Deborah Ager's Blog, page 32
March 13, 2010
Video of Vocation by Sandra Beasley
"Vocation" first appeared in 32 Poems. Here it's read in a video with jazz-inspired music in the background.
March 11, 2010
Creative Process: The Newest Book
The newest book of all is the one living in your mind. Do you put it on paper? Do you speak it out loud only at night? Do you whisper it to the trees?
Putting the words on paper can be scary, thrilling, aggravating.
Are you writing your second book? They ask. Who asks? Who are "they"?
They. They are always out there having a margarita and giving advice.
Yes, I do have a second book. A book-in-waiting. A book-in-writing. Or revising.
I want my revision to be radical. I don't know if it needs to...
March 8, 2010
Take Yourself Less Seriously to Be More Serious
The previous post was post number 1,000. This is post 1,001. Wow.
I'm writing this to tell you I am taking myself less seriously. Since less is more, I am taking myself more seriously as well.
If you would like to join me, I would like the company. We can take ourselves more or less seriously together or be seriously less or more.
March 7, 2010
Quit Everything
Did I tell you my resolution for 2010? My resolution contains two words.
Why is she talking about New Year's resolutions in March? For Pete's sake, haven't we forgotten those by now? Can't we talk about painting our skin green for St. Patrick's Day?
Those two words follow me like devoted dogs. Of course, I am allergic to dogs. Dogs make me sneeze. Perhaps, the two words are more like devoted apples. I like apples. They stay put and never pee on the carpet. The two words this year: Quit...
March 5, 2010
What Was Asked of Me
They asked me how I organized my book, what am I reading, how do I balance mothering and writing. One asked about the syntax of my poems. They thought I had answers.
I was back in Iowa. Back to the expanse of white and at the end of 80 days of snow coverage. The deer stood hungry on the hills. The car crept past the muffler factory.
1. There is no balance. Everything comes at once. Stay present to what's around you.
2. What am I reading? This is the perfect question to wipe my brain clean as a...
February 27, 2010
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-27
32 Poems on Facebook
If you're on Facebook and want to connect with 32 Poems, join our Facebook page.
Do you subscribe to 32 Poems? If so, take a photo of yourself with the magazine and send it to us. Or, take a photo of the magazine on top of a mountain, in front of the Capitol, etc. Send it to deborah –at– 32poems.com.
February 26, 2010
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-26
February 11, 2010
Notes on Amit Majmudar
In addition to his work as a diagnostic radiologist specializing in nuclear medicine, Amit Majmudar is a poet. We published "American Amorobiotics, Inc." in 32 Poems, and I've followed his work ever since. He's also been published in POETRY and New England Review.
His book, Zero Degrees, Zero Degrees, was published by Northwestern University Press. About the book, they say:
0° , 0° is where the equator and prime meridian cross, but it is also, in Amit Majmudar's poetic cartography, "the one...
Snowpocalypse: Sledding at Sunset
Blizzard 2010
Originally uploaded by oceanrica
For a week, we had too many snowflakes and not enough sunsets. This blizzard was called Snowpocalypse, Snowmageddon, and Snoverkill. Eventually, it was called SnOMG.
What's the lesson from four feet of snow? The lesson might be you'll never have 100% balance. You'll always have one less sunset than you'd like to have. The lesson might be enjoy what you have. Perhaps the lesson is go with what is.
