Why am I posting this here? Because it is poetry to my ears. Howard Hurtz of the Washington Post writes about the editorial landscape out there this election among newspapers.
Of the many notables - The Orlando Sentinel which has backed every Republican Presidential Candidate since Richard M. Nixon in 1968. At least until now. "This president has utterly failed to fulfill our expectations," according to the Florida paper.
But the Sentinel is just one of 36 newspapers that endorsed President Bush in the 2000 campaign that have since ditched the President in favor of John Kerry. Newspapers like the LA Daily news, Chicago-Sun-Times and Memphis Commercial Appeal. To tally up the endorsements Kerry leads Bush 142 to 123 in endorsements.
Bush has won over only six papers that backed Al Gore last election. One, the Denver Post, which received 700 letters -- all of them protesting the move according to Howard Hurtz. Nine newspapers, that backed Bush last election simply decided to back no candidate.
How much any of these impact the election process is certainly debatable. They are kind of like yard signs. Newspapers don't vote, but you'd rather have more endorsements than not.
36 Papers Abandon Bush for Kerry (washingtonpost.com)
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Excerpt from "Coming Out"
In their proper place,
miniature nick-knacks
adorning shelves.
Space assigned to them
so providential,
standing among their own.
Delighting onlookers
on command
Twirling in whirly-skirts
Till taken down,
played with
and returned.
from Coming Out by Michael A. Wells
Post Card Tuesday #4
It's Post Card Poetry Tuesday again for me. Today I'll script another poem on post card and drop it in the mail (yes snail mail) to Ivy who is across the Atlantic in Wales.
This experience (writing a post card poem and exchanging it with another poet on a weekly basis) has been a good one for several reasons. It provides a incentive to set down on a specific day and create a new work under a bit of pressure. By mailing it that day, you don't have the ability to tinker with it a lot. I certainly believe in rewrites. And rewrites and rewrites... (you get the point) but there is something to be said as well for letting your creativity work in this sententious period of time and become what it will and nothing more. Sometimes you can overthink something and that can actually kill the creative process.
There is not illusion here. I don't believe I am writing a defining opus on these postcards, but I was quite pleased for example with the second Tuesday's work. In fact it was the center of a lot of attention when I shared it at one of my writing groups after the fact.
It is also exciting to see the work in the poets own script. Admittedly Ivy can write quite small and it at times has taken on an experience not unlike translation. [chuckle] I have had on one occasion to actually rewrite one of Ivy's in my own longhand and work a bit to finally determine two words. I suspect my own writing is perhaps just as challenging to read. At any rate, we are each getting a poem in the poet's own handwriting. Which is kind of cool.
This is the fourth and final Tuesday of the month... which is kind of sad I guess. I am hoping as I put my mind to work on this later today that I will indeed come up with something I am satisfied with as it falls into the mail box out of my reach. For when that happens, there are no take-backs.
There is this international factor as well. Of course two people in the same city could be exchanging poems but in this instance, the exchange is truly international.
This experience (writing a post card poem and exchanging it with another poet on a weekly basis) has been a good one for several reasons. It provides a incentive to set down on a specific day and create a new work under a bit of pressure. By mailing it that day, you don't have the ability to tinker with it a lot. I certainly believe in rewrites. And rewrites and rewrites... (you get the point) but there is something to be said as well for letting your creativity work in this sententious period of time and become what it will and nothing more. Sometimes you can overthink something and that can actually kill the creative process.
There is not illusion here. I don't believe I am writing a defining opus on these postcards, but I was quite pleased for example with the second Tuesday's work. In fact it was the center of a lot of attention when I shared it at one of my writing groups after the fact.
It is also exciting to see the work in the poets own script. Admittedly Ivy can write quite small and it at times has taken on an experience not unlike translation. [chuckle] I have had on one occasion to actually rewrite one of Ivy's in my own longhand and work a bit to finally determine two words. I suspect my own writing is perhaps just as challenging to read. At any rate, we are each getting a poem in the poet's own handwriting. Which is kind of cool.
This is the fourth and final Tuesday of the month... which is kind of sad I guess. I am hoping as I put my mind to work on this later today that I will indeed come up with something I am satisfied with as it falls into the mail box out of my reach. For when that happens, there are no take-backs.
There is this international factor as well. Of course two people in the same city could be exchanging poems but in this instance, the exchange is truly international.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Weekend Mailbag...
Saturday I received the newest Poets & Writers magazine. A variety of irritating campaign mail. Irritating because much of it was "stock crap" put out by the Missouri State Republican party that they are mailing against most Democratic candidates and it has a vary unsavory message that evidently they believe the majority of the public is dumb enough to by into.
Friday, another poetry postcard from Ivy. I'm so confused. We are doing Tuesday's and this was the third such poem this month from her. She's ahead of me! She evidently is writing in the future and sending them back in time. I do well enough to do them on time. Yikes! More on the postcard poetry later this week.
No rejections.... no acceptance letters.
Tomorrow night is Open Mic @ Writers Place.
Friday, another poetry postcard from Ivy. I'm so confused. We are doing Tuesday's and this was the third such poem this month from her. She's ahead of me! She evidently is writing in the future and sending them back in time. I do well enough to do them on time. Yikes! More on the postcard poetry later this week.
No rejections.... no acceptance letters.
Tomorrow night is Open Mic @ Writers Place.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Profound Escapes Me
I was thinking about writing something very profound tonight... but I guess I haven't thought hard enough. Actually there are several topics I have wanted to get into lately and perhaps this weekend I will.
So glad it is Friday. First half of the day went so quick and the rest seemed to drag on and on. Planned to watch Jag tonight with wife. It wasn't on. Instead, I watched First Night with my daughter. I've seen it before and Meg has too - but for her, it was only recently at school. I'm quite found of Arthurian literature and this movie is pretty decent for a updated version of Camelot. By the way... for those that might be interested there is an excellent Arthurian resource site on the net. [click here]
That's the extent of my functional dialogue for now... Hope everyone has a great weekend. I promise to do better tomorrow.
So glad it is Friday. First half of the day went so quick and the rest seemed to drag on and on. Planned to watch Jag tonight with wife. It wasn't on. Instead, I watched First Night with my daughter. I've seen it before and Meg has too - but for her, it was only recently at school. I'm quite found of Arthurian literature and this movie is pretty decent for a updated version of Camelot. By the way... for those that might be interested there is an excellent Arthurian resource site on the net. [click here]
That's the extent of my functional dialogue for now... Hope everyone has a great weekend. I promise to do better tomorrow.
Zeitgeist Poetry
No halloween pumpkins
were harmed in this creation.
So, who are the victim here?
Katelyn Faber,
Andrea Mackris,
or the Yankees?
You think the Red Sox
are Team America?
The Cardinals may
have something
to say about that.
This Ramadan
who is hotter,
Angelia Jolie
or Tupac?
Hey, I did it for the hits! :)
were harmed in this creation.
So, who are the victim here?
Katelyn Faber,
Andrea Mackris,
or the Yankees?
You think the Red Sox
are Team America?
The Cardinals may
have something
to say about that.
This Ramadan
who is hotter,
Angelia Jolie
or Tupac?
Hey, I did it for the hits! :)
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