Leena Luther's Blog, page 3

Also in Attendance… :)

Last week, I traveled to NYC to begin my duties as a Planned Parenthood Patient Spokesperson, to be part of a four-person panel that announced the new, expanded Planned Parenthood Breast Health Initiatives.

Article from The Frisky.

Article from The Grio.

Evidently I was in tears. But it was just one of those days. I somehow found myself talking to a roomful of reporters with the President of Planned Parenthood, a famous actress (shown above), and a super accomplished doctor. I felt weird, okay?

Weird, but tremendously happy.

I am so thrilled that Planned Parenthood is expanding their breast services. The services and programs expanded through this initiative include:

grants for specialized follow up services, like diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, or biopsies
digital breast health educational resources specifically designed for women aged 18-39
an expanded promotores educational and outreach program to reach Latinas
a unique training tool designed for Planned Parenthood doctors and nurses to assess breast cancer risk in patients — including those under age 40

Learn more!

Understanding Haiku: A Workshop

This fall I will be teaching a workshop on haiku at The Arts Center of the Capital Region. I’m very excited! It’s different than the other writing offerings, so I hope people will be interested and sign up.

Understanding Haiku

Saturday

November 17, 2012 — 12:30 PM to 03:30 PM

Member:$41 | Non-Member:$45

Forget what you know about counting syllables and understand the art of haiku. This ancient Japanese art form has been translated into the English-speaking world though the use of season words (kigo), cutting (kiru), “aha moments,” and more. We will also explore the related forms of senryu, renga, and haibun. If you are a fan of flash fiction, Twitter, or any kind of micro writing, you won’t want to miss this workshop.

 

The Stories That Sustain Us

There are many kinds of stories out there. Some are informative, while others entertain. A few demonstrate mastery of or brilliant experimentation with language. But when I love a story, it’s not just because it did one of those tasks; it’s because the story will sustain me.

I’ve been thinking about the specifics of that lately. What sustains me? What sustains others? What sustains us all? Could I possible write something that sustains someone else, on purpose? Or would that be a happy accident?

The “me” question is the easiest to answer. I could talk a lot about self-indulgence here, but I’m wary of appearing jaded. That’s not the point I wish to make. But I do think the stories that move us—the stories that sustain us—rely on some sort of relation to self, either through the ego, proximity, or affiliation. Reading is a personal experience, after all.

My husband and I went on a genealogical bender last weekend, mostly for his side (as my mother has been successfully researching my side for a long time now). And it really was a bender. We spent the entire weekend looking up census records, examining boat records, investigating the Google street view of tiny European villages, and grilling the “elders” for stories.

There was a lot of payoff. The stories of his ancestory were fascinating. Yeah, we’re related to THAT Luther, which may explain the hubby’s flair for colorful insults. Oh Uncle Marty, what did I marry into?

Mobsters too, evidently. One guy had his job listed in the census as “TEAMSTER,” employed by, “SELF.” That was hilarious until Grandma informed us that the beautiful ivory-handled gun that the family uses for costume parties actually has the serial number filed away. That’s all I dare say about that.

I’ve always been a huge fan of myths and legends, like many people. These particular family myths and legends will sustain me more so than their unaffiliated cousins. That’s just human nature.

So how to capture these affiliations when writing fiction? How can an author hope to move complete strangers? Do we even try? Or should we strive to write for our affiliations and hope some trope or character is universal enough to stir a sort of recognition among others? Do we write to our affiliations or deliberately outside of them?

WWDD? What would Dostoyevsky Do? How the hell did he do it?

I don’t know the answer, but it’s what I’ve been thinking about lately. I should probably stop, because it seems impossible and that will only discourage me. And Uncle Marty wouldn’t be impressed by that. So I’ll just let stories sustain and inspire me.

What Else Can Haiku Do?

I went on a tear last night—a tear of modernist poetry. Imagism, in particular.

It actually didn’t start out with haiku, even though it could have. I’m not exactly sure why this foreign poetry style from the 17th century is my favorite, but it is. I was actually reading an article in Triangle magazine, by Henry Shukman on Zen and art.

For better or worse, “Zen and the Art of…” has become a phrase that, like “Catch-22,” gets bandied about in all kinds of contexts. Zen and the Art of Changing Diapers, Zen and the Art of Casino Gaming, Zen and the Art of Faking It—there are now literally hundreds of books with “Zen and the Art of…” in the title, all presumably taking their cue from Robert Pirsig’s huge 1970s bestseller, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance…

The article is on “why the relationship between Zen and art is neither as simple or obvious as these cliché implies.” I said to my husband, “I really wish this article was longer, because it’s getting into some complicated stuff, that covers centuries. How can one article get from ancient Zen centers, and the art involved with them, to 1970s philosophy?”

Probably better than this blog entry can, but hey. Let’s try to trace it back a little bit.

Motorcycle maintenance dude was referencing, “Zen in the Art of Archery,” by German philosopher Eugen Herrigel, who lived in Japan for a bit and is credited with introducing Zen to Europe after WWII. Except, he kinda got Zen wrong because he learned it from Master Kenzô, who did teach archery, but, wasn’t a teacher or practitioner of Zen Buddhism. Whoops.

I can’t judge the guy too harshly. Maybe it wasn’t his goal to start a Zen craze in Europe. He certainly couldn’t have foreseen, “Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating.”

It just goes to show you how easy it is to mess it up when you try to adapt or translate art from another culture.

But I don’t think it’s bad to try.

The purpose of haiku, as I see it in the western world, isn’t to create a perfect capsule of Japanese culture. Nor is it to butcher haiku’s traditional tenets and strengths. It’s something in-between. I think you can learn from other cultures, and the art forms especially within those cultures, to stretch your own views of the world. Give them their due and take care not to co-opt, but, by all means, keep learning.

Somewhere along my tear, I moved from the article to reading about Ezra Pound, and the Imagist poetry movement he made famous. Pound, too, studied Japanese art forms, especially tanka. “Hey!” I told myself, “I’ve read him. I have the Personae anthology downstairs. Man, that guy was a self-absorbed douche. How the hell was that book influenced by tanka?” It wasn’t really. His imagist work came after.

Imagism (popularized by Pound, H.D., and Richard Aldington) was a short-lived, but highly influential poetry movement. It, itself, was influenced by Japanese poetry, as well as the Greek lyric poetry of Sappho (which I also have downstairs), and the French/Russian/Belgian Symbolism movement. It has three principles:

1. Direct treatment of the “thing” whether subjective or objective.

2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation.

3. As regarding rhythm: to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of a metronome.

Ahhhh…. lovely.

Pound edited an anthology called, “Des Imagistes,” which can be found online in its entirety. I devoured that, but found myself thinking, “Why is the title French?” and “James Joyce must have been one bored dude to go from this to Finnegan’s Wake (also downstairs).”

But it’s all so interesting, isn’t it? To see how one art form influences another? It amazes me what aspects of haiku have lived on and grown into other (completely different and often contrary) forms. It makes me excited to study it further and apply it to my own writing style in who-knows-what sort of ways.

The Crooked Canvas

I’ve found a new home for this roll of fabric that’s been stored in my closet for 2+ years now.

I was recently asked to join the board of The Crooked Canvas, an up-and-coming creative reuse center. It’s so new, I haven’t even made a website for them yet. So I have to get my gushing out here.

A creative reuse center combines two activities I feel are supremely important in life: recycling and making stuff. Wikipedia defines creative reuse as, “…the process of taking used or recycled materials and turning them into creative pieces of art, home decoration, or other useful items.” Think of a place that serves teachers, artists, or people like me who just like to make stuff. You could find arts & crafts materials, fabric, paper goods, and so much more.

I can’t get into all the details just yet. We still have to do board-y stuff like adopt our bylaws. But, we do have a space in Troy, NY above The Broken Mold studio.

Let me know if you want to help!

Creative Spaces – Hooray for the Arts!

Last weekend's visit to the Write Here! Conference at the Arts Center went very well. I sold more books than I ever had in one day! Thank you fellow writers. And thank you for the review Hemingway Heroine. I'm so glad you were able to connect with the work.

I also made some good contacts. I may be doing a joint reading with another author soon. And there are some nibbles from the theatre world as well. I will keep you posted about any future developments!

But I wanted to give a little plug to the Arts Center. My local center showcases and offers classes in all sorts of arts – from culinary to writing. I love that. If you have one near you, you should visit. You can hone what you're good at, and improve something you're not. It's all about the process anyway, right?

But the trip there also got me thinking about creative spaces.When I was little, I wanted to be an architect, and would spend hours drawing floor plans. My surroundings are really important to me. So, when I became a homeowner last year, I was more than happy to spend hours upon hours arranging rooms with my husband. Anyway, I thought it might be fun to share some of the creative spaces I spend time in.

The living room without a TV in it. I don't spend enough time in here. Le sigh.

My basement writing corner. I usually face the wall to minimize distractions. lol

There is more than writing going on in the house.

The sewing/craft room. I didn't take a picture of the closet.

My office. I like to use my laptop on the cushions, until my back screams at me anyway.

Not shown: the workshop. My husband bought a ton of wood today, so there isn't much else to see. I also love my kitchen, but, that's a whole 'nother website.

All this said, I wrote a short story today upstairs in the guest room. *shrug*

So what about you? What creative spaces do you enjoy?

Book Signing at the Book Fair: March 10

On March 10, I will be signing copies of LUMP at the Write Here! book fair taking place at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, 9 – 5. That's in Troy, NY.

Write Here! is a mini-conference put on by the Arts Center and the Hudson Valley Writers Guild. The one-day conference covers:

What does it mean to be a writer living, working and creating in the Capital Region of New York State, and how does this place inform your craft? Explore options, share resources, and network within the diverse local writing community.

If you are interested in that, check it out. Attendance is $15 ($12 for Arts Center members). The book fair will take place in the Arts Center lobby. So, even if you aren't interested in the conference, stop by if you want to check out some books.

A Dark Day: Stand With Planned Parenthood

Eight and a half years ago, I walked into a Planned Parenthood for a breast exam.

It was my first time in a PP. I was living in Denver and was between jobs. That's not code for being lazy or stupid or unemployable. I had a masters degree and a series of good jobs in technology start-up companies. They were exciting to work for, but, proved not to be the most stable things. But I didn't mind, because I was young and single and only had responsibilities to myself. I underestimated my need for stability and foolishly decided to not sign up for COBRA health insurance in between jobs. "What was the point?" I'd ask myself. I was young and healthy, and new job was just around the corner.

Then I found a lump in my breast.

"Weird!" I thought. I remember calling my mom to make sure breast cancer didn't run in our family. "GET IT CHECKED ANYWAY!" she told me. So I tried.

But without insurance it was hard. Specialists all needed referrals. Primary care physicians all needed insurance. I got one nibble of someone who would see me – in a few months for $400. Screw that. It was probably just a cyst anyway.

Then I remembered Planned Parenthood had sliding scales. I don't know how I even knew this. One of my friends probably got their birth control there or something. So I gave them a call.

Not only could they take me right away, the could offer me free care. They had a grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure that would pay for any breast exams, ultrasounds, and biopsies, if they proved necessary.

Unfortunately, they did prove necessary. I was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive breast cancer. Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood worked together and saved my life.

For the past eight years, I have given back to both these organizations. For Komen, I have participated in three "3-Days", countless Race for the Cures, and numerous third-party events. I have raised approximately $7000. I also volunteered for the local affiliate. I was their webmaster and acted as a young survival advocate. In 2009, the affiliate named me Volunteer of the Year.

I always gave money to Planned Parenthood. I also shared my story. Just last spring, I was filmed for a series of commercials they put out. It always distressed me that they were constantly having to spend energy defending themselves from attacks from right-wing extremists.

Last night, I got an email from Planned Parenthood asking me if they could include the video on their press release statement regarding Komen pulling their funding, and perhaps get a quote.

"What happened? What is going on? Huh? What? WHY?" was my first quote.

I read a few news articles. I scoured the web for information. I didn't want to believe it. It felt like my two best friends were fighting. I couldn't reconcile what was going on. I experienced cognitive dissonance at its finest.

This morning, Komen released the following:

…While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a longstanding partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission…

From where I stand, Komen (with the recent hire of anti-choice activist and PP hater Karen Handel as VP) is doing the exact opposite. I may be a writer, but actions speak louder than words. That's why, this morning, I officially quit as volunteer and fundraiser for Komen.

It killed me to write the email – to tell people I consider friends and allies that I could no longer work with them. But I have to do what's right. Part of me wants to take the high road and fight for change from within. But that would only work if Komen listened. But they are refusing to meet with Planned Parenthood. They didn't ask for affiliate input before making this decision. And they sure as hell didn't reach out to the people they've helped.

A dark day indeed.

A Dark Day

Eight and a half years ago, I walked into a Planned Parenthood for a breast exam.

It was my first time in a PP. I was living in Denver and was between jobs. That's not code for being lazy or stupid or unemployable. I had a masters degree and a series of good jobs in technology start-up companies. They were exciting to work for, but, proved not to be the most stable things. But I didn't mind, because I was young and single and only had responsibilities to myself. I underestimated my need for stability and foolishly decided to not sign up for COBRA health insurance in between jobs. "What was the point?" I'd ask myself. I was young and healthy, and new job was just around the corner.

Then I found a lump in my breast.

"Weird!" I thought. I remember calling my mom to make sure breast cancer didn't run in our family. "GET IT CHECKED ANYWAY!" she told me. So I tried.

But without insurance it was hard. Specialists all needed referrals. Primary care physicians all needed insurance. I got one nibble of someone who would see me – in a few months for $400. Screw that. It was probably just a cyst anyway.

Then I remembered Planned Parenthood had sliding scales. I don't know how I even knew this. One of my friends probably got their birth control there or something. So I gave them a call.

Not only could they take me right away, the could offer me free care. They had a grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure that would pay for any breast exams, ultrasounds, and biopsies, if they proved necessary.

Unfortunately, they did prove necessary. I was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive breast cancer. Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood worked together and saved my life.

For the past eight years, I have given back to both these organizations. For Komen, I have participated in three "3-Days", countless Race for the Cures, and numerous third-party events. I have raised approximately $7000. I also volunteered for the local affiliate. I was their webmaster and acted as a young survival advocate. In 2009, the affiliate named me Volunteer of the Year.

I always gave money to Planned Parenthood. I also shared my story. Just last spring, I was filmed for a series of commercials they put out. It always distressed me that they were constantly having to spend energy defending themselves from attacks from right-wing extremists.

Last night, I got an email from Planned Parenthood asking me if they could include the video on their press release statement regarding Komen pulling their funding, and perhaps get a quote.

"What happened? What is going on? Huh? What? WHY?" was my first quote.

I read a few news articles. I scoured the web for information. I didn't want to believe it. It felt like my two best friends were fighting. I couldn't reconcile what was going on. I experienced cognitive dissonance at its finest.

This morning, Komen released the following:

…While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a longstanding partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission…

From where I stand, Komen (with the recent hire of anti-choice activist and PP hater Karen Handel as VP) is doing the exact opposite. I may be a writer, but actions speak louder than words. That's why, this morning, I officially quit as volunteer and fundraiser for Komen.

It killed me to write the email – to tell people I consider friends and allies that I could no longer work with them. But I have to do what's right. Part of me wants to take the high road and fight for change from within. But that would only work if Komen listened. But they are refusing to meet with Planned Parenthood. They didn't ask for affiliate input before making this decision. And they sure as hell didn't reach out to the people they've helped.

A dark day indeed.

Another Sort of Media That Says PFFFT to Cancer

My day job concerns the web. And by web I mean websites, social media, apps for phones and tablets, and all that stuff.

Vote for this idea please!

The other day I decided to enter a contest about two hours before the deadline. Normally, I would never do something so ridiculous. But I decided that it wasn't that much of a lark, because it was a contest to come up with a smartphone app idea to help teens deal with cancer. Mobile and social apps? I'm paid to think about those. Teens? I've worked at a high school and a college for the past 8 years. Cancer? Been there, done that.

 

My idea was an app that specifically help deal with the isolation that can occur. I tried to apply all that I've learned about social media to the app, to come up with an idea that was usable, workable, and doable. All the details can be found at this link here:

http://www.eyeforpharma.com/mobilehealth/full-entry.php?entry=9

On that page, you may also notice a large green button that says "Vote for this entry." This is because my little idea somehow beat out a bunch of entries from around the world to make the Top 10! Now that it's in the Top 10, things move from the judges to a public voting stage. Then the top three entries go back to the judges for a final decision on which one gets made.

I'm really not terribly popular, so I could really use your help with this voting bit. Please vote for my idea (or someone else's if you like it better). Then spread the word. Forward this message. Post the link to Facebook, Twitter, and Linked in. Tell people. Whatever you can do, I'll greatly appreciate.

You only get one vote per computer. But you don't have to give the contest people any details about yourself, so don't worry about your email being spammed later. Voting ends the 23rd, so act quickly.

Thanks so much! The winning entry person gets $5000 donated to the cancer charity of their choice. If I get that lucky, I'll leave that decision up to all of you who helped get me through this voting stage. Stay tuned!