Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 105

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude Journal



1)  Finding Emily in odd places.  

I have to thank my family for their sense of humor on this.  The above, Emily Peering through the Bathroom Blinds, freaked me out this morning (but in a good way.) It's nice to get your heart pounding at 7 am.

1) Jim Behrle's blog and response on the news that they just found a poem by Ted Hughes called "Last Letter" written after Sylvia Plath, his wife, committed suicide.

3) ROAD TRIP with 2 good friends.  Helllllllo, Bookfest!

4)  My wireless mouse (when it's working and/or not out of batteries).

5)  wasbai peas.

6)  Yesterday's celebration on Facebook for my Poetry Daily poem and all the good wishes.  

7)  "Seizing the Mundane."  A phrase I heard in explaining it's not the big things that cause success or happiness, but the smaller daily things.  Keeping up on the little things.   (I should probably blog more about this later.)

8) Caller ID and the special double-ring when it's a solicitor!  



9)  Watching the leaves fall from the trees.  Autumn awesomeness.

Joannie Stangeland Combines Technology with Pen & Paper Poets...

First, I think Joannie is amazing in how she uses technology to be a more successful poet.
Here's a video in which she uses a pen that takes your handwriting and converts it to TEXT! One of the reasons I don't journal is I hate transferring the handwritten notes to my laptop, but here's a pen that does it for you. I may have to get one of these as I love the idea of keeping my poems in a pen and transferring to my laptop in one motion and not typing them out.
Here's the video where Joannie better explains "OneNote" and using technology to be a more efficient (I think that's the best word) poet.
Check it out here--
Office Show - Can OneNote help me be creative?

Let's Happy Dance Together...

Is it too early to dance?



Poetry Daily just put my poem up and I'm soaking it in!  



And if you see this after Wednesday, October 6th, then you can read the poem here.



Feeling.  Groovy.



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Emily Party

Back Row:  Kathleen Flenniken, Ronda Broatch, Jennifer Culkin (her Emily looks a little like Swampthing Emily).

Middle row:  Lana Ayers (Terminator Emily), Susan Rich, Nancy Canyon, me Mum!

Bottom Row:  Annette Spaulding-Convy, me, Martha Silano & Ann Hursey



~





Annette & Kelli

Here's some photos from my writing group who arrived Saturday night in Emily attire to celebrate.

So here's the deal, you could come as any version of Emily as you wanted to.  We had Grunge-ily Emily (Marty), Sleepytime Emily (Ann), Punk Emily (Ronda), a couple bad girl Emilys and classic Emily.  Yes, there were 3 poets in black leather jackets!  



The Reveal

What can I say, I like parties and I like dressing up.  Thankfully I have friends who go along with my insanity and honestly, seem to like it.  We should all dress up like dead poets every so often.  Emily was everywhere that night.  Literally, symbolically and metaphorically.  What more could a poet want?

Wild nights! Wild nights!

Were I with thee,

Wild nights should be

Our luxury!

Confession Tuesday

The Many Faces of Emily 

On Saturday, I had a small celebration for my book release with some friends from my writing group.  Because I don't know how to throw a party without having everyone dress up as something, there was of course, a theme, and a craft.  The theme: Come as your own version of Emily Dickinson.  The craft:  Do-it-yourself Emily heads (see photo above).

I was mostly on good behavior.  

But of course, I could have been better.

To the confessional--

I confess I believe people need to throw more parties.  And not, come over and sit at this large table party with your napkin on your lap parties, but parties where you arrive in costume or you do something.

Once we created art boxes.  Once we made soul cards.  I've had a birthday party with a Mardi Gras theme where we decorated masks and glitter everywhere.  

And you need to invite only the people who support you.  12 seems to be the most I can invite over without feeling overwhelmed or as if I didn't get the chance to talk with everyone. 8-10 is probably perfect.  I'll post a few more photos in us in our Emily Dickinson attire in upcoming posts.  If you're friends with me on Facebook, the whole album is open to you.  Feel free to browse through it.

~

I confess that while my party was incredibly sparkling, there was a small fly in my champagne (metaphor, metaphor).  This is something I realize I'm working through this year, this lifetime, that as much as I admire "perfection," want perfection, the perfect day, the perfect evening--Life, my baby, is not perfect.  

There is a part of me that believes imperfections makes things perfect.  I have always been the woman who has never been attracted to the Brad Pitts of this world, but more to the Elvis Costellos, the Lyle Lovetts, the Conan O'Briens. 

Still, I think I'm getting better with understanding or learning to understand that you can be eating the best ice cream of your life and watching a car accident happen.  The car accident should not make the ice cream taste terrible and the ice cream should not make the car accident seem not so bad.  2 things interacting at the same time.  I deal with it in my poems all the times, but in regular life?  Oh, it surprises me like crazy.

~

I confess I received some fantastic news on Thursday when I was visiting Susan Rich on Thursday.  A poem from Letters From the Emily Dickinson Room will be featured on Poetry Daily tomorrow (Wednesday).  

It is the first time I have ever had a poem featured there and I am ridiculously excited.  When I received the email, it was as if I had won the Oscar.  Especially because I know, Poetry Daily can only feature 365 poems/poets a year, and that my poem was chosen, has me doing the happy dance in places where I should just be standing politely.

Amen.

The Book Business - How to Get Published

This was on KUOW, my local NPR station as I drove to violin lessons on Wednesday and if there are any of you who are interested in getting book published (fiction, non-fiction, self-published, print-on-demand, etc), you might want to listen to this.  It's from KUOW's Weekday with Steve Scher.



While I'm not sure all their advice is what I'd recommend or feel comfortable with (for example, they suggest to one woman to mail a self-published book she had printed up as a "calling card" to publishers), I still thought this was an interesting conversation with good info and some inspiring moments.  Just as you listen to this, think critically about your own circumstance, project, etc. to decide what's best for you.





Here's the description from the KUOW website about the show/podcast.







Inside The Book Business With Jennifer Worick And Kerry ColburnSteve Scher

09/29/2010 at 9:00 a.m. Publishers released about 300,000 books in 2009. Behind each published book are the twists and turns taken to get it to the local bookstore shelf. How does a book make it from a writer's mind to publication? What does a publisher look for in a good book? How many books are rejected? Who makes the final decisions? The book market is changing rapidly. Digital books are gaining in popularity. Technology is making it easier to self–publish. Some authors are podcasting the stories they write before they are even printed. How is the publishing industry adapting? Jennifer Worick and Kerry Colburn have been in the industry for 40 years. They'll give us an insider's look and answer your questions. 

Thankful Thursday - Late Night

Here are a few things I am thankful for--



Supportive family and friends and people I have never met in person.



Early morning ferries and fog.



A writing date with a friend that included not just writing and poetry, but lunch, 3 consignment shops, an art supply store, organic chocolate with cranberries, white chocolate creme brulee with rosewater for two, two full hours of being productive, and a fashion show with shoes from Africa.



The universe, not just listening, but responding in a matter of 45 minutes.  Thanks, universe.



Good news that will happen October 6th on one of my favorite websites (more on this later)



A trophy for awarded for absolutely nothing and everything.



A $16 furry pink coat in the consignment shop that someone else more braver than myself is going to find and going to love.



Seeing a woman take her chihuahua into the dressing (and no, this is not a metaphor).



Late night ferries that get me home and being able to walk long distances without the fear someone is lurking (or doing worse) in the bushes.



Driving home and seeing a raccoon by the mudflats and knowing he got off the road safely and was probably eating some good fish.



The orange wedge moon last night, rising at 11:36 tonight.  Incredible

While others travel by car, here's my ride home ...

Amazing day of poetry, conversation and friendship with Susan Rich. What a great day!

Emily Dickinson - Moviestar.

Poet Emily Dickinson subject of new film - BostonHerald.com

How to be a Sensitive Poet

by Matt Groening





My favorite line, "...just remember, in the cosmic sense, everyone's a sensitive poet..."  (by the way, when I first read that, I thought it said, "comic sense.")