Juliet Cook's Blog, page 98

Juliet Cook reading at the Staghorn Poetry Series, on July 29, 2017 (at the Staghorn Garden Cafe in Pittsburgh, PA)

Me reading some poems at the Staghorn Poetry Series, on July 29, 2017 (at the Staghorn Garden Cafe in Pittsburgh, PA). 
(First photo taken by Deena November. Second photo taken by Darryl Shupe.)

New the July Thirteen Myna Birds Flock Has Arrived!

The July flock of Thirteen Myna Birds has finally arrived, filled with wonderful new poems by Sarah Lilius, Christian Sammartino, Mohja Kahf, Eileen Murphy, Donna Dallas, Ali Jones, Natalie Crick, Sarah Valeika, and Mike Zone!

"My lungs live in a beehive - where a baby tooth has been extracted, enamel sold to a higher power - stare at the fireplace that is empty and barren, same as my head - my pelvis will substantially be involved in my getting out of bed - Congealed dirt lies on the bottom, like a thin crust of coagulated blood - you let the blood-red twinkle along into your cup - set your body to rewind, in case you miss something - I'm growing fins to swim out and meet you - I'm talking to myself again, like this tin can Telephone has the signal to reach your ears - on blankets in the darkness in the only bed we owned - The white cat lies across the flagstone path as if she owns the flagstone path - boned trees erupt Through frost skins - black skeleton branches touch out for acceptance - ready to fold—over and over - You and I aren't all closed casket memories And eulogies yet"

Dive in to the July flock HERE - https://13myna.blogspot.com/

"Are you a "make it happen" or "let's see what happens" type of person?"

(I read the above question on a friend's facebook wall and decided to answer it, from my perspective, or at least parts of my perspective.)I am both.I'm very prone to being a "make it happen" type of person when it comes to poetry and art - since I'm strongly drawn to poetic expression, but it's not going to create itself or suddenly, randomly ejaculate itself into the world.I'm passionate, high energy, and have urgent and anxious impulses and so I love directing my passionate energy (and expelling my anxiety and borderline OCD urgency) in a direction that I have a real, genuine, long lasting, ongoing passion for.Since I know my passion for poetry is strong and real and genuine (for example, regardless of what others think of my poetry, I will still create it), I like to be in control of my own time and space, in regards to my poetry.Also, I like to be in control of my own time and space as much as I can period. Overall, I'm not good at handling last minute plans.I have no desire to control anyone else's time or space however - and I have absolutely no desire to try to control anyone else's mind, other than my own. I don't want to take any control whatsoever over any other adult's thoughts or feelings or lifestyle choices. Ultimately, everyone's thoughts and feelings and choices should be their own.Aside from my poetry/art and being able to make my own choices inside my own mind and in regards to my own time and space... with most other things, I'm closer to "let's see what happens".Things that involve anyone other than myself, as long as they don't invade my time and space, I don't desire to be in control.I don't desire to be in control of a large group situation.I don't desire to be in control of any individual other than myself.It's not because I'm weak; it's not because I'm a follower; it's not because I'm complacent with others. But with some things, it doesn't feel worth it for me to try to be in control AND with some things, I genuinely do want to see what happens.With relationships and love, for example. I don't want to MAKE a relationship or love happen, because that doesn't feel real and genuine. I don't want to quickly grab someone up, just to make sure someone else doesn't grab them up. I don't want to make someone dive into me before they even know very many of the details of me and my mixed-up, semi-convoluted personality.I don't want to MAKE anything happen if it involves someone else, because I feel like that's too close for comfort to being forceful and wanting to be in control of others.Being in control of oneself is fine. Being in control of others is the total opposite of my cup of tea.I don't want to STATE my opinion as though it's some sort of absolute fact.I don't want to force myself upon or dive into someone who has no idea if they can handle all of me.My poetry/art is all mine (when I am creating it), so I feel completely comfortable choosing to be in control of that.I'll dive right into a poem if I'm in the mood. After all, if I later decide the poem is dull or boring or nothing special, then I can tear it up and toss it in the trash OR I can revise it into something better, since I'm the one who wrote it in the first place.But I don't want to spend my time and energy trying to revise other human being's minds. Everyone's minds are their own and if we choose to share our brain waves with certain special others, that can be awesome. But trying to mold someone else's mind into what you think it ought to be feels like the polar opposite of awesome to me. 

NEW! A Review of "A Red Witch, Every Which Way"

"It’s phantasmagoric and it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s seething with instinct of both animal and spirit sources; it burgeons with doll parts, jarred hearts, and cat’s claw."

and

"Bodies as nations, as political armor, as manifested energy flow into a deep introspection as the writers touch both their own reality as well as that of fellow creatures. Here, the focus falls on mixing dream states with nightmare, fact with fiction, all four elements, plus the fifth the ether – the inner voice." 
~samplings from a new review of the collaborative poetry book, "A Red Witch, Every Which Way" by j/j hastain & Juliet Cook (Hysterical Books, 2016)~thank you very much to Jacklyn La Polita Janeksela for writing this wonderful review~and thank you to Luna Luna for publishing the review~read the full review by clicking the link below...

http://www.lunalunamagazine.com/blog/review-of-a-red-witch-every-which-way-by-juliet-cook-jj-hastain***You can acquire your own copy of A Red Witch...
directly from Hysterical Books HERE - https://www.hystericalbooks.com/product-page/a-red-witch-every-which-way

or from Amazon HERE - https://www.amazon.com/Red-Witch-Every-Which-Way/dp/0940821044

or from the Blood Pudding Press shop HERE - https://www.etsy.com/listing/473901408/new-a-red-witch-every-which-way-2016?ref=shop_home_active_1

NEW in Rag Queen Periodical - Four of My Poems!

"...He grows increasingly drunk and angry.He screams at the TV and sticks up for Hitler.He yells at your twenty pound dog. You carry the shakingpup upstairs and let the man keep screaming out hostility.At least he's not screaming at you.
You go back down for some water or to fix yourselfanother vodka & coke, to tone your nerves and convince yourselfthis is all normal. It isn't. It's all your fault. 
He comes into the kitchen and glares at you, raises his hand above your head like he's threateningto punch you in the face. He punchesthe cupboard above your head, breaks another hole."
from the poem "Your Fault", one of four of my poems appearing within Rag Queen Periodical, preceded by a lovely cicada.Thank you very much to the Rag Queen team.If so inclined, read more HERE - https://www.ragqueenperiodical.com/single-post/2017/07/21/Four-New-Poems-by-Juliet-Cook

Young Robin

Poetry Spoken Here,Episode #48 Juliet Cook and Paterson Light and Shadow Reviewed

You can listen to me talk about poetry and creative flow and brain wave quirks AND hear me read 5 of my poems - and then listen to Paterson Light and Shadow Reviewed.Thank you very much to Charlie Rossiter for talking with me on Poetry Spoken Here.

https://soundcloud.com/poetry-spoken-here/episode-48-juliet-cook-and-paterson-light-and-shadow-reviewed

yet another variation on...

When I'm talking out loud, I think I use the words "um", "like" and "literally" too much. I don't really know why I use the word "literally", because I don't really think anything is exact.I also use the words "maybe" and "I guess" a lot.I guess maybe I'm not very adherent or stringent. But hopefully that doesn't make me wishy washy.Anyway, I looked up the definition of "literally" and here is it's informal definition."used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true."That's kind of a funny informal definition and I guess that makes a little sense in terms of me using it, because I sometimes sound emphatic and I'm pretty expressive and feeling-based. But sometimes I think too much of what I express is either accidentally exaggerated or overly repetitive.I think my voice sometimes sounds more confident than I actually feel too.And yes, I realize this might be yet another variation on the sort of thoughts/feelings I've been repetitively expressing lately.

The sky around this time last night (photos taken from in front of my house on July 6)

Clit crucible gleams,gathers more arms to preparefor an e...

Clit crucible gleams,
gathers more arms to prepare
for an explosion.