Devon Ellington's Blog, page 53
October 11, 2023
Wed. Oct. 11, 2023: Finding a Work Rhythm
image courtesy of Brigitte Werner via pixabay.comWednesday, October 11, 2023
Waning Moon
Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Rainy and chilly
How’s your week going? We’re at the midpoint.
Over on today’s Process Muse, we’re talking about “Solitude.” You can read it here.
There are two serial episodes going live today.
The first is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 75: The Cost of Demon Summoning
What will the boys have to sacrifice to the demon?
The second is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 25: Nina Recognizes Carl Dario
Pushing aside Matt’s inappropriate jealousy, Nina recognizes the man who posed as Carl Dario.
The constant heavy machinery beeping just about drove me out of my skull yesterday. There is NO REASON for it.
I got my review written and submitted. Assigned my next book for review. I drafted an episode of Legerdemain and feel, pace-wise, I’m getting back on track with it. Dropped off/picked up books at the library. Picked up a few things at the pharmacy.
The next Word X Word, for which I am signed up, is on the 15th. There’s another one scheduled for Nov. 6, at Berkshire Museum, that intrigues me. I wonder, though, since it’s at night, if I can risk it (due to my lack of night vision). I will think about it for a few days.
First, though, I needed to do some more work on the upcoming poem.
I worked on the next draft of “Work” which focuses on telling the story (although I threw in some sonics, which I will adjust as I revise). It’s turning into a generational piece, which is interesting and not the original intent, which was more about contrast. I’m going to see where this draft leads me.
Sent out another draft of an admin document out for review, before it goes to the full group. Did the social media rounds for the Legerdemain episode, and did some project planning for the next few months, so I can see what needs to be put into the calendar where, and keep on top of the deadlines. Realized I still had September up on the big wall calendar – no wonder I’m confused. I’d added in the deadlines to October before the residency, but had never changed the page.
Turned down a script writing gig and a blog writing gig because they were so low paid it would have cost me money to work for them. Next!
Won a tarot deck in a contest I entered for fun, which makes me happy, and sent the mailing information so they can actually send it to me.
Read a bit in Janet Lee’s biography of Anna Rochester and Grace Hutchins. This is not the Grace Hutchins of my Playland Painters, but it’s an extremely well written book. Janet also includes excerpts from her personal diary as she wrote the book, about her relationship with the material, and that’s equally fascinating. Even though it’s not the biography I need for my Painters, I’m enjoying it.
Edited, polished, uploaded, and scheduled four episodes of ANGEL HUNT, getting me into mid-December. I have less than 50 episodes to polish and upload. If I can work on it steadily, it shouldn’t take too much longer to get them up. Ha, famous last words, especially with all the paperwork that has to happen around all of it. I have no doubt it will take me longer than I hope. Also added loglines for the new epsiodes and updated all the tracking sheets, series bible, etc.
Cooked a nice dinner, then settled in to read for pleasure. With the WGA strike over and the new contract ratified, I’m getting in some coverages again; this week, so far, I have two quick score sheets, and then a novel to read with an eye to adaptation, which I will get to work on later today.
Read Rachel Howzell Hall’s LAND OF SHADOWS. What a terrific book! Terrific (and sad) plot, great pacing, great character development. Absolutely loved it. Ordered the next book in the series. What an outstanding writer.
Slept well, although I dreamed of a red velvet couch that talked and pouted and basically was a drama queen about its humans traveling. Not sure what that’s about. Woke up in the middle of the night with the rest of the poem clear in my head. Didn’t want to get up and write it, but took some notes.
Overslept and was late to the laundromat, but got there, and got everything done. I had more than usual this week, since I hadn’t done laundry during the residency.
Settling in this morning to draft another Legerdemain episode and then work on the poem. If there’s time, I’ll revise/upload/schedule some more Angel Hunt episodes. I’ll do the score sheets for the coverage, and start the novel for coverage. I’ve got tarot circle this afternoon, and then I’ll go with the leader of the tarot circle to my local library, where she’s doing another program, and I’ll be there to help (if needed) and support.
In other words, it’s leftovers for dinner tonight, my friends!
Human remains were found in a park in Pittsfield yesterday, by a worker trying to enjoy some lunch outside. That’ll be some expensive therapy. Of course, the mystery writer in me is intrigued, while the human in me is sad.
The fucking heavy machinery beeping is really out of control. I’ve been playing music on my laptop as I work to try and cover it, even though I don’t usually like to work to music. It’s helping a little, but not enough.
Have a good one!
October 10, 2023
Tues. Oct. 10, 2023: Back at the Desk
image courtesy of Christine Sponchia via pixabay.comTuesday, October 10, 2023
Waning Moon
Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Pluto DIRECT today
Cloudy and cool
How was your weekend? Ready for a good Tuesday morning natter?
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 127: At The Twisted Thespian
Shelley meets with a man in disguise to exchanged information.
Pluto goes direct today. What does that mean? Pluto influences what’s hidden. When Pluto is retrograde, secrets are often revealed: either yours, or someone who’s kept something from you. Also, during a Pluto retrograde, you might choose to reveal parts of yourself you formerly kept hidden, as might those around you. Pluto is also about transformation; when it’s retrograde, you have time to consider how you want to transform moving forward, but it’s not yet time to do so. Now, with Pluto direct, you can move forward with necessary changes.
With it going direct, it’s easier to keep secrets again.
I’m just happy we’re down to five retrogrades from the seven a few weeks back. But we’re stuck with these five until early November.
Okay, so catch up from the weekend. Friday was slow going. I had to do a bunch of paperwork/admin, etc. Worked on setting up a forum for the group; filled out some feedback forms for the two big units that ended this week. I managed to get an episode of Legerdemain rewritten, polished, uploaded, and scheduled.
I did the big grocery shop. The first shop of the month is when I restock staples, and then I fill in as needed, depending on the meal plan for the week. As I’ve said before, when I meal plan to recipes ahead of time, as I did this week, I spend more than when I go to the store, see what looks good, balance that with what’s on sale, and make up a meal plan on the spot. However, I want to start trying new recipes again and get my cooking mojo back, so I planned ahead. And thereby spent more.
Hauled it all home and up the stairs. Put it away.
I couldn’t get the hazelnuts for the chocolate orange hazelnut cake I’m planning to make this week, but I figured I could pick them up later over the weekend at Wild Oats.
Then started organizing my fridge along the lines of the way Jeremy demonstrated in last Wednesday’s class.
Yes, I’m aware I should have done it BEFORE I went shopping. But that’s not how it worked out.
Anyway, it wasn’t as difficult or scary as I feared; I’ve kept on top of things better than I thought. I switched out some Ziploc containers for glass jars, grated an entire wedge of Parmesan and put it in a jar, and so forth. Since we have PLENTY of glass jars, put them to work. And I’ll get more Pyrex dishes. I have some great ones from way back in the 60’s, along with casserole dishes, but a few more couldn’t hurt.
Since I was on a roll, I re-organized the freezer, too. That tends to be my trouble spot. I slam things into the freezer and forget about them. But I rearranged, cleaned out, got rid, and now can get at everything and know what’s what and where.
I couldn’t do it quite as efficiently as Jeremy, mostly because I don’t have a fridge that big. His is wide enough, with double doors for the fridge and the freezer at the bottom, so he can put sheet pans of things in the fridge. He has my dream fridge.
Someday.
But that took most of the rest of the day. Along with making three batches of differently flavored vegetable stock from the veg bits I’d saved in the freezer over time. I have plenty of vegetable stock, and I’m going to use one particular herb-heavy batch to infuse the next batch of rice I cook by cooking the rice in the stock instead of water.
But that was pretty much the day. I made a chili-spiced salmon on a bed of crunchy kale with roasted potatoes that was really good (and tagged Jeremy in the photo, since he’s always going on about kale).
Read more of Mary Rodgers Guettel’s memoir in the evening. I love it when she talks in detail about her composing and writing. I learned a lot. And, again, hearing anecdotes about people I worked with, from a very different perspective, is always interesting.
Slept pretty well, albeit with weird dreams about packing up a touring show and having trouble getting the guys to load the trucks.
Up at a decent hour, but a slow start, in spite of doing my morning routine of coffee, yoga, meditation, writing in longhand. Worked on some more catch-up admin, then got ready to go to the theatre, because I had to leave at noon.
Pittsfield isn’t that far, but with traffic, it took me nearly an hour to get to the theatre, park, etc. I was early enough to get one of the few spots in the theatre’s parking lot. The show was at the black box. Everyone was very efficient and very nice.
The show itself, THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH, was powerful. It’s a one man show about Eddie Jakub, who was in concentration camps three times (Buchenwald twice and Auschwitz once) and lost 99 relatives in the Holocaust. Kenneth Tigar’s performance was astounding, wonderful, detail-oriented, and moving. To be on stage for 90 minutes and go through such a physical and emotional show takes stamina as well as talent, and he has both.
I’m really glad I met him and his husband before the show in Great Barrington this summer, and that they asked me to come and see it.
It also makes one ponder, how can people be so cruel to each other? I mean, they do it all the time, but what is so inherently wrong with the human soul that it can twist like that? When you think that Trump and his supporters revere this kind of treatment of those they deem “other” in order to feel powerful and good about themselves, you realize just how much is wrong with the human race.
I did not wait to talk to Ken after the show; he had an evening show for which to prepare, and shouldn’t have to be gracious to someone he met once for twenty minutes. I wrote him a note instead, when I got home. This way, he knows how much his work moved me, but I also didn’t interfere with his dinner break.
By the time the show let out, It was monsooning. The drive home took even longer than the drive there, due to street flooding. There were two points I was worried I wouldn’t make it through, but I did.
Dried off, warmed up, read a bit, but mostly sat with the aftermath of the show.
That’s how you know you’ve seen a good piece of theatre; it stays with you.
Tried a new-to-me lasagna recipe with chicken sausage meat instead of beef on Saturday night. It seemed a little funky when I read it, but I figured I should try it as written.
Well, THAT was a mistake.
The proportions were off (not enough ricotta, for one) and the timing of what to prepare when was wrong (preparing the noodles first and letting them sit and get gluey), and then the layering was wrong.
I should have just gone back to the way I’ve done lasagna before as soon as I thought something was off, instead of trusting the recipe just because it was published.
It was kind of a disaster. No, that’s too kind. It WAS a disaster.
We managed to scrape out some decent ricotta/marinara/spinach/sausage out of it so we wouldn’t go hungry. We rescued what we could of the big pan of it and labelled it “lasagna adjacent” and I’ll figure out something to do with it later this week. Tossed the icky bits into the trash.
Yes, I stuffed it into the freezer. But this time I won’t forget about it (stop taking bets over there, you).
At least we had chocolate mousse cake to make up for it.
I’ve cooked enough so I should trust myself when something doesn’t read right in the recipe.
Read in the evening. Slept decently, although I woke up around 1 from a dream about a mass suicide by drowning (not fun). When I went back to sleep, I dreamed of a parrot who’d call out, “My Queen! My Queen!” whenever his human entered the room, because she’d played a queen in a play, and that was his line when she entered the stage. She inherited him when the show closed.
I’m not even going to try to interpret either of those.
Made raw apple muffins from Marion Cunningham’s THE BREAKFAST BOOK just to remind myself that yes, I do know how to cook and bake. I only had one kind of apple (I usually use 5 different kinds). I also added allspice (anything with apples and cinnamon gets a dash of allspice when I make it) and substituted currants for raisins.
Yummy.
I also need to buy more currants this week. And liners for the muffin tins. And sugar.
Blog as grocery list. Um. . . .
Started decorating the kitchen for the holidays. This year, instead of just the pumpkin lights, I’m also putting up spiderweb curtains in the kitchen. And switched out the kitchen island curtain from the sunflowers to the witches, cats, and pumpkins one, and switched out the tablecloth and table decorations.
There’s still a lot of decorating to do, but I’m doing it in bits this year instead of a single burst. And we’re trying things differently.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Edited, revised, polished, uploaded and scheduled an episode. I’m cutting it a little too close and must do better this week, and moving forward. Once I sat down at the desk, it flowed well, so I don’t know why I had trouble drafting episodes in-studio.
It doesn’t matter why. It simply needs to get done, and better, moving forward.
Had a quick bite for lunch, put on Real People Clothes and headed to the Clark for the “Experiencing Nature” workshop. Two staff members, three docents, and 20 people, a mix of first-time visitors, frequent visitors, and members. We spent some time in the woods around the property.
Of course, I noticed a pair of gravestones tucked away and had to ask about them. The staff explained that it was originally thought to be a pet cemetery, but it was recently discovered to be the graves of two children, who died in the 50’s or so. Their parents couldn’t afford traditional burial, and the Clarks let them bury the children under this tree on their property. The museum felt it was unethical to keep the original story of “pet cemetery” which is the story most of the locals know.
I could have told them it was human remains just by walking past. Human graves feel different.
We spent some time in forest bathing mode, then moved inside to the Munch exhibit, which was packed (and yes, I masked; I’m getting stringent about masking again, after being lax during the residency). We studied three paintings: “Summer Night” and “Fertility” and “The Sun” and talked about them in terms of nature and symbolism and tensions. It was so interesting. The group numbered about twenty, with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, and the way we showed each other how to see in new ways and then built on it was interesting.
I’m really glad I went. Believe me, I considered not going several times in the morning. But it was worth it.
Stopped at Wild Oats for coffee and hazelnuts – and ran into one of the docents with whom I’d spent the workshop! It really is a small town around here. Stopped at Stop & Shop for sugar. I forgot to look for currants; next shopping trip. I used the last of the currants in the muffins.
Home, and it started pouring with rain again, and the temperature dropped. Leftover chili and rice for dinner. Read in the evening for a bit. I started a mystery that was recommended by an acquaintance, but I didn’t like the protagonist enough to spend the length of the book with her (and she wasn’t showing me how to see things in a new way; she was merely annoying). I put that down.
Slept well, in spite of a few stress dreams.
Slow start on Monday. We were supposed to go away for a few days at the beginning of the week, but with Hurricane Phillipe making his way up the coast, and the coastal areas we wanted to visit being a mess, we scuttled the trip. We’ll do stuff at home instead. There’s plenty to do.
I finished, revised, edited, polished, uploaded, and scheduled a Process Muse episode. I did the episode graphics and loglines for Legerdemain, then did this week’s six episode videos for the three serials, uploaded, and scheduled them to TikTok. I typed up the meeting notes from the Collective’s meeting and sent them out for review, and the contact sheet, along with the link to the message board I set up for the group. People can visit to post about readings, post submission calls, opportunities, see if someone’s around to read something, etc. People can use it or not use it through the year to keep in touch.
In the afternoon, I read the book for review, and that’s all I’m going to say about that. But the review is due today, so I have to come up with something. I finished reading an acquaintance’s book, which was cute and fun.
I made Moosewood’s Thai Vegetarian Curry for dinner, which was good, even though there was a lot of vegetable chopping involved. I miscalculated how many sweet potatoes I needed, and peeled too many, so I cooked and mashed (with butter, orange juice, and brown sugar) the rest, and we’ll have them with tonight’s trout.
Stayed up until nearly midnight and finished A.J. Hackwith’s THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN, which is just wonderful. If you love books about adventure, libraries, stories, and imagination, this book is a good choice. It sets up like there might be more in the series, but I kind of hope it’s a standalone. (Note: I checked; it’s the first of a trilogy, and yes, I ordered the other two books from the library).
Slept reasonably well. Woke to the smell of coffee and Charlotte using my stomach for a trampoline.
Today’s writing priorities are drafting Legerdemain and working on the poem for Sunday’s reading. I have to finish telling the story I want to tell in the poem, time it, cut it where necessary, and then go back and work on sonics.
I also have to write and get the review out the door, and let them know I’m ready for the next assignment. I have to negotiate with the car insurers – our insurance DOUBLED since April’s payment, and we haven’t had a claim in years. I have to revise yesterday’s meeting notes and send them out for another review. I have an early conversation on a possible freelance gig. I need to do a library run and swing by the pharmacy to pick up something. I also have to get back on track with promoting the serials again on the rounds of social media.
The new WGA contract’s been ratified. Hopefully that means more script work coming my way in the coming weeks. I’m still going to look for another big, but short-term client for November-March, remote. I’m waiting to hear back on a few proposals between now and the end of the year, and then we can figure out spring and summer.
The constant beeping from the heavy machinery and the construction workers sending cars speeding down our street in the wrong way instead of putting up signs like responsible workers would to detour them around on the proper streets is sending me over the edge. Enough already.
I better get going then, hadn’t I? Have a good one.
October 9, 2023
Mon. Oct. 9, 2023: Intent for the Week — Waking Up to Life
image courtesy of Engin Akyurt via pixabay.comI just realized I hadn’t yet posted this morning.
I’m rather shambling around, trying to get back to life and create the schedule for the next few months — which will be disrupted in a couple of weeks when I serve jury duty.
My intent is to take what I’ve learned with the Boiler House Poets Collective and the Nightwood Creatryx and apply it to my life and work moving forward. Try new things. Keep learning more craft. Make every project stronger and more interesting than the one before. Not fear failure, because even then, I will learn.
And get some rest, this week, too! The first part was supposed to be going away on vacation, but weather has modified those plans.
What’s your intent for the week?
October 6, 2023
Fri. Oct. 6, 2023: Ready to Rest
image courtesy of Cim from PixabayFriday, October 6, 2023
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Rainy and warm
For once, this might actually be a short-ish post. I know, don’t faint. The post isn’t allowing category or tag notes today, so (shrug) there we are.
Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 74: Teaching Boys About Demons
Demons in the wild are different than demons in a video game.
Tomorrow’s serial episode is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 24: Dutch Thrillers & Drunk Co-Workers
A spontaneous outing at the movies winds up with a surprising meeting in a bar.
Meditation was good yesterday morning, and Charlotte was thrilled to be on ZOOM again.
I sat down to write some thank you notes and pay some bills and get some other admin done that piled up over the course of the residency. I walked to the post office to mail everything and send something certified and get a postcard stamp for the card I’m sending my friend on the road. The clerk told me she was so upset to miss the reading at the bookstore; she was called in to work unexpectedly on Saturday, and was really bummed. Which was sweet of her to mention.
I prepped my pages for Nightwood’s final session. I did some meal planning for next week, and made a comprehensive grocery list. I am probably the only person who spends MORE when I meal plan and make a list than when I just go in, see what looks good, and make up the week’s meals on the fly. But there are new recipes I want to try.
Fought with CVS some more. They keep sending emails to reschedule the COVID-booster, then try to send us an hour or more out. No. Just fucking no. Don’t tell me you have “local appointments open” when it’s an hour to an hour and a half away. Yes, I filed yet another complaint. Getting this booster is like the cage fighting we had to do for the original vaccine, and it should be a smooth system by now.
Ordered more COVID home tests (you can get another set free through the post office).
The session was intense. Some people had to miss it, but most of us were there. The two groups were melded, and everyone read a few minutes. There was a big sheet for notes, since we couldn’t read everyone’s material and have time to give notes. We all made our notes on the form and submitted it at the end. It was intense and wonderful and beautiful. It was interesting how different the work from the two groups were. I wish we’d had more time to spend together. But we all felt full of gratitude and creativity and joy by the end of it, as sad as we were for it ending.
I realized, as I sprawled on the couch after, though, that even though these two endings this week were A Lot, I’m ready to now try to apply and integrate what I’ve learned to my work moving forward. I’m also feeling a deep need to go back into hermit mode.
I read some more in the Mary Rodgers Guettel memoir, and then managed to drag myself to yoga. I was so tired, I could barely drive the five blocks. They already had Eagle Street blocked off for tonight’s First Friday, where they’re doing something with projections, so I actually had to pay attention to the detours, rather than just mechanically drive.
Our teacher was late because of a delay in her previous class at the college. But it was a lovely evening. We all just laughed and chatted outside the studio, and threatened to order pizza and eat it while sitting on the curb, making it impossible to do any yoga!
But our teacher came, very apologetic, with one of our group’s retired service dogs, who’d been serving as a therapy dog in the college class. He’s such a love bug. I was in Savasana and felt a paw on my stomach. I opened my eyes and he dropped his tennis ball down on me. Too funny. He’s such a sweetheart. There’s even an article about him in the college paper, in his new career as the college’s emotional support dog. There’s a photo of him with the article, so you can see how adorable he is.
Home, cooked dinner, read a bit, and then crashed.
Overslept this morning, which did not amuse Tessa and Charlotte.
Having a slow start. My body wants rest. I need to go grocery shopping and to the library, but that will be all my out-and-abouting today. I need to do some wrap-up admin for the BHPC and get that out the door. I have to get next week’s Legerdemain episodes up, and do the videos for all the episodes dropping next week, and get them up on TikTok.
I have a feeling I will skip First Friday tonight, even though it sounds really cool.
In the next few days, I need to get ahead on Legerdemain and The Process Muse, and focus on the “Work” poem. The opening line came just before residency; the last line came last night, as I was about to go to bed. Now I need to build the rest of it, using what I learned in the residency.
Tomorrow I’m going to a show in Pittsfield. Sunday I’m going to a workshop at the Clark. I’ll go a little early to spend some time with the art, and that will be my weekly “Day at the Clark” instead of today.
Next week, I go into pitch mode. I need to add a few new clients to the roster for November – March.
It’s supposed to rain all weekend and all next week. Urgh. So much for a lovely autumn vacation.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side of it.
October 5, 2023
Thurs. Oct. 5, 2023: Sliding Back into My Life
Water flowing through MASSMoCA Campus. Photo by Devon EllingtonThursday, October 5, 2023
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Foggy and warm
The latest on the garden is over on Gratitude and Growth.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 126: From Angel to Goddess
Shelley leaves the angel and visits with her patron goddess.
I did the social media rounds for all the stuff that went live yesterday. Caught up on some email. Switched out the lace panels for the spiderweb curtains.
Sat on the front porch (aka the “Conservatory”) for a bit, basking in the sun like one of the cats.
It was good to book a transition day into my schedule. I definitely needed it. Normally, I would have dived right back into a busy schedule, and gotten sick within two or three days. This is a much better choice! Maybe I’m learning something as I age?
I dealt with some email. I put together a bunch of research links I promised the Collective and got that out. And they added some more resources; it’s so great that we’re sharing. I started typing the meeting notes. I have to get that and the contact sheets done and out the door this week.
I’m reading SHY, the memoir by Mary Rodgers Guettel, co-written by Jess Green. She was Richard Rodgers’ daughter, and a composer and artist in her own right. I met her, when she threw a cast party for FLOWER DRUM SONG in her apartment, overlooking Central Park. It was bright and cheerful, with sketches she’d done on the walls, and a piano and really comfortable, not showplace-y. There were lots of yellows and light colors. One of the actors spilled red wine on the carpet and was mortified. Mary shrugged and said, “we have pets and grandchildren. Everything is scotch guarded within an inch of its life.” She went into the kitchen to get a sponge, and gleefully demonstrated how it wiped right off. We all had a good laugh about it, and the actor felt better.
I spent some time in the kitchen with her, chatting, and helping plate the lovely appetizers she fed us by the dozen. As someone not good in large group situations, I tend to gravitate to the kitchen to help the host or hostess at parties. We had a lovely conversation.
The tone of this book is so different than the woman I met. The woman I met was kind and funny and smart and joyful. The tone of the book has a forced brightness, a snark, and almost a desperation about it.
The Clark invited me to two events – a nature-based one this weekend, and a cocktail party on Friday the 13th. I said yes to both. I would love to go to their dyeing workshop on Saturday, but I’m going to see an acquaintance in his one-man show over in Pittsfield. I’ve also been invited to a workshop on Tribal Medicine at Mission House in November, and I said yes. I’m so excited to learn about that. This year, I’m finally going to the annual meeting/cocktail party for Wild Oats, later in the month. I know the staff at the co-op, and I’ve met some of the board members in virtual meetings, but now we’ll meet in person and hang out.
CVS wants to reschedule my mom’s booster, but not mine. Part of me wants us both to get our boosters elsewhere, but I don’t want to put her in danger because I’m having a hissy. I should just schedule hers and find mine wherever. Since CVS has made it clear they “don’t like” my insurance and refuse to honor the CDC Bridge program (yes, I’m filing another complaint).
Tarot circle was great. We worked with a usually heavy card – the Ten of Wands – and we laughed so much! It’s great to be with a group of smart, caring, funny people who aren’t afraid to talk about deeply personal things and support each other. And then after, we break down into some good conversations.
I had an hibiscus/jasmine cold tea (because it was hot) and brought their oat straw/nettle tea blend back, which I’ve been craving. My body needs that support.
Came home, heated up some leftovers, and then met up (virtually) with Jeremy’s cooking class. It was all about organizing the fridge, and boy, do I have some work to do! But it’s good information. Some of it I already do, but there’s a lot that can be better. He’s going to send us all kinds of charts.
The boat for the Greece trip has been upgraded, so he has a huge kitchen. He’s going to do more cooking on the trip, video it, and feed us the videos (since only a few of the class are actually able to go on the trip). Class is paused for 3 weeks for all that, and we’ll meet up again in November for a few weeks. Then, he’s putting together a supper club that will meet twice a month to get us through the winter. We realized we did 25 soups last year – that’s nearly a half a year together. No wonder we feel disoriented when there’s no class or prospect of class.
Another contrast between living here and living in my previous location is that there, people are very resistant to change. Here, although they honor the history and tradition of place (usually), because of the constant flow of artists in residence and performances and the like, there’s more of a sense of flow and transience, but the transience is treated like an asset and growth, not a threat. Since life IS transient, I think, for me, anyway, it’s healthier.
Anyway, about to hop onto virtual meditation with Be Well Be Here. I’ll take the garbage out after breakfast, then prep the pages for the final Nightwood session. This afternoon is our final Nightwood session, and then I have yoga, which is a nice way to close out the day.
Have a good one, and we’ll catch up tomorrow!
October 4, 2023
Wed. Oct. 4, 2023: Realignement Day
Inside the Boiler House at MASSMoCA, photo by Devon EllingtonWednesday, October 4, 2023
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Foggy and muggy
One of the wonderful things about this past week is that it reminded me that everything is interesting when you approach it with curiosity.
It feels very Monday-ish for a Wednesday.
We have a lot going on today. I know, I know, since when is that new and different?
Over on The Process Muse today, we talk about Percolation Time. You can read it here.
Over on Ink-Dipped Advice, I talk about Keeping Your Word. You can read that here.
Because it’s Wednesday, oh Wednesday, we have two serial episodes going live today.
The first is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 73: The Boys’ Abilities
Lianna assess the boys’ abilities & how they work together.
The second is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 23: Is It Blackmail?
Nina has to face the possibility that the boss she liked was a blackmailer.
Yesterday was our last morning in-studio. I hauled my ass out of bed at 4:30, fed the cats, got myself ready (with the first cup of coffee), and was in-studio a little after 6. Got set up, got a little writing done, but was, again, restless.
I think next year, I will have to come up with some kind of transition mini ritual when I walk into the studio, rather than just slamming myself at the desk and typing. I need something physical to help the transition from the “home” portion of my time (feeding the cats, making sure the fridge is stocked, taking out the garbage, etc.) from the very different headspace that being in a separate studio is all about.
I will talk to some of my fellow Llewellyn artists/writers and see what they do.
Staying at a residency is different, because you’re removed from your life, but having one foot in each, even just to sleep and deal with things late night/early morning means I need physical actions beyond getting in the car and driving to switch my mental spaces. Or use the time in the car as such.
I have a year to think about it. I’ll come up with something.
Anyway, I figured I’d pack the meditation corner/fabric corner first, do some writing, pack the reading corner, do some writing, and so forth.
I packed the meditation corner. But when I took down the fabric on which I’d painted, I saw that the paint bled through the fabric and now decorated the wall, too. Well, this is an artists’ space. The administrators plan for this.
Packed it up, then dug out the paint and the tray and the roller from the supply room. It took a few coats to cover the paint. This is what I get for using the acrylic I had instead of making the trip to the store to invest in fabric paint. I also splattered paint all over my top. Which is an old, not particularly fancy or expensive top. Even if my Laundry Goddess skills can’t get it out, I now have a paint shirt.
However, I was glad I hadn’t waited until 1 PM to start packing.
Once the paint was on the wall and drying, I just kept going: packed up the reading corner, packed up the books on my shelf and on my desk, packed up most of the fabric.
I didn’t want to take down the inspiration wall, but I was in packing mode. I photographed it in more detail, in case I wanted/needed to know where what image was in the future. No idea WHY I might need that information, but I document things, so there we were.
Then I took that wall down, too.
By 8:20 AM, I was all packed, except for one batik under the computer and the computer itself.
Came in with four bags; came out with six.
Never used the twinkle lights, because my studio had so much natural light. (I brought them home the night before).
I was sad to take down the inspiration wall, because I could feel something firing at the back of my brain, sparking. . .something. Staring at it for a few more days would get that going.
But I can either set those images up on a corkboard, or print out the photo of the wall and stare at it until my eyes cross and I figure out what I’m trying to figure out.
Options.
But I could feel, deep down, that my way of working the way I worked this week was done for now. It was time to pack up and move on. Twenty years ago, I would have fought it, gritted my teeth, and forced myself to work anyway, and it would have been crap I had to throw out. This time, I trusted my instincts.
I wrote in longhand in the residency journal I kept until about 10 AM, then packed up the car.
We started our rounds of goodbyes. I had the chance to sit and talk to one of the poets in her studio with whom I hadn’t had a chance to chat much, and that was lovely, getting to know her better. And more poets drifted in, so we could all have a nice chat before going our separate ways.
I left, stopped by the library to pick up the large stack of books that accumulated over the week (mostly research books on four different projects). Hauled everything home, unloaded the car.
The cats each had opinions, so I took some time with them before heading back out to drive Nancy to her hotel. Then, we decided we had some play time. We went to Freight Yard Pub and sat on their lovely back patio. We both wanted wine and French fries, so that’s what we had: wine, French fries, and excellent conversation.
I then took her to show off the library. Julian, one of the librarians with whom I have fascinating in-depth book conversations, was there, and gave us special insider’s information about the carved grandfather clock, and then we took a wander around all the wonderful nooks and crannies of the library. I love showing off the library.
We went across the street to Walkaway House to have a good chat. I dropped Nancy off at Eagle Street, so she could have a wander. She could tell I was getting tired, more than I realized.
I came home, and within ten minutes, was asleep on the couch.
Got up a couple of hours later, heated up some leftovers for dinner, and went to bed.
Slept through the night (which rarely happens). Got up around 6. The cats grumbled about the lateness of the food delivery service. Went back to bed for a bit.
But that’s why I blocked off today. So I wouldn’t have to worry about anything, and could take time and rest in readjusting.
Did my morning yoga routine and sat in meditation for a bit. Did some writing in longhand, sitting on the couch with the first cup of coffee. The cats were glad we were back to the routine.
I have some practical things to do like take out the garbage and refill the cat litter bin. I have some follow-up admin work to do for the residency, like typing up our meeting notes and type up the contact sheet. I promised various people information about this, that, and other, and I will put that together and get it out the door. Although some of it might be tomorrow, rather than today. I have to do the social media rounds for Process Muse, Ink-Dipped Advice, and both serials. I did zero promotion on the serials last week, and I will see that in my numbers next month.
As far as my own work, I need to sit down and prioritize projects. I need to put together my sharing pages for tomorrow’s last Nightwood session. The priority is to get ahead on Legerdemain. I miscalculated how much I could do in-studio on that piece. For some reason, it was difficult to write that project in that studio space. Maybe because every other of the 100+ episodes were written in my home office? I’m not sure. I’ve been lagging on it for several weeks now, so I need to figure out why and solve it. The second big arc is almost done; hopefully the third arc won’t wind up as complicated as this one was. (Hey, who’s in charge here? It’s up to me to make sure it doesn’t).
Other priorities: finish the first drafts of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE and FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE by the end of the year, because of their development opportunities next year. Do the next draft of CAST IRON MURDER, and hope it’s the submission-ready draft I need by the end of the year. My sense is that I’ll keep researching my Playland Painters, and that might be the main project I bring in-studio next year (in whatever format it becomes) along with some poems. Jessica, one of my fellow poets, now has me fascinated by the cleave poem format, which I hadn’t even heard of before this residency.
By the end of October, I have to look at the numbers for ANGEL HUNT and DEADLY DRAMATICS, and decide if future seasons of the serial make sense. They’re outlined; it’s just about whether or not the investment of time goes into writing them as serials, rather than as something else or if the time/energy needs to go to different projects entirely. I also need to figure out when to schedule the writing of REP, the science fiction comedy serial which has the tagline: “A theatre company in space. What could go wrong?” and decide when that will debut next year. During the residency week, I re-read the first set of episodes I wrote. While they need work, they’re a lot of fun. I also see the opportunity to incorporate some of the sonics I learned so much about in the residency into that piece. I can find a way to use the sonics to bump up the comedy.
I also want/need to build in a block of time every week for poetry, and what I’ve learned in this residency. I want to apply what I’ve learned on “Work” for the Oct. 15 reading. I want to keep working on “Penumbra” and “Lucy Debussy” and play with some new ideas. My sense is blocking off several hours once a week is a better choice than a short period of time daily (the way I do for other projects), but I don’t know. Do I need to “touch” the poems every day, the way I do drafts of plays or novels? I don’t yet know. I’ll play and see what works.
I also want to see what elements I can incorporate of what worked in my studio space into my home office.
This afternoon, I have tarot circle, and this evening is cooking class with Jeremy online. We’re learning about how chefs organize refrigerators. Considering I probably have monsters and science experiments in mine, since I’ve barely looked inside it since last week, other than making sure there was food for my mom to eat, that is a scary weekend project.
Also, it’s October! That means the white lace panel curtains come down and the spiderweb curtains go up!
Better get to it! Have a good one, my friends, and we’ll catch up tomorrow.
P.S. I cannot believe how many exclamation points I’ve used on this blog in the past few posts.
Part of it is that the last week was very exciting. Maybe part of it is about all the excised exclamation points from other projects migrating to the blog. Who knows?
October 3, 2023
Tues. Oct. 3, 2023: Residency Complete
image courtesy of 652234 via pixabay.comTuesday, October 3, 2023
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Foggy and dark (hey, it’s early; it’s supposed to be a nice day later)
My flash fiction story “Lavender” is out in the New Zealand-based FLASH FRONTIER:
October 2023: MARA | GARDEN
The link brings you to the title page. You can click the title/my name, and it will take you right down to it.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 125: Discussing the Spread of Discord
Shelley and Braziel deal with the mess.
Lots of catching up to do today!
Friday morning, I worked in studio. I had the whole building to myself for the first few hours. I did a lot of pacing and muttering, using the whole shared space, along with my studio space. The rain and wind got quite ferocious at one point, and I appreciated being in a sturdy, industrial building.
Our group project is inspired by our member Nancy Edelstein’s installation last year, “Pray for Sun.” Looking at the photos of the installation on her website, two in particular stand out for me; one with sun creating patterns through four tall panes of glass; the other a much darker, black and white industrial window, again three tall ones.
I think each will inspire a different poem. At least one of them, I think, will take what I learned in workshop about where words are placed on the page and play with that idea. Columns. Points of view? Different voices? A conversation between shadow and light?
I wasn’t sure on Friday, but I played with it.
Thursday afternoon, when I was too tired to create anymore, I submitted a play and I sent a pitch to a place that wants to hire writers to prepared audition monologues for actors, Since that’s how I got into writing plays in the first place, I pitched. And got a demand (it was sure as hell not a request) for a “one way interview.”
You know where you can put that “interview.”
I don’t do one-way interviews, because any talk of working together needs to be a conversation. Also, a “one-way video interview” is yet another form of unpaid labor as part of the interview process. I broke down how much that is in an actual cost over on Ink-Dipped Advice.
As much as I would have kicked ass in that job, it’s not the right fit. I’m not an actor; I don’t audition.
Friday, I played with the shadow & light poem. While I did that, I also played with the fabric wall art piece, adding words in different colors and beads. My fellow poets took a trip to the Clark to see the Munch exhibit, which is why I wanted to share the excerpt of the play inspired by the painting before they went.
Working with the words was a struggle. I have craft and structure questions. Rather than workshopping the piece itself, I decided to use Friday’s workshop session to ask questions and get guidance on craft.
How do I get the stanzas in conversation with each other? I want to do them in columns, the way Nancy played with columns of light.
I also printed out the program for the reading, which was harder than it should have been with flipping pages and making sure the inside was the the right side up, but at least I’d already made friends with the printer, so it wasn’t too bad. And, in this studio building, we had a laser printer, so it looks good.
By the time Nancy, whose work inspired the group project came in (her studio is next to mine), I had already had a half a dozen conversations with her in my head. I showed her the images I printed out. We talked a bit about what she was trying to do with the space in her installation, and it dovetails nicely with the ideas I had about creating the poem. Not that I had any idea HOW to create it yet, but I tried. I looked for a bunch of words with different shades of meaning and made lists, and wrote up my questions.
I got the second of this week’s Legerdemain’s episodes polished and uploaded, and did the episode graphics and loglines. My colleagues were in-studio then, so I didn’t work on the videos; I didn’t want to make noise.
I named my five fictional women, inspired by my Playland Painters.
Lunch was fun. The food was good, and we had a good chat. They loved the Munch exhibit, and found it inspiring.
We went back in-studio. I got a little more work done, and then I hit the point of “what are words?” so I spent some quality time on the acupressure mat reading Mary Oliver’s book about the craft of poetry, and some time reading Anne Truitt’s journals.
At 4 o’clock we trooped over to the other building for workshop. Again, everybody’s work is so cool! The scope and depth and engagement is wonderful. It was so exciting. What I love is how everyone gets really into the precision and how word choice and sonics change things. I am learning so much.
I asked my craft questions, and they all encouraged me to just dive right in, so that’s what I planned.
I did not go to dinner with everyone. I went home.
My mom was so funny. “Why aren’t you out with your friends?” She asked. “I still have left over spaghetti and meatballs from Grazie.”
After dinner, I baked the orange cranberry muffins, and then I did the apricot white chocolate gluten free bars.
Took my shower and went to bed early. Slept until about 3:30, when Charlotte woke me up. Stayed in bed until the alarm went off at 4:30. Made breakfast, did the dishes, packed everything I needed for the reading and headed out.
I was in-studio by 6 AM (maybe a little before). I got set up. I reworked the radio script pages I planned to bring in that afternoon.
I worked on the “Penumbra” poem about light and shadow, inspired by Nancy’s work. I got the light section and the shadow section done, in two different word placement formats. The third stanza, which brings them together visually and verbally, wasn’t where I want it on either level, but it’s a start, and I planned to keep working on it more before I brought it in on Sunday.
I also did the first couple of pages/first section of the comic mystery poem, “Lucy Debussy and the Mystery of the Old Mill.” Again, no idea what I’m doing, but I’m having fun.
I did vocal exercises. No one else was in-studio, so I made full use of the space, stretching, rehearsing, doing vocal warmups. I ended up rewriting “Quicksand” and cutting some stuff so the jokes can land better.
I drove stuff over to the bookshop and unloaded. We had a bit of a late start and more setup than expected, but we got it all done.
We had a decent turnout, although smaller than expected, and I was annoyed that some of the people who’d promised me they would come (and to whose events I have steadily turned up) did not. But one of my good friends did, and that made up for it! And some of the young poets in the regular writers’ circle that meets at the bookshop were there, and that was fun.
Everyone’s work was vibrant and interesting. Having Nancy’s video about her work in the middle was also great, because it gave the audience something different on a sensory level, and then the attention went back to the words.
It was fun talking to everyone after. I bought a copy of each poet’s book who had books there. We talked to the young writers, and basically to everyone in the audience.
We packed up. I put my car in the lot behind Big Y, and took the leftover baked goods back to the studio.
It was lunch time by then. We had lunch upstairs in the mezzanine space. Mine was disappointing. I’d ordered a BLT and it was pretty lame. I only ate about 1/3 of it.
I had the adrenalin crash. I’ve been so worried for weeks that something would happen to derail the reading. But we pulled it off; we had fun, the audience had fun, the owner was pleased and would like us back next year. Also, because I personally do not enjoy reading, I was glad it was over! Now I could kick back and socialize for the rest of the residency (during appropriate socialization hours).
After lunch was a bit of decompression time before workshop time. I did a little bit of work on “Penumbra” and “Lucy Debussy” but in the hard copy versions. I didn’t want to boot up the computer.
I read Anne Truitt’s DAYBOOK again, and found this wonderful quote on p. 178: “The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.”
That really resonated.
Headed over for the workshop. Again, the variety and breadth of everyone’s work was terrific. I brought in the opening of the slow-burn atmospheric radio play, and the comments were very helpful (and they all wanted to know what came next). They kept reading “SFX Owls” as “Sex Owls” so that became a running joke over the next few days.
I worry sometimes that I don’t give useful enough feedback because I don’t know the language of the form, But I try, and I’m learning.
After workshop, I gathered my things and the snacks took them over to the apartment. I saw the room I would have lived in this week, had I stayed over. And it’s nice! The whole apartment is lovely.
Most of us went out to dinner at Blue Mango in Williamstown, a Thai/Japanese place. We had the sweetest waiter! What a lovely, lovely man. The food is outstanding. Definitely someplace to which I would go back. Good conversation, too.
We came back to the apartment, and a bunch of us hung out and talked. It was fun.
I got home a little before 11, switched out what I needed to in my bag, showered, and went to sleep.
All 3 cats waited in a row at the top of the stairs when I got home, with their little mad faces on.
Hard to haul myself out of bed on Sunday morning, but I did it.
It just tickles me that people put out chairs for the parade overnight on Saturday and they were still there on Sunday! It cracked me up. I can’t think of that happening in a city like New York or whatever.
Chatted with the security guard when I got in. They’re so nice.
Set up and discovered that “Lavender” was published. Sent the link to my cohort here, and did the copies for my Clip file. If I don’t do that right away, I forget, and then I have to scramble when I need them.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. It was originally envisioned to be a lot of play on words/double entendres, but it’s turned out to be a more straightforward episode. I have to build the next few episodes to see if that will work, or I need to go back to the original concept.
I worked and reworked and reworked “Penumbra.” I was stuck, and I looked forward to workshopping it and getting feedback on what the hell I do next? Because I had no damn idea.
I went over to the museum to ask about the temporary membership card, and they had nothing there. Which is fine; we still have a few days to sort it out. I stopped at Tunnel City Coffee to get a hot chocolate. The paintings on the wall were a familiar style – turns out they are Jane Hudson’s! I had her tarot deck in my studio, and here were her paintings on the walls! Love it.
Ran into some of my fellow poets sitting in the sun, and we had a nice chat.
Came back to the studio and did some work. I went down a rabbit research hole with Playland. I also wrote some background on my fictional Painters. I named them a few days ago; now, I sat and stared at the photos and started creating characters based on the poses – some playful, some shy, some whatever. Creating their characters will help me create the story. I think I will go back to my first instinct about writing about them and the park as mysteries, with humor, but also with a darker side about the social and cultural aspects.
We had lunch outside, because it was such a beautiful day, although we were bothered by wasps. We talked through publication options one of the poets currently faces with her new book.
Printed out two different versions of “Penumbra” – not in the words themselves, but how they were arranged on the page. Again, workshop was great. Several people presented work they’ve done in-studio this week, so there was a lot of experimentation and play, which is beautiful.
They were very interested and supportive about my mess of “Penumbra” and the feedback gave me a lot to work on. I’m going to keep playing with it. Yes, I realize that means building time to play with it past residency. But I’m going to keep working on it.
We decided to do our own takeouts for dinner. I grabbed my favorite chicken lo mein from Meng’s Pan Asian (which is practically next door to the apartments) and ate in the kitchen, as people drifted in.
We had our planning meeting for next year: what we needed from the experience, our priorities, dividing up tasks so no one person has so much on their plate that they can’t fully enjoy the residency experience. We all want to come back next year, and even have our dates. Everyone wants to do their bit to make it all happy and easy for all of us, which is part of what makes this special. We are invested in this being a Collective.
Headed home, switched things out of the bag. Charlotte waited for me right behind the door, I didn’t know it, and she got tapped by the door as I opened it, and was very upset. Tessa had A Lot To Tell me. Willa just wanted to be petted.
Took my shower, went to bed, fighting the beginnings of a migraine.
The smoke alarm went off at 3:30, because the downstairs neighbor smoked in front of my door and set it off.
Got settled back in until 4:30. Up and out of the house and in-studio by 6. Had trouble settling in to work. I was trying to write my way through something or other, and it wasn’t working. I felt scattered and weepy. Scattered is understandable; weepy is not.
I worked and reworked the opening of the “Lucy Debussy” mystery poem. I’m only sharing about a page and a half. I want to make sure I’m on the right track before I keep going.
I did some noodling of ideas around the Playland Painters story.. But it was a struggle. I’m trying to figure out if I’m going to drop the first body in the Fun House, in Laff in the Dark, in the Witch’s Forest, or hang it off the roller coaster. It’s a big decision!
This week contains a lot of change, and I don’t think I’m ready for it.
Walked over to Big Y, because we were out of bread and coffee at home, and couldn’t wait until the residency was over.
I went to the museum, bought some postcards (I’m going to send my friend one), and Erik Kessels FAILED IT! about how mistakes are creative opportunities.
I spent a lot of time in the Boiler House again, with the camera (not the one on my phone). I took a lot of photos. Got a cappuccino on the way back, and picked up a card for the Working Weavers studio trail in a few weeks.
Downloaded all the photos from my camera into the computer. Printed out some of my favorite ones and pinned them to the wall.
Got an email from Bill Yehle to confirm that I have a slot in the Oct. 15 Poets in Conversation about “Work”. Looking at those equipment/industrial/rusting photographs from the Boiler House got those wheels turning.
I have something else connected to those photos that wants to be born, but I’m not yet sure what it is. It needs to simmer for a bit, and decide what it wants to be.
Nancy invited everyone over to her studio to show them what she’s been working on, and gave us a demonstration of the press she’s been using to emboss. It was fascinating!
We had lunch outside again. Another group headed off to the Boiler House. I stopped at the R & D store – the clerk recognized me from the author event the other day. I bought a book of “SPELLS – 21ST CENTURY OCCULT POETRY” which is a really great anthology.
Sat and stared at the photographs. Worked on the first two stanzas of “Work” for the reading on the 15th. We’ve talked a lot about the sonics of poems, and I want to play more with language and sound. I did some of that in the Lucy Debussy rewrite.
Our final workshop session was good. Again, people were playing. We have a safe space to try new things. One of the most fascinating and wonderful things is how we will all ponder and poke around a specific word to find out if there’s a better one. I mean, that happens to a point in prose, but there tend to be a lot more words, and the weight can be spread around a little more. Poems distill image and emotion and story and theme in a limited amount of very specific words. But there’s something really joyful about the care and attention everyone takes in helping each other find the right word with the right nuance.
The feedback on “Lucy Debussy” is very helpful. Some want it to be prose; I still want to see if I can learn enough craft to pull it off as a poem.
We went to dinner at the Craft Food Barn and ate outside. I had the Cuban Panini, which was just as good as it sounds. I was also introduced to the joy of the mocha sundae.
Sadly, I was also bitten by a mosquito on my forehead and wound up with a welt the size of a golf ball.
We went back to the apartments, spread out snacks, poured wine, talked, and did a round of poem sharing. They were funny and poignant and wonderful. Most shared two; I only shared one. I’d forgotten the print version, but I’d read it over a few times in-studio in the afternoon, so I was able to do it from memory.
I was home a little after ten, did the usual turnaround of the bag, making coffee, the showers.
Hard to drag myself out of bed this morning. Got in-studio a little after 6. The lock on my door stuck, and I worried that my last morning there, and I couldn’t get in! But I jiggled it and did.
I’m trying to get some writing done. I’ll pack up the studio in bits. I could just strike the whole thing around noon, in about twenty minutes (never let anyone tell you what you learn in theatre is not relevant to life). But I think I’ll write a bit, pack up the meditation/painting corner, write a bit, pack up the books, and so on.
I hate taking down the inspiration wall. But this experience is complete. I need time to figure out what I’ve learned, and how to use it moving forward.
And to cherish the experience.
Shorter post tomorrow, I promise!
October 2, 2023
Mon. Oct. 2, 2023: Intent for the Week — Release and Integrate
image courtesy of Lynn Greyling via pixabay.comI chose this photo in honor of my friend and fellow poet Joanne, whose father worked in hydroelectric power in this area, and who showed me the lovely and fascinating network of canals and dams in the area before we started our residency.
The Boiler House Poets Residency ends tomorrow, after an intense and wonderful week, with lots of creativity and laughter. Nightwood Theatre’s Creatryx Unit ends on Thursday, after nine weeks’ of growth, collaboration, and laughter.
It’s a lot of endings this week, and a lot to release.
Each of these experiences is unique, and can never be exactly recreated again, even if the same group(s) gather again in the future. Honoring the experience is important, while still knowing future experiences will be different as we evolve.
While I have to release the structures of those programs, I also have to integrate what I learned moving forward, both as an artist and a human.
It’s a lot compressed into a few days. I have to remember to give myself the space to do the work I need to do, on physical, mental, and emotional levels.
What is your intent for the week?
September 29, 2023
Friday, Sept. 29, 2023: In Studio
Boiler House, MASSMoCA Campus, Photo by Devon EllingtonFriday, September 29, 2023
Full Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Rainy and cool
Moving into the weekend!
Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 74: Teaching Boys About Demons
Demons in the wild are different than demons in a video game.
Tomorrow’s episode is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 20: Back in the Office
Important files are missing from Nina’s desk.
Catchup time.
We had a water issue at the house, Wednesday night going into Thursday. The cold water was coming out with a yellow-ish brown cast. So we’re using bottled water for things like brushing teeth, filling cat bowls, etc., and boiling the heck out of everything we use, especially for the dishes. It’s probably from the construction up the street – and they have to get their act together. They’ve caused enough disruption. The hot water is fine (because it goes through the tank to heat it?) But the cold water is disgusting.
Fortunately, I didn’t need water to bake the cookies (and boiled the water for the dishes). Made the chocolate chip cookies, cooled them, packed them.
Took a very hot shower, went to bed – and couldn’t sleep. I sort of dozed on and off, and woke up just after 4 AM. I’d set the alarm to go off at 4:15. Got the coffee started, fed the cats, got dressed. I was out the door before 6.
Tessa wished to speak to the manager, because this is not our routine. Although nobody minded being fed at 4:30 AM rather than 5:30 AM.
It was foggy, and they set the traffic lights to blinking lights, which I really hate.
The gates at campus were closed, so I went around to the one I knew was open, and checked with the security guard about where I could park. Hauled my stuff in. Set up some more in the studio, setting up the reading nook and the yoga/meditation corner. Tried and failed to get into the site’s internet. Checked the residency packet, and I’d mis-entered the password. Once that was fixed, all good. Figured out how to work the printer with my computer.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Decided I would do my first share as the opening scene of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, and printed that out (we’re working in hard copies).
One of the things I love here is the Clocktower, which chimes every fifteen minutes. There’s a wonderful story behind it, which you can read here, about Christina Kubisch, the artist and musician who restored it. At noon, there’s the most beautiful music.
I wrote eight more pages on THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE. I had to course correct, because, in one scene, I had them talking about WWII, and then realized it hadn’t happened yet, so I had to delete and restructure.
The two other artists in the studio building came in, a few hours after I did. None of us slept well last night. I’m glad it wasn’t just me, although I’m sad they didn’t get good rest.
A little after 10:30, I took a wander over to the museum. I spent some time in the Joseph Grigely IN WHAT WAY WHAM? White Noise and Other Works. It was fascinating, but kind of overwhelming. It also got me thinking about how much talking we do that isn’t about communicating, it’s about noise (which is part of what he’s exploring). How many of the banal verbal exchanges are about building relationships through the daily details, and how much is unnecessary noise? I suppose part of it depends on how much you enjoy the interaction, and the people involved.
Anyway, those musings are going into the mental percolator, and we’ll see what comes out. Down the road.
I really wanted to be outside, so I wandered out and over to the Boiler House, which is how the Boiler House Poets Collective got their name. What a fascinating building. I took a bunch of photos, and I will do use them as something. There’s something very compelling about the building.
I stopped in at Tunnel City Coffee – and there were two of my Word X Word colleagues! One of them lives in North Adams, and is looking forward to the reading on Saturday. The other colleague talked about how he wants us to perform in the Boiler House, and how they’ve done some events at MASSMoCA. Which is such a cool space, and there are so many opportunities.
Wandered back to my studio to settle in and get some more work done before lunch. But my brain was tired. I read a little bit. One of my fellow artists had a wasp in her studio, so we teamed up to defeat the wasp. May he rest in peace, because by the time we were done with him, he was in pieces.
Lunch was good. We ate together outside. My box lunch was a chicken Thai burrito, which is as strange as it sounds, but it was good. A little heavier than I wanted, so I will adjust moving forward.
Went back to the studio, helped a fellow artist with the printer, gathered my things, and we headed to the other building for workshop time.
Everyone’s work was so strong, and so interesting! It was great to listen and learn about the different poetic styles and the precision of word choice. I brought in the rewritten opening of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, and got excellent feedback on it. Two small cuts make it much stronger. Also, one of my colleagues pointed out where I misread a line, reading the piece out loud, and it changed the meaning of it to something I didn’t want.
This is why it was great to bring a script into a poets’ conclave – poetry is about the precision of language to an even greater degree than any other form. So they catch the details. And it was interesting to see how they got some of the details the other theatre artists had missed, when I shared with another group. Each group picked up on different elements. Which gives me information on precision to engage different types of audience.
Two of the poets brought their contributions for the collaborative project, based on the work of one of our fellow artists. I need to get to work on that (I wrote the opening before I got here and some notes, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten). I also need to work on my piece for Word X Word on October 15. I have my notes at home; I need to find them and bring them to the studio.
I timed my readings for Saturday multiple read-throughs. I’m coming in pretty consistently at 4:30, which means I’m fine for the 5-minute slot.
By the end of the afternoon, I was very tired. That lack of sleep will do it.
But one of my fellow poets and I had tickets to a conversation with the Finnish artist Marika Maijala, over in the R&D section of the museum. She had a terrific turnout, and it was a fun event. She’s a lovely, interesting, somewhat self-effacing person, and charmed the audience. She signed copies of her book, ROSIE RUNS (about a greyhound), so of course, my friend and I bought copies and had her sign them.
I then joined two of my fellow poets and we went to Public for dinner. It’s a place I’ve wanted to try, and never have. It was busy. I’m still a little skittish about indoor dining, but I’d promised myself that this week, I would take the risk. The food was good. The wine was even better.
And we had excellent conversation, which is always a highlight of spending time with fellow artists.
At the end of the evening, I went home. There was no way I was baking. I took care of a few things. The water situation seems to be fixed. I’m still using bottled water for a few days, especially for the cats. Put together some tea choices to take in. There’s plenty of coffee in our studio space, and an electric kettle, but no tea. Since I have A LOT of tea, I figured I could share it.
I went down hard to sleep. I had trouble getting to sleep, but once I was out, I was out until about 3:30. I tried to rest for another hour until the alarm went off, only it didn’t go off, and I thought, surely it’s 4:30 by now? I checked the clock and it was 4:35, so I got up.
I had trouble getting going. The cats are digging the whole 4:30 AM breakfast thing. I made myself scrambled eggs and toast and got out the door. Easy ride down. The main gate was open, so I didn’t have to drive around. I parked; I chatted with the security guard as we walked to the studio. He’s very nice to pretend he “just happens” to be around when I get there, and sees me to the building.
I got myself settled in to start the day.
It was so interesting, yesterday, talking to some of the other poets, about how they enjoy having a slow morning, coffee in bed, thinking time, before coming to the studio. Meanwhile, I’m out the door and in-studio by 6 AM, because my strongest creative time is 6-10 in the morning, and I want to make sure I’m in studio for it!
I need to allow myself some more quiet and rest while I’m in-studio. I definitely will spend some quality time today on my yoga mat and the acupressure mat (both of which I brought, and set up in one area of the studio, along with my zafu, so I can sit in meditation if and when I choose.
Percolation time is not time wasted; percolating in-studio is the same, and I have to allow myself the space to do so.
I also have to print the programs for tomorrow’s reading!
I hope to play with a few ideas and maybe type up and write my way into a few things on which I made notes. See if they’re viable. I want to do some work on the paint/textile piece, using what I learned in yesterday’s workshop session about space and word placement, and see how that translates to the fabric. I want to wander around the Boiler House a bit more, and the museum. I’m working in sections on the museum.
The concrete is doing a number on my ankles and hips. That’s another reason I need to spend some time in yoga asanas today. The slippers help a lot.
Most of the poets are headed to the Clark today to see the Munch exhibit. I will stay here and work. We have our communal lunch, more work time, and then workshop time. I have to figure out what I’m going to bring in. If I can get enough drafts done of the group project, maybe I’ll do this.
Tomorrow is our reading at Bear & Bee Bookshop. I’ll do another round of social media on that today. It’s in the morning; I’m sure we will spend the afternoon recovering. Tonight, I have to finish the baking. So, no group dinner or community hangout for me!
Sunday, we can luxuriate in studio time, and then have a workshop session, and a planning meeting in the evening. Monday is a full studio/workshop day. Tuesday is our last morning together, and we have to clear out.
My studio feels like home in the right way. It doesn’t have the distractions, but I’ve definitely uber-nested.
I’m off to draft an episode of Legerdemain and then get back to work!
Have a great weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side.
September 28, 2023
Thurs. Sept. 28, 2023: Studio As Blank Canvas
image courtesy of Michal Jarmoluk via pixabay.comThursday, September 28, 2023
Waxing Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
No idea; this is scheduled to post. It’s supposed to be pretty, though
There’s a quick placeholder post over on Gratitude and Growth, but no real information.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 124: From Infirmary to Chapterhouse
Shelley needs information from the angelic realm.
Yesterday was a lovely day.
I managed to draft an episode of Legerdemain early, early in the morning.
I met my friend around 8:30 and we headed out. She showed me the small towns in the area where she grew up, went to school, where her dad worked, etc., etc. All these lovely, hidden gems of places, tucked between dams and old mills and hydroelectric plants. We met a very sassy, talkative tabby cat in Monroe Bridge who demanded lots of petting. Which, of course, I was happy to oblige. She was obviously well fed and cared for, just liked to make the rounds and see what’s what.
It reminded me of how much I don’t know, and how many interesting things there are in the world! It was wonderful.
We had lunch at a local pizza place, and I went home to get my act together and pack the car.
Headed over to MASSMoCA. Met my fellow poets. We had the orientation, got our studio assignments and apartment assignments. The apartments are really nice! I was surprised by how nice they are. Even though I’m not sleeping there, I have a key, so I can drop things off and hang out in the evenings with everyone.
My studio is huge! It has two wonderful windows and lots of natural light. It was definitely a blank canvas, which I hurried to work on. I moved the table, so my back isn’t to the door; I’m between the windows, so I can look out of either window and see the door. I set up my books and tarot decks and crystals and inspiration images.
The batiks don’t work hanging on the wall. Using pins hurts the fabric. So I have to bring in some cotton fabric, because that’s working just fine. I haven’t yet decided where to put the twinkle lights.
I have a space set up for the yoga mat. I might bring the acupressure mat along, too. That corner is looking a little dreary, but with some fabric, I think it will be fine. I’m sure it will be a work in progress.
Even after I set up the space as much as I could for the day, I had time to write a little bit and read some of Anne Truitt’s journal before we headed over for dinner.
Dinner was at Grazie, the restaurant across from campus. The food was really good. I ate more than I normally would have, and I still brought half of it home! It was a great chance for us to sit and chat and get to know a little about each other. What an interesting group of artists! I’m very excited to work with them.
Ran into a stained glass artist I know on the way back to pick up my car. She’s hoping to make the reading, depending on whether she has to go and meet a client out of town on Saturday.
Home, baked the chocolate chip cookies, packed up some more stuff for tomorrow, did this post, packed stuff for tomorrow, took my shower.
The cats are very confused.
The downstairs neighbor parked in my spot, so I left him a very nice note. Everyone is consistent with their parking spots. He’s the only one who parks wherever he wants, and has no consideration for anyone else.
It stops now.
Anyway, I’m excited for tomorrow. And for the rest of the week!
