Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 85

Poetry Reading at PLU in Tacoma, Washington Tomorrow (Wednesday, March 16, 2011)

If you are near Tacoma tomorrow and want to hear some poetry or take part in a Q&A -- I'll be here with Julie Marie Wade, author of Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures.





March 16, 2011, Wednesday at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA: Visiting Writer's Series with Julie Marie Wade  3:30 pm - The Writer's Story - Garfield Book Company, near the PLU campus5:30 pm - Reading - Scandinavian Cultural Center: Poetry Reading at PLU.

Confession Tuesday

Dear Reader,



It's been one wild week of 2 Nancys, border crossings, of a pocket of Looneys, sushi in a foreign country, playing with cats, red wine and a walk to an indie bookstore with friends, Oprah magazine (the poetry issue), finalist, finalist, finalist and stress=hairloss?  Friends, I've been busy.



Let's begin!  To the confessional--



I confess I learned yesterday (while inside my doctor's office) that Susan Rich (The Alchemist's Kitchen), Megan Snyder-Camp (The Forest of Sure Things) and me (Letters From the Emily Dickinson Room) are all finalists for the Foreword Book of the Year Award in Poetry!  (Yes, that's 3 poets from the Seattle area!)



The full list of the finalists can be viewed here.



I'm completely honored to be chosen and I guess we find out the winners this June.  Fingers crossed!  (Thank you Foreword Book Prize judges!)



~



I confess I have to friends in Bellingham who I love-- Nancy Canyon & Nancy Pagh (author of No Sweeter Fat) .



I love that they are both named Nancy and this was much fun as we crossed the border into Canada with the Nancy-Nancy passports & fancy driver's license.  I always feel like I'm a character in a sitcom when I'm with them-- "This is my friend Nancy, and my other friend, Nancy" (Remember: This is my brother Daryl & my other brother, Daryl.)



But they opened their homes, internet connection, hearts and refrigerators to me.



And I am thankful for all of fun moments, talking about Nick Flynn's book Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir as we drove into Canada, a refrain on the word "vulnerable" and seeing a flock of eagles together-- I kid you not, there were at least 25 eagles if not more as we drove the rural community to downtown Vancouver, BC.



~



I confess I gave 3 readings in a row and have never given 3 readings 3 nights in a row.



Each reading had its own feel.



My first reading in Port Townsend was cool, calm & collected and a treat as I read with Susan Rich.



My second reading was quite relaxed with a show & tell from Oprah's magazine, April 2011, the Poetry issue.  I was thankful that so many people showed up as I was the only reader and I worry about an empty room.



My third reading in Canada felt the best to me, both fun and calm and an incredible audience that laughed loudly and listened intently to all five readers.



The trip was filled with old friends and new, books and new books.  And thank you Oliver for joining us and for the antipasto platter!



~



I confess I love border guards.



I loved the Canadian border guard who thought we were "riders" (not writers).



And I loved it when the US border guard said, "Welcome home."



~



I confess I drove over 300 miles mach 5 with my hair on fire. (Um, sorry, I just watched part of Top Gun last night.)



~

And speaking of hair (and vanity kills)--



I confess I made it back home last night to realize that I have a small bald spot in my hair (see confession 1 for why I was at the doctor's office).  It's a perfect circle, it almost looks as if someone put their cigarette out on the top of my head.  Fancy.  (I could have been a character in Nick Flynn's gritty book.)



Thankfully, I have a side part, so it's hidden, but I noticed it last night before bed.  Apparently stress can cause these, but I haven't felt stressed, just busy.



Of course, I confess, at the first Nancy's house after the Bellingham reading, I was up from 3-4:45 am with anxiety that I forgot to introduce myself (the bookstore man didn't give me an intro and just said, "Take it away, Kelli" ) and in my excitement and easily distracted personality, I got to the mic and just started talking about Oprah magazine.



I confess, I'm not someone who is really hard on myself, but the voice that came at 3 in the morning was quite critical.  My first question was "What are you doing up this late critical voice?"  But she seemed to think I could have done the reading better, that I was too relaxed, too forgetful (no intro), too ________ fill in the blank, my critical voice was singing my faults.



So maybe, I have been a little stressed or weirdly anxious.



It's not as if I'm some laid-back beach bum, some fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal, but I also didn't think I could stress out a perfect circle in my head-- like crop circles, Martha Silano's (The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception) aliens have landed on my head, and the hair thing, well, me no likey.  But I am thankful it is small (a little smaller than a dime) and hidden.



And looking at the world today after a weekend of no news and seeing Japan, seeing devastation in color, in waves and cracks and tears, I can't feel bad about anything personal.  My heart has left the building and is somewhere over the Pacific.



So I confess, thankful, thankful, thankful.



Even with all the events, the deadlines, the chores, the commitments, the the the, I -the one with the interesting scar signaling the stars from the top of her head- can only say thank you to the people, the life, the books, the world, around me.



And I do. Again and Again.



Amen.

Blog Request: Compiling Your Manuscript: Part 4 - The Final Revisions

From "It's 2 in the Morning, Do You Know Where Your Manuscript Is?"

In looking back over some of my older posts about creating my manuscript, I found this one about revising your final manuscript and things to ask yourself.

The main thing I want to stress about these ideas is that they are NOT to do early on in the creation process when the manuscript is still figuring out what it wants to me.  For me, this is something that helps near the very end of finishing a book manuscript.

So, here's some ideas that might help you as you revise--

Write a P.O.E.  (Paragraph of Explanation):  A paragraph that explains the main ideas, topics, concepts, and or subject(s) of your manuscript.(Oh and by the way, this is SO not a technical term, so don't say it to your editor - Hey, do you want me to write you a POE? Or you'll look like a jerk.  I just made up the term for myself.)

I did one of these for my poetry manuscript, but I'm thinking this would also be useful in preparing a memoir manuscript as well.  I think it helps someone who has a mind that might be more spiderwebbed--everything just stretches out from one thing to another--and you can better wrap your mind around what you've just done.  I have a spiderweb brain, so this helps me.

So, how did originally come up with a P.O.E.?

Because I was so nervous for my big book release reading at Open Books, I did something I do not normally do in such detail while preparing -- I sat down at my laptop and wrote out every word, thought, idea that planned to say at this event.   The interesting thing that happened is that while I wanted to explain how my collection came about, what all the poems meant as a whole, what my underlining idea or concept was in putting together this manuscript and what was I trying to achieve, I learned a few things about this process and about my manuscript.

And in doing this, I realized how helpful this would have been to me to do at about year two of my manuscript.  (BTW, this is really something to do when you find your manuscript is at a place where it feels "solid" to you and that you feel have a good manuscript-- Again, I don't recommend doing this at the beginning stages when the work is just being created.)

Around that time (at about year two), I could see a manuscript coming together.  I could see how I wanted the poems ordered--  what I didn't understand is what I was trying to do in the manuscript.

So what to do?Writing everything out--For me it helped me understand why my sections are sectioned the way they are to why the order of the poems-- it helped me in a deeper understanding of my manuscript I could have used early on in the revising-part of manuscript process.

I realized things I already knew, but in much a much greater view-- like how much Alice in Wonderland, Emily Dickinson, and certain images or ideas appear in my work.  I see it now (and did see it --though not as strongly--as I was putting the manuscript together) but when my manuscript was young, these connections were not as obvious, nor was the bigger picture of what I was trying to share or explore in my manuscript.

Sometimes if you apply for a grant, you have to deal with this early on.  

Usually when you apply for a grant they want to know exactly what will you use the money for and what is your manuscript about.  It makes you stop and think and to really pinpoint your main ideas.  While I don't feel a manuscript needs to be a small pinpoint in a night of stars, but I do think writing out your thoughts as you move deeper into writing and revising your manuscript can be helpful.

Here are some things you might want to ask yourself--

1)  If someone were to ask me, what my manuscript is about, do I know?  How many sentences does it take to answer:  What is your manuscript about?   If it is only a collection of your favorite poems you've ever written, know that.  If it about the idea of loss based on an experience you had, know that.   It doesn't matter what the answer is here, you just need to understand for yourself, why you have chosen the poems you have chosen.

2)  Why have I ordered my manuscript the way I did?

Ideas for ordering a manuscript:Narrative arcEmotional arcAlphabeticallyBy theme/subjectBy emotional/theme subjectSome completely different wayA few of the ways above combined

3)  Why do I have the sections that I have?



4)  Why did I choose my title?



5)  What do I want to reader to take away from this collection?





These are the main questions I think of at 2 in the morning and of course, the main one--  What is my manuscript doing? 



If you don't know, I'm not sure your reader will know.



~

DIY iPad Folio Case: Made from a Vintage Book (How to Make Your Own Bookbook)

Okay, I'll be honest, this is what I really want--



Twelve South BookBook for iPad in Red ($69.99)



It's an iPad case made of leather to look like an old book.  And I'll be honest again here, I'm getting to the point where I just might order one, in fact, I know I'm at that point (and when I do, I promise to review it here --good & bad-- as for me, that's a lot of money to pay for an iPad case).  But wow, I just love it.



So what I did in my "Oh, I can make one of those" moments, was create my own iPad Fake Book iPad Cover. So here it is--





My Do-It-Yourself iPad Book Cover from the front (iPad hidden inside)




Open and holding my iPad


iPad case on my desk with fixed spine - thank you Revlon nailpolish


Basically, what I did was go to our used bookstore (aka The Bookery) and went to their art section where I thought they'd have a lot of larger size books.  I brought in my iPad and searched the section until I found one (actually 2, one I didn't use) that I liked.



It's The world of Leonardo, 1452-1519 (Time-Life library of art) from Time Life Books (copyright 1966).  The book was priced at $8, but since I have credit in the store for giving them my used books, I paid $3.



It's a hardback book, which I think is important less you want yours even more unstable than mine (and you don't want that).





I was lucky with this book I chose because the inside of the cover was beautiful (that was one of the reasons I chose it.)



Tip one:  Remember, to avoid having to paste things in to make a nice inside to your cover, choose a book that already has nice inside images.  And chose a hard back book so you have a more sturdy hardback book iPad cover (see these things make sense).





When I got home, I opened the book and grabbed an Exacto knife. Yes, I had to cut out the pages in the book.  This was a very weird thing to do and I felt as if I was breaking some sort of law.  But it was part of plan to use the cover as the cover for my iPad so I continued.



I very uncarefully began to cut out the books contents and then cut part of the spine of the cover because I was rushing (this was later fixed with glue and red nail polish).



Tip two:  Take your time and Exacto knives are sharp (my husband just said, "be careful or you'll cut through to the cover" in which I replied, "No I won't" and then did about 3 seconds later.





I then ignored the book for about 3 weeks because I didn't know what to do next.



Tip three:  Have a plan.





If you look in the 2nd photo, you can see that in the inner spine of the book has words from old pages of another vintage book.  I used a glue stick and an old book that I used one to try to do bookart with for this.  It only required me cutting up one page and just gluing it into the center.



Because the inside cover was so nice, I didn't have to do anything else (see tip 1).





I went to the store to buy elastic band to use to hold my iPad in.  What I bought was a long band of velcro and super glue.



Tip four: Pay attention to what you're buying.





When I got home I realize I had the wrong items, but being lazy, I decided I would make it work.  The next 20 minutes were spent realizing that velcro doesn't work as elastic at all and trying to get the superglue off my fingers.



Tip five:  Sometimes poets suck at crafts.  It's okay, keep going.





I get an idea and go to my ribbon box (where I keep ribbon people tie to gifts they give me because I hate throwing it out as it feels wasteful) and find some to work.  Of course, it doesn't match because I don't have enough of one color and for some reason, my top purple ribbon says, "FLARE" across it.



Tip six:  If you like things to match, buy your ribbon in all one color.





I then put my iPad on the right inside cover and begin supergluing the ribbon around its bottom edges to hold it in place.  The superglue won't stick, but I remember a technique (scoring - oh and that's what it's called, I didn't just morph into Sheenspeak) I learned in a pottery class about making X-marks on the two things you want to stick together.  So I take my scissors and do this to part of inside cover I want to glue ribbon to.  It kind of works.  I get superglue all over my hands (which feels terrible) but next thing I know, it's sticking!



Tip seven:  Find the right kind of glue, while I love superglue, it was not the best glue for this project.





I find that weird purple ribbon and decide it will work great (because it's not as thick as the lower green ribbon) to hold the top of my iPad work.  I think because the ribbon is thick and has some odd backing on it, it glues down easily.



But I can't glue the other side in as I'll have issues in getting my iPad into the ribbons, so I decide the velcro won't be a total waste and glue part of it to the book and part of it to my top purple ribbon.



I let the book dry for about half-hour while I read Oprah magazine on decluttering.



I slip in my iPad and works perfectly!  I bring my iPad upstairs, cozy up into bed and read Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity by Sarah Ban Breathnach (she wrote Simple Abundance & apparently after making quite a bit with that book, lost her money and this book explores her journey back to well, financial Serenity).



This morning, I added some extra ribbon over the parts that looked back because I am a sloppy gluer and added a small button just to make things pretty. (see lower green ribbon and side of green ribbon.)



What I love about this case is it also hides my iPad.  It's a sort of iPad disguise kit--





Can you find the iPad in this photo?


So there you go. The total cost (before tax) - $3 for the book, $2.48 for the velcro I thought was elastic & friends who buy me gifts (free ribbon).



Total cost:  $5.48.

Time to do it:  3 1/2 weeks

Actual time to do it that does not include procrastination:  30 minutes



Final thoughts--



Pros--

I did this myself and felt creative and it felt good to have the reduce/reuse/recycle mentality.



It really looks still just looks like a book and I love that I can leave my iPad out in the open and it is a secret holder of it.



As I read from it in bed, I could still smell the scent of bookstore on it.



It makes a nice holder for my iPad, it's cute, and I made it myself.



It was very inexpensive and did what I wanted it to-- be a holder, cover, disguise, secret case, unique folio cover for my iPad.





Cons--



I fear it's a little unstable and I wouldn't trust it as a way to keep my iPad safe from damage of being dropped or as a way to transport it anywhere.  I wouldn't take it on a trip with me unless I wanted to use it as something I could use to leave my iPad in a hotel room dressed up as a book.



I had to reglue one of ribbons this morning because when I turned my cover sideways it came undone.



It's not ridiculous pretty or perfect (but really, is anything?)





And one final thought--

Superglue really doesn't come off - even with nail polish remover.





This post on Do-It-Yourself Friday has been posted by a writer, poet, editor who is not very good at crafts.

Thankful Thursday - Susan Rich

Allen Braden, Susan Rich, me, Oliver de la Paz at the Frye Art Gallery Reading, Nov. 2010


It's thankful Thursday, time to focus on what I am thankful for.  And for those of you who have been reading all year, you know, I'm highlighting a person, blog, or something in my life that means a lot to me and that I want to share with you.







So today's person, if you haven't already guessed it by the title, is Susan Rich, author of The Alchemist's Kitchen, Cures Include Travel and her first award-winning book that gave her an amazing welcome into the poetry world, The Cartographer's Tongue.  Susan will also be a featured reader with Major Jackson & Brian Turner at the Seattle Arts & Lecture series which is an incredible series we are thankful to have here in the Northwest.



I met Susan about ten years ago and we really connected after a Poets Against the War reading in Seattle to raise money for the American Red Cross after the September 11th attacks.



I think the thing I am most thankful for is our friendship (& there's a great very unread correspondence between the two of us called On Friendship: A Literary Correspondence between to Poets that we did for the Centrum Writers Conference, which I think shows our friendship well).  We have monthly or every-other-month writing dates where we have a routine I so look forward to where she picks me up at the ferry dock and our day begins from coffee to a walk to lunch to writing to back home.



Another thing about our friendship that I appreciate is that I feel we constantly look out for each other, watch for opportunities for the others and then the key, share them with the other.  It's not a competitive friendship (which I so love).  In fact, I think that is the one thing I have most noticed about my Pacific Northwest poet friends, is that we all help each other succeed.  I know Susan has done that for me, in so many ways.



What I admire about Susan is how she actively leads a poet's life, from curating the Jack Straw Writers Program this year to organizing one of my favorite readings of all times at the Frye museum, the first time I was commissioned to write a poem.  While teaching full time, she still finds ways to give back to the literary community and be part of the writing life.



She is also an incredible poet.  Her work is precise and lyrical. And I remember the first time I bought her book-- I was working on my chapbook called Geography, and I was at the Eagle Harbor bookstore, a small indie bookstore on Bainbridge Island, and I opened to her book (The Cartographer's Tongue), read one poem and said, "I've got to get this."  Her poems inspired me as a poet, which is the highest compliment I can give a book of poems.



So today, on a day when I will see Susan Rich tonight as we're reading together (Port Townsend, WA at the Northwind Gallery at 7 pm, if you'd like to join us), I give thanks for her and our friendship.



It has grown over the years from a writing retreat together to teaching together this fall at the Sylvia Beach Hotel on the Oregon coast.





For more about Susan Rich, here are some links:



Her homepage:  www.susanrich.net

Her blog, The Alchemist's Kitchen:  www.thealchemistskitchen.blogspot.com

Find her on Twitter:  @susanrichpoet



Her newest book The Alchemist's Kitchen (which has been called "a literary feast)



Opportunities to work with Susan:

Centrum Writers Conference, Port Townsend, WA July

Poets on the Coast, Sept 9-11



And all Susan's Events can be found here.



And as I said, see her tonight in person if you're in the Northwest!



~



Many thanks to you Susan for your friendship and your poetic life in the world.

Drinking Wine from Chocolate Cups (a Pre-Lenten Memory)

So a few of you wanted to know more about the chocolate cups I had the other night.



Here they looked very much like these, except ours weren't in gold wrappers:







I believe the ones we had were dark chocolate (these above look like milk to me...of course, I love milk chocolate so I'm happy either way.)



And the dessert wine was from a small local winery, Eleven, where we got the port called "Sweet Sarah" (get the wordplay there, Sweet Syrah...)  (More info about the owners here.)

















I found some on Amazon for $11.95 for 12 (see below).  I paid $5 for 5, so they seem to be about a dollar a cup.  Though I bet you could make these at home for less.



Dobla Dark Belgian Chocolate Cordial & Toasting Cups

Do You Suffer From Yes-itis? The Joy of Saying No (or Yes to Yourself)

Say NO when you are drowning.


I wrote last week about being thankful for saying no.

It can be easy to all of sudden find yourself with a big case of yes-itis.  You're feeling overscheduled, overworked, tired, and your calendar looks as if it's for no less than 5 people, but really, those are just things scheduled for yourself.

I have had yes-itis.  I still get it and constantly have to remind myself to be mindful of my choices, to pay attention and really consider what I say yes to.  When it comes to yes-itis, I am not immune to it. I  

Yes-itis can come in many forms and for many reasons.  Here are few I have suffered from--

1)  The Good Intentions Yes - This is saying yes to something because you really believe you can do it and you want to do it.

2)  The Pleaser Yes - Saying yes to something you really don't want to do, but you don't want to make the person feel bad or let him/her down (i.e.  Your boss asks you if you can work this weekend and while you were really going to spend that time writing, you don't want to let her down.)

3)  The It's-So-Far-In-The-Future-It-Will-By-Fine Yes - This is when you say yes to something --say a longer trip or a bigger project - but it's so far ahead in the future you figure by the time you get there you'll 1) be caught up with your other stuff  2) will want to do it  3) won't have anything else going on then .

4) The It's-So-Far-In-The-Future-I'll-Come-Up-With-A-Reason-Later-To-Cancel Yes - This is the yes, where you really want to say (and plan on it), but you say yes because you were either surprised to be asked (and didn't want to disappoint) or had no intention of doing it anyway.  BTW, this is the Yes-itis to cure with 5 (or 10) simple words:  Let me think about it.  Or Let me think about it, and get back to you.

5)  The Guilt Yes: Saying yes to something because you feel you should do it (insert any instance of being a parent-volunteer, making a donation, etc.)  

6)  The This-Sounds-Like-So-Much-Fun Yes - This can happen to positive people a lot because when someone comes to you with a great idea, yes, you want to do it!  Yes, that sounds like so much fun!  Yes, I'd love to be part of your a) bowling league  b) new project  c) Cocktail party  d) ___________ (fill in the blank with anything you love to do here).  So when asked you say YES! and mixed with #1 above, you plan on doing it, you mark it on your calendar, you think about it, then you realize, Geez, I'm swamped!  I just want some down time.

~

For me, I've found much of the solution to this is really considering each request and knowing my priorities in life which are - family, friends, and work/writing (and not always necessarily in that order).    

During grad school, I only said yes to things that had to do with family or poetry.  Friends got knocked to the bottom of my list during that intense time. I felt bad about not being able to attend every gathering or coffee date, but it kept me sane.

Now what I do to guarantee I have time for myself and my writing is that I schedule it in as you would a doctor's appt.  I will take a block of time (like today) and on my calendar is says, "Kelli's Writing Day" from 9-4.  If someone asks me if I want to go get coffee on that day, I say, "Sorry, I have something scheduled then" or "I have a prior commitment" or if I know them well and they know me well (& respect my time/priorities) I say, "Sorry, that's my writing day."  



It was a huge epiphany to me when I discovered this many many years ago.  Schedule in my own time.  Just as when you're trying to save money, you pay yourself first.



Still, it can be hard to say no to people, so if you're not good at doing it in person and would feel more comfortable saying no by phone or email or carrier pigeon, let these 5 words, "Let me think about it."   These are some of the best words out there, worth their wait in gold!



They let you determine at a later time whether this is something you can do or not.  The give you breathing room and take the focus off of you to give an answer.



As I give this advice, know for a fact that much of this post is a just a major reminder to myself.  When it comes to saying no, I suck at it.  But I'm getting better and learning more.



January joked on her blogs that it should have been a no-brainer to know her limitations, but we do it each day.  We move into the water and into the water and the next thing we know, we're drowning in too much to do. And much of it was a choice.



I know I have been the little man on the sign above.  



Maybe one day I'll have the pill for yes-itis (maybe I'll just have to wear a button that says, "This woman suffers from yes-itis, please do not ask for answers on the spot") but until then I'll practice saying no to things I really can't do, don't want to do, or if I did do I'd be the person halfway underwater.



I'll continue to work at it.  We're not perfect, we're human, and we get better, then screw up and find us relearning the same lesson.  That's life.  So we practice saying no and yes to ourselves.  And if that doesn't work, I'll start an Etsy shop to sell those dang buttons.

Confession Tuesday- Fat Tuesday Edition

Dear Readers,



What a perfect day for Confession Tuesday as it's Fat Tuesday and Lent begins tomorrow.



"Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday," has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the "last hurrah" before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That's why the enormous party in New Orleans, for example, ends abruptly at midnight on Tuesday, with battalions of streetsweepers pushing the crowds out of the French Quarter towards home."  from American Catholic



Yes, Catholics (and well, many non-Catholics) know how to celebrate...  (bring out the beads!)



To the confessional--





I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends--



I confess that last night kind of feels like my Fat Tuesday (Let's call it Indulgence Monday).  It was my poetry group, but a few of us met earlier to as were having a "submission party" (for non-writers this might sound very weird & definitely in line with the Mardi Gras free-spiritness, but basically we were just all submitting our poems at the same time, in one place.)



Our get-together included delicious salad with this incredible curry dressing, chocolate (lots of chocolate from European chocolate to Seattle truffles), a few other kind of candy, grapes, a bowl of almonds with raisins, and of course, wine.



We ended the evening with this incredible local port and using these chocolate toasting cups to drink it in.  Amazing.



Oh, and I think we submitted shared poems...oh right, that was the point of us getting together, thus the names: Writing Group/Submission Party.



~



I confess that while we had an hour and 20 minutes to submit work, I only submitted 2 batches of poems.  To be honest, that was a lot for me given that I haven't been submitting much (um, or at all).



Submitting my work has become a huge issue for me lately as when I go to submit my poems-- nothing seems good enough.  Though I confess the wine made it easier to submit my work as I liked my poems better after the pinot grigio.



~

Missing Bourbon Street--



I confess I tend not to be someone who carries regrets (okay, I don't have regrets because I feel that every choice has led me to where I am now), but if I were to have one, it would be that I didn't visit New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina.  I will get there one day, but I wish I would have been there before that name, that event, impacted their city as it did.



~





I confess two years ago in an odd rebellion, I gave up Lent for Lent, but this year I'm giving up chocolate as usual.





For me, giving up a bad habit is always a good idea and dessert is my bad habit, particularly chocolate, as I have a little bit every day.  But I may have to call in "Lent" (in quotes) as you'll see below in my last confession, I'm kind of the "one of these kids is doing her own thing" this year...



~

I'm talking with the (wo)man in the mirror--



I confess I had to laugh that in looking for a list of ideas to share about Lent I found this nugget on what to do during Lent:  (1) converting the sinner.  Really?  I'm sure that person would be quite pleased to know s/he is being converted.



I confess I think it's really *so* much better to work on ourselves than other people.  And well, I know I need to look no further than my own bathroom mirror...





(BTW, Here's a great list of things to give up or do during Lent if you're interested.  You don't have to be Catholic to find this list useful.  And I like this list because # 26 is read more classic literature.)





~

Confessions of a Chocoholic--



I confess I will be finishing up my chocolate stash today.  Ronda Broatch gave me a delicious Seattle Truffle bar (sea salt and toffee mix), which I'll be having for lunch...I mean for a snack.



~



I confess I'm not sure Lent makes me a better person, but I like the idea changing bad habits and I think it's good for me as I'm not someone who withholds a lot from herself or feels that besides hate & not-nice actions, there's really isn't a lot of things I shouldn't do.



(As I said before, I've always felt the Seven Deadly Sins should be the Seven Pesky Sins.  Really, is sloth such a bad thing?  I'll take a hammock & a book over a 5K race any day.)

~



So I confess once again I'm nowhere near perfect, not even in the same city.



My confession is all over the map, the good with the chocolate, the sweet with the "I kind of like myself the way I am..."



One of these kids is doing her own thing---



And so I'll confess that I will be going on during a writing residency during Lent so I'll ending Lent a week early because there will be port there and those delicious chocolate toasting cups.



Yes, I confess it seems I'm practicing Kellism instead of Catholicism this Lent.  But I guess it just gives me more to confess for next Tuesday and the Tuesday after that.  It keeps things interesting...



Amen.



~

A Woman's Guide to Success in the Writing World --

Good Morning, Friends of Kells~



Jeannine Hall Gailey has a great post on her blog called "Girls in a Boy's Club: Tips for Poets"



Here's a few of the ideas she offers:



--When you buy a book of poetry, try one by a female! When you review a book of poetry, try a book of poetry by a female.



--When you review said book of poetry by a female, try to eliminate any references to Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, or Elizabeth Bishop. I'm so tired of reading comparisons to those three women poets, as if male reviewers haven't read any other female poets besides those two or three. It just looks lazy, fellas.





--When you have an opportunity to pay readers, have a woman out. Remember, we're making less money over our whole life span, so cut a sister some slack. Try to remember to invite a woman poet who is not already rolling in dough and awards - that would be extra nice.





--Female poets: start reviewing books.



~



*** And I have a few tips & ideas I'd like to add as well.



Dear Women Poets, Writers & Artists--



1)  Don't be afraid to:



a) be rejected

b) have someone not like your work

c) speak up for yourself and your rights as a poet, writer, or artist

d) submit to a magazine, prize, or professional position even if you feel you are not fully qualified (always give it a shot)

e) do something because you are afraid you might get your feelings hurt.



2)  Start your own press



3)  Become an editor



4)  Promote yourself.



5)  Ask for the things you want.  (These include such as being a guest lecturer, teaching a class at a conference, being a featured reader... no, it's not braggy or pushy to think you deserve good things.)



6) Submit your work to a journal *more than once* in a year (see my Submit like a Man post)



7)  If you worry about what others think of you, stop (right now) and do what is best for your work/art/creative life.



8)  Start a blog and find ways to support your fellow woman writer/artist.



9)  Promote other women poets and artists in your classes, workshops, community, opportunities.



10)  Don't subscribe to journals who you feel don't represent women. (And on the positive - subscribe to journals that support other women writers.)



11)  Thank the people (men & women) in your creative life who support you and give you opportunities, and support them as well.



~

It's about supporting the people who are aware & trying to change the fact that women are still under-represented in publication in major journals, magazines, art galleries, presses, and in the prizes and awards department of the writing world.



But it's also about doing the work--



as women we have to submit more and to the bigger journals and magazines.  This is our job. If we're not doing the work, we cannot blame others for not publishing us.



So go forth, take risks, submit more, and don't work harder, but work better.

Twitter #poetparty Sunday Night at 6 pm PST - Topic: Chapbooks!

If you're interested in chapbooks (writing or publishing one), you might want to head to Twitter this Sunday, March 6, 2011 at 6 pm PST (9 pm EST) and in the SEARCH box type in #poetparty



There will be a few of us (Deborah Ager & Collin Kelley have excellent attendance at this discussions & good tweets) who will be discussing chapbooks.



Anyone is welcome and you can ask questions to the group.



If you've never done Twitter, it can be confusing.  I was a terribly slow-learner.  Martha Silano created my account for me in a coffeeshop and it took me months and months before I used it and understood.  Now, I *finally* get it.



But if you're new, here's what I suggest--



1)  Go to Twitter at 5:55 pm PST on Sunday and type in #poetparty in the search box.



Some tweets might show up.  As you refresh that search, you will see more and more people "arriving."



2)  You can introduce yourself (it's a great way to meet other writers and everyone is always so nice at these things) or just read along privately on your laptop.



3) If you're going to participate, arrive on time as latecomers always have a hard time catching up and being included, I've noticed.  I think because the conversation is in full swing and quickly.



4)  If you make any post, you must have #poetparty in your Tweet or it won't be seen.  It's like standing outside the door of the party and asking questions to the potted palm.



The whole event only lasts an hour and goes by quickly.



It does take some getting used to, but very fun and interesting things are usually said.



I now use something called Hootsuite, which is great because you can see the tweets and when someone "mentions" you or responds to you directly with a @.  I just started using it the last poetparty and it worked great.  Minus that our party was happening during the Oscars, so everything on Twitter was slow.



Anyway, that's Twitter and the #poetparty for you.  By the way, the # before #poetparty is important to make sure you're actually part of the discussion and remember to include it in every tweet, or again, it's like you've stepped outside.



If you want to find me on Twitter, I'm at:  kelliagodon



There's quite a few poets on Twitter.  Here's a few--

Susan Rich

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Martha Silano

January Gill O'Neil

Collin Kelley

Deborah Ager





There's a bunch.  Feel free to drop by and say hello!