Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 104

Interview & Opportunity to Win a Copy of Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room

Drew Myron did an interview with me called Fast Five (5 Questions) here at her blog.



Here's a bit from the interview--



What is your favorite poem in this collection? Why?

. . .if I have to narrow it down to one, I'd say, Questions at Heaven's Gate is probably my favorite because it was an underdog poem that I stood up for. . .





And if you leave a comment on that blog post by October 22, you will be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of my book, Letters from the Emily D. Room.

Friday Check in

I have been feeling as if I've been in many places, but mostly, I've been in my head.



My big book release reading is this Sunday, October 17th at Open Books in Seattle (at 3 pm if you'd like to join me).  And I've been spending time preparing for that.



Open Books even wrote up this lovely review for their website:



Charming, self-effacing, fearlessly honest about troubled days, the voice in Kelli Russell Agodon's  Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room  ($16 White Pine) is both touching and endearingly brassy -- "Trust me, it's not bitterness I carry / in my blood, but the pulse and flow / of ordinary, the white picket fence / I like to call my ribcage." She has dedicated her book to "those who write letters to the world," and her own letters -- these poems -- are written as wife, mother, daughter, poet, woman who has struggled in this world and cannot help but embrace it. "But where is my life?," she asks, "I wander through it in new leather boots, / crushing the ladyslippers in my path. // When I come to a bear munching / on blackberries to fatten up for winter, I pause. // We see each other / like two shoppers at the same sale rack, / each rummaging through, trying to find / what we think we need to fill us up."



I'm not normally nervous for readings, but with this new book, I have been.  I'm reading a lot of poems that I don't have a lot of practice in reading to an audience.  I told myself that I would not read poems from this book until it was published because I didn't want to be bored of reading it before it was even in print.  The good news is that all these poems can be *mostly* new to those who come, the concern is I'm not necessarily sure how these poems will go over, how they will be received.



In the big scheme of things, I realize this book, this reading is one leaf out of many.



X number of people will see this leaf and either love it, like it or be disinterested. (Maybe some will hate it, but who hates a leaf?)  Maybe people will want to bring a similar leaf home to keep on their bookshelf or to study the leaf's lines.  Maybe some will ask me to sign the leaf and I will realize, this is a just a leaf.  Still, it's my leaf and I want it to be perfect.  But we're not talking leaves here, though I think for me, it's easier that way, to see myself, my reading as a leaf.  



One endearing brassy leaf.

Thankful Thursday on Friday

This is what one of the trees in small town looks like on Oct 15th.   Photo taken at about 8:15 am 

Gratitude Journal, Version F--





1)  Friends who check in.

2)  Faith over fear

3)  Fridays

4)  Free coffee

5)  Family

6)  Familiar places

7)  Falling leaves

8)  Fhocolate.

Deep Thoughts - Okay, Not Really...

Nightstand Memoir--



I picked up Paul Guest's memoir One More Theory About Happiness: A Memoir at Powell's books and it's incredible.  I can hardly put it down.



The weird thing is, I somehow managed to buy an *uncorrected proof* review copy.  I had wondered why it said it said, "Quote page TO COME/AUTHOR: PLEASE SUPPLY/ --Quote credit TO COME."  I thought Paul had gotten all artsy on me.



~





Literary Journal Happenings--



I did an interview for Crab Creek Review for the Richard Hugo House website.  If you want to learn a little more about Crab Creek Review and our goals, etc. you can check it out here.



And speaking of Crab Creek Review, there will be 2 incredible interviews in the first issue of 2011 of poets Mark Doty & Todd Davis.  So excited about that!



But before I get too far ahead of myself, this next issue will feature poems by David Wagoner, Joannie Stangeland, Alice Derry, Peter Pereira, Martha Silano, Erin Malone, Michael Schmeltzer, Kevin Miller (these last 5 will be our readers at Elliott Bay Books, November 20th, so if you're in Seattle, mark your calendars) and many other incredible poets and writers.



And this next issue (Issue 2: 2010) has an incredible ekphrastic portfolio guest edited by Susan Rich (our very first guest editor!)



~



For the Love of Psychic Energy --



I don't know about you (or how much you believe in this), but there's a lot of interesting energy happening lately.  It feels as if everyone is quite connected.



Weird ghosty things and many synchronicities-- I've been hearing this from people.  And I've had so much on my mind.  Deep thoughts... Stewart Smalley stuff.



I've been paying more attention to my dreams lately because of this.



Of course, last night I ended up dreaming of Pinto station wagons, the old neighborhood where I grew up and the All in the Family theme song.  I remember thinking in my dream, "I need to work this song into a poem."  Seriously?  Oh, who I am kidding, I may just try it.

Confession Tuesday

The Image on our Hip Hotel Room Wall

Dear Reader, 

It's been one week since I've last confessed, but a roadtrip makes me feel as if it's been ages, maybe it has been.  Maybe I've been in Portland for 3 weeks instead of 3 days.  As a homebody, traveling makes me feel that way.

But I'm back and it's Tuesday, 2 reasons I better start telling you my sins.  I guess I'll begin here... to the confessional--





I confess these may or may not have been the books that Powell's selected for their New & Favorite Poetry.



I confess when I go into bookstores and see my friends' poetry books, I face them out or move them so they get better recognition.  I may have done this to your book too.  And if I read your blog or ended up on a blog that has been helpful to me and you have ads you are getting revenue from, I may have followed a few links to say thank you.



~



I confess I tend not to get annoyed when traveling when things don't work out because I figure it's all material for later use.  I think that is why people see me as an easygoing person.  I tend not to freak out over little things and in fact, tend to deal with things with humor.  (Note: this might not be fun for you if you like to freak out and/or get worked up about little things as I'll be making a joke of something.)



I confess I do freak out though, but it usually has to do with something from someone I love that just rips my torso open.  Or if I'm ridiculously hungry and no one will allow me to get something to eat (Note:  this never happened on our trip - we were all on the same happy level when it came to snacks.)



I confess usually as long as I have snacks I am happy.





(Backstory: When I was a girl of the 70's, my mum used to pack me a brown paperbag of snacks to take with me on roadtrips, which is why I think I still do the same thing minus brown paperbag- it's now an eco bag.



I remember sitting in the back of our Pinto station wagon having my own personal picnic as we raced down the highway...  Um, this was before carseats, seatbelt use, and obviously any sort of safety measures for kids.  I was the Pinto darling of the 70's, unrestrained and well-fed.)



~

Susan Rich & Annette Spaulding-Convy, Portland 2010

I confess I was hoping to find a Kells' bar, but we did find a Rich's Cigar Store & Magazines for Susan.  And no, we did not go in.



Amen.

Favorite and/or Most Memorable Moments at Portland's Wordstock Book Festival 2010

1)  Seeing Olivia the Pig, but not being able to catch up to get my photo taken with her.  Here she is running past me with a parade of children.



2)  Arriving at the Ace Hotel in Portland and realizing I am not hip, young, and single.  I am old, married, and wear sensible shoes.



3)  Doing a reading with Susan Rich and walking up to the podium to find that room had gone from three people to a lovely filled room.  (So nice!)



4)  Having a nice woman in the room as a question and said she was a reader of my blog (Hello out there).  I didn't get a chance to talk with her afterwards, but I appreciate hearing she was a regular reader.  Thanks for coming, Portland Reader!



5)  Meeting Deb Scott, Kelly Lenox, Judy Montgomery, Cindy Stewart-Rinier, and many other incredible writers.



6)  Drawing straws at the hotel to see who-has-to-share-a-double-bed and getting my own bed both nights.



7)  Wondering why our hotel would include *earplugs* in with the cottonballs, q-tips, and shower caps.  Oh, because we're directly above a party bar that closes late into the night and plays music until about 3 am...



8)  Waking up at 2 am as the happy drinkers spilled out into the streets and hearing the voice of a young woman yell, "Don't forget to call, A$*hole," and then the sound of a motorcycle driving away.



9)  Eating at a funky French restaurant- French onion soup, arugula salad, and a three-hot-cookie plate with dipping sauces for dessert.



10)  Finding free trail mix in the "VIP" room (and realizing I did not feel comfortable in the VIP room).



11)  Annette coming back to the Crab Creek Review table with Vintage Journals for Susan and me.



12)  Talking to people about Crab Creek Review  and hearing one woman describe her adventures going to dead writer's homes and telling me what their writing rooms looked like.



13)  Getting completely lost in Portland and making a 7 minute trip take 90 minutes.  Portland, I love you, but you have too many bridges.



14)  Selling more copies of Letters From the Emily Dickinson Room than I had expected to as well as quite a few issues of Crab Creek Review.



15)  Watching folks take postcards from Susan and me and wondering where they would end up.



16).  Realizing that two of my favorite poetry books, Karen Finneyfrock's Ceremony for the Choking Ghost and Everything Is Everything by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz were both by Write Bloody Publishing.



17)  Having our book right next to one of my all-time FAVORITE poetry presses- Copper Canyon Press.



18)  Stopping on the way home at a Shell gas station to buy my dinner of pretzels, beef jerky, and a Hershey chocolate bar.



19)  Just taking a road trip with two good friends and realizing we can exist together for 3 days almost 24/7 with good conversation, good food, and good times.

Blog Posts More Interesting Posts Than My Own

I've been in Portland for their Wordstock Book Festival all weekend and am catching up on email, chores, life, and rest.



Before I tell you my favorite and/or most memorable part of the Wordstock trip (this will be in a separate post), read some of these posts of what's also been going on in the literary communities--



WORDSTOCK IN PORTLAND, OREGON--

For a great blog post by Susan Rich who rode with us on what was learned at this book festival read this.   Good info.



DODGE POETRY FESTIVAL IN NEW JERSEY--

January O'Neil (aka PoetMom) has great photos and quotes on her blog from the incredible Dodge Poetry Festival.  January's blog had some great things on it--many excellent quotes by Matthew Dickman, Sharon Olds' advice on revision and more!



Oliver de la Paz was also at the Dodge Festival and has some great photos as well! Oliver was one of the Dodge readers and from what I've seen written around online community, he was awesome.



I watched Aimee Nezhukumatathil read live at Dodge on the first night and she was incredible!  Here's Aimee's blog, hoping she'll be posting some highlights soon, but knowing that she's the mom of the cutest boy and sweetest little baby (and whose middle name is my husband's first name!), she will probably get to that just as soon as she gets her family time.



(photo credit: Diane Lockward at Dodge!)



I know Diane Lockward was at Dodge because she was kind enough to send me photos of my book being sold at the Borders table at the Dodge festival (Oliver emailed me about this and my cousin texted me) - I cannot tell you what a thrill I got each time someone spotted my book-  I had no idea it was going to be there..  Diane's blog has a couple great posts, including one called "Do Unto Other Poets" you might want to check out.  I hope to



~

Wordstock!

Whale Sounds by Nic Sebastian

Steven D. Schroeder, Michaela Gabriel and I all have poems up on WhaleSound read by Nic Sebastian.



I must admit, there's something amazing hearing someone else read my poem (and with this gorgeous accent too!)



Listening, I found myself getting chills (which is kind of weird since it's my own poem), but the reading took the poem to a darker more chilling level.  Something I'm not sure I do when I read that poem.  And, I liked that.  Especially because it is one of the darker poems in the book.



There's also been a poem by Susan Rich this week, 4 o'clock @House of Sky.  A poem from her book The Alchemist's Kitchen (and if you look in the notes, you'll see my name for the dedication on this one, one more reason for me to love this poem!)



But there is a whole list of poets here with poems you can listen to including Peter Pereira, Diane Lockward, Mary Biddinger, Sandra Beasley, Reb Livingston and the list goes on!



Enjoy!

Wordstock Book Festival in Portland, Oregon

Susan Rich and I will be reading at Wordstock on Saturday, October 9th at 3 pm on the Mountain Writers Stage #1.



Also, I'll be at the Crab Creek Review table at the Bookfair all day Saturday and Sunday, so feel free to stop by and say hello!