What a week!
This has been a super hectic week for me - very inspiring, yet at times very tiring. Five poetry readings, seeing friends from out of town, recovering from last week's factory fire that led to the evacuation of our home, catching up on housecleaning, being attentive to our puppy, finishing putting together and printing my first chapbook (Bloggerel), etc.... A few nights, I was up to three a.m. (I'm usually in bed by eleven), our dogs almost always get me up at the crack of dawn, and I've kept busy every moment in between. A couple of days, I barely took time to eat.
I'm posting this to let everyone know I'll be writing about three very cool poetry readings I attended at the Literary Cafe (Thursday), deep cleveland in Strongsville (Friday), and the Brandt Gallery (Saturday) soon. But today my brain is too tired to function more than minimally - and we have company - so I plan to go to bed early tonight, recharge my psychic batteries, regain a semblance of zen balance, and hopefully give you a better blog tomorrow.
I'm not complaining, though. Overall, it's been a kick-butt week in a number of ways. More on that soon....
In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a great photograph the poet, scientist and science fiction author Geoffrey A. Landis took of me at the deep cleveland poetry event in Strongsville on Thursday 7/11. I was thrilled to find it in an e-mail today, and I hope he doesn't mind me reproducing it here.
Jesus Crisis at deep cleveland by Geoffrey A. Landis
(note that I'm wearing my John Kerry 2004 cap)
Landis' work appears most recently in the current issue of Asimov's.
And if you like science fiction, I encourage you to check out these books:
Geoffrey A. Landis' homepage is http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/
Thank you!
I'm posting this to let everyone know I'll be writing about three very cool poetry readings I attended at the Literary Cafe (Thursday), deep cleveland in Strongsville (Friday), and the Brandt Gallery (Saturday) soon. But today my brain is too tired to function more than minimally - and we have company - so I plan to go to bed early tonight, recharge my psychic batteries, regain a semblance of zen balance, and hopefully give you a better blog tomorrow.
I'm not complaining, though. Overall, it's been a kick-butt week in a number of ways. More on that soon....
In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a great photograph the poet, scientist and science fiction author Geoffrey A. Landis took of me at the deep cleveland poetry event in Strongsville on Thursday 7/11. I was thrilled to find it in an e-mail today, and I hope he doesn't mind me reproducing it here.
Jesus Crisis at deep cleveland by Geoffrey A. Landis
(note that I'm wearing my John Kerry 2004 cap)
Landis' work appears most recently in the current issue of Asimov's.
And if you like science fiction, I encourage you to check out these books:
Geoffrey A. Landis' homepage is http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/
Thank you!
that is a kick ass pic! i'm trying to read the book covers. i always do that when there are books in pictures.
can't wait for the other blogs!
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Thanks, Meribeth! I do the same thing with books in pictures.
I almost saved this picture for the Borders blog - but I was so happy about it, I couldn't wait.
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That is a great picture. It will be nice to have a real picture in my head when I am reading about your poetry readings. I love the Kerry cap. Is that irony when someone who is an excessively thinking and analyzing loses to someone who bypasses his brain and goes with his gut?
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Thanks, Tara!
Sounds like irony to me.... Strangely, though, in the Vietnam era Kerry was the one known for gut(s) and Bush was pretty much gutless.
Republicans couldn't swift boat Bush, however, because he's not so swift. Good thing he has his trusty Dick to think for him.... Then again, maybe he's swifter than we think. He's currently feathering his bed for a lucrative post-presidential oil company consultancy. Mobil Bush....
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SCIENCE FICTION website
eye can relate to most posts but not the last one sorry hope everone missed me a little bit tewe hahaha
http://poetrypublisher.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?&sitename=charlax7androidone&password=310331BRQgonHo4Lw.3103&item=home
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Thanks, Charles! And I missed you.
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I really wish everyone could hear John reading his poems aloud... he doesn't just read them, he performs them. And I try to read my poetry before he reads his, because of this! I've also been fortunate enough to buy one of his new chapbooks, Bloggerel, and I strongly urge others to do the same. I love the way he writes-- the way he plays with words. I really can't wait to see what he writes about all the readings that were held this past week!
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hi dianne
and i love that we can read your work here http://www.myspace.com/poetofthelotus
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Hi, Meribeth-- and thank you so much for the pimp re: my page! (Now I'm going to have to keep up with it more regularly--LOL)
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hee hee! don't take down any of those pics of mr. plant!
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No worries there, Meribeth! No disrespect meant to Jesus Crisis, LOL, but Robert Plant is a god.
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amen *laughing*
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Thank you so much, Dianne!
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You're welcome, John. It's all true.
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Wow..I feel tired just reading your blog!
But, it doesn't top 3 dachshunds being sprayed by Momma skunk and killing and rolling their bodies all over a dead baby skunk...but they all plead the 5th to killing it (does resemble the size of a badger) and are great escape artists who don't want a bath with a
yard hose..!!! XD
~HU
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Oh my Gawd!
That would REALLY stink! And be great blog fodder....
Thanks, HU!
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Cool John! I'm waiting to hear about your week.
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Thanks, Terese!
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Wow! Congrats on all fronts, the readings, the chapbook publishing...even the guests sound like fun!
But all that fun can exhaust a person too, rest up and then tell us all the details, we'll be waiting.
Dream of the Angels,
Suze
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Thank you, Suzette! Will do....
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Congratulations on all your poetry readings. I'm sorry I missed them but I hear rave notices and enjoy the pictures, especially the last one with the Kerry hat. We just can't keep the politics out of the poetry can we?
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Thanks, Elena!
And that photo was taken the only night I didn't read a political poem. Didn't intend it that way... lol. I usually don't know what I'm going to read til I get a vibe.
I was also having a bad hair day.
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Wow, thanks for the great blurb!
Dianne Borsenik wrote:
>I really wish everyone could hear John reading his >poems aloud... he doesn't just read them, he >performs them.
Yes, agreed! I actually took several other pictures... this is one of the few where he's not gesturing so much his hands are just a blur.
-Geoff
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You're very welcome, Geoff. And thank you again!
I'm pleased to have met you!
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Cool Foto!!! Almost didn't recognize you with the hat. So men have bad hair days too... LOL... Nice to know that.
I'm looking forward to your upcoming blogs as well... I was wholly entertained yesterday.. as Dianne said... you are quite the performer... It was a pleasure to finally here you read and well as everyone else that was there. It was all very good poetry... happy to have been a part of it.
And thank you for hosting me.
I'll wait and comment more on your new blogs once they are up.
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Thank you so much, Chris! We enjoyed seeing you, and were pleased to have a chance to hear you read at the Brandt Gallery. You're welcome anytime.
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Yes, JC has real acting talent and is also a musician as well as a poet. I have a friend in Hollywood who is a casting director and she may be looking for someone for a sequel to the Dead Poet's Society. He would be the perfect fit. By the way she cast the actors in the Green Mile so she really has an eye for talent. LOL (I'm not kidding, really, she did cast this movie)
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"Carpe Dieum - Seize The Day. A triumphant gathering of rosebuds, Mr Williams. Firstly you were a standup comic, then a comedy actor, always a hairy man and now a gardener? There is no limit to what you can do!"
"They should make a sequel of this movie set in an inner city school. Or has that been done already?
http://www.thevoiceofreason.com/ComedyMovieWatch/DeadPoetsSociety.htm
"A definitive Robin Williams movie. A masterpiece, if the acting is a little over zealous at times."
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Oh, by the way I think the next time there is a poetry reading someone should take a digital video camera and get all the voice and gestures as our actor and poet friend reads his masterpieces.
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i looked in my ArtCrimes contributor list and found:
Landis, Geoffrey A 09 10
he was in issues 9 and 10
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Thanks, Smith!
Just procured a copy of ArtCrimes 7 from Mac's Backs, but don't have 9 and 10....
If anyone's interested in those issues, however, you can buy them through the Deep Cleveland links above.
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Well, my lord Crisis, it sounds like you've had quite the week! The Minister is envious (yes, a sin, I know, lol) that he did not get to hear-or see- you perform your poetry. He must agree with Elena that a video would be nice, for those of us unable to catch your readings live....
And congratulations to you on what sounds like a very successful run of readings! The Minister is looking forward to reading your next blog on them.
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Thank you, Sir Minister! If you're ever in Ohio we'd love to see you at a reading.
When I get caught up and have time, I want to start a video poetry series. So we'll see....
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Hi! I haven't been keeping up with your latest adventures due to many things going on in my life right now..but when things settle I will catch up. I love your picture there. I agree, it would be nice to see a video for those who can't be there in person. It sounds as if lots of good things are happening for you..congratulations!
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Thank you, Susan! It's nice to see you here.
I hope things settle nicely for you soon. Wishing you the best and sending you lots of positive thoughts....
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I guess this past week has worn every one out. I just wonder if there will be a further blog when recuperation takes place. Too bad reading poetry has stressed everyone out, including the Smiths and the Burroughs. Everyone is taking a siesta I hope and getting rid of headaches....See y'all in the funny papers...Elena
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Thanks, Elena!
As always, there has been much more going on than appears in my blogs. But by the time I have time to write about it (if I even want to write about it), there are usually several other things I want to (or don't want to) write about.
Feeling back to myself today... whatever myself is.
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I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it's rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..
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