Magpie 210: Urban Decay

Lee Plaza Hotel, Detroit

The floors crackle underfoot with each step onto particles

of wall and ceiling concealing much of what was flooring.

Each breath tastes of  lead paint dust. Curtains cling

to rubble on the floor like shrouds covering bodies 

except not even the dead are found here. Old chairs, 

their upholstery gnawed by time, their insides gushing out

from wounds. Personal artifacts left behind. A television

plugged into an outlet no longer attached to the grid.

Murals of water stain appear overhead;

signed by neglect, utilizing the ceiling as medium. 

Michael Allyn Wells

Mag 210

Celebrating National Women's History Month

A RESOURCE FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

In Celebration of National Women's History Month I've put together a few resources I've found that offer us an insight into some the the accomplished women who have left their mark on history. Women if courage and character who made society a better place by their work.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH QUIZ   How many of these 50 questions can you answer. These questions reflect some very significant women who have made great contributions with their lives.

THE STORY OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH  A history of the journey to recognize women in history and their contributions to the world.

NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT ON FACEBOOK  Yes, Women's History comes to Facebook

A KID LIT CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S MONTH  Creating a child's awareness early.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION   ACLU Blog of Rights.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN  A Resource on Domestic Violence.

SAFEHORIZON  Moving victims of violence from crisis to confidence.

MARGARET ATWOOD ON LITERATURE'S WOMEN PROBLEM  Creating gender blindness in literature.

RESOURCES FOR WOMEN IN ARTS

A ROOM OF HER OWN A foundation for women writers and artists.

I'm sure there are plenty of other good resources that I have missed. But hey, I'm a guy and I'm not  perfect. (insert smile here).

So why  have I devoted a blog post to this subject?  All of us, men and women have benefited from women in our lives and it's way past time that the playing field be leveled. 

Besides of my four children I have three daughters... I guess they have raised me right. :-)

In the Moment

I am careful not to forget
but just as careful not to dwell
in the past-

today is my fragrance of choice.
It is big enough to allow for fantasy.

It is in this moment
we can walk on gravel,
we can skate on ice,
tiptoe through clouds,
and dance on air.

Just Thinking...

"Fridays are susceptible to being more horizontal than vertical." 

Confession Tuesday - Day Late Edition

Dear Reader:

It's been a week and a day since my last confession.

I came home from work tonight and had dinner with my wife and we started watching House of Cards. While doing so I set up my paints and took off my writer's cap in favor of the painter's cap. I started preparing a couple of canvasses with gesso and then began painting  on a canvass that  was already prepped and dry. But  it's after 9PM now and I confess the painter's cap would no longer do and I'm back in  writing mode.

While many writers I know ate in Seattle for AWP I confess I'm feeling a bit envious. I had thought about going but not in a proactive was that I would plan until it was just too late. I will not make that mistake next year.

But next year is a long way off. And next year is Minneapolis and not Seattle. I confess that the difference in my excitement levels on a scale of 1 to 10  is like a 10 for Seattle and maybe a 3 for Minneapolis. So my challenge this week is not to sit and be bummed out about this.

Pictured above is Susan Rich's new book Cloud Pharmacy. My plan is to read this during AWP and to continue my normal writing routine. I have two projects I'm working on presently  so it's not like I don;t have things to do.

I saw an article today with a quote by the short story writer Mavis Gallant who recently died at the age of 91
From a 1999 Paris Review interview Gallant she was quoted as saying, "...I write every day as a matter of course. Most days in the morning but some days anytime, afternoon or evening. It depends on what I'm writing  and the state of the thing. It is not a Burden. It is the way I live." Isn't that a wonderful way to view writing?

I know that this closely reflects what I am feeling these days about writing. I know I am making headway because I've even come to feel good about submissions and I used to really feel they were burdensome. Not any more.

So as AWP 14 kicks off today, I hope all my friends that have made it there or are still in route have a marvelous week networking, hooking up with friends, taking in various panel discussions, attending readings, visiting the book fair and finding lots of exciting books, oh and collecting SWAG. My all your trips home be safe and your suite cases overflow with literature. Meantime, I'll be reading and writing up a storm.

 

MAG 208: Poet's Sleep

Poet's Sleep, 1989, Chang Houg Ahn

And day, nights it's all the same. 

The head falls still on a book or pillow-

the light or dark is turned inside out 

no longer having dominion-   

time is translucent and meaningless

here as images connect sentences

and bring story past or future into

a slice of originality-

the collision of mater,

the combustion of energy,

the flight of notion,

the confabulatory narrative;

which every poet knows to value

above the hype we wrap

in conclusion of reality.

From the red crinkled birthing center

one after one childlike thoughts slide 

out of the head and if the waking poet 

is quick to his pen, he may catch a few

and those that are not lost forever

become fodder for readers. 

Michael Allyn Wells

Mag 208

Confession Tuesday - Mood Ring Edition

Dear Reader...

Forgive me as I rush in at the 11th hour to make my confession. It's been a week of highs and lows since my last confession. Like the weather over this week my mood has risen and dropped like the mercury in a thermometer.

Some of you may remember the mood rings that became the rage in the mid-1970's. The ring changed colors based upon the warmth projected from your body. The color of the ring would signify the mood of the wearer. For instance an Indigo or darker blue meant the person was deeply relaxed, happy, love-struck, etc. Black might mean fear, angst, serious, overworked or  depressed. Orange was stressed, nervous, confused, challenged... you get the picture.

In general the week has been more upbeat then down. I had a really good weekend. Lots of writing and writing related stuff accomplished and that made me happy. Actually the better part of last week was good.
I confess that a staffing shortage at work added to my stress and I felt myself moving between black and orange. (yes, the colors of my San Francisco Giants)

I confess that when I cam home Monday night I was so exhausted I dropped in bed until I could relax a bit and then got up to eat. The staff shortage will continue for a few  weeks and that certainly accentuates the anxiety. Tonight, I almost  brushed off Confession altogether, but I didn't.

Here I am and I have to say that the one thing that I have learned this past week is that  I really seem to get a rush of sorts when I am engaged in writing and writing related activities.  I don't know if it produces endorphins or  what, but there is definitely a bump upward in my mood.

Funny that  even doing  submissions makes me fee happy. Is that crazy? There was a time that I dreaded, no actually hated doing submissions.

I still get frustrated at times when writing. Hell I get frustrated when anything I'm doing doesn't go like I want it to, but on the whole I am realizing that writing is an uplifted for me. Like a SAD lamp in winter, there clearly seems to be therapeutic value in my writing. People talk about all the "depressed poets" or the well know poets and writers that have taken their own lives like there is a strong link between the two. I've felt that myself at times. But right now, the place I'm in this moment is 180 degrees opposite.

So, next time I'm feeling a little down, pardon me while I get high on  writing.


Blessings to you all this week!