Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 95

Reason #152 on why I love where I live - Morning & steam off the water

Crab Creek Review Pushcart Nominations & Molly Tenenbaum wins Editors' Prize!

Crab Creek Review  has nominated the following poets and writers for the 2010 Pushcart Prize:



Fiction:

Two Lies and a Truth by Midge Raymond, 2010 Vol 2  

Live Model by Laura Maylene Walter, 2010 Vol 2



Poetry:

Not Love by Rachel Mehl, 2010 Vol I

Inherited Music by Michael Schmeltzer, 2010 Vol 2

Girl Walking in Wallace, Idaho by Tim Sherry, 2010 Vol I

The Aprons of Adam and Eve by Molly Tenenbaum, 2010 Vol I 



Congratulations to our nominees!





The Co-Editors of Crab Creek Review (Kelli Russell Agodon and Annette Spaulding-Convy) are awarding the Crab Creek Review 2010 Editors' Prizeto Seattle poet, musician, and teacher, Molly Tenenbaum, for her poem,The Aprons of Adam and Eve (2010 Vol I). Our annual Editors' Prize is awarded for the best poem, short story, or creative non-fiction essay published by Crab Creek Review in a given year. 



Congratulations, Molly!

How to be Alone (video) - Adding a little beauty to your quiet day

Robert Brewer Makes the Word "Platform" Not Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies.

Dearest Lovely Writers,



A few weeks ago I wrote a post on You Are Not A Brand, basically saying that all this talk about branding oneself and developing a platform, gave me the creeps.  Mostly because it felt as if it was putting the writer before the writing, putting the cart before the art.



I kept thinking about Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club: You are not your f'ing khakis.  How sometimes everything about life feels so commercial, so branded.  We can't even be ourselves as artists, we must have some sort of created persona, something to me that felt so inauthentically icky that it went against much in this poet's heart.



Now bring in Robert Lee Brewer's recent blog post on Platform Building for Writers 101, Planning.  After I read it, I did not feel dirty. I even left him a compliment about how his post didn't creep me out (um yeah, that doesn't seem like much of a compliment, but it was!)



I think because in reading Robert's post, I felt as if he was writing about connecting with people and making sure you are easy to find in the virtual world, something I think is very important for writers.



When I love a writer, I immediate google them to find out all I can about what they've written, their books.  It drives me nuts when I can't find my new love on the internet, or I find this old spider-webby website, last recent update, January 2001.



So I'm not fully changing my views on branding and platforms (as there is still quite the sea of heebie-jeebie type information out there), but I really like what Robert has to say about how the internet world can help you out as a writer.



Here's the opening that didn't make me feel as if I had just walked into a "How to Be a Writer in 7 Days" class--



"One writer can have multiple platforms, and those platforms can intersect and co-habitate or be completely separate. For instance, writers who deal in poetry and fiction may be able to use credits in literary magazines interchangeably for their literary pursuits, but those same credits likely won't help much in pitching a how-to book on woodworking (unless it's somehow targeted at literary types).



In this post, I just want to cover the basics of planning out a platform strategy. I often find that success follows successful preparation and adaptability (to things not going exactly as I planned)."





~





The rest of the post goes on to offer good advice about buying your domain name (i.e. agodon.com, susanrich.net), but also having a central hub so people can find you.  





To me, it felt like professional advice you would give someone who was a writer, not some weird candy about creating personas, selling your soul, sucking the lollipop of commercialism in that scary I'll-be-whoever-you-want-me-to-be way, or If-you-build-the-platform-they-will-come propaganda.  In short, it was useful stuff for the writer trying to find his/her place in the online world.





Anyway, dearest readers, I wanted to share it with you because I do think that more administrative/business part of the job-- being available for opportunities and for people to find you-- is important.





Okay, after writing that I seriously want to end with a "but your art is *more* important," sentence here, but you already know that, you already know that or you wouldn't be here.





Happy writing and connecting... 

Thankful Thursday

Kelli is currently thankful for--





1) Her poetry group & our time together:







Ronda Broatch, Annette Spaulding-Convy, Jeannine Hall Gailey, me plus the others who aren't in the photo.




2)  Her family, friends, and pets (and a shoutout to her golden retriever, the only pet that truly missed her while she was on her retreats-- cats are so indifferent.)









3) Pancakes for lunch or BFD (breakfast for dinner).











4)  Her friend, Susan Rich, for alerting her that New Pages had a great review of Letter from the Emily Dickinson Room (you can read the full review here)!

From the review:

Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room, by Kelli Russell Agodon, is a collection of charming, intelligent poems that invoke the idea of a modern day Emily addressing the world from the safety of her room. 



5)  The New Pages reviewer (Renee Emerson) who I do not know, but who got it so right and who (thankfully) enjoyed the book.









6) Home.

7 Tips on a Successful Writer's Retreat

How I imagine each writer on a retreat




I am just back from a weeklong writing retreat about 5 or so hours of travel time from my home.  It's amazing how you do not need to board a plane to have a successful writer's retreat.  You do not need to drive for twelve hours to a different state or find a new country.  Many times, just a new town can do it.



As I've been on this retreat, I've been realizing there are certain things that make retreat successful.  Here are a few things I noticed during my week away--



1)  Pack everything you need when you write.



For me, this just doesn't include my laptop and plug, but also my mousepad, wireless mouse, wrist rest, fingerless gloves (my metal MacBook is cold in the morning), as well as my glasses (I brought 2 pairs), coffee, special coffee mug and a scrunchy to keep my hair out of my eyes.



I would have been crazy if I didn't have my wireless mouse, coffee or fingerless gloves.



I did not bring my favorite cup and regretted it until I found a great snowman mug in the cupboard, which made my world okay.





2)  Pack what you need to wear to write.



I am always cold, so I included my favorite cozy sweater and these thermal long-sleeve shirts that might as well be called "my uniform" in everyday life.  Also, warm socks/slippers were a must for me, as well as yoga pants and a tank top.



I brought a pair of my favorite corduroys thinking I would want to wear more "regular" pants just to feel "dressed for work" and also so I don't return 2 sizes too large (I have a belief the reasons Americans are overweight has more to do with Lycra than what they are eating, but I digress...)



But I wore my yoga pants all week with varying tops.  I'm not the fashion plate, but I'm cozy and very comfortable.





3)  Pack what books you need to write.



This is a hard one because it can be hard to know what book you will reach for.  All three of us who were on this retreat, brought *way* too many books, but is there ever such a thing?  Worst case scenario, we carry them to our car and drive them back home.  So what?  I like the security of knowing, I have my own library with me.



I chose my books based on the books I usually grab when I'm stuck.  For poetry, a few of mine are:  Blue Hour: Poems by Carolyn Forche, Mortal Geography  by Alexandra Teague (my current favorite book I'm reading), Ilya Kaminsky's Dancing in Odessa (an old favorite), and Now: Poems by Molly Tenenbaum.



I grab instinctually until I've loaded up 2 book bags, then I don't look back.





4)  If there is internet, DO NOT use it to check the news, Facebook or Twitter.



Your goal on a retreat is to LOSE yourself from the real world, not update your status or stay connected.  A retreat is valuable time where you are to discover *new* habits, not reinforce existing bad habits.



This is interrupted time you will *not* get back.  This is the time you dream of in your real life when you are cleaning the kitchen, putting out the dog, letting the cat in, driving your child to another sport, grading papers, doing all those things that you are responsible for in your every day world.



There is a reason you came here, don't dwindle your time away with activities that do not need to be done.  The world can go a week without knowing what you are doing.



5)  Stay in touch with loved ones through texting NOT phone calls.



I cannot tell you the difference this makes!  When you get on a phone with someone (say a husband who is home taking care of the house, your child and pets, etc.), they want to fill your ears with information-- the sump pump might be broken again, it is raining, we lost power, the cat is drinking from the Christmas tree, did you see in the news...--and it goes on.



Shhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm on a retreat!



What texting does is let's you connect with your family and know they are okay, but they cannot vomit up their days on you bringing you into the regular world.  I know, vomit is a tough word, "share" might be kinder, but I truly believe, when you are away and writing, that is where your mind should be, not on home repairs or whether your cat is getting too much pine-flavoring.  It should be on your writing. your goals, your projects, your creativity.



If you don't have texting, sign up for it.  It is worth every penny when you are on a retreat.





6)  Set your email to away, whether you secretly check it or not.



If you can completely ignore email, do it.  But most of us don't have the willpower to do that or aren't able to due to some optimistic belief that there's an acceptance with your name on it or you might miss something important...



Whatever the reason is, the "Away Notice" let's people know you won't be answering emails until you return and if there is an emergency, they can call or text you (or call or text your spouse, etc.)



This is your golden ticket.  With this notice two things happen-- 1) People stop emailing as much  2) You have put a date on your responses so you DO NOT have to worry about them.



If you do secretly check email on your retreat, just flag the emails you want to return to when you get back.  Don't respond during your retreat.  Really, we're just not that important and people can live without hearing from us for a week.









7)  Arrive with a plan.

Before you go, make a list of the things you want to get down and bring things needed with those projects.  

If you need your poem titles on index cards to organize your manuscript, bring them.  You do not want to take time to go to town to purchase what you need, that again just brings you out of retreat mode and into the real world.

Figure out what you'd like to work on and make a to-do list.  It will keep you focused if you are feeling the urge to check Facebook or twitter away time.  Figure out what you want to do and stay focused.

~

Retreats go by quickly enough.  Remember, your real world will begin the moment you return home, don't invite it into your life while you are away.  This is your time, your time to be the safe blue egg safe in a nest without anything else to worry about.  It's your time to write, create and revise.  Enjoy it and use it well.

Winner! Happiness book! Hello Sandi...

Sandi B. is our winner of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun





I've sent her an email and will drop this in this in the mail for her when I hear back!



Congrats!  And thank you all for playing!

Confession Tuesday

What I am thinking about...




Dear Reader,



I confess it's been one week of solitude, friendship and poetry since I last confessed.  I spent last week at a writing retreat, writing new work, going over old poems, clearing my head and revising my life.



There's been a lot on my mind and you'll see what I've been thinking about over the next few weeks.  It revolves around writing and meaning, solitude and time, living on less, simplicity, how to have a good writing retreat and and and...



But that's for later, let's go to the confessional, I have so much to share--





Small Town Bother--



I confess at our small town Country Christmas event in the park, I hit no less than 5 people with my giant umbrella.  My favorite quote of the night was, "Excuse me, you're hitting my daughter with your umbrella."  The daughter was four feet tall, how I managed to whack a child that small with my umbrella is beyond me.



Other things said to me, "Can you stop talking I'm filming?"  and "Your head is blocking Santa."



Apparently, I wasn't being very self-aware the whole evening.  The funny part is that I find all of this amusing and do not feel insulted when someone finds me annoying.  I actually find it hilarious (Can you tell I was the youngest child?  I swear, we get a strange pleasure in bothering people...as wrong as that is).



~



We have a request from...



I confess that my writing retreat was incredible and it completely cleared my head.



As I return into the real world, I can feel my head filling again with all the errands, chores, to-do lists, tasks, etc. that the real world makes me deal with.



I am working on staying in what I call "retreat mind," which includes staying off Facebook, living simply, staying focused, but in the world of everyday with the people I love, it is so much harder.  I had no idea that much of being an adult is like being a walking request box--whether on time or energy.



But I'm trying to live by the K.I.S.S. mantra- "Keep it simple, Sweetie."  (or "Stupid" depending on how I'm feeling).  Though maybe K.I.S.S. really means:  Kelli is simply swamped.  No, not yet.  I've just returned!



~





The Year of Revision



I confess 2011 will be The Year of Revision.  At the retreat, I found many poems that were *almost* done and many starts on new work that were just abandoned.  Poor poems, left because I had other things to do.



But I will be coming back for my darlings in 2011.  I will be focusing on revising these poems I found, revising the poems in my "New Work" folder.  I will be taking them out of their holey socks and ripped jeans and putting them into a much more beautiful outfit.  I will let some of them wear hats and others I will give necklaces made of glass beads.  And when they are ready for the world, I'll send them out and see what happens.





~



Best of Everything



I confess I love that people make these "Best of" lists at the end of the year.  And I confess (with a swelled heart- not head) that I like them even more when my book is included on them.  (Thank you, Michael, for including me in your Top 5 Books of 2010!)



I've been trying to sort out the ego from thankfulness when it comes down to these lists and what I really realize is when I see someone has mentioned my book or included it on a list of their favorites, it's as if I've been given the Sally Field moment of the virtual world (you like me, you really like me!)



And while there is no golden statue that arrives afterwards, no place to wear my sparkly gown or make an acceptance speech besides this small blog, what there is for me is a feeling of connection, that in a small way, what I wrote mattered to someone and someone cared enough to share it.



I don't think I will ever get a big head about poetry until my poem walks out the door and stops a war, ends poverty or gets my friend his job back.  Until my poem makes sure no one is going hungry and that everyone has a warm and dry home to live in.



But these smaller moments, I value them--that my book did mean something to someone, someone I may have never met in person.  To me, these are my best presents under the tree, the invisible ones wrapped with a bow of connection, a bond of words, a ribbon of synchronicity and thankfulness that maybe something I wrote meant something to someone, added a little joy, understanding, creativity, satisfaction, or just a "good read" to someone's world.  This is the gift Santa can wrap up for me every year.





Amen.

Martha Silano's Poetic Interpretation of Schadenfreude

Martha Silano, 2007 at the Sylvia Beach Hotel, Gertrude Stein Room




Martha Silano is featured on one of my very favorite literary websites, Escape into Life.  I swear, they always have the image artwork and images on this site.  It's eye-candy, and Martha's image is literally eye-candy (and a little fireworks!)



What I love about the poems that are featured here is that 2 (two!) were started when we were together at Starbucks on Martin Luther King Way in Seattle.  "Schadenfreude" and "Circle" happened because on one weekday when I had a dentist appointment that required me to be in the city, we took a couple hours to talk and write.



I am always amazed how poems are born into the world.



Congrats Martha on these incredible poems!

Baby, you're coming to my town! (AWP in Seattle 2014!)

See you in 2014!