Well, no draft today, friends and fans of the Kangaroo. I had to take C. to work this morning as he has some plans with a colleague after work for which they will carpool. Then, Lou-Lou had to have her two-week blood work done. (We check blood every two weeks while we slowly decrease her meds, ever mindful of the chance of relapse.) Once I got home it was after 10 and that meant having to check in with my online classes. Oh, and I'm still fending off that sinus infection, but feeling like things are moving in the favor of health.
Yes, this is a long list of excuses. Today, I had to admit defeat, but I'm not deterred. The first thing on my list for tomorrow morning is "draft a poem." Then, I get to organize my September submissions. Woo hoo! Look out editors, here I come.
I'll also spend the weekend putting the finishing touches on our first event for the Big Rock Reading Series. I'm fortunate to have the support of folks at PTC, so I'm able to launch this series on campus. Tuesday night is the big night. I am super excited about this, but I forget every semester how many tiny details there are to nail down. We are doing three events per semester. Amy I crazy? Time will tell.
Finally, go read what Laura Davis, editor of Weave magazine has to add to the poetry community discussion. (Read my rant here.) My favorite new thing from Laura's post:
4. BRING your non-writer friends to the next lit event.
This is a big one. Next time you head to a reading, bring along you BFF from college or that friend from work you've been meaning to hang out with. You never know how people will be affected by a reading. This will help open the poetry doors to a wider audience and strengthen the community.
This is a big one. Next time you head to a reading, bring along you BFF from college or that friend from work you've been meaning to hang out with. You never know how people will be affected by a reading. This will help open the poetry doors to a wider audience and strengthen the community.
If you live in Central Arkansas, I hope you'll come out Tuesday night to hear Nickole Brown and Dave Jauss read for the Big Rock Reading Series. And, I hope that you'll bring a non-writer friend along!
4 comments:
I love what she said and what you said. I try to do lots of that, but I still cheerfully complain about being poor!
Oh, yes, to the cheerful complaint of being poor. However, I have to believe that all we do to raise awareness of the arts in our communities will eventually raise the value of the arts. It's a long, long journey, I know. Sisyphean perhaps, but there you go.
"I have to believe that all we do to raise awareness of the arts in our communities will eventually raise the value of the arts."
YES. I love this idea of raising the value of the arts. I think there are a lot of good avenues to take, and since our culture is so hopped up on studies and date, why not start with some talking points about how have art in the schools leads to improved critical thinking skills and improves retention. And that's just the affect on education! (I just came from a poet-in-the-schools conference, can you tell?). I'm sure we can all think of ways to talk up the arts and demonstrate their value by living our lives in certain ways.
Thanks for sharing this and if I was in the area I'd totally come to the reading and bring my friends!
Yay, Laura! I think the big thing here is that we have to step outside the poetry box and start inviting non-poets in.
Someday there will be a poetry teleporter that will allow poets to attend readings all over the world at a moment's notice. Star Trek promised me. :)
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