Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 94

For the Love of Dickinson

I read this in the Boston Globe.  I love people who do these acts as they make life a little more special, a little more magical--





For the love of Dickinson 

A young man's love of Emily Dickinson's poetry blossomed into a tradition almost as mysterious as the woman herself. Now the anonymous donor of roses to celebrate the poet's birthday has unmasked himself.

For the past 13 years, James Fraser, a retired physicist living in Acton, has bought roses to commemorate the poet's birth on Dec. 10, 1830. During the open house at the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst held on the Saturday closest to her birthday, roses have been handed out — one for every year since her birth. On Dec. 11 the first 180 visitors received a rose.

In a recent phone interview, Fraser said that he wasn't a particularly serious student as a teenager, but he was drawn to Dickinson's work. "There was something about her poems that was a little different," he said. Then he turned to physics, earning a PhD.



Decades later he acquired Cynthia Griffin Wolff's biography of Dickinson, but it sat on his shelf for years before he opened it. "By reading the book, I got a much better understanding of how she [Dickinson] put words and ideas together. My interest just sort of snowballed from there," he said.



He visited the Dickinson house, joined the Emily Dickinson International Society, and initiated the annual gift. This month's open house and gift of roses was the last of its kind. Times change and so should birthday celebrations, Fraser said. Next year's observance is a mystery for now.

Merry Christmas!

Hope Santa brought you everything you wanted...



Merry Christmas!



xo,

~ Kells

Martha Silano's poem "It's All Gravy" on Poetry Daily today!

Martha Silano is featured on Poetry Daily this Christmas eve!



You can check out here poem here!  Congrats, Marty!





~



I *heart* Poetry Daily!

Dear Santa... and please get Kelli a GoodReads Viewer's Choice Award...

Merry Christmas Eve, Batman!



I just learned my book (and it's cover!) has been added by GoodReads to their selection of best poetry books as a write-in. (Thank you!)



If you want to help make a Christmas miracle, please feel free to click on this link to GoodReads to vote.



I'll be honest though, I'm just thrilled to see my book cover on their website! What a great (early) Christmas present!

Thankful Thursday

It's the day before the night before Christmas (and I'm busy, busy, busy being good... -- Does anyone else remember that song from the 70's?)  Well, I'm trying to be good, but if being good includes not eating a chocolate orange for breakfast, then I'm out.



But as Christmas comes into our town with a splash (yes, it's pouring here) I have a lot to be thankful for.





1)  Friends and family - Okay, I always say this, but here's the thing, you might be the friend I'm referring to or who has made my day and has no idea.



You could be one of the incredible women in my poetry group or a friend or family member who supported me. You might be the anonymous stranger who sent me a kind note.  You may have just commented on a blog post.  You might have just posted a note on my facebook wall, commented on my status or just "liked" it.  Or maybe you mailed me a card recently.  We may have never even met in person and yet, you've done something to enhance my life.  Thank you.



As I move forward in 2011, I think one thing I will be trying to focus on is how I can make a positive difference in someone else's life.





2)  White Pine Press and 2 people with the name Dennis.  - Last year around this time, I learned my book won the White Pine Press book prize judged by Carl Dennis.  Dennis Maloney called to tell me I'd won.  I was overjoyed.  Though on the phone I leaned more toward speechless, I couldn't even explain my excitement and/or gratitude.



But here's the funny thing (and something to think about if you submit to poetry book prizes), had I known Carl Dennis was judging, I probably wouldn't have submitted.  I would have thought-- Why would a Pulitzer Prize winner who is male and born 30 years before me like my work?



So maybe it's some good advice to the poets who are submitting their work-- submit to the presses you want to be published by, not to the judges you think will choose your poems as sometimes our guesses on who will like or dislike our work are incredible wrong.





3)  Books, indie booksellers, small presses, authors, writers, poets artists, literary journals, readers, libraries, librarians, bookstores, used bookstores, online journals, blogs, literary communities, festivals and conferences--



Yes, this is a long (and incomplete) list, but if I were to look at the things that really feed my spirit, they usually are connected to one or more things in the above list.



I do not think I would feel as good if these things or people did not exist in the world.  For me, writing is a way where I feel connected to something larger than I am.  Sometimes it offers me wonderful synchronicity I couldn't have planned for.  Sometimes, I feeling that there is a reason for things.



When there is chaos in the world, there is the simplicity of words, one after another.





4)  ___________________:  I'm leaving this spot blank a way to say, I cannot speak my heart.  As much as I'm a writer, a poet, and I'm supposed to be good at these kind of things, words sometimes cannot show what I carry inside me and inside you that is hard to write out in words.



Even explaining it, I've had to use the word "heart" (a so-called no-no in poetry), but how do I share something when I'm not sure how to write it?  



I guess for me it was like watching the Nutcracker last night, I tried to take a photo of the Waltz of the Snowflakes because it was beautiful and there was fake snow falling.  I wanted you to see it, to put it on my blog.  But my camera couldn't capture it.  The snow magic disappeared into the background, it couldn't capture the moment and what I was feeling, what I wanted to share.



So I guess if I had to choose a word to name it, I'd choose compassion.



I am thankful for all the compassion in the world and the kindness we carry inside us.  For every small act done to help a fellow human, friend or stranger, for that peace that is so deep in us that sometimes we forget to hear its voice (or maybe like Horton Hears a Who, we don't always hear it until we listen hard).



It's the "I Believe" part of us that knows there's more to this life, more to us, more to the connections in the world.  There is more than a photograph of snowflakes, more than a blog, a word, but the moment we look around and realize we are all in this together.   That  is what I am thankful for, that and so much more.

Confession Tuesday - The Christmas Edition

Dear Reader,



So here we are, 4 days (or "daze" depending how you feel) before Christmas.



I promised a Christmas version of confession Tuesday, one that included tears, so let's begin with that, what on earth would make someone cry at Christmastime?  Wham UK, that's what.



To the confessional--



George Michael Always Knew What to Say--



I confess when I was 17, I sat in my car outside a friend's Christmas party and cried because "Last Christmas" came on the radio.  It was 1986.  My life was Christmas tree made of broken-heart ornaments.



What I remember-- the hedge to my left that hid me from my friends at the party, my cold old car, and believing I would never ever be happy again.



~

For the love of Mondegreens--



I confess I just learned *this year* that the lyrics to "Last Christmas" are not "A crowded room, friends in tie-dye, I'm longing for you, but you're so shy."  No, the lyrics are actually, "Crowded room, friends with tired eyes, I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice."



Um, I have sung that song wrong for the last 26 years?  Nice.



In truth, I think my lyrics are better (and I still sing them like that when the song is on.)



~



Written by Scrooge, perhaps?--



I confess I think the very worst line in a Christmas song is from one of my favorites, "Feed the World (Do they know it's Christmas?)



Here's the line--





And the Christmas bells that ring there

are the clanging chimes of doom

Well tonight thank God it's them

instead of you



I understand what they are saying about appreciating what we have, but sheesh, it's written in a way that's a little uncaring.  And "clanging chimes of doom," I'm guessing that's the opposite of "silver bells" or "jingle bells."



Dashing through the snow, with our clanging chimes of doom...





~

Holy Chocolate Oranges, Batman!



I confess I am honestly addicted to these:



   Terry's Milk Chocolate Orange Ball, 6.17-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)  (BTW, I have no idea why a 6-pack of these are $36 on Amazon, ours was $2.99 last night and I will say they seem quite a bit smaller than last year (as does everything).



And for some reason, they are selling out all over my small town.  I had a minor "you-better-not-pout" moment in Albertson's last night when they said they didn't have any.



If you have never tried one, you must.  It's our Christmas tradition to always have one...or two, well, more like five.  And what's also fun about them, is you get to slam them on the table before you eat them (it breaks up the slices).  Love that.



~



Let's start the sugar early--



I confess every Christmas morning we wake up to satsuma oranges, chocolate bars, and maple bars.





I, of course, eat what I always have for breakfast-- coffee and swiss muesli with raspberry yogurt.  But sometimes (read: always), I eat the maple frosting off a maple bar.



~





For the Troops & their Families--



I confess that this year there is another song that makes me a little emotional.



I look forward to the Christmas where we don't need a song to wish that no one was overseas in a war--







Wishing everyone peace in the new year.



Amen.

Happy Solstice ~

For My Pagan & Christian Friends--



Dar Williams singing "The Christians & the Pagans"



Happy Solstice, Dear Ones

Christmas Gratitude: Free Copies of Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room

To celebrate this holiday season, I'm giving away some of my books as a way  to say thanks.



Thanks for reading.

Thanks for commenting.

Thanks for writing.

Thanks for the poems.

Thanks for keeping your own blog.

Thanks for linking to my blog.

Thanks for all the things I forgot to say thank you for.

Thanks for the things I never knew or noticed.

Thanks for listening.



Thanks. Thank you.  Thx.







To kick things off, I'm giving away a signed copy of my new book, Letters From the Emily Dickinson Room (White Pine Press Poetry Prize).  If you already have one, you can still enter as I'd be happy to sign it for someone else.



If you'd like to win this book, just leave me a note in the comments that says something you are grateful for by December 31th, 2010.



I'll randomly pick a winner on January 1st, 2011 and help you celebrate the new year.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~



The second way I'd like to give away a few books is in "loaner copies."



I know this year has been hard on many and many of us have been scrimping on things to save money.  While it's almost impossible for me to scrimp on books (I am an out-and-about bibliophile), I know some of us view poetry books as a "treat," and can't give in to every temptation.



So I've been thinking about how you too could get my book and I decided I can't make sure you win a contest (as that's cheating) and I'm not really sure who has wanted to buy my book, but hasn't because they just haven't had the extra money, so I've come up with Loaner Books.



Here's how it works:



I've set aside a few copies of my book (I even put old fashioned library checkout cards in them) and if you want a copy of my book to read because you haven't really been able to afford it, please send me an email to (kelli (a) agodon.com) and I will mail you one of these copies.



When you are done with reading my book, the only thing I ask is that you pass it on to someone else to read.  And then they can do the same.



Does that make sense?  (It does in my mind, but these days that doesn't mean much.)



It's kind of my own little library except no late fees, no return dates, no record keeping, and well, there's only one book.



So again, if you have wanted to purchase my book, but just haven't been able to, email me at kelli (a) agodon.com, I'll let you know at the end of this post when I am out of them.



~ ~ ~



So there we are, your free ways to get a copy of my book:



Loaner Books

(email me, I'll let you know when I'm out)



and



a drawing for Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room

(don't forget to leave me a comment on this post to be entered into the drawing)





Happy Everything!













Thanks. Thank you. Thx!



~  Kells

Winter Break Report & Free Books on Monday

Dear Favorite Readers,



I'm going to be away from my laptop the next two weeks as well, it's Christmastime.



Christmas has always been a big deal in my family.  Honestly, it begins the day after Thanksgiving and doesn't stop its insanity until New Year's Day.  It's both overwhelming and magical, beautiful and big.  I complain about it, but deeply love it.  (You know, I've been listening to Christmas music since November, so I'm not quite as innocent as I seem.)



This year, I announced to the family that I would like a small Christmas--less of everything.  It's a funny thing about families, it seems that when you make a request, they seem to do the exact opposite.



And to be honest, with these self-imposed restrictions of "smaller Christmas" it has grown larger-- a new added tradition, an extra Christmas party, a surprise outing, a community country Christmas celebration in a rainy downpour.



My calendar is filled full until Christmas (except today) when I will wrap and clean, then look over my list to see if there is *anything* I've forgotten.



I'll be putting some posts up over the next two weeks, but probably be on the quiet side- more photos than words I think.  I will have a Confession Tuesday, Christmas Edition with Confessions from Christmas Past (oh, there were tears, sad teenage tears, but more on this later...)



I'll try to email a photo to my blog from where I'm at - I plan to see the Picasso exhibit, we still haven't been to the Nutcracker, life happening in real time images, sent here.



But in thinking of the next year, let me know what you'd like to see on this blog or anything you'd like me to blog about (I'm keeping a list, though not checking it twice).



I can tell you a few things 2011 will hold--



* Some new colors for the blog (and I'll put away the holiday decorations)

* Posts on how to bring a "Retreat Mind" home with you

* How to be (or find) a good roommate on a retreat (with photos of our coffee pot)

* Maybe some goal setting (remember, I'm a Capricorn-- we love this kind of stuff)

* Of course, posts about writing and creating





If you can, show up here tomorrow, as there will be some chances for free copies of  Letters From the Emily Dickinson Room .



As well as this week will have some things that make me feel like a cup of cocoa during Christmastime.  Happy things.



So wonderful reader, I hope you have (or had) a wonderful Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, December, Sunday, birthday, holiday season, Lady of Guadalupe day, writing retreat, Black Friday, workday, snow day, writing day, or whatever it is you are doing that brings joy into your life, I wish you more of whatever that is.



Cheers to a new year, new blog colors, and hope for a peaceful, well-fed, well-loved, well-cared for, art-filled world.



warmly,

 ~Kells

Book Review: Heather Cadenhead's Inventory of Sleeping Things

When I first received Heather's chapbook, Inventory of Sleeping Things (Maverick Press, 2010), I almost mistook the Table of Contents for a poem because she has such interesting titles such as "The Cracking of Bones Makes the Same Sound as Falling in Love," "A Coat on a Love Seat, Translated," "The Difference in Being Dead and Being Alive is Motion."  Reading these titles, I knew there would be some expected moments in this chapbook and as I read, I was right.

The first thing I noticed about Heather's work is her ability to create fresh images out of every day words.  She writes in the first poem of the chapbook,  … but I want a sky that swallows ideas. And guess what? So do I.  Who knew I did, until she wrote that?

This is what I love about finding a new poet, the surprise of how she sees the world.  The next poem, "Idea" has another image that I haven't been able to remove from my mind:

            I sift through it like my grandma used to sift through            my candy bucket on Halloween.  GOOD and NOT GOOD:            chocolate bars lined up like gravestones by the garbage bin.            Sometimes the best ones get thrown away.

And I love this poem's meditation on what an idea is, each stanza is a unique image of what an idea may be.  She ends with another favorite couplet:

            Finally, I put it in the closet like a finished sketchbook,             once useful to me.  But, really, just taking up space.

The whole book is filled with these insightful lines taking our ordinary language and turning it into something extraordinary.

From "Our Share of Plums":

My hair is a housefor your fingers.

From "Crooked Here" after next-door neighbors have installed a new light on their porch:

…Now they shinewhen they move, like actors in a spotlight. Sometimes, I applaud from the window, soundless.

From "The Difference Between Being Dead & Being Alive is Motion":

With you, the order of living things is broken…Some mornings, you spend hours underwater.It is a way of hiding.

You wonder at the fish…

~

For me, this is what I so enjoyed about this chapbook, how the poet writes to create a new and fresh look at the world and less about wanting to dissect meaning or force the reader to see her perspective.  She allows the poems to exist on their own—through images and moments—and the reader is there as the observer and allowed to establish to her own feelings and ideas. 

There is no pushing by the poet with judgmental language to make you feel one way or another, you are given a poem, a moment, a meditation, a poem spoken to another and as readers, we are there to find the freshness in the moment.  We find the surprise in the relationship and taken to a new place where, as in the poem "Dusk" someone might be in the stars tomorrow or finding out she kept that letter you told her to throw away.

It's a gift to find a new poet.  This is my first time reading Heather's poems and if this is just her first chapbook, I can only imagine the good things she has in front of her in the poems she will write. 











Heather Cadenhead resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Her poems have been featured in journals like Ruminate, Relief, Illuminations, and others. In 2009, her poem "The Wedding" received an Editor's Prize from New Plains Review. In 2010, her poem "Illiterate" was nominated for Best of the Net anthology and she was featured as the June poet for Chantarelle's Notebook. She also works in publicity for Thomas Nelson Publishers. For more information, seehttp://www.heathercadenhead.com





Heather Cadenhead