Sandra Beasley's Blog, page 30

Travels

Where to begin? On June 8 I hopped the bus from DC to New York, where I got to read in Bryant Park as part of the Word for Word series with David Eye, Maya Funaro, and Jack Lynch. We had a big crowd, easily 75 people, and the readings got written up here. (Favorite quote: "I got the impression that poets become defacto guardians of the strange and oddly compelling things of this world when Sandra confessed her long night of researching the role that the Capybara has played in all manner of...

Imagination

Later this summer, I will spend five days (July 13-17) serving on the faculty of Cleveland State University's "Imagination" Conference. I love the thumbnail portrait of Cleveland on their website: 


We overlook a busy harbor, the Indians' state-of-the-art ballpark, and a dramatic downtown skyline, but this is no ivory tower. The student spectrum ranges from multiple earrings to pinstripes to blue and pink collars. Writers come here with a shirtsleeve workshop outlook and the traffic in ideas...

Holiday Weekend

"Be arrogant and vain when you're young. That's the only time it looks appealing—and it's also the only time it's forgivable."
                                                                             —Jamaica Kincaid, on writing


* 

Got written off as a "dead-tree poet" this week, by none other than Bill Knott. That was exciting. I admire his poems, so it stings a little. One of his bones of contention was that I don't distribute my poems for free via PDF; which would be a blatant violation...

Peace Lily

Spath. Family, Aracae. Genus, Spathiphyllum. Evergreen. (Supposedly.) 



Last spring, I acquired a peace lily through unfortunate circumstances--it was a sympathy plant sent to my grandmother's memorial service. Peace lilies are whiny. Go a day without watering them, they wilt; water them a bit too much, they wilt. After the blooms that had been the plant's selling point died, none came to replace them. None. For months it has been the humorless sentinel of my living room, the receptacle of...

Why Yes

Yes, I will have one of these. I assume the view is included? 


(From Apartment Therapy)

Miami! Miami Bound!

SeminArt: Launching Your Writing Career: A Lecture and Q&A with Author Sandra Beasley and Literary Agent Shannon O'Neill


Thursday, May 20 - 7 PM


Rubell Family Collection / Contemporary Arts Foundation
95 NW 29th Street / Miami, FL 33127

"An experienced literary agent, Shannon will discuss how to find an agent, what agents do, and how to know if you have a good agent. She will also give tips on ensuring a successful meeting with an editor, such as what to include in a pitch and book proposal...

Nostalgia

Apparently, NBC has canceled the original Law & Order, one season shy of its opportunity to break Gunsmoke's record. Law & Order kept me company during many an all-nighter over the years; frequently, it is the only coherent television to be found after 1 AM. During one summer at William & Mary, it took over our daytime hours as well. That and the animated Spiderman.

I know it sounds goofy, but I can mark eras of life according to the respective reigns Chris Noth, Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, ...

Life! At 60 MPH

Having sent off 141 pages on Friday morning (a mix of new and revised work), I decided to let myself enjoy the weekend. Friday included the ceremony for the Larry Neal Writers' Awards, then a friend's amazing party. The guest list featured folks from DC's art and journalism scene, and her menu had a Cuban theme--pulled pork, rice and beans, fried plantains, and fresh mojitos. I didn't get home until 3 AM.


On Saturday, a group of old high school friends made an unexpectedly adventurous daytrip ...

Over at Best American Poetry: Sestinas

Sometimes you get really lucky--your rockstar baking friends dedicate typewriter fondant in your name. Thanks, Meaghan! (That's her image, to the left, (c) Meaghan Mountford.)

Over at Best American Poetry, I am talking about sestinas. 

Sestina: a 12th-century form invented the the troubadours, particularly Provençal poet Arnaut Daniel. A form whose acrobatics declare Look at me. If I weren't a Real Poet--worthy of patronage--could I write this?

Sestina: jigsaw puzzle. Obsession. Bee in the...

Over at Best American Poetry: Metaphors of Craft

I turn 30 today. I'm not stressing over it; the last decade has been good to me. But there will be some sushi today to celebrate, oh yes, and possibly the indulgence of listening to the new Josh Ritter album, "So Runs the World Away," as it is being streamed over at NPR. Enjoy:



My friend Austin has been playing with Josh for a few years now (in fact, they've just formalized themselves as the Royal City Band). It blows my mind that of three folks I shared a vegan breakfast once upon a time at D...