Being An Artist

The Discussion That We Are Not Supposed To Be Having

What do you say after something like this?  What can you say that has not been said before?

Another campus/school shooting with 9 victims & one shooter dead. But the devastation doesn't stop there. There were additional victims wounded - some with very serious life altering injuries. Then there are the families. The wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, aunts & uncles and so on...

Some will argue this is not the time for this discussion. I know this because I have heard it ad-nauseam since 1968 when Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. That was the year I realized America had a problem with guns. Not simply because of these two deaths, but they shined a light on a growing problem. I began looking at the costs to this country for our easy access to firearms. That problem has only escalated exponentially as the numbers of guns have grown in this country. As concerned as I was back then, I never dreamed it would grow to the level we ave reached today. I believe those who say this is not the time are right. That time has passed and so this means we are late to the discussion. That means it  is appropriate to engage in it now.

I realize that the the issue of gun ownership is a nuclear-hot topic. I realize there are people who fear that the government is coming to take their guns. I also realize there are persons who are hell-bent on continuing to propagandize this idea, and even more people paranoid enough about it to take it to heart. This leads to a few observations:

• That some pro-gun people/groups/lobbies actually want to perpetuate misinformation about guns in order to keep this nation at each other's throats. They believe as long as some of the most ardent gun owners ate vocal and out toting there guns in public, they control the message. 
• That many gun owners look at the issue only in absolutes. 
• That the second amendment is the most supreme law of the land and it supersedes any and all other laws. 

On the first point, it is well documented that the NRA and gun industry lobbies and spent insane amounts of money to propagate a variety of messages, drop money into the pockets of lawmakers and in general intimidate the body politic during each election cycle.

The fact that gun owners look at the issue in the form of absolutes leads to these types of responses to the overall discussion:

1. You want to come at take all our guns away. I know of no serious legislative effort that envisions that. It is not even practical.
2. Even with background checks, waiting periods, etc., there will still be deaths. You can't prevent them. This is a very narrow argument and again reflects an absolute ideology.  Of course it will not stop all deaths by guns, If it will somewhat stem the tide of gun proliferation it will save lives. If it will keep a firearm out of the hands of someone who should not have a gun, it will save lives. Those saved lives are important even if they are some faceless fixture in this debate. They could be a gun owner's niece, daughter, or other family member. Some will argue that we will be defenseless as a nation. That is what standing armies are for. We had no standing army when the second amendment was written. 
3. That brings me to the second amendment... Some treat it as an absolute. It is the only license they need to be armed even in public. The second amendment should not supersede another persons right to life and liberty. I'm not advocating it's appeal, but understand that it is an amendment to the constitution (an afterthought) and it could be repealed. The 18th amendment to the constitution was repealed. Further, courts (including the U.S. Supreme Count) have indicated that it is not an absolute and it does not prevent the exercise by government of reasonable controls, restrictions, or regulation. The term "well regulated" is in fact embodied within the  amendment.  

I don't want to ban guns. I know we cannot prevent people from killing other individual even from guns or other means. I also know that the law does allow us to make reasonable regulations.
This discussion needs to be had with legislators on state and federal level. We've not really had that discussion in recent years mostly due to political  intimidation from the NRA and industry lobbyists.

If gun owners don't want to have the conversation and be a part of the solution (the NRA has already proved it doesn't) then the rest of us need to have it with our lawmakers. I know many gun owners are actually with us. I know the NRA (which one had a positive mission) no longer represents the wishes of many gun owners.

We are no longer at a point where we can just shove this under legislative carpet. This is a violent bloody mess and it has to be cleaned up.

Confession Tuesday - I Can See Clearly Now Edition

Dear Reader:

So, it's been one new pair of eyeglasses, five new books, one trip out of town and a week since my last confession.

I confess that I have plenty of new reading material that I am making my way through. I will let you know more about my thoughts on these books soon.

I confess that I have started writing in the Daily Poet Journal that was published by Two Sylvias Press. A year long journal and I am committed to writing a poem a day in it for the next year.  It's late tonight, I've been at a baseball game and I still have to write my poem but it will get done yet tonight!

I confess that it was fun visiting Marceline, Missouri the last Saturday. It was a quick trip up and then we drove into Bucklin to visit the grave site of my Grandmother and Grandfather as well as Great Grandfather and his wife. I was especially glad that we added the extra little drive to pay respect to them. Also, we drove by my grandmothers old home. I've known that it was renovated by someone who had purchased it and actually has traded hands a couple of times and additional upgrading done. In a strange turn of events, we met the present owner and he gave us a tour. I was absolutely astonished by what they had done to the house. It grandma and grandpa could see it today they would not believe their eyes.

Tomorrow, I have a dental appointment in the afternoon. I confess that I am feeling yuck about it.

Reading has been so much more enjoyable since I got my new glasses. It's amazing how much difference it makes. I had been getting so tired even just reading short periods of time. That has changes. I confess this has made me so happy and I am very thankful for them.

Until next week, stay safe!

Book Bonanza in Wednesday Mail

Yesterday mail was exciting. Four books arrived. Pictured to the left is The (hefty) Daily Poet Companion Journal. Yes, I am committing to writing a poem a day for the next year.



On the right is Crush by Richard Siken. I first discovered Siken's work at AWP15 in Minneapolis earlier this year. I've heard a lot of good things about this book and just thumbing through it last night added to my excitement about it.








Below in the left is My Feelings by Nick Flynn. I've read a few poems by Flynn and I have to say that I believe I am going to like this book as well.






And last but not lease is Louise Gluck's Faithful and Virtuous Night. A National Book Award Winner that received much attention earlier this year. (seen below)

Confession Tuesday - I Dance for Books Edition~

Dear Reader:

It has been untold weeks since my last confession.  I truly have been a fallen-away blog confessor, but I'm back.

I confess that as I write this, I have a handful of Brach's Peanut Butter Cup Candy Corn.  I recall a brochure in today's mail from my health insurance provider suggesting it would be a good idea to add just one more veritable a day to our meals. Candy Corn qualifies as a vegetable. Right?

Since my last confession I attempted to update my eye glasses, now several years overdue. Upon going to the eye doctor they decided that I needed some holes in my eyes to relieve pressure to help prevent angle-closure glaucoma. This procedure was done with laser to make tiny holes in the iris. This procedure pushed back a couple of weeks getting new glasses. Now I am awaiting my new ones to arrive any day. I am anxious because reading with my currently outdated glasses makes my eyes tired and that sucks when you want to read a good book for very long.

Yesterday, I was elated to receive a copy of Ada Limon's new book Bright Dead Things in the mail.  I was first introduced to Limon's poetry a couple years back via an NPR segment that featured her book of poetry titled, Sharks in The River. I very much loved the title poem from the book.

As an extra bit of excitement, I saw last night that Bright Dead Things was on the list for National Book Awards for Poetry. How cool is that!  Congratulations Ada Limon!

I have 4 more books that should arrive from Amazon tomorrow. I confess that I have become spoiled by Amazon Prime; especially since I waited over a month recently for a chapbook direct from a press. I would be on cloud nine if my other books and my new glasses were to both arrive tomorrow. I think I would be downright giddy with excitement. If you see me doing the Snoopy Dance, you know they came.

So, I suppose you have heard that Facebook is getting a Dislike Button. I recall in my early days on Facebook I so wanted a Dislike Button. Hell, it seems like everyone did. But I grew out of it over the years. Or, maybe I'm just so tired of the fact everyone seems not to like this or that, or this person or that person and after a while I just get drained by all the negativity.  I've been an opinionated person all my life. I suspect I verbalized which baby foods I liked and disliked with great expression as an infant. Well, it wouldn't surprise me. I've been a politically active and engaging person since even before I was voter age. I follow issues especially those on a national and international level.  I confess that this election cycle that is unfolding is one of the harshest I've ever witnessed. I'm not even talking about "dirty politics." No, what I am referring to is simply how negative some candidates and voters are in terms of some hot button issues. With all the various problems facing America today, to invest such negativity and hate in the direction of immigrants is sickening to me. This whole mindset has me wondering how likely I am to go nuclear with a Dislike Button.

I confess that I have the cutest little writing companion curled up on my left. I confess that Madison makes me smile.... most of the time.  ;-)

Until next time ~ be safe & happy!

Magpie 284 - The Elixir of All Things Living

Magpie 284 writing prompt

Here,

we've come to fullness.   We come to the clay shaped 

by the hands of God.      To folds of earth, to mountains chiseled, 

                                                                 to white vapor on blue linen.

  

        We taste the sky, the earth in alchemy...  

                     salt, the shaker,            the maker of all things green.

The sweetness of grass, 

                        the sent of moss, 

                the raw of iron

             and we taste an elixir of something monumental in the air;

                                                                             sweet nectar of God.  

Magpie 284

Michael Allyn Wells

Labor Day Weekend DIY Writing Retreat

Starting this afternoon I am dog sitting for a family member and starting a Labor Day Weekend Mini Writing Retreat. I have reading material and essential writing material all ready. I want to focus hard on cranking out some new poetry. 

A few of the books I'm taking along...

• Creative Journal Writing - Stephen Dowrick 
• Stones of the Sky  - Pablo Neruda  / James Nolan Translated
• The Children's War and other poems -Shaindel Beers
• Trauma Mouth - Jessica Smith
• The Art of recklessness - Dean Young
• Hourglass Museum - Kelli Russell Agodon
• The Routledge Companion to Experimental Literature

I hope to be able to report this was a success come Monday night.

Summertime & Reading = Poets Crush List Time

If you are looking for poets to read this summer I offer you my 2015 Poets Crush List.  These are poets who I presently cannot get enough of.  I haven't done a PCL since 2013 - for some reason I missed last year but here goes....  the envelope please. (these are in no special order because they are all special.

• Dean Young - I first met Dean Young in Kansas City as I was monitoring a Masters class at UMKC.  I read is 2011 book Fall Higher and was very taken by the abstraction of his writing. I was further intrigued by the class which lead me to purchase his book, The Art Of Recklessness. A truly cerebral examination of the art of poetry. I still pick up these books and read from them from time to time.
• Sandra Beasley - I read Sandra's blog (Chicks Dig Poetry)  for a number of years now. She is not near as active a blogger as she once was but I got to hear her read this spring in Minneapolis where she was a featured reader at AWP15. Upon returning  home I read her book Theories on Falling. This dead to the purchase of I Was The Jukebox, and her most recent book Count The Waves. Her approach to the craft of poetry leaves you feeling  excited. 
• W.S. Merwin - This man is like one of the Deans of contemporary poetry. A national treasure that I return to reread frequently. He has historical ties to some many ineradicable poets who have since left us. I believe this must inform his work in some way. I own two books of his many. They are Migration and The Shadow of Sirius. His work feels very organic to me. 
• Kelli Russell Agodon - wow! The energy, the inventiveness, Poet and Editor. She is co-editor of Two Sylvias Press which she claims happened as an accident, This Press is doing some magnificent things including but not limited to the Poet Tarot Cards. But that's not why Kelli is on this list. She has published one Chapbook and three poetry collections. All three noteworthy in my opinion. Letters From The Emily Dickinson Room, her second collection really resonated with me. So much so that as her third collection was about to be released I knew it would be good but could it top Letters. Well it did! Hourglass Museum was an adventure that rocked my world. It's a journey both through her museum between pages but a life study of what it means to be an artist/writer/poet! I wish all good things for her growing press, but I hop it never takes her away from her own writing. 
• Marry Biddinger - Mary is another editor and writer. I saw her at AWP15 and have three of her books that have been very much to my liking and she has won me over as a fan of her work. The first Saint Monica and the second  O Holy Insurgency grabbed my attention as they both were rooted in Catholic culture which I enjoyed. The most recent A Sunny Place with Adequate Water merged the pas and the present in surrealism. 
• Jessica Smith - I can thank Jessica for my somewhat new interest in experimental poetry. I own two of her books, The Organic Furniture Cellar and her newest Life-List.  Jessica is also a birder, which is pretty cool. I got an opportunity to meet her at AWP15 as well. 

There you have it.  If you have not read any of these poets or their books, there is still time to incorporate them into your summer reading.

Meet Madison

Madison has a new home with us. He is a a long haired Dachshund that is approximately 2 months old. He is a rescue dog that we adopted.

Madison has a lot of energy. Sometimes he will climb up in a chair in my writing studio and keep me company as I write. Sometimes he prefers to take the approach, Writing? I think not. I want to wrestle with you and sharpen my baby teeth on you arm, elbow or whatever I can get my mouth around.

Madison is a kisser and not at all bashful about it. This may be a normal Dachshund trait because over the years we have had two others. Barron and Barry. We lost Barry just this last year.

Madison and Silas, our German Shepard rescue dog both seem to agree with each other. So far they play well together.  Right now, his favorite things seem to be eating, licking, and making sure his teeth work.

I predict that he will learn to like poetry, support me in my writing, and enjoy watching San Francisco Giants Baseball with me.

The Liquid Soul...

“How we need another soul to cling to, another body to keep us warm. To rest and trust; to give your soul in confidence: I need this, I need someone to pour myself into.”  -Sylvia Plath

Confession Tuesday - The Wednesday Edition

Dear Reader:

I realize it's Wednesday but let's just pretend for a moment it's Tuesday. I'm not asking you to to relive a work day for a second time, the Monday through Friday stretch is bad enough. Just allow me to back date my Confession Tuesday. Sort of like special dispensation.

Friends, it's been like 5 weeks since my last confession. This It's been a hot wet mess of a 5 weeks. While it's been cooler the past two days, rain remains in the forecast ahead. I confess I at done with it!

In the day before my last confession I very excitedly ordered a book from a small press. I had discovered another really remarkable poetic voice and wanted to read their book. So that's been five weeks ago. Call me spoiled by Amazon two day shipping but I am really bummed out awaiting for the book five weeks later. I'm not going to name the press because I understand that many small presses are understaffed and we need to support these independent presses.  I'n not worried about getting the book. I have communicated with them by e-mail and I understand that is should be shipped this week. Sometimes it is just hard to contain the excitement when you discover another poet you want to read. There are some small presses out there I have had excellent experiences with. White Pine Press, Black Lawrence Press, Two Sylvias Press to name a few. I confess the best way to buy books is at a book table at AWP. You get to walk away with them, and if you are fortunate, you can get them signed. You can start the book before you leave on on the flight home.


There has been an aspect of these past couple of weeks that has been difficult. I mean more so than disappointment over the long wait for a certain book.

We lost a very special dog in our household. Klaus was a struggler and a survivor. He overcame so

much in the years he was with us, including paralysis.  He was my daily shadow and I miss him. On Saturday I confess that I lost it and broke down in tears. Saturdays I often was the only one here during the day and he stuck to me like glue. I was lost without him.

There are several triggers in the house that tend to make me think of him and I choke up.   It's going to be so hard without him.

The Advantage

“The essential advantage for a poet is not to have a beautiful world with which to deal; it is to be able to see beneath both beauty and ugliness; to see the boredom, and the horror, and the glory.” ~T.S. Eliot

Re-Inventing a Personal Touch

How long has it been since your actually wrote someone in long hand or for that matter received such a letter yourself?  I'm talking about a letter that traveled over some miles to be hand delivered to your address, not pushed through the Internet and popped out into your email inbox.  In other words, snail mail.

This week I read a Forbes article by Maggy Zhang titled From Robots and Emails To Handwritten Letters: Using Tech To Reverse Tech and was intrigued by an art project called Snail Mail My Email. As I have mentioned in one or more blog posts at some point in the past, I believe the demise if the written letter is in fact a negative consequence of modern technology.

To me, hand written letters are an art form. Hell, many youngsters are growing up without any handwriting skill at all. Our communications have progressed to less personal.  They have gone from fast written e-mail letters that arrive in an inbox with standardized fonts to the text message - again instantaneous transmission of 140 characters or less. I'm not saying these things have not had positive values, but they have certainly come as a price as they have all but bastardized written communication.

As I look at my  library of books of poetry poetics, biographies and other collected works on literature, I have a number of books that are archived letters from writers.  Right off the top of my head, I know that I have Letters Home - a compendium letters from Sylvia Plath, written mostly to her mother, Letters of Ted Hughes, The Letters of Allen Ginsberg, and Robert A. Heinlein: Grumbles From The Grave. In addition to these I've read volumes of letters from a number of other poets including Lowell and Sexton. It has always fascinated me the letter exchanges that  have occurred between poets of their time often on their craft but sometimes interesting snapshots of their lives as a whole. These books can provide a picture into the evolution of these poets and poetesses. We can begin to understand the path that has taken them to what they ultimately became. I feel like when I read one I am on an anthropological expedition.  I wonder what we as poets today are losing as a result of this decline interpersonal letter writing.

The Forbes article talks about two different off-shoots of societal divestment of personal writing. One is a company founded not long ago that offers the robotic ability to imitate a customers' signature so that handwritten notes can be generated at a fast speed. Bond is a for profit enterprise and  it's services would be more geared to mass customer correspondence.  The other off-shoot, the one I find most interesting is called Snail Mail My Email.  This was a projected started in 2011 by a gentleman in the advertising business who quit his job. He was tired of the massive amount of impersonal email that landed in his inbox daily. It started that he decided personally he would write more handwritten letters and then came his decision to help others do the same. Snail My Email  has become a volunteer organization of over 700 people who have collectively  written and sent over 23,500 letters around the world. In a nut shell, these people take emails, convert them to personally written notes and mail them to the intended recipient. Perfect strangers writing a letter for someone else to someone else.

I like this idea. But I'm pretty keen on letters.

Thought for the Week -

Art is the most passionate orgy within man's grasp. 

~ John Doone

Confession Tuesday - After all these years, it's still the car biting my ass.

Dear Reader:

It has been one week and one more wedding anniversary since my last confession.

It's actually been a lot of things.... another week of more rain than not, Another Poet Tarot Card Drawn - this one John Donne,  as well as a car repair completed and another one deeded.  Shall we get started...

Reader, I'm water logged. I've had it all the way up to the flippers that I have sprouted. I'm tired of the rain. I know I have complained about this for weeks - seems like months now. I confess I will say no more today about this, but you know what I'm thinking.

Yesterday was our 41st wedding anniversary. I confess that it both seems like a long time and not so long. I can't really explain how this can be, just trust me it can and it does. I confess that I feel very nostalgic for many things of our early marriage days. I confess that sometimes I wonder how we got where we are, but mostly I am amazed that given our very young  ages at marriage I confess  this is one of the best decisions I have made in life.

So this week I drew another Poet Tarot card from the deck. The result was the card for the poet John Donne. This Donne dude is an interesting character (but you could say that about so many poets). Father to 12 children penning erotic poems on one hand and later becoming an Anglican priest. He felt it important to follow one's inner convictions. How do I balance order and chaos in my life? Do I make rules about my creativity that box me in or do I allow room for expansion of rules. Do I give myself room to grow?

When we got married 41 years ago yesterday, I had just picked up my car from the shop the day before. I arrived with it at the church okay, however before the service was over it attempted to move the car in the Church lot and it would not start. We ended up leaving town with a loaner from the repair shop that afternoon.  I confess that the car problems revisited me yesterday - losing coolant (not a good thing) and the this after just putting new rear breaks on it. I can't win.

I confess that this wraps up my confession for this week. Until next week, stay safe and have a good life!

The Power of A Single Voice

A few Quotes on Fathers

A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again. - Enid Bagnold




I pressed my father's hand and told him I would protect his grave with my life. My father smiled and passed away to the spirit land. - Chief Joseph




When one has not had a good father, one must create one. -Friedrich Nietzsche

Confession Tuesday INFP Edition

Dear Reader:

I humbly come to you on Wednesday as opposed to Tuesday. But actually I believe it’s been two weeks since my last confession. Two more weeks of more rain than not. On NBA series that went down the tubes, some miscellaneous allergies, a new poetry book in the mail, another book finished and yet another started. A couple of new poem drafts, one of which I believe is close to being able to fly out into the world. With that out of the way, Let’s get started.

In 2005 I took one of the Myers & Briggs personality tests. (on a side note they always make me think of lawn mowers – you know, Briggs & Stratton engines, but I digress) The test 10 years ago confirmed basically the same results as one a couple years earlier.  My results pointed to being an ENFP.  That would be Extraversion, I(N)troversion, Feeling and Perceiving. This week I was curious and I too the test again. The results changed.

I confess that based on my most recent test I am no longer an extrovert but instead I am an introvert. How is this possible, you say? Well I don’t honestly have a conclusionary finding, but speculation. Incidentally the other three factors NFP remained the same from the first two tests. But here are some hunches:

·         When taking the test I would sometimes struggle with answers because there was often not a definitive answer. Example, with your lunch you always drink a Diet Coke. Answer Y/N.  Well I don’t always have a Diet Coke with lunch but I don’t always NOT have one. Fact is more often than not I have one. To answer Yes or No really would not be correct by yes would be more correct than no. So I choose yes.  Ten years ago I was still more involved in electoral politics that I have been presently. When in campaign mode I don’t really have a choice as to engaging with others or not.  So this has somewhat changed for me.  Even when I took this test the first time I was thinking to myself that I may well have a different personality under different circumstances. I believe this could account for such response.

·         In mentioning this to someone else who knows my writing history, she has pointed out that in particular, I have been writing over the past ten years. And in recent years even more than ever. Because of this, it was suggested that as I have become immersed in writing I have perhaps tended to turn more inward in my personality. I confess, this makes a lot of sense.

So you may be asking what is a INFP supposed to look like? A brief description I found looks like this:

1.       Primary mode of living is focused internally. This is where you deal with things according to how you feel about them or how they fit with your personal value system. Secondary modeis external and here, I take things primarily via my intuition.
2.        INFP types are more than any other types are focused on making the world a better place for people. Their primary goal is to find out their meaning in life. What is their purpose? How can they best serve humanity? They are idealists and perfectionists, who drive  themselves hard in their quest to achieve the goals they have identified.
3.        They are highly intuitive about people. Rely heavily upon intuition and use their discoveries to constantly search for value in life. There are on a mission to find truth and meaning.  Every encounter, every piece of knowledge gained gets sifted through their value system.
4.        They are generally thoughtful and considerate. Good listeners – can put people at ease, though sometimes reserved in expressing emotion, they are deeply caring.
5.        They do not like conflict and try hard to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict, they place little importance on who is right or wrong but on how the conflict makes them feel. This can a times make them seem irrational in conflict situations. They can make good mediators and do well at problem solving for others.
6.        They are flexible and laid back until one of their values is violated  They can become aggressive defenders and fight with passion for a cause.
7.        As to the mundane details of life maintenance, they are typically unaware of such things. They might go long periods of time without noticing a stain on the carpet. but brush a speck off a file they are working on.
8.       Don’t like dealing with hard facts and logic. Focus is on feelings and the Human Condition. Most will avoid impersonal analysis, though some have developed the ability to be quite logical.  Under stress it’s not uncommon for them to mis-use hard logic, especially when angry.
9.       They generally have high standards and are professionals and tend to be hard on themselves. Often do not give themselves credit. They may have problems working on projects in groups because of their standards and therefore have control issues.  They need to learn to balance high ideals with requirements for daily living otherwise they can become paralyzed or confused about what to do.
10.    .  They make talented writes. They may be awkward or uncomfortable at expressing themselves verbally but do well putting feelings on paper. They also frequently make good social service professionals like counselors and teachers.

I can see myself filling into much of this.

Are there anyone else out there who is an INFP that wants to share their thoughts about these characteristics?  Or For that matter are you another M & B type, what has the knowledge of your personality type meant for you? Has it ever caused you to attempt to compensate in one area or another? Has knowing you type helped you in life?  I confess that I find all this very interesting. 

Sunday Synopsis

I am aware that there are parts of this country desperately in need of rain. Honestly, we've had more that our share here and I'd love to share it with those who could really use it. Most parts of our metropolitan area have had between 11 and 12.5 inches of rain in the past 30 days. It rained again today.

I can honestly say that the rain and cloudy weather have taken a tole on me. There are other factors but I've felt a bit depressed this week and I can honestly say that  the dreariness is a contributing factor.

This afternoon I ventured out to attend a poetry group meeting in Northland. Shared poetry, our own and other works of interest. As often is the case, we conclude with a writing prompt that we work on and most will share their draft. I also tested a newer draft I brought along to test the waters. I would say that it stayed afloat.

Wouldn't you know it, on the way home the rain came through once again. Some times I feel like it's the same storm front doing circles. It's crazy.

I've been busy planing my submissions for the weeks ahead. Working on new material, and reading. Presently I'm reading, Why God is a Woman, by Nin Andrews.

I am discontinuing my Journal of Creative Exploration blog. This blog was based on my  exploring various elements of creativity and challenges of a creative life based on my  weekly use of the Poet Tarot Cards created by Two Sylvias Press. I continue to use them and will perhaps mention my usage periodically  here but not the sharing of a larger dedicated weekly post.

I did draw a new poet card today.  Marianne Moore is my card for this week. I'll be communing with her most likely about clarity of goals this week. I will acknowledge that  recent weeks have moved me in an area of procrastination - trying to organize a small  group to workshop our writing. The practical application of allowing yourself to be influenced by these cards really can be beneficial. If you are open to it, you can let them lead you into places that you are too fearful to tackle.

I'm feeling a little less dark already. Not that dark is a bad thing.

Sandra Beasley - Theories of Falling

While I was at AWP15 in April, it was my intent to pick up a book or two of Sandra Beasley's.  As it would happen, her books were sold out by the time I reached her table and as a result it became one of a couple I ordered upon return home from my money budgeted for books at the conference. I have finished it (I have an enormous stack of books I am reading through as a result of AWP)

This is not a new book, though she has a new one out - Count The Waves  which I hope to read soon.

 Here is my review of her book Theories of Falling

Sandra Beasley throws a parade in Theories of Falling; a parade to impress us with the many reasons not to love her.  The Allergy Girl, wasting away as an infant.  Her bloodstream equal to a Fisher Price workbench. The wheezing, rashes, the dangers of a tainted kiss.

Beasley’s book of poetry has a lingering quality that toys with you and requires that you pick it up again and again as if it were the antidote that saves you from something, perhaps boredom. She guarantees you can walk away from going over Niagara Falls if you do it just right. But warns you’ll just die in a poor house.

There is an intimate nature here, an uncovering of truth. As if she slowly peels back layers that we might see beneath the surface of our prescribed reality to find something altogether more real than we imagined. The poems collectively have an affluence of lyricism. The substance, the metaphor all come together nicely. There is nothing more you will want, except more of her work.

As for Beasley’s parade to dissuade our affection, she is indeed wasting the elephants and ticker tape, it isn't working.