Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 53

The Pen & The Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World

Two incredible writers (who are also good friends of mine) have written a book for the writer in the busy world. Brenda Miller and Holly Hughes are the authors of The Pen & the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World.

I haven't gotten my copy yet, but from what I've read (and what I've read from both of them), I'm going to love it.

Here's the details--

Proposing that contemplation is an active practice that can take place anywhere, anytime--in the Volkswagen repair shop, at the Farmer's Market, at PetSmart--Brenda Miller and Holly J. Hughes share experiences that have helped them bring mindfulness and new avenues of expression into their writing.

Each chapter of The Pen and the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World includes suggested readings and activities, offering writers innovative ways to:

*    create physical and mental space for contemplation and writing

*    heighten awareness as a basis for writing

*    use the ancient art of Lectio Divina (sacred reading)

*    practice writing that articulates the concrete, tactile, sensory world

*    take risks in writing

*    explore personal spiritual traditions in writing

*    pay attention to sensuous details in writing

*    practice gratitude through writing

*    awaken writing through travel, animals, food, and the physical body

*    prepare for writing through ritual

*    write in community

At the heart of any contemplative practice is the ability to slow down and simply observe what is happening, both inside and outside the self. The Pen and the Bellarticulates not only the value of slowing down, but how to slow down. The authors describe the power of detailed observation, and encourage you to cultivate the patience for such watchfulness.

Through these practices, you will understand how the big issues--love, death, joy, despair--can be accessed through the concrete, tactile, sensory world, and you will have new avenues to express that world in your writing.

________

Brenda is offering a giveaway of this book on her blog, so check it out here for more info on how to enter.

Or you can pre-order your copy from Amazon here. (I'm not sure how Amazon is doing it, but they are pre-selling them for only $7.97!)

Congrats Brenda & Holly!

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

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Published on May 08, 2012 19:04

Confession Tuesday - The DoubleDown Edition

Dear Reader,

Did I really skip last week's Confession Tuesday post? I did. I was just returning from my writing residency and things went flippy from that point on.

I'll get into it and maybe confess for each week, so you can see what I've been up to--

To the confessional (Part 1):

I confess when I'm at a writing residency everything I write seems incredible. I feel almost in a sort of genius state, incredibly inspired and finding connections in my poems, almost writing from a higher level.

My manuscript, my poems, images. I move into this weird state where I am so focused on my manuscript and writing, it begins to feel as if I'm some sort of surreal dream where words drip over rocks, melt over the bedsheets.

It's an amazing place (my imagination and writing). In this strange reality, I am so happy with what I've written. My critical voice must stay home and sleep because when I'm away and writing, I do not hear her.

Yes, I'm editing, revising, and not just writing rose are red verse, but there's a kindness to myself and my work that I don't always feel for when I'm in the real world. And every single time when I'm there I think "how do I keep this state of mind, this place when I return" -- and each time I return, I only keep the feeling for a few days (this last time, only a few hours--and then it's gone).

~

I confess on the first night of the residency I had a dream where Andy Warhol told me to write something down and I didn't and I wished I did because I can't remember what he said.

Gertrude Stein was also in that same dream.

If someone dead comes into your dream and tells you write something down-- do it!

~

I confess the first day of all my writing residencies revolves around me napping.

I arrived on a Tuesday and was in bed by 9 pm. The next morning I woke up at 7. At about 10, I had to lay down for 20 minutes. By 11:30, I had worked again on a poem and needed a nap. I slept for 2 hours. Woke up, worked on a title for a poem and then napped for another 1/2 hour. At about 4, I took another 15 minute rest.

We had dinner around 5 and I got a bit of my second wind, but was asleep by 9.

I confess I actually had one of the other writers make a note on our list of things to bring that "Kelli sleeps most of day one and she is not to get freaked out by this" because each time I go on a residency I freak out about how tired I am and worry I'm not going to get anything accomplished because I'm so tired.

We decided there is a "let down" period when you arrive at a residency and you need to let your body decide when you eat and sleep and listen to it.

~I confess I wanted to find out more information on the artist Cindy Sherman, so I downloaded the documentary Guest of Cindy Sherman on iTunes.

And since there is no wi-fi in our apartment/writing studio, I had to go to the commons area. The download took 7 hours! I was so tired of writing down there (and hungry) that I hid my iPad and just went back to our apartment to wait it out.

There was a sick feeling I had when I imagined going back to the commons and finding my iPad missing. But when I returned a few hours later, it was there and the movie was downloaded.

The movie had less about Cindy Sherman and more about boyfriend, who created the documentary, but was still interesting.

~

Part 2

I confess when I returned to my real life, I only had one evening of normal calmness before I woke up to find of our guinea pigs was sick and dying.

I swear, I am the worst when it comes to animals because I hate to see them suffering or ill. I had no idea how much a guinea pig could make me cry. But this is me. I cry over all of our pets that die and in fact, I am the one in the family who takes the longest to get over it.

~

I confess after that, I kind of just awkwardly transitioned myself into regular life and between crying jags, tried to accomplish things, but mostly just wanted to sit in my bed and watch trashy tv.

I confess at one point I was watching Dance Moms - Miami. Genius one-week, reality TV viewer the next.

~

I confess today was the first day I was able to listen to NPR. This is a sure sign my retreat mind is gone.

~

I confess when I looked at my manuscript, I felt insecure-- is this good enough? do I like this opening poem? is this strong work?

I'm not sure what to think. So I'm setting it aside for a few more days before I return to it.

~

I confess one good thing about life lately has been the weather. I've been trying to go for long walks as I am in a 1/2 marathon in about 3 weeks. I've never done one and only plan on walking it because my motto is-- "if you ever see me running, call the police!" Because I don't run. My body is not built that way, it's built to wander, lollygag, walk and roam. I have nowhere to go in a hurry.

~

I confess it's been over a week and I'm still inching myself back into my life.

I've had a lot going on since I've returned. Things I hadn't planned and things I guess I kind of forgot about. But I'm here and trying my best to be a normal citizen...well, maybe not normal, but a citizen who holds the door open for people and who waves at babies.

~

I confess I watched the supermoon, but by the time it got over the evergreens by my house, it was a pretty-good moon.

~

I confess, mostly, I'm still trying to catch up on email and everything else I let drop for a week.

Life just keeps moving on whether you are here or there or anywhere.

~

I confess for the last 2 nights, the coyotes have been howling up a storm in my neighborhood, which is incredibly eerie and wakes me from a deep sleep. The other night they sounded as if they were in my yard under my window they were so close.

But I actually enjoyed hearing them and the killdeer and the pheasant who squawks ever morning at around 6 am as it reminded me I was home.~

Amen.

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

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Published on May 08, 2012 10:01

What To Do With All Those Poems from NaPoWriMo?

Crab Creek Review is having its annual poetry contest and we want your poems!

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And as an extra bonus, we're taking EMAIL submissions AND our poetry judge, is the fabulous poet, Susan Rich! We are thrilled to have Susan as our judge this year!

A few things to know about submitting to the Crab Creek Review contest

1) Many of the poems we choose for our issues come from our contest submissions.

So, even if you don't win the grand prize of $200 and publication, you could still be a finalist (and in our award section) or chosen to be published in our journal.

2) When you enter the Crab Creek Review Poetry Contest, you help keep our press alive.

Seriously. Along with subscriptions, the money we receive from our poetry contest helps the journal stay afloat in this tough world. So when you enter, you are really saying, "I support independent publishers and literary journals" because you are.

3) One thing people don't realize Crab Creek Review is we try to give back to our writers in as many ways as we can.

Each year, we give out our Editors' Choice prize, $100 mailed to our favorite poem, story, or essay published in the previous year.

We try to support our writers in all their successes, having guest bloggers on our Crab Creek Review blog to promote their work to sharing it on Facebook

Once we have published you, our relationship is not over, but just beginning. We will look for future submissions from you and unlike journals who want to publish as many different writers and poets, we are happy to publish you again and again.

And one more thing, we are a beautiful perfect-bound print journal that you'll feel proud to be in and share with others.

_____________________

Here are the guidelines for this year's Poetry Contest:

Guidelines for Crab Creek Review's 2012 Poetry Contest

Entry Dates: March 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012

· Submit up to 3 previously unpublished poems.· Entry fee: $10, payable (PayPal button on the CRAB CREEK Website) to Crab Creek Review.· Email submissions only.· Send your cover letter in the body of the email (not in an attachment). It should include your contact information: name, email, mailing address, a brief bio, and the names of the poems you are submitting.· Send your poems in an MS Word Doc attached to your email. Please send your work in New Times Roman and 12 pt. font. Title your attachment with your full name and “Poetry Contest”. Please send your 3 poems in one document, not three separate documents.· Name and contact info should not appear on poems.· Send contest submissions to (after PayPal payment): crabcreekcontest@gmail.com· Simultaneous submissions acceptable when noted in cover letter, as long as we are notified immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere.· Deadline for all submissions: May 31, 2012.· The winning poet will receive $200 and publication in Crab Creek Review.· All entries will be considered for publication.· The winner will be determined by our guest judge, Susan Rich

(We ask that friends, associates, and students of the judge not submit to this contest.) You can pay by PAYPAL by clicking here.

I included the links to the PayPal cart if you want to submit, but in case they don't work--

Go here to ENTER! Deadline May 31, 2012

Thank you so much for your support of our journal!

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

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Published on May 07, 2012 11:46

Back into the Real World at Full Speed

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I feel incredibly vulnerable after my writing residencies. After a week of no news/tv/radio/internet, no connection with others except for 2 other favorite writers & text messages with my family, when I return to the "real world," I need a day or two to slowly return into my regular life.

Forget that.

My writing residency ended Tuesday.

By Tuesday night, I was home and unpacked. By Wednesday morning, I was caring for a sick, aging guinea pig.

Our guinea pig didn't make it. My husband was back at work, my daughter was in tears and I was thinking, "Holy moly, this is not the reality I wanted to jump back into!"

I'm too sensitive when it comes to pets or animals, so there were a lot of tears from me as well. I'll admit that.

I'll admit that when I'm at this writing residency, I can see my life simpler-- an apartment, less stuff, less responsibility, less (um, no) yard to take care of, a life that focuses on writing and less on domesticity...but how to achieve that in the real world?

As people in the real world, sometimes we make choices that do not benefit us as writers.

I remember when I romanticized "a 1/3 of an acre" -- in real life, it's a pain in the butt to take care of, but I didn't think of that, I thought-- wow, how much space I'll have!

As a writer, I really do not need that much space. I need a good desk and chair. I need a comfy bed. I need good slippers and a bookcase. And really, not much else. A full fridge is good. A shower, some windows, a place to store my food-- these are what I need. Not a big house, or yard, or guest room.

Sometimes as regular people we make bad decisions-- maybe out of ego, maybe out of not thinking, maybe just out of ease--but sometimes we end up with more than we want, more than we need.

When I'm on a residency, I realize how satisfied I am with little, with less.

If you're a writer or artist, think about this whenever you make a purchase or a move-- from where you want to live from what you bring into your life. And choose SIMPLE whenever you can.

I speak from experience.

In a few years, I plan on selling my larger house for an apartment or condo or rental or small cottage with a small yard. My satisfaction in my life comes with how much time I have to write and create, the rest is just stuff.

I cherish relationships and time.

Sometimes we have to go away to realize this. Sometimes we have to age or even just pay a little more attention.

I choose people and I choose time.

I have a lot to learn, but am working towards a simpler existence, every day. And I do believe, one day I will figure out exactly how to have it.

Coming back from a residency makes me want to keep my "retreat mind." Focused and happy. It's hard to do in the real world. But small steps towards a better existence. I'm trying. And learning. And slowly, it's beginning to come through.

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

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Published on May 03, 2012 19:42

WINNERS! For the Big Poetry Giveaway!

I'll be contacting everyone tomorrow, but did the drawing tonight (thank you Random Number Generator)

My Book (Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room) --

WINNER: Laura E. Davis

Elizabeth Austen's book: Every Dress a Decision

WINNER: Lissa Clouser

Fire On Her Tongue: An eBook Anthology of Contemporary Women's Poetry

WINNERS: Mary Dockery

Faerie Moon Creations - Theresa

Denise at Chez Danisse

Maureen

Kelli Russell Agodon
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Published on May 02, 2012 20:46

Big Poetry Giveaway Winners Coming Soon!

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Friends and Big Poetry Participants--

Just returned from my writing residency to a few things that have taken my full attention. I will choose the winners and get them listed and books out to you soon!

The residency was fantastic. Re-entering the real world has been hectic due to a sick guinea pig I'm trying to nurse back to health (think good thoughts, though it isn't looking good, this could just be old age).

Anyway, more soon -- sorry to be so brief and so behind..

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com