Mark Stratton's Blog: AGGASPLETCH, page 16

"Here's Looking at You, Kid" – 70 Years Later

When I was 14 years old, I used to grab three sections of the Sunday paper before anyone else.  Since I delivered the paper, it wasn't hard.  The three sections were the Sports section, the comics and the TV section.  It had the TV listings for the week.  Living in Ann Arbor at the time, we were pretty fortunate in having more than three or four stations.  We had around 5 stations from Detroit, one from Windsor (that's in Canada, just across the Detroit River from…Detroit), and some from...

Heather Grace Stewart – The Carry On Dancing Interview

My friend Heather Grace Stewart, Canadien Poet and all around nice person, agreed to answer a series of questions for an interview and here it is.  I have another one or two of these in the coming days and weeks that I'll be sharing with you.  Be sure to check out Heather's books, including her newest collection of poetry Carry on Dancing.  The links are at the end of the interview.  My thanks to Heather for sharing a bit about what goes on behind her writers curtain.

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1. Without naming...

Bethany Kent and Her Writing Space

This week, I welcome Bethany Kent to the Writing Spaces series.  I'm thrilled she agreed to contribute.  She's spearheading a great new effort for writers to showcase and promote their work on The Book Times.  She's also an accomplished writer in her own right.  Without further blather from me…

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It's my turn, a voice speaks to me. It's Malley. I've been writing her story for over a year now. But I feel so tired. I'm not sure I've the mental fortitude for a conversation with her today. Then s...

1999 – A Poem for dVerse Poets Pub

Today, at the dVerse Poets Pub, the prompt has to do with the year 1999.  What were you doing, where were you, how have you changed, blah, blah, blah.  Which was not my initial reaction when I read the prompt.  I ended up writing close to three pages of notes, ideas and bad stanzas.  Then I got hung up on word choices in the first stanza.  Should I use this one or that one.  Then, I got another idea.  This is the end result.

If you've not played in the dVerse Poets Pub playground, I recommend ...

Publication News

Hello there…

I wrote this poem a few years ago, but it seemed it was calling to me to polish it up and submit it.  Today it appears on The Book Times, a new online publication that is actively looking for writers to submit poetry, short fiction, opinion pieces and the like.  Click the submissions tab (after you read my splendiferous poem, of course) and consider offering Bethany some of your work.

You can find my poem "Courting" here.  And thanks so much for reading.

Kelli Russell Agodon and her Writing Space

My Life in a Shed: Making the Space to Write

I am writing to you in the middle of a rainstorm. The rainstorm is both outside and in my head. I found myself being distracted by the box of Camp Fire mints on the table, my cat, and the laundry that still needed to be folded. So I took a writing retreat about fourteen steps from my front door.

Okay, I should explain. Three and an half years ago, I realized I wasn't writing as much. As mother, wife, and work-from-home writer, I would sit down but...

Tag! I'm It! Now, You're It!

Last month Rita Chand (@LolaSpeaking), who will hug anyone, anywhere, most anytime, tagged me for one of those amusing "Random Crap You Don't Know (or probably care) About Me" posts.  I see these things everywhere, and I'm always tickled when somebody wants to know essentially useless things about me.  Rita doesn't play fair because she didn't ask silly questions.

So, here's the deal.  I get to do a few things, post some answers and tag some people.  Then they get to decide whether to play...

Interview: James Brush – Poet

James Brush is a writer and poet whose work I've admired for some time.  That he has become a friend is an added bonus.  James has a new book of poetry that was recently published.  It's called Birds Nobody Loves: A Book of Vultures and Grackles (I posted a short review recently).  James has kindly answered a series of questions to kick off this new series of interviews here on Aggaspletch.  I invite you to check out all James links, and to take a look at his poetry collection.  My thanks to ...

Richard Fenwick and His Writing Space

Ah, the writing space. For me, it's not a physical location, but a a blank page and a mindset, where creativity squeaks out and where (when I'm lucky) poetry gets recorded. Even on those days I don't feel productive, as long as I pay attention to the combination, something creative happens. Perhaps not something worth sharing, but something. When I fail creatively, it's almost always because I'm not paying attention to an element of my writing space, which is the teacher waiting patiently...

What, You Think This is Fun? – A Depression Post

That feeling of choking on fresh air.  You know the sensation?  You gulp and gulp, screaming in your head for air, fresh air, stale air, air.  It's sort of like trying to swim an Olympic race in a pool full of hot tar.  That's sort of what Depression feels like sometimes.

Except you go through life, and smile at the jokes and get outraged at the news and you put on a brave face.  Or a mask.  Or both.  Your life becomes a trudge.  One foot in front of the other, a stumble to the finish line...