As Promised - My Education Budget

When I originally posted a blog with a request for people to allocate a $100 education budget among a number of subjects I did so with an intent in mind. The intent was to gauge the placement of emphasis individuals placed on poetry. While there were several comments posted, I never really was able to achieve some idea of where poetry fit into the importance of a curriculum model. One person gave 100% of the budget to poetry. The rest lumped things together making it impossible to assess it as an individual item. While in my heart, I too want to give poetry 100% I know that is not realistic.

So alas, here is my effort at placing priorities on the education curriculum pie.

• English - $15
• Math - $15
• Science - $15
• Social Sciences - $16
• Poetry - $07
• Physical Ed - $06
• Music -$07
• Art - $07
• Shop/Home ecc -$06
• Team Sports -$06

In defense of my budget let me say that I believe that English is of critical importance. While it may look like I am treating it the same as Math and Science, by separating poetry funding outside of the English Department, it really is in essence getting more than the rest. I view language skills, reading and communication critical educational elements. Without which, further education including self-education later in life is hindered.

Math and Science are core subjects of importance - in the long run, they are enhanced by laying a good foundation of reading and communication.

Social Sciences (history, social studies, civics, government) actually receive a dollar more that the other core subjects. This is because I believe we don't place enough emphasis on understanding where we as people fit into a vast pool of world cultures and different governments. It is hard for people with ignorance to the outside world to be expected to achieve any kind of reasonable understanding of others and what their needs, motivations, and cultural experiences are about. If we are to achieve greater world harmony, we need to better understand the rest of the world and not become so entrenched in the, "It's all about me" mentality.

Poetry- had as it might be, it gets only $7. And equal amount to the other arts, but it truly in my book is a valuable educational experience. It is not only a fine are, but it helped develop excellent thought process, enhance communication skills and open even more doors to other cultures. I know not every appreciates poetry to the extent that some of us do, but I believe this is their loss. It is so much about life and personal knowledge that is is far more than just memorizing poems for a class. It has real therapeutic value and opens the door to relieving stress and anxiety.

Music and Art are each getting the same allotment amount. While both of these share some of the same benefits as poetry, they deserve their owns separate funding. They add to our over all appreciation and enjoyment of life, but without nearly as much emphasis on the communication components.

Physical education is important and for may years has been perhaps hit hard in education budgets just as the arts have. It gets $6 out of my budget, but that is the daytime school program and not included is after school sports. That receives a separate $6 budget allotment.

Shop and Home Economics receive a $6 budget allocation as well. These are elective programs that have some importance but I believe I am be especially generous to them at six bucks out of the total budget.

So there you have it, and I'm sure some of you will want to pick it apart, but what I am trying to say is that poetry is in my opinion a critical part of any educational program for youngsters. I wish I had had more exposure to it in school. I believe at the time I was in school, there was not near the emphasis that I believe in hindsight it should have had.

Some of you may look at my $7 figure and think that it fails to reflect the level of importance that I verbalize. I agree that in some respects, for example saying that it gets only 7% of the total budget seems paltry. I think on the other hand that when you consider that the core subjects get 15 to 16 dollars each, this is about 47% of a core subject.

No Soccer Socks Here

I must be easily amused. I noticed today that someone actually found their way to this blog by googling "orange/black bumblebee soccer socks". Now the reason this strikes me with such hilarity is that soccer is way down on my list of interests. Yes, I have played it as a youngster and I found it to be something akin to a disorganized fire drill. It seemed so totally pointless to spend so much time running on this big field with so little contact with the ball. Anyway, I trust the person looking for soccer socks was not too disillusioned.

My daughter is off today to Lawrence for a bicycle race. I am sorry to say I'll miss it. I am staying home as another daughter is recuperating from surgery this week. At any rate, I'm wishing good thoughts for Meghan. Of course yesterday's weather was much warmer and Sunday it is supposed to be back in the upper 60's again, so it only stands to reason she get stuck in between two nice days and have to ride in the cold and the wind.

My book Break, Blow, Burn, Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems has come in so I'll likely go pick it up after while.

Last night, in an effort to find that groove, I spent time writing some small bits of imagery stuff. I felt there were several really nice things that came out of this exercise and one or two of them I believe I can cull for use down the road.

I have enjoyed both the athleticism and artistry of several things in the Winter Olympics. The figure skating and ice dancing especially lend itself to both. I always enjoy the Nordic events. The downhill, slaloms, the ski jumping. On the other end if the spectrum, my wife and I have both found the curling events to be interesting. I have found that there is a local curling organizations that gives lessons. Hum....

Well, I need to check and see if my daughter needs anything so I suppose that is it for now.

Camille Paglia on Art / Poetry

Last night I heard Camille Paglia speak here in Kansas City. She was promoting her new book, Break, Blow, Burn, Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems. I'll share a few thoughts on here presentation & viewpoint.

To start with, she has not trouble speaking her mind. Given her notoriety as a feminist, I thought this would likely shine through, however it didn't. I found her to be thought provoking and I tended to be in agreement with her more often than not in terms of substance.

An example: I agree with her that great art (poetry included) never remains the same. She urged people to go back and review art that they have found strikingly significant in the past and consider what it is saying to them today. Five, ten, or fifteen years later we see it different via our life experiences. I totally agree with this, and while this is not revolutionary or new to me, I appreciated her way of expressing it.

Her view of what makes a good poem centers on the quality usage of language and words of vitality. She prefers the personal read on the page to reading poetry aloud. And I tend to agree that how the poem hangs on the page, its visual presentation is important.

She was highly critical of existing established academic programs these days and maintains that Art belongs to all of humanity, not simply to an elite coterie.

She used "the term"accessible which of course is not the most positive word in my vocabulary and I would not specifically find it necessary to define poetry that for my buck, would stand the test of time.

I glanced at the book, though they were sold out. Mine is expected in on Friday. I was guessing the Plath poem she selected would be Daddy or Lady Lazaruss. It was Daddy.

Ms. Paglia speaks at a 90 mile an hour clip (I kid you not) and it taxes an ADD mind, but I found the experienced to be worthwhile.

I am anxious to get into her specifics in the book and when I do, I'll likely have more to say about it.


Tags: Poetry Art Break, Blow, Burn Paglia

To Be Sure Is A Good Thing...

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." ~A.A. Milne

Saturday - all is quiet

Bitter cold descended upon us overnight. Gone are the 60 degree January days we knew were too good to be true. Last night it was single digits. We had a touch of snow, but even that was scant and chased away by the cold.

Last night I managed to get three more poems off bringing my total submissions for the year to date at 13.

The mail has come, no rejections - only a utility bill, the latest Poets & Writers and a slew of junk mail, catalogues and material mostly for my daughters. My wife lamented no mail. I reminded her no mail can be a good thing.

My daughter picked up a couple of books for me last night as some discount book store. The Night Abraham Called To The Stars by Robert Bly, and Augusten Burroughs book, Running with Scissors. I've been wanting to read this book for some time. It will have to wait however for me to finish my current read.

That is it for now, I'm off to clean in my office.

Site visitors

Just wanted to mention that some of the readers of stickpoet this week have visited the site from these places:

• 13 from Van Texas
• 3 from San Joes
• 2 from Calgary, Canada
• 2 from Stirling, Scotland
• 2 from Blue Springs, Missouri (almost my backyard)
• 1 from Erode, India
• 1 from Toronto, Canada
• 1 from Sarasota, Florida (spring training is coming soon!)
• 1 from White Plains, New York
• 1 from Detroit, Michigan
• 1 from San Juan, Puerto Rico
• 1 from Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 1 from Schenectady, New York

Just to name a few. Thanks to everyone for dropping in.

A summary of this years publication activity

January

Submissions to publishers / journals - 8 poems
Submissions accepted - none
Submissions rejected - none

February

Submissions To Publishers / journals - 2 poems
Submissions accepted - none
Submissions rejected - none

Totals for year

Submissions - 10
Accepted - none
Rejected - none

Note: I should have 3-4 more going out over the weekend.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Civil liberties fear as US terror suspect list rises to 325,000

Guardian Unlimited Special reports Civil liberties fear as US terror suspect list rises to 325,000


With the list numbers growing swiftly, Timothy Sparapani, a privacy rights expert at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the ACLU's response was one of incredulity, and alarm that many people are likely to be on the list by mistake, with serious impact on their lives and few, if any, means of getting themselves off it.

Tags: civil-liberties

Poetry Rules Valentine's Day Online

Poetry Rules Valentine's Day Online

In the week ending February 11 - leading up to Valentines Day - the search term, "love poems" grew 83 percent. This outpaced searches for Chocolates, flowers and other gifts normally associated with Valentine's day during the same time period.

This news is a positive indication on the general publics view of poetry, at least in a broad context.

Other interesting demographics information can be seen at the story linked.

In Defense of the Vice President

Vise President Dick Cheney is taking a lot of heat over the weekend hunting accident in Texas in which he shot a fellow hunter in the face. I realize that this is a bit uncommon. The last Vice President to shoot a man was on July 11, 1804, when Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr met on the dueling grounds at Weehawken, New Jersey. So it is not like it has never happened before.

Cheney, an experienced hunter had a $125 nonresident hunting license in Texas. But after investigating the incident, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department issues a warning to the Vice President because while he had a license, he did not purchase a required $7 special stamp. Officials at the White House said the Vice President was not aware he needed the stamp. Honestly, I would not have thought you needed to buy a $7 stamp to shot someone either.


Tag: Dick Cheney

The Poet Robert Browning on Love

"Take away love and our earth is a tomb."

~Robert Browning

Chalk Lines

Chalk Lines
for Cathy

The gravity of it,
Newton’s hour
When force of physics
Establish its dominance
Pulling you down-
The blue chill of
Mare Moscoviense
On the darkside,
Freeze dries all hope.
I sprinkle what's left
A fine pool cue pumice
To outline your sleep.
If hope is all that I have,
It must be close to you-
A reminder when you awake,
You have all there is of me.

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY SHOOTS FRIEND IN FACE

No, that is not a headline from the Onion - check out Time or CNN. Just think of the options open to Jon Stewart of The Daily Show.

Poetry notes....

1. Check out the John Freeman's review of Love in the Extreme, a poetry book by Richard Siken and published by Grand Rapids Press.
2. Reading: Victor Smith - Friday February 17th at 7:30 pm - The Writers Place- Kansas City native who's poems have appeared in a number of publications, including The Kansas City Star and the Alternative American.
3. OPEN MIC - The Writers Place - Monday - February 27th - 8-10PM

Today's Poetry Quote: "Each man carries within him the soul of a poet who died young." ~Sainte-Beuve, Portraits litteaires, 1862

Saturday Stuff

Thanks to Jilly, I found this piece about Billy Collins and his feelings of being less than a laureate interesting.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics was moving. I always enjoy seeing the attire that each country chooses to wear. Thank God the U.S. ditched the cowboy hats. The lighting of the torch was spectacular. Watched some of the women's hockey today. Excellent games. Looking forward to alpine sking tonight and figure skating.

Worked some this morning on a new poem... still much more to do on it just to finish the first draft.

I'm off to run some errands...

FRIDAY BITS

• This interesting piece is making the news today: Libby Testifies "Superiors" Ordered Leak of Classified Information.
• A guide to the Winter Olympics which start today (here)
• My wife and I were talking during the drive into work this morning... she was highly suspicious of Bush's details on failed LA terrorist plot. I am too. It is not that I don't think that it could have or could become a target. I just find it interesting that he is only now talking about it publicly. It just runs contrary to his normal personality. This man likes to take "bragging rights" so the news of it over three years later seems a bit contrived. Besides, what basis do we have to believe him?
• Jack Abramoff on Bush's brush-off of their relationship, "The guy saw me in almost a dozen settings, and joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids. Perhaps he has forgotten everything, who knows." (here)
• "I feel somewhat abandoned..." The words of Michael Brown testifying before Congress on the government's response to Katrina. Wow, those are words I bet the people of the Gulf Coast area can identify with. (here)
• "Poetry is an act of peace" wrote Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. "Peace goes into the making of a poet as flour goes into the making of bread." (here)
• And this on Moon Poetry.
• If you haven't already joined this discussion on the $ value of poetry do so [see yesterday's post]

Here and There

Just to note a few geographical locations represented by Stickpoet visitors lately.....

• Sydney, Australia
• Montreal, Canada
• Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Burgas, Bulgaria
• Joliet, Illinois
• Chula Vista, California
• Brighton, United Kingdom
• Wadesboro, North Carolina
• Silver Springs, Maryland
• Bonn, Germany
• Vadodara, India
• Shawnee Mission, Kansas
• Screwsbury, United Kingdom
• Mansfield, Missouri
• San Francisco, California
• Wichita, Kansas

Nice broad mix of people. Stickpoet thanks you all for stopping by and the many other locations I did not name. We truly have an international group of readers dropping in.

Thursday ramblings

February is being less kind to us than January was. It got down into the teens last night. Just a week ago I noticed we had Tulip bulbs coming up already - this can't be good.

I suppose all the warm weather we have been having has only intensified my lust for baseball season. I have actually paid far less attention to off-season deals this year than normal. I'm not sure why, it isn't for any loss of interest in the game.

Baseball and poetry have a lot in common. There is this saying in baseball that the season is too long to let the win get you too high or the loses take you too low. I think the same advise is good for writers, especially poets. You can easily ride the crest of a wave with a success one day and find yourself swallowed by the surf the next. As a result, it's best to try to stay on a more even keel with you emotions as they relate to your work. Besides, what didn't work last week can become the cornerstone for something different this week. That is just the way it seems to work.

Turning colder should put me in the mood for the Winter Olympics. The winter games are far more interesting to me than the summer games. The sking and figure skating are my favorites. I love the alpine jumps. It just looks so utterly awesome when they are mid-air and leaning way forward. I remember many years ago at one of the Winter Games, perhaps Lake Placid, there was a guy who represented England that they dubbed "Eddie the Eagle" that came to the Olympics as a novice. It was such a trip to watch him. I think I and a million other men must have been living vicariously through him on every attempt.

I was thinking this morning about the relationship between poetry and other things in terms of a scale of importance. I'm guessing most put it pretty low. I'm not speaking specifically in terms of education, but let's take that as an example. You are going to budget for your overall curriculum. I'm going to give you $100 to represent that portion that is the total education budget. (I know it is low, but play along with me. Remember Bush is president and we are spending $8 billion a month on Iraq so we don't have much to spend.)

So we have to fund the following with our $100:

• Math department
• English Department (reading, grammar, language usage)
• Social Studies - History / Civics / Contemporary Issues, etc.
• Physical Education (non- sports team)
• Poetry
• Music
• Art ( painting, Photography, Sculpture, etc)
• High School Sports (team and individual sports program / after school. Football, baseball, basketball, track, tennis, golf, swimming, etc)
• Foreign Language
• Shop / Home making, etc.

There you have what needs to be funded. I'd like to hear from some of you how you'd divide up your $100 budget and use your best argument to make your case - or none at all if you just want to do the math and let it stand on the merit of your priority itself.

Go to it - this should be interesting.

Poet Lineage

I was thinking the other night of sketching out a "family tree" of sorts of poets influence. Perhaps it would look more like a corporate flow chart. The idea would be to start connecting major poets by influence. I imagine this is not at all an original idea and I am sure somewhere, someone else has undertaken such a project. None the less, embarking on this could be quite educational.

I've read several biographical accounts of Sylvia Plath over the past few years and I am reading yet another one presently. It is interesting to see some of the long and deep lineage of close friendships and influences that even span generations. In the case of Plath, there is even a significant American-Euro connection of poets.

Certainly such connections bring with them at times some influence upon the individual work of a writer. Just as what we read (since for the most part, we read what we like) tends to give us some influence that creeps into our work at times.


Tag: Poetry

What number are you?

The U.S. Department of Labor assigns a 9 digit code to identify most professions. The number131067042 is the number assigned to designate Poets.

ClickPress | EPIPHANIES OF THE SOUL: EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THERAPEUTIC POETRY by Rena Johnson

ClickPress EPIPHANIES OF THE SOUL: EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THERAPEUTIC POETRY by Rena Johnson


Tag: Poetry

Progress

"What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now they are content with burning my books." ~Sigmund Freud, 1933

This is almost funny. However, I don't suppose we've come much further since 1933.

Midwest Poet Series Review

On Thursday, I attended a reading at Rockhurst University by Laura Kasichke. This was one of the Midwest Poets Series readings that have over the years attracted the likes of Billy Collins, W.S. Merwin, C.D. Wright, Sharon Olds, Li-Young Lee, among others.

I read a short novel last fall written by Kasischke when I was unable to turn up one of her poetry books at the Library. The remarkable thing about the book was not so much the plot as it was the language she used. He writing was so vivid with imagery that I know that her poetry just had to be awesome. I was not disappointed.

Kasischke has published six books of poetry in addition to three novels. She is a Pushcart Prize winner as well as the Elmer Holmes Bobst Award for Emerging Writers, the Alice Fay DiCastagnola Award, and has earned fellowships by the Ragdale Foundation, McDowell Colony, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Presently she teaches at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

What draws me to her poetry is the manner in which she transforms the common everydayness of events and things into mystical imagery to tell a story. Her words, even in the throngs of commonality are strong enough to pry your attention away from your own everyday life.

All of my selves tend to agree...

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." ~E.L. Doctorow

The Council finance director resorts to poetry to reject a parking fine appeal

News & Star

You got to love this...

Last night...

Poetry Society meeting (KC Metro Verse) went well last night in spite of my last minute planning. I did some handouts and we discussed David Groff's essay The Peril of the Poetry Reading: The Page Versus the Performance which made for a lively discussion. Groff presents some excellent food for though both favorable and unfavorable to poetry readings.
We also did read-arounds. Some personal work as well as poems by others. When all was said and done, no one suggested impeaching me. Not openly anyway.

Speaking of impeachment, I caught the President's State of the Union address on the drive home last night. Amazing to say the least. At one point, he said:

"So to prevent another attack -- based on authority given to me by the
Constitution [I have yet to hear which specific article references this authority] and by statute [again, what statute?] -- I have authorized a terrorist surveillance
program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected Al
Qaida operatives and affiliates to and from America.

Previous presidents have used the same constitutional authority [Really? Because I really am only aware of Nixon using wiretaps that were illegal ]I have and federal courts [Which court? This is really funny because what he is doing is
circumventing the very court (FISA) which was established to deal with warrants
for the very activity he is undertaking without warrants] have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate members of Congress [Interesting in that many including members of his own party have expressed concern when this became public knowledge] have been kept informed.

The terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist
attacks. It remains essential to the security of America. If there are people
inside our country who are talking with Al Qaida, we want to know about it,
because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again."

*red type and brackets are my comments

Ok, he keeps framing this issue like Al Qaida picks up the phone or types an e-mail to someone in the U.S. or vice versa and we know they are doing it, so we listen in or intercept their e-mail. He is suggesting no one else is impacted, no one else but the "bad guys" are being spied on. How damn stupid is the President thinking the American people are? You can't automatically know who's phone calls and e-mail to intercept - this is broader than that and THAT is the reason he isn't going to FISA is because FISA is not going to grant an open season of spying on the American people just to see what we can find.

Bush can travel from city to city and give this speech a million times. He may even be beginning to believe himself that he has the legal authority to do this, just as he convinced himself of the WMDs, but he is wrong on his executive authority and he is breaking the law.

I recommend reading Palace Revolt if you happen to think what I have just said is nothing but liberal bullshit because there are plenty of conservatives who understand what the President is doing is wrong and some of them worked for the President and tried to convince him otherwise.

Enough of that...

Any Adreienne Rich fans out there? I was reading some of her poems this week. She is an interesting read.

What to do...

I learned late yesterday that I would be responsible for the program tonight at KC Metro Verse. This because our chapter president (who had this whole big thing on Dickinson planned) cannot be there. So being the person in charge of "Vice" - it falls upon me to conduct the meeting.

Ok, it is true I had last night to pull something together. But as it was, I had planned doing our taxes (which I did) and then I was too drained to think about it. I joined my wife (already in bed) past the point of meaningful dialogue, (meaningful being defined as anything she could be held accountable for recalling later) so I grabbed the book I am currently reading (Bitter Fame - A life of Sylvia Plath by Anne Stevenson) and read till I could finally fall asleep.

So here I am... still with what to do.

Now it is common that whatever the plan for the evening is - we will do a read around. Our own work or that of another poet... sometimes both. So we can do that. But on my lunch hour today, I still have to decide what direction to take the meeting tonight in terms of discussion or program. Being in Vice President can be such a bitch at times.

The poet said...

As the poet said, "Only God can make a tree" - probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on. ~Woody Allen

Billy Collins seen as people's poet

The Post and Courier Charleston.net News Charleston, SC


Collins - The people's poet
by: Marjory Wentworth - South Carolina's poet laureate

Brain Lateralization Test

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (59.6%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (40.4%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?(word pair test)
personality tests by similarminds.com

Writers & Vanity

"Every author, however modest, keeps a most outrageous vanity chained like a madman in the padded cell of his breast." ~Logan Pearsall Smith

Vermont - Nationally Acclaimed Poet Sells 297 Acres to Nature Conservancy

Vermont - Nationally Acclaimed Poet Sells 297 Acres to Nature Conservancy

Ruth Stone is a remarkable human being as well as poet. Knowing what this land
has meant to her, I was especially touched to read this.

People Having Their Say

I believe the principal of freedom of speech must universally reside deep within the soul of writers. Perhaps it is more latent with some, but when pressed to the point, I think we all must agree it is an important core belief.

Freedom of expression is of course an important components of human dignity itself. We hear about abusive people who hit or in some other way physically harm another. But silencing someone is abuse as well. It make no difference if it's individuals within a family unit or if it is a whole group of people within a nation. It is an abusive action.

Repression of the expression of ideas is the kiss of death to art. But it is in a larger way the undoing of the human spirit. Americans I think very closely and culturally link such freedoms with the right to dissent. I believe that having the avenue of dissent open to all people is one of the greatest protections we have within our democracy. It is a safety valve that allows us to keep the government from isolation to the will of the people. It is critical in any democracy.

We have heard much about exporting democracy by the Bush administration. Stressing the belief that the whole world should mirror our image of democracy. A laudable objective on one hand, but even as the President has pushed for elections in Iraq and suggested that such examples of democracy would bloom and flourish in the middle east and that this would be a good thing.

We've seen a series of elections in Iraq and the final outcome as to the impact these have had or will have on this country and indeed the region remain to be written in history books. But we know this, the people in Iraq with all their regional differences have failed to support persons most closely alined and believed to be favored by our government.

This week, we have seen another exercise of democracy in the middle-east. This is the election of new leaders for the Palestinians. Perhaps to the surprise of many, the Hamas faction was the big winner over the ruling Fatah party. Since many Hamas leaders have openly stated that they favor the distraction of Israel, and Hamas has been linked to many suicide bombings, this is seen by many as a unsettling development. One that challenges any headway towards peace in the middle-east.

So the President has now seen some examples of democracy in the middle-east and I don't think he is liking the outcome. I certainly don't pretend to speak for Hamas or the Palestinians but I can perhaps understand why many of these people may feel motivated to such extreme. It revolves around a long history by the U.S. of involvement in the middle-east that is more heavy handed than not.

There is more than enough blame to spread between the Palestinian and Israelis for the current plight which would be an understatement to refer to as pretentious. But it is easy for me to see how many in this part of the world must constantly be looking over their shoulders to see exactly where the U.S. is now, and what we are doing. We are not especially trusted in this region.

So we are seeing people in these countries begin to express themselves with the ballot box. They are expressing for the most part fears and distrust and frustration. Israel will soon likely be reshaping their government. The people, and their decisions will likely be governed by the same emotions. It would perhaps be a good time for everyone, ourselves included to listen more when these parties express themselves. There are common fears driving all parties. Everyone needs to hear what the other one is saying. Let them speak. Let them have their dignity. Let them be heard. One can only find common ground when you understand what it is you have in common.

Another World is Possible: The Ceramics of Zanon

By Raúl Zibechi - 1/26/2006

On some occasions, rare though they are, the slogan “Another world is possible,” becomes reality.

Tags: Poetry

Al-Babtain, first library dedicated to Arabic poetry

Middle East Online


Arab poets get their dream of a library that archives their works for reference, future generations.
By Asmaa J. Yaqoub - KUWAIT

tag: Poetry

Water and poetry

Naples Sun Times - Local News - 01/25/2006 - Water and poetry



tag: Poetry

Childlike

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." ~Pablo Picasso

What is it that happens as we grow up (or old) that detracts from the creative process? Is it cynicism that holds us back? Do we come to place so much stock in the prevailing trends and come to fear anything that might establish ourselves as contrary to the public norm? Maybe it is a combination of things but I do agree that there is something that indeed seems to hinder the natural order of creativity in adults. I suppose it could simply be that all our worldly worries tend to cloud up the brain and make it difficult to freely engage in exploring the imagination without extra effort, forcing if you will. Sometime I find myself trying to force something into words and it rarely ever produces results worthy of saving.

I think taking a walk or drive, viewing other art, listening to music, reading other poetry- all can be positive in breaking down whatever invisible barriers we haul around in our heads. I then to lean more to the distractions of everyday life as the root cause. That is why I think these other activities help. They tend to say, "excuse me" and just push aside a few of those distractions in a cleansing way. That's my take, anyway.

On another note - the person who googled: michael wells nude. Nice try, but sorry.

Overused Words

What do you suppose are the five most overused words in poetry today?

My Demon Has A Name I Won't Say

For the most part
It’s the two of us

Myself and a demon
Whose name I won’t say

He’s not good company
In fact none at all

Absent is dialogue
Meaningful or otherwise

He has never been consoling
Not in the slightest

His body language
That of omission

Nothing physical
Only metaphysical

No tenderness
Only harsh neglect

Sometimes my demon
Invades a gathering

I won’t introduce him
I never say his name

The Nucleus of a Poem

"A poem should not mean

But be." ~Archibald MacLeish, Ars Poetica, 1926

~

And the funny thing about advocates of only "accessible poetry" is they are forever hung up on the meaning.

New January 2006 Poll Shows Majority of Americans Support Impeaching Bush for Wiretapping

New January 2006 Poll Shows Majority of Americans Support Impeaching Bush for Wiretapping

In Summation:
The poll found that 52% agreed with the statement:"If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment."

tags: Bush impeachment

Fridge magnets tinker with poetry. 20/01/2006. ABC News Online

Fridge magnets tinker with poetry. 20/01/2006. ABC News Online


The idea if intelligent fridge magnets is interesting, but what about the art of it all?


tag: Poetry Art language technology

You Just Know it is Going to Be Good

The blurbs are all in and have had time to settle. So it is only natural that the writer would now begin to create the masterpiece that was responsible for so many blurbs. We are all waiting patiently.

Rights Group Says U.S. Abuses Terror Suspects

Rights Group Says U.S. Abuses Terror Suspects

Human Rights Watch yesterday released it's annual report on the treatment of people in more than 70 countries. The report is critical of the U.S. Government.

tag: Human Right

Stickpoet Trivia

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Stickpoet!

1. Stickpoet kept at the window will keep vampires at bay!
2. Reindeer like to eat stickpoet!
3. The original nineteenth-century Coca-Cola formula contained stickpoet.
4. The word 'samba' means 'to rub stickpoet'.
5. In the Spanish edition of Cluedo, stickpoet is the victim.
6. Stickpoetocracy is government by stickpoet.
7. A rhinoceros horn is made from compacted stickpoet.
8. All of the roles in Shakespeare's plays - including the female roles - were originally played by stickpoet.
9. If you blow out all the candles on stickpoet with one breath, your wish will come true!
10. Olympic badminton rules say that stickpoet must have exactly fourteen feathers.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

UNfortune-it-LY

WO(e)RK has been Xaustive

IS me

January Submissions & Misc.

I sent off three submissions yesterday bringing my total sent out for the month to eight.

Most unique word search used recently to access my site by someone was "make me into a superhero" - Ok, poof you are a superhero. See, we aim to please. :)

Out of the recent unique visitors, Maryland and Missouri tied and California was third. A little regional strength starting to show up.

Internationally, visitors from United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, Australia, and the Philippines.

Good news is that I have a Poetry Society Meeting tonight. The bad news is my sweetie will likely be in bed by the time I get home.

Rights groups prepare suits over domestic spying

Top News Article Reuters.com


President George W. Bush's domestic spying program faces legal challenges by two U.S. civil liberties groups who said on Tuesday they will seek court orders to stop it immediately and permanently. Both Bush and NSA Director Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander are named as defendants in the action.


tags:Privacy Bush Wiretaps liberties

Guardian Unlimited | Arts news | Duffy wins TS Eliot poetry prize

Guardian Unlimited Arts news Duffy wins TS Eliot poetry prize

Carol Ann Duffy, whose new collection Rapture is one of the top-selling poetry collections in the UK, last night won the £10,000 TS Eliot poetry prize.

The Poetry Book Society, which awards the prize, said: "This year's TS Eliot prize highlights a (some would say) rare moment of agreement between the critics and the booksellers as to what constitutes great poetry." (Guardian Unlimited)

Interview with Duffy

After Anna Akhmatova by Carol Duffy

Land by Carol Duffy

Tag: Poetry

Courage & Dissent

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”   ~Ambrose Redmoon

I would say that at the time that Walter Cronkite made his famous remarks about the need for America to end the military action in Vietnam, he stood a great deal to lose.  It was a noble and courageous act on his part putting his reputation and career on the front line because of something he saw that was more important.

Perhaps today, in his years of retirement, he has less to lose in terms of economics. His livelihood is not at stake. Still, he has placed his reputation out on the line once again for what he sees as a greater good.

Cronkite has been a war correspondent. He’s seen a lot in his lifetime.  His words on the war in Iraq bear consideration by every American.

No doubt in the next few days, we well see White House officials questioning not only the wisdom of his remarks, but likely his loyalty and devotion to this country.  Courage comes in many colors.  Sometimes it is on the battlefield. Sometimes it is dissent. There are good reasons for dissent. It is not a sign of weakness or disrespect or disloyalty no matter what those bent on propagating this war say. Truths do count for something.

Cronkite: Time for U.S. to Leave Iraq

Walter Cronkite, a voice from the past, echoes a message from the past. Cronkite, who urged American after a CBS newscast on Feb. 27, 1968 - following the bloody Tet Offensive in Vietnam, to end the military mission also said that America should withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Source