Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 51

Confession Tuesday

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Dear Reader,



In 40 minutes it will no longer  be Tuesday.  This is my mind and life in the summer, odd times, a lot forgetfulness, a lot to do and a lot not to do.



So let's begin...to the confessional--



I confess I've been thinking a lot about creative living and a creative life.



Last night I met with three friends--two who were on a writing retreat--and I left feeling completely nourished.



Our talk was about what we're working on, our struggles as women and mothers and artists, how we want to do good work, connect with others, make some sort of positive change the world.



There was laughter, honesty, sharing.



I have been so tired of small talk lately.  When I talk to people, I want to go deep, I want to talk about the things that matter or are our minds.  Sitting down, we went right to what matters and I realized I just need to make sure I constantly surround myself with people like this.



~



I confess my wrist is sensitive.  And I don't mean you can hurt its feelings, but that I'm having a small bout with carpal tunnel again due to just one day where I had lost my wireless mouse.



~



I confess after complaining terribly about a neighbor and having angry feelings for him I saw an ermine.



To normal people, there is no connection.  But to me, I realize there is a lesson for me not to attack others just because I feel they are being selfish.



We had also been talking about my old corporate job, so weasel energy also seemed appropriate for that.



~



I confess I can be a little woo-woo with things, but it's the woo-woo that makes life interesting.  And when my life is full of woo-woo (aka synchronicity, connection, magic), I'm happier and living a more creative life.



This returns us to my first confession.  I am thankful for living a creative life, seeing an ermine, seeing a rainbow, seeing a cloud that looked like Neptune on a seahorse.  



Life needs good magic.  I'm hoping for more of it.



Amen.





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday on Wednesday

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Dear Reader,



I confess I'm late...



This is my summer life (even though the weather has been fall-ish) where I don't wear a watch (okay, I never wear a watch), nor look at the calendar.



I've been missing appointments and almost missing a couple deadlines because I've been doing everything except what I should be doing.  Except when I'm doing it.  And I have been doing a lot!



TO the confessional--



I confess we're meeting today to choose the finalists for the Crab Creek Review Poetry Prize.



The entries were EXCELLENT this year and we found some incredible poems!  We're narrowing them down, some will go on to Susan Rich to judge for the contest, all be we published in Crab Creek Review.  I'm excited to see what everyone found.



~



I confess I've had a hard time focusing lately.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because I'm really only doing one thing right now-- judging contests.  I'm judging two contests and one had a huge number of entries.  That has taken up so much time, plus turned my office into a paper disaster.



~



I confess I tried the game Draw Something.  Don't try it. It's crazy addicting in a bad way.  Time not slips by, but kicks you in the bum as it's passing... all of a sudden 20 minutes is gone (where did it go?!)  I am probably going to delete this app off my phone because it's making me feel bad about how I'm using my time.



~



I confess I had something to tell you and now I don't remember.  I hate that.

I need to write things down or they are gone.  I cannot imagine what a looney I'll be at 90.



~



Speaking of 90, I visited my 100 1/2 year old Nana yesterday and while she has terrible short term memory, her long term memory is incredible.  We were asking her how to say words in French and she remembered everything.  My mum only remembers her Catholic prayers, but my Nana remembers all of it and was correcting us when we mispronounced. It was pretty amazing.



~



I confess I must shower and get on with my day.  Two meetings-- Crab Creek Review & Two Sylvias Press.



We're discussing our next projects.  We also want to do a Kickstarter project.



Speaking of which, while I am half-French on my mum's side, I'm also Irish on my father's side and this project for a children's book charmed me--



http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2144366376/tales-from-gedeonore-book-one-the-house-pet



The author wrote to me and asked if I'd mention it here.  So there we are.  (But I wouldn't mention it if I didn't like it or think you would, and I do.)



~

I confess there are so many Kickstarter projects I want to fund/back.  One day I hope to have enough money to fund artists and writers.  Yes, I think it's that important.



I would love to be someone's patron some day.  To support poets and artists and writers with real money, $$$, lots of it.  I hope one day to get to this place where I could just give my money away to the creative folks in the world doing good things.



Oh and because of this want to give away $$money$$ to writers, we raised our Editors' Prize at Crab Creek Review to $200.  You don't apply for it, every year we choose one writer to give $200 to just because we loved his/her work.  You have to submit and be published to win...if you're interested, we'll start taking submissions in August 2012 again.





Amen.

 

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

RIP Ray Bradbury: "You Must Write Every Single Day of Your Life..."

RIP Ray Bradbury, June 5, 2012 age 91Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday - The Medal Edition

The Poet and her Medal... next stop, the Pulitzer!


Dear Reader,



It's been 13.1 miles and copper river salmon since I've last confessed.  Life keeps moving on, so let's get down to it.



To the confessional--







Ask Me About my Medal

I confess I finished my first half marathon and I confess I only entered it for the medal.



I know this is not why people enter marathons.  They enter it to get satisfaction in what their bodies can do.  In the strength of running 13.1 miles.  I entered it to finish and receive my medal.



It wasn't about health or speed or style or satisfaction.  I wanted a medal and bygawd, I got one!



~



God Save the Queen

I confess I just booked a flight to London. Holy moly, what was I thinking?!



~

Dear Artists, I Think I Love You--

I confess I've lost in the world of artists lately.  I'm happiest there with people who have no fear and create because there is nothing else they want to do.



These people inspire me.  If I could be a painter, I would be.



~



Madness is a Gift--

I confess I've been feeling crazily creative lately.  I've been writing a lot and thankful for all that has come my way.



I do want to submit my work more though I haven't, and am thankful for my friends who are SO patient with me when I freak out about book titles.  (I'm always freaking out about book titles).



~



My Alter-Ego Sucks

I confess even though I'm a Capricorn, sometimes I can be ridiculously unorganized and this drags me down.  Future Kelli disapproves of when present-Kelli is so busy she doesn't put away her mess.



~



My Other Vacation

I confess because of our trip to London next year, we had a more camping-like vacation this year... My other vacation this summer is I'm kayaking with Orcas.  Of course, I know the dates I am kayaking, the Orcas, well, they may choose to not show up!



~

Reality Doesn't Bite...Hard--

I confess I'm just a confused writer trying to make the best of this life in this world.  Most of the time, I am just thankful for what is.  Most of the time, I am hopeful it will all work out.



Amen.









Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

In Case You Needed Another Time Waster - Live Webcam of Folks Crossing Abbey Road in London

I hate that I find this entertaining...



http://www.abbeyroad.com/crossing





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday on Wednesday

Dear Reader,



I confess three-day weekends mess me up and I didn't confess yesterday because I thought it was Monday.



I confess I try not to be handcuffed to time, but in this culture, we kind of have to be.  If not handcuffed, then at tied together with a friendship bracelet.



I confess I have 3 (THREE!) writing dates this week.  1 on this side of the water, 2 on the other (Annette Spaulding-Convy & Ronda Broatch today, Martha Silano tomorrow at a cafe, and Susan Rich in her adorable town and writing studio on Friday).  This makes me feel rich with friendship.



I confess I still have more notes to post about the Skagit Poetry Festival and will do so before I disappear out on my paddleboard this summer.



I confess I also want to write my own post on beauty.  I have a lot to say.



I confess I'm off to my first writing retreat of the week, so I will end here.



Happy Spring.



Amen.





 Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Upcoming Summer & To Blog or Not to Blog

C. Dale Young closed up his blog yesterday.  You can read the last post here.



When someone ends his or her blog, I always think to myself "should I stop blogging also?"



Blogging has always been a weird thing for me, yet something I've been thankful I've done.  I have had moments of feeling "online shy" and deleting my blog account without saving what I had written (bad decision).  But since 2006, I've been at this address.



Six years goes by quickly.  One reason I have a blog is that when I go to writer's website, I like to not see cobwebs and a blog offers me this--oh look, the writer is alive in the world and writing, connecting.



Still, keeping up a blog requires some work and definitely time.



I'll C. Dale's blog a lot, but thankfully, I still plan on being connected.  Now with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, blogging is kind of old school... and wordy.



Talking to my friend Jeannine Hall Gailey last night, she said that people may prefer the quick connection--she used a great term I don't remember, something like fast socializing, I had to ask her what she meant-- and she said "like Facebook or Twitter" -- where you can connect with someone with just a quick read.



Like a soundbite?  I wondered.



Maybe we can call it short talk.  Jeannine said she was talky.  I can be talky too.  Sometimes 140 characters doesn't cut it for me.  So we will both be keeping our blogs, that is the answer.



That said, I did want to let you know that one thing about my blog is that it prefers lazy summers.  I will post throughout the summer, but it will be less words, more images.  It may even be less posts or forgotten confessions.  You may notice that my number of posts is directly related to the Northwest forecast--more clouds / more posts, less clouds, less posts.



I live under a grey cloudy blanket all year so when the sun comes out, I must go out and will be much less connected online.  But as someone who loves the school schedule, I will meet you back here in September.  Have a great summer, as I wrote in everyone's yearbook.





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Poetry World Speaks: Beauty-Gate and other Blog Topics for Poets and Writers...

Here's what's going on in the Poetry Blogosphere these days--







C. Dale Young will get you update on what he's calling "Beauty-gate" in the poetry world.



January O'Neil is confessing for Confession Tuesday



Collin Kelley has a new list of poets on Twitter!



Martha Silano has a wonderful post on working with one of my favorite poets, Heather McHugh.



Laura E. Davis is talking about Marginalized Writers vs. Marginalized Voices



Susan Rich shares a new book for writers by Midge Raymond called Everyday Writing.



Eduardo Corral gets you up-to-date with his life here with his "Bits" post.



Mary Biddinger finds a K and thanks Verse Daily.



Reb Livingston will get you connected with the Bibliomancy Oracle.



Jeannine Hall Gailey gives you a quick update on the Skagit River Poetry Festival.



My good friend Nancy Canyon who is both a writer and visual artist, has a blog to check out here.  It's called How to Mend.



Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

What I'm Thinking About Tonight...

As a creative person who enjoys eating out, I have to make choices.



Time or money. Time or money.  The question haunts me.



In the end, I try to choose time as much as I can, but I do have to choose money sometimes (especially after terrible decisions that involve coffee and a laptop).



I'm working on my third manuscript tonight and trying to remain hopeful that everything will work out.



This is my creative life-- put it all in a bag and shake.  Hope nothing gets forgotten.  Try for the best, accept good enough.  Then work harder.



I am a working writer, a practicing human.




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I wish I knew who drew this.  I see "Ryan" in the skulls... 


Either way, when you sit down to write know that I've been writing too.



Either way, promise me this will all work out.



Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

More From the Skagit Poetry Festival... Archiving & Sharing Poems

Nikki Giovanni, Patrick Lane, Tony Hoagland




Nikki Giovanni
One of the first panels I went to was with Tony Hoagland, Patrick Lane (a Canadian poet) and Nikki Giovanni.



Nikki was a beautiful ray of sunshine.  When someone's cellphone went off and the audience was scolded for not remembering to turn them off, she said, "That's okay, cellphones and children don't bother me."



Her first point was the importance of archiving in the arts.



I completely relate to this, which is why I take a ridiculous amount of notes and the occasional photo at poetry festivals.  They are a one-time deal.  We are living the history of the writing today.  It's actually pretty magical and amazing if you think about it.  How we romanticize or imagine what it would have been like to hear Elizabeth Bishop, Pablo Neruda, Anne Sexton, Frank O'Hara in person. We have that opportunity right now with our living poets.  And I want to remember what they said and how it was.



Her are some quotes from Nikki Giovanni on archiving:



"Anytime you can, record it...At some point in time, we'll want to return to it."

"The arts has to have an archive."



~



In extending and sharing poetry with others, Tony Hoagland had this to say:



"We are lost, American culture is in f-ing shambles...we have false gods. We live in a highly competitive environment. One thing we can do about it --we have poetry--in our small way, we can bring poems."



He talked about how he (and others) bring poems to dinner parties to share them.  He said it's up to us to spread poetry into the other groups.



~

Patrick Lane talked about how after a poet died (and I hope I'm getting this story right) , the wife of the poet had her family and her husband's friends each memorize 5 of his poems.  That way, each of them had "5 of his poems alive inside them."  And they could share them with others.  By doing that, she felt she was keeping him (and his work) alive and in the world.



Patrick suggested starting with your "own tribe" in sharing poems.  Share a poem with someone you know.



My friend Ronda Broatch, did this for Lent this year.  Each day she shared a poem with someone new.



I will admit, I am probably the worst at sharing poems.  But after hearing this talk, I think I'll try to do so more.



I heard Robert Pinsky recently say that everyone should have a file or folder or notebook that is titled ANTHOLOGY.  Every time you read a poem you love (or like a lot) put it in this file (and date it!)  After a while you'll have an anthology of your life and likes and favorite poems.



~



I'll post more about the Skagit Poetry Festival in the upcoming days.  I have many more pages of notes.



Also, thank you so much to all who wrote words of kindness after my laptop disaster.  As I wrote to my good friend Nancy, "This is why God invented Visa cards..."



And it was interesting to hear how some of you also had similar accidents with your laptops and computers-- yes, please keep the liquid away from your laptop.  



Yes, it totally sucks.  Yes, I hate spending the money I don't have.  But this is life in all it's glory and I am truly thankful:



1) I was able to save all my work including the new manuscript I'm working on (Thank you Apple store for rescuing my hard drive)



2)  it was only a computer I poured coffee on



3)  and for having a Visa card set aside for these types of writerly emergencies.







~





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com