Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 59

Mary Oliver Diagnosed with Serious Illness : Harriet Staff : Harriet the Blog : The Poetry Foundation

Mary Oliver was just in Seattle a week ago-- very sorry to read this:
Poet Mary Oliver Diagnosed with Serious Illness : : The Poetry Foundation


Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Ride Your Own Unicorn Bicycles: It's Okay to Be An Artist -->

So, I kind of am in love with this photograph.

And I was thinking about it and really, this is kind of how I feel being a poet--as if I'm riding my unicorn bike around town.

I'm thankful I live in an artsy-community where it's not unusual to see women in long-patterned skirts, birkenstocks, crazy scarves and funky hats or for someone to ask, "Are you going to the psychic fair or the Renaissance Faire?"  

So many times when I ride up on my unicorn bike, no one even notices, or they tell me they have a unicorn bike too, but they don't show it to anyone.

The older I get, I realize you can't be liked/understood/accepted by everyone and that's okay.

As a young girl, I didn't get this.  When someone didn't like me, I wasn't sure why.  When I told my family that someone didn't like me, they would ask, "What did you do to them?"  I grew up believing if someone didn't like you, it was because you *did* something.  I hadn't realized that sometimes just showing up or being yourself was enough to be disliked.  

Being an artist (aka writer, painter, poet, etc) is difficult on its own.



Being an artist in a culture that values money can be difficult.  You can be riding around on your unicorn bike and someone says, "Shouldn't you have a real job?" or "Why are you wasting your time on that thing?"



Some people look at your unicorn bike and say "Weirdo" or "Stop it! You're showing off!"



Or if you get "too successful" someone who was riding a unicorn bike with you disappears into a ditch, throws rocks at you, or doesn't like that your unicorn now wears a tiara.



Or if there's insecurity, someone decides your unicorn bike is looking at them wrong, giving them the stinkeye, when really, your unicorn is just tired or in its own little world.



So many reasons to dislike someone...and yet, aren't we all just trying to get by the best we can?











Sometimes I need to reminded that it's okay to take a different route.



Even after fifteen years of following my own path, I have to check-in with myself and say, "It's okay you don't want to do what the masses are doing."



It's okay you don't like shopping or baking or scrapbooking or big parties or small talk or socializing or gossiping or watching American Idol or jogging or cheesecake.  It's okay you want to live on a houseboat and not in a neighborhood.  It's okay you prefer reading to athletics, documentaries to dramas.



I think as artists we need to remind ourselves that we're okay.



Even when we drive through Thanksgiving dinner on our unicorn bikes and our family says, "He has always wanted the dramatic entrance" or "Her and that silly hobby of hers" or "____________________________" (fill in the blank, you know you've heard something before)--



always know there are a lot with you who are also trying our hardest to live our dreams, to live the best life we can without trying to run anyone over.









Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Kathleen Flenniken is our new Poet Laureate!

2005 (I think) Kathleen Flenniken (who now has longer hair) with poet Sharon Bryan






Kathleen Flenniken is our NEW Poet Laureate in Washington State!! This is only our second poet laureate, our first was Sam Green from Brooding Heron Press (if you remember that Ted Kooser letterpress book I mentioned, that's his press.)





I was excited the chosen poet was a friend of mine and also a woman (how's that for selfish interests?!) But it's true, I was (maybe that should be on confession Tuesday...)





Kathleen was a classmate of mine in our MFA program: Rainier Writers Workshop at Pacific Luther University. I met her in 2003 when the press she volunteered at, Floating Bridge Press, published my first chapbook, Geography.




Kathleen's next book, PLUME is out next month, so the timing on this is perfect for her. Her first book was called FAMOUS and a wonderfully enjoyable read.




Here's the full article from the Seattle Times:





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Valentine's Day Gift Idea: Ted Kooser's book VALENTINES

"Map of the World" by Ted Kooser
If you're looking for gift ideas for your favorite loved one on Valentine's Day, I may have an idea for you...



For twenty-five years, Ted Kooser wrote a valentine poem and mailed it out in February. These collected poems are available in the book, Valentines by Ted Kooser.



Here's the Amazon description of the book--





For Valentine's Day 1986, Ted Kooser wrote "Pocket Poem" and sent the tender, thoughtful composition to fifty women friends, starting an annual tradition that would persist for the next twenty-one years. Printed on postcards, the poems were mailed to a list of recipients that eventually grew to more than 2,500 women all over the United States. Valentines collects Kooser's twenty-two years of Valentine's Day poems, complemented with illustrations by Robert Hanna and a new poem appearing for the first time.   Kooser's valentine poems encompass all the facets of the holiday: the traditional hearts and candy, the brilliance and purity of love, the quiet beauty of friendship, and the bittersweetness of longing. Some of the poems use the word valentine, others do not, but there is never any doubt as to the purpose of Kooser's creations.



I have the book, though mine is the letterpress version through Brooding Heron Press in Washington State and is called "Out of That Moment."  If you can find one of these copies, they are gorgeous, but only 50 were made so I truly treasure mine.



I love this idea of writing a poem every year for a certain occasion and mailing it out.  And Valentine's Day is the perfect poet holiday!



Also, if you've never read Kooser, he's extremely accessible, so if you wanted to get this gift for someone who didn't really read a lot of poems, it would be a great introduction to poetry without that scary "I don't understand what I'm reading" feeling some new poetry readers have.







Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Thankful Thursday: Ordinary Genius & Writing Dates

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I met with Martha Silano yesterday for good conversation and some writing too.



We situated ourselves in a French cafe that doesn't just serve French food at a large table that could hold both of our laptops.



It was good to see her.  I needed to discuss some mom/poet stuff with another mompoet.  It's amazing how checking in with someone else can help me feel better.



We used Kim Addonizio's book, Ordinary Genius to help us revise two poems-- Make a short poem longer and make a long poem shorter.  I had heard good things about this book, but never owned a copy.  After browsing through Marty's, I'm buying a copy for myself today.  (Martha said it's one of her favorites.)



Also, while revising these two poems, I went into my New Work file and found 2 other poems I had written but forgot about (and never moved over to my "Done" file), so I now have 2 extra poems added to my work-in-progress manuscript.  (For me, finding a completed or almost completed poem in my "New Work" file is similar to finding a $20 bill in my pants pocket.)



After a few hours in the restaurant (we were there so long, I ordered both breakfast and lunch, then we finished with a keylime tart for dessert), we headed over the Starbucks.  Marty pulled out a bag of Dove chocolates and we made ourselves comfy at a small table where we wrote longhand instead of on our laptops.



So that was my writing day, a sort of mini-retreat with good coffee and conversation in a busy world.





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Want a Poet-Inspired Valentine? - Sorry this year we are FULL!

Thanks for all your addresses!  I am now poet-full!  Valentines to go out shortly!





If you didn't know, Valentine's Day is the Poet's holiday (despite Hallmark's insistence that it's theirs.)



So for Valentine's Day, I'm sending out Poet Valentines and I have a few extras I'd like to send to you.





The above image is NOT the valentine you'll receive, but just a nod to who inspired this year's card...



I'll let you know when I've run out on this post by updating it or deleting it...






Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

A Month of Letters (for February!) Take part...

Drew Myron connected me with this incredible project-- A Month of Letters Challenge.



Here's the thing-- if you know me, you know I adore snailmail, realmail, postcards, mailart, notecards, and stamps.



I always have.



So when I read that writer Mary Robinette Kowal came up with this idea, I had to take part.



Here it is with a link to her original post:





I have a simple challenge for you.In the month of February, mail at least one item through the post every day it runs.  Write a postcard, a letter, send a picture, or a cutting from a newspaper, or a fabric swatch.
Write back to everyone who writes to you. This can count as one of your mailed items.
All you are committing to is to mail 24 items.  Why 24? There are four Sundays and one US holiday. In fact, you might send more than 24 items. You might develop a correspondence that extends beyond the month. You might enjoy going to the mail box again.



I plan on taking part.  I do Valentines, so I feel slightly ahead of the challenge, but will sit down by the fire and write some special correspondence as well.



happy letter writing.





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday

Dear Reader,



It's been 5 full days of straight sunshine, a straight-shot of sunshine here in the Northwest since I've last written.  Been writing, working in the yard and kind of in the house.  Enough so I don't feel that I could be an episode of Hoarders; I'm cleaning up and cleaning out.



But enough on that, it's time to confess.  Let's start with the weather and the Northwest.  To the confessional--



I confess I learned this week that the Seattle area has only 58 (!!!) days of sunshine a year, the rest is overcast and cloudy.  58!  No wonder we lead the country in suicides and serial killers (we all suffer from S.A.D. - Seasonal Affect Disorder), but we also have the most percentage of library card holders and we buy 2x as many books as the rest of the country.



I realize why so many writers, bands and artists come from the Northwest-- we're the kids that are always inside and we have to do something to keep us entertained.



But only 58 days of sun?  That seemed so low.



Still, I am thankful for the days I stay inside and write because it's pouring outside.



~



I confess I've been sleeping better now that the haunted armoire is out of my house.  Except for last night.  Last night, my golden retriever woke me up crying.  Do you need to go outside?  Are you okay?  My dog is frozen still on his bed and won't move, but keeps doing this long sad cry.



So in the dark, I rush over to my golden panicked that he's hurt or dying or in pain.



Turns out, he is fine, but our 20 lb. cat had fallen asleep next to him on his sleeping bag and he was afraid to get up off his bed and move to the floor.  He outweighs the cat by 65 lbs and yet, he is afraid to disturb the cat.



I moved the cat and all was well for another four hours until the cat returned to sleep with the dog.



~



I confess I've been working a lot on manuscript 3 because I'm swapping it with another poet on Valentine's Day.  I confess it does not have a title yet, but the above image from my vision board this year is a huge inspiration for it.



I completely lose myself while working on this manuscript, but deal with a huge worry that it's not very good.



I haven't submitted many poems from the mss, so of the 40+ pages, only 3 have been published.  I tell myself this is not the fault of the poems, but the fault of the poet for not submitting the poet.  But the poet says she so dislikes submitting work that she hasn't done so very much this year.  Bad poet.



But I still love the manuscript even with its quiet existence.



~



I confess I think I'd feel a little better if I had a title.



Amen.



Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Want a Poet-Inspired Valentine?

If you didn't know, Valentine's Day is the Poet's holiday (despite Hallmark's insistence that it's theirs.)



So for Valentine's Day, I'm sending out Poet Valentines and I have a few extras I'd like to send to you.



If you'd like a Valentine from me, leave me your mailing address in comments or email it to me at kelli (a) agodon.com and I'll put you on my list.



The above image is NOT the valentine you'll receive, but just a nod to who inspired this year's card...



I'll let you know when I've run out on this post by updating it or deleting it...





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

@webbish6 Jeannine Hall Gailey Writes about her path to becoming a poet -->

Kelli & Jeannine in tiaras as they should be.




I am always interested in how we ended up as writers, poets, and artists because the path is never the same, nor straight.



Jeannine Hall Gailey writes at SheWrites how despite health issues and being a tech-writer first, she ended up as a poet and going back to school to get her MFA.



 And you know what I wanted to do? The same thing I wanted to do when I was ten years old: write poetry. My husband encouraged me to go back for an MFA in poetry, to try to send out a book of poetry. Why not give it a try? What did I have, at that point, to lose? The answer was: nothing.



If you want to see the path Jeannine took from child who loved poetry and wanted to be a poet to now, you can read the whole post here.



I think it's a good reminder that we each have things that take away from our time.  We each make a choice every day to write or not to write.  Make your challenges work for you and listen to that inner voice to tell you where to go.







Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com