Poetry and the Body

Poetry and the body go together. Hand and hand. Brain and brain. Skin to skin.



And poetry is a body of imagined things. A doll. A strange doll. This is what I am pondering on before I hit the hay tonight: poetry is a stamp and a maker of history, as with all writing. The form poetic verse takes is more like that of a body than prose, however, as the lines are often defined and linked together by enjambment (bones or glue).

Best Of...

2011 was a year of many changes for me-- a rollover from 2010. Everything rolled on and on into a whole year: I worked in four different cities, lived in three different houses, picked things up, put things down, misplaced myself, and found myself again.

Not much stayed the same for me in 2011, and with things so rapidly changing, I didn't dedicate myself to many full length collections of poetry (or to reading full novels for that matter). My attention span fractured into many small pieces, but I did pick up literary goodness here and there, and where and when my brain would allow. However, making a best of list isn't something that I can rightfully do this year.

I feel guilty about that, but on the upside, I have some awesome friends in poetry who run an awesome vlog, and I'd like to share their best of videos here.



Jess was my neighbor in Pittsburgh, and we attended Chatham University's MFA program together. She is an amazing, hilarious woman, and soul sister in verse. I trust her taste in poetry more than I trust my own taste in shoes. I haven't read any of the books on her list, but I plan to, and so should everyone else out there who has a brain.



I also met Carolyne at Chatham. We attended a summer program together, and I will never forget how I immediately wanted to be her friend (she had on pink and leopard print). Her taste and love for Pittsburgh is impeccable, and I cannot wait to read her book! One of the books she mentions, "Border Theory," is also written by a Chatham alum, Stephanie Wielkopolan. I used Stephanie's thesis as a guideline for my own. What I know of her poetry: the words are of place and brash truth. I look forward to reading more of this book.

Thanks Jess and Carolyne for your voices, opinion, and being who you are!

Some Things I Learned as an Adjunct English Professor (in my first semester teaching)

(In no particular order)

1. Too much exposure to passive voice can make one delusional.

2. Know your physical peripheries: the desk is in the same place as it is always in, be aware of its placement in relation to your body. You can and will bounce off of it (and it's best to call yourself out on this... somehow).

3. Do not attempt to scale a random bag of potting soil at 8 a.m. Sprained ankles hurt and the focus on teaching is lost when body parts throb.

4. Set three alarms for 8 a.m. classes.

5. Many will fail to tell you when you are teaching with your jacket on inside out/ turn on the light in the morning when getting dressed.

6. ALWAYS check the marker you are writing on the board (it may be permanent and permanent markers do not erase easily-- even with cleaning agents).

7. Just buy a parking permit (the $12 it costs for the semester is MUCH cheaper than the endless quarters fed into the meter/ parking tickets collected).

8. Smart classrooms are at times possessed and not much can be done about it.

9.Do not leave glasses of red wine near ungraded papers.

10. If you are low on parking meter change, but have a few dollar bills, you can stick them in the Coke machine and hit cancel, and get quarters in return.

11. When the sun shines in classroom windows, the shadows on the white board can be really beautiful.

12. Boots without traction are a bad idea when lecturing.

13. Running after the meter maid and waving your arms in the air, shouting, "I'm coming. Don't ticket my car. Please don't ticket my car" can work as a method to avoid getting a ticket.

14. It's nearly impossible to grade with a pug dog on your lap.

15. Red ink is both powerful and intimidating.

16. Grading takes a lot of freaking time, and snacks are a good interruption.

17. The phrase, "Just kidding," has the potential to erase what you've just said.

New Publication!

My poem, "After 7 am," is published in the most recent issue of dot dot dash, the "Gambit Issue." I haven't received my copy yet, but I'm very excited for when I do, and happy to be a part of an international publication. The idea of themed magazines is a good one, not to pigeon-hole, but to open a discourse and to reinterpret words, meanings, definitions, themes.

Prior to submitting to dot dot dash, I didn't know what a gambit is... a wacky chess move? When one makes a sacrificing move to get ahead. So... interesting. I originally heard of the publication through a colleague at Chatham, Miss Laura Davis, her poem is published in the Feast Issue (#5). I love the design choices of dot dot dash, and decided to think about what the word "gambit" means, and if I had a poem suitable for the word/ idea. Looking through my manuscript, I found a plethora of poems on sacrifice, and I'm happy to have found, "After 7 am" a home. The poem personifies Tuesday, and approaches friendship and love.

I'll do a write-up on Issue 8 (examining other writers' interpretations of gambit) when I receive the magazine in the post.

Thanks dot dot dash! For including my work!

A Handmade/ Secondhand Christmas/ Playing a Good Santa

This year I have decided to shop only secondhand, handmade, independent, or at local shops for Christmas. Not only does it save (slightly), but it's also so nice to the earth and to the community. I wanted to avoid online shopping, but along the way, I found some great sites that have allowed me to stick to my promise to myself.

I am brought back to the times of my teenage hood, when I saved up my babysitting money, and shopped at thrift stores for gifts. Finding vintage treasures has the same magical feeling as it did then, and each gift given is bound to be unique, truly the chances of repeat gifts are cut back, and the surprise will always be bigger.

With two weeks left until Christmas, I find myself still shopping, and I figure others are doing the same. I've compiled a list for smart shopping/ unique holiday gift ideas I've fallen upon along the way:

1. Mystic Monk Coffee : For the days when it's hard to make it to the coffee shop to write, this stuff is amazing. My parents first brought home a bag from the National Cathedral in DC. I honestly could not believe the alert state my mind took after drinking my first cup. Brewed by the Carmelite Monks in Wyoming, the blends are all remniscent of their name: mystic. This is a fly high drink, and it really will make the coffee drinkers in your life happy. The coffee/ tea also makes a good gift to the self!

2. For the literary lovers in your life: Small Press Distribution is running a 40% off sale for the holidays. SPD is wonderful. I always feel good shopping with them, a hub for small presses, the non-profit company carries an excellent array of publications from the independent literary world... from Alice James Books to Zone 3 Press.

3. Etsy carries just about anything and everything colorful and unique. Among my favorites are the handmade journals.

4. Book-y earrings -- way cool!

5. Vintage books / things made out of vintage books Story-time clocks? Yes!

Happy Smart Shopping and Merry Merry Everything!

Commercials and Poetry: How Levis has been giving me the shivers

A little while back, I did a blog post on The Beats, it was Jack K's b-day on that day. I included a clip of Tom Waits reading, "The Laughing Heart." G-damn I love that poem.

And then later, I was sitting in the movie theatre, a few months ago, and I literally almost jumped out of my seat when I saw Levi's had done a commercial, "Go Forth..." that featured Bukowski's poem.

But a few moments ago, I was watching a friend's vlog (The Vlog Poet's Channel) and one of the videos talked about poetry in the news... film and media. I was reminded of the commercial again and wanted to share it:



"Be on the watch... the Gods will offer you chances, know them. Take them."

It really is great to see poetry moving into the mainstream, whether viewers realize it or not. Because I do believe, we ought wear poetry the way we wear jeans.

Thank you, Levi's.

And another favorite:



Jeans and poetry. Love and Sex. And strange love... God how that idea grips me... because writing is some strange love, after all.

Return to (a post on self-help for myself...a vent really)

I love it. I love poetry. So why haven't I been letting it permeate my life? Why haven't I been dedicating myself to it? I want to give myself reasons, thus making my problem "public" "bloglic.. public..." (I have a cold and my thoughts are blending together.)

1. I feel broken record-ish.

2. I just want to watch T.V.

3. Grading. I ought to be grading.

4. Does my work feel boring somehow? Or am I just missing a semblance of a writing community?

5. I need a good, independent coffee shop to go to.

6. Job hunting for full time work or supplemental part time work. It takes time.

I need to change something. Maybe write long hand instead of on the computer. Maybe re-focus myself.

I need to, we all need to:

1. Trust my body of revised work and send it out for publications.

2. Revise.

3. Seek advise from writing friends.

4. Re-visit my manuscript and re-shop the market.

5. Let go of timelines. Then create timelines.

6. Become capable of turning negative feelings into positive feelings.

(Lists should always come in 6's.)