoga in the morning).

You'll find me here, because I said so!

Saturday, March 08, 2008

What Has Been Repeated Lately

Coming off of a week of stomach flu!!! Puke count: double digits---more than my age!!! (and that was in one day).

So today was the first day since Tuesday I was able to keep down solid food. Turns out, I like homemade Ramen---made a veggie broth and added my own noodles. Ate that three times today! And two popsicles, love em!!! Then had a baked red skin potato with salt and pepper only and the tester, some spinach with lemon. So far, holding down the fort.

Enough to venture out to my Thai massage workshop at Jaya. It was wonderful. I'm relaxed and I love learning about the body and the way we move. I'm definitely thinking this will be something I will keep learning about.

And now for the most fun in repetition. My friend Rachael always calls me out for the avacados that turn up in my poems---it's funny she remembered that from grad school and called me out on it at a reading a few weeks ago. It seems so embedded now that I don't even notice that they slip in. Maybe I just like the sound or the taste of them too much. Or maybe it's the pit or the images it conjures. Apparently, for me, it's a lot. Then, I was showing Bruce some poems and he pointed out that mantles/fireplaces, melting, and breasts came up in two poems out of ten. And now, thinking about my own work, I also know I like winter, radiator, lace, anything having to do with memory and the combination of that which.

Anyone else have any thoughts about this? I feel like there should be some poem interpretation going on. Reb, where's my online quiz to tell me about this???

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Why I Love Carla at Jaya

All Levels Benefit Class taught by Carla Stangenberg
Saturday March 29th from 2-3:30 pm

To help us celebrate Women’s History Month, please join us for a yoga class to benefit The New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NYSCASA). Practicing with you will be Carly Sachs, a local Jaya yogi and published poet, whose anthology, the why and later, an anthology of poems about rape and sexual assault was recently released by Deep Cleveland press. The book will also be for sale for the month of March, along with hip t-shirts and proceeds from these items will also be donated to NYSCASA. None of the profit from these items or the class goes to Jaya Yoga Center.

Suggested donation $15

If you cannot attend the class but would like to make a donation, you can do so at the front desk. RSVP namaste@jayayogacenter.com