Writing for 2009

I have set an ambitious goal of writing ten short stories for 2009. I will be trying my hand with mystery and horror for the first time. At times, I do enjoy reading books that are on the dark side. I'm a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe. Some of his stories are creative and allegorical in their content. I'm not married to any one particular genre but I like to test it and see where it takes me.

WORDS OF WISDOM

To have great poets, there must be great audiences.

~Walt Whitman, American Poet (1819-1892)

Christmas Wish

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!




GENEVIEVE

TODAY'S WORD

IMBROGLIO

1. a confused state of affairs.

2. a confused heap or tangle.

TODAY'S WORD

QUADROON n

1. a person of one quarter black ancestry.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Excess generally causes reaction, and produces a change in the opposite direction, whether it be in the seasons, or in individuals, or in governments.


~Plato, Greek Philosopher (427 bc-347bc)

UPCOMING EVENTS

THURSDAY! JANUARY 1, 2009!

THE 35TH ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S DAY MARATHON READING

2PM@ POETRY PROJECT

ST. MARK'S CHURCH

131 EAST 10TH STREET @ 2ND AVENUE


MORE INFO TO FOLLOW

TODAY'S WORD

GIBBET

1. A structure from which the bodies of executed criminals were hung for public display.

2. a gallows-v.t.

3. to hang on a gibbet.

4. to hold up to public scorn.

New Words

I have the habit of writing down words that I don't know. I enjoy playing on words to add to my stories and articles that I write. I'll spend time culling through the dictionary and thesaurus to find out their meanings.

One of my little peeves about writing is redundancy. I find it boring and may reflect a weak vocabulary. For example, 'gibbet' is another word for 'gallows'. 'Current has several meanings; it's which meaning you need to use. The dictionary and thesaurus is a writer's best friend.When I understand and study the new words they become a part of my vocabulary. It's fun, challenging, and opens up new literacy possibilities.

Never minimize the words you discover. On many occasions I have had to refer back to them from time to time. It's amazing how one word can alter the meaning of what we want to say.

INSPIRATION

I found these words on a friend's forum. It is quite inspirational and thought I'd share it.



Words of True Inspiration December 17, 2008

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt"Citizenship in a Republic,"Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, December 17 2008 8:00pm

Midwinter Day: A 30th Anniversary Reading

An event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Midwinter Day", by Bernadette Mayer - please join her and special guests as they read selections from this epic 1978 work - Readers include Philip Good, Marie Warsh, Lewis Warsh, Barbara Epler, Jamey Jones, Peggy DeCoursey, Lee Ann Brown and Brenda Coultas

St. Mark's Church

131 East 10th Street @ Second Avenue

$8; $7 students & seniors;
$5 members http://www.poetryproject.com/ cf@poetryproject.com

212.674.0910

Subways: N/Q/R/W/4/5/6 to 14th St – Union Square, or L to 1st or 3rd Ave.



Friday, December 19 2008 9:30pm

Cafe Iimani Slam

$50 prize to slam winners

Hosted by Keith Boogie

Cafe Iimani

148 Stuyvesant Avenue, Brooklyn

$10 http://www.nypoets.com/ keithb@nypoets.com



Tuesday, December 23 2008 7:00pm

Urbana Slam

Opens, Features, Slams!

Hosted by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Taylor Mali & Shappy

The Bowery Poetry Club

308 Bowery @ Bleecker

$6 http://www.bowerypoetry.com/ 212-614-0505

Subway: F to Second Avenue, 6 to Bleecker

Even though this quirky and eccentric slam series has featured some of the biggest names in poetry it remains a warm and welcoming venue for all kinds of poetic voices: political, confessional, musical, and spiritual. The series has won the national poetry slam championship a record THREE TIMES. On a typical night, poets sign up for the open event (mic or slam, depending on schedule) before 7pm and slots are filled randomly by computer. Signing up doesn't guarantee reading. The open starts shortly after seven, then the feature goes on. ALL Urbana features are well-known out-of-towners. Slam begins after the break & choosing of judges. It's competitive, but supportive & inclusive. All kinds of poetry are welcome & memorization is not required.

To join Urbana's weekly mailing list, write to NYC_Urbana-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

TODAY'S WORD

BE- prefix forms words meanings

1. Around; throughout: bespatter

2. Completely; thoroughly: bedrench

3. Off; away: behead

WORDS OF WISDOM

There is some reason, obviously, that you are drawn to your material,
but the way in which you explore it might come to be quite different from what you expect.


~Anne Beattie, American Writer (b.1947)

WORDS AND THE WORD

Wednesday, December 10 2008 8:00pm

The Poetry Project

Bobby Byrd & Lee Merrill Byrd

St. Mark's Church
131 East 10th Street @ Second Avenue

$8; $7 students & seniors; $5 members

www.poetryproject.com

cf@poetryproject.com

212.674.0910

Subways: N/Q/R/W/4/5/6 to 14th St – Union Square,

or L to 1st or 3rd Ave.



TODAY'S WORD

JE-JUNE
1. Lacking interest or significance; insipid.
2. Lacking maturity; childish.

WORDS OF WISDOM

I am still against any kind of censorship. It's a subject in my life that has been very important.


~Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian Writer (b.1940)

Commentary

There's a saying that no matter how far we travel during our lives, nobody ever strays away from their roots. These roots can be from our upbringing, from places we've been, people we have met and befriended, or being a witness to life changing events.

I have been visiting old Catholic churches in recent months. I was brought up in the Catholic faith, but Iam now a Christian. It taken me back to my childhood when I went to Mass every Sunday. These visitations take me to the time as a young Christian, I would sit in a empty chapel to pray or rest. I peruse the East Village, an avant-garde neighborhood slowly being gentrified. In the sixties, East Village was a hot bed of rock and roll concerts, folk singing and poetry reading. There was much radical political activity,also.

I have wondered why I am being pulled here. Somehow in my being, there is a story that needs to be told. What it is I am not certain at this point. I have been gathering some ideas and gleaning any bit of morsel I can find. Us writers are always looking for some tidbit that will enhance the story we wish to tell.

I remember during the summer I sat down on a bench facing St. Mark's Church, a stone structure dating back to the seventeeth century. The feeling of returning home filled my heart. I never hung out here much as a young adult but I felt like one of the denziens of decades past. Stories can come from some unusual places. It's like mining for gold nuggets; you keep at it until you find that precious stone.

What I'm saying here is that our past can be the place to shape a story from. I find myself mining my mental recesses trying to reconnect with an important chapter of my life. Perhaps, the chapter needs to be edited or new editions added. Anyway, just be mining until you find those gold nuggets.

TODAY'S WORD

DE- prefix

1. Away; off deflect; decapitate

2. down: decline

3. completely; utterly: denude

4. The undoing, reversing, or ridding of (the action, condition, or substance
expressed by the main element: decode; decentralization.

Poetry Project

Friday, December 5 200810:00pm

The Poetry Project

Hey, What’s All The Hooplah? Featuring musicians and performers who frequent Feral Foster’s
Wednesday night Roots n’ Ruckus stage at the Jalopy Theater in Red Hook:

www.myspace.com/rootsnruckusfolkmusicinnewyork.com

Music and performances by Elizabeth Devlin:
www.myspace.com/elizabethdevlin

Frank Hoier:www.myspace.com/frankhoierhttp://www.frankhoier.com/

John Houxwww.myspace.com/johnhoux & more

TBASt. Mark's Church131 East 10th Street @ Second Avenue

$8; $7 students & seniors; $5 members

http://www.poetryproject.com/ cf@poetryproject.com
212.674.0910

Subways: N/Q/R/W/4/5/6 to 14th St – Union Square,
or L to 1st or 3rd Ave.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Now is the time to write a story or read a poem which will encourage a sagging spirit.

Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

WORDS OF WISDOM

Imagination and fiction makeup more than three quarters of our real life.

~Simone Weil, French Philosopher (1909-1943)

WORDS OF WISDOM

Time is the wisest counsellor of all.

~Pericles, Greek Statesman (495 BC-429BC)

Reading

POETRY PROJECT
OPEN READING

DECEMBER 1ST, 2008 AT 8PM (Sign-in at 7:45pm)

@ St. Marks Church
131 E. 10th St. @ 2nd Avenue

Subway: 6 to Astor Place

WORDS OF WISDOM

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy;
for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die
to one life before we can enter another.

~Anatole France, French Novelist (1844-1924)



DON'T FORGET!

November 16, 2008 5pm

Caroline Crumpler's World of Poetry

@ the Bowery Poetry Club

308 Bowery @ Bleeker

TODAY'S WORD

-ARY

A suffix meaning pertaining to or connected with (elementary).

POETRY READING

Sunday, November 16 2008
5:00pm

World of Poetry

Caroline Crumpacker's World of Poetry

The Bowery Poetry Club

308 Bowery @ Bleecker

$5 www.bowerypoetry.com

212-614-0505

Subway: F to Second Avenue,
6 to Bleecker

TODAY'S WORD

KUMQUAT, n.

A small, orange-colored citrus fruit with a sweet rind and acid pulp.

Commentary

There's always something to write about no matter how hard the times get. A timeless book 'The Grapes of Wrath' was written during the dust bowl migration to California. There have been countless other books which have been written during the perilous times of our history.

Often during these times, interest is usually piqued. There's uncertainty, questions, doubt, fear, hopelessness, and pessimism. It is also a time when hope, joy, opportunity and thankfulness can be sought and found. I see visions of hope and opportunity during these economic hard times. We've been through them before; we will get through this one. In the meantime we writers can bring hope and joy and thankfulness with our pen and pad.

Let's not let difficulty and hard times drive us to despair. Let's bring a message of hope that things will get better. Let us be thankful for what we have. Let's bring joy and happiness with our words.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Nobody can assume that, to a writer, everything is off limits.

~Anne Beattie, American Writer (b.1947)

POETRY READING

Friday, November 7 2008 6:00pm
Son of a Pony!
Guerilla Lit, with Brian Townsley, direct from Los Angeles
+ the best open mike in NYC (arrive by 5.45pm to sign up.
Limited open mike, about 20 spots, 3 minutes each)
Hosted by Kathi Georges
The Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia Street (West 4th/Bleecker Street)
$7 includes 1 free drink
www.corneliastreetcafe.com
kgeokat@mac.com
212-989-9319
Subway: A/C/E/B/D/F/V to West 4th
or 1/9 to Christopher Street/Sheridan Square

Funny Poem

Making Memories

© By Krystal J. Ogans

I've been around the world.
I've observed the expansive Grand Canyon,
the towering Pyramids,the lonely Eiffel Tower,
the exotic Rainforest,and my own backyard.
I comfort and encourage you,as I travel with you,
like a sole passenger,
that can not be forgotten.
I capture great, fantastic, magical, things,
and stockpile them deep within me.
I produce memories,and hoard them,
just so you can hunt them out later.
I've been dropped,sat on,and stroked with small, sticky, children's fingers,
and nevertheless I do everything you ask.
And even if you misplace me on occasion,
when you unearth me,you spend time with me.
I can erase your old memories,even as you create new ones.
I am worn around your neck like the finest luxury jewels.

I am aCamera

Book Release Party

Bowery Books Presents- Janet Hamill -Body of Water, Book Release Party -FREE!
Bowery Books Presents- Janet Hamill -Body of Water, Book Release Party -FREE!
Plus Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye will be on hand to help celebrate the release.
This event will be a live WebCast! As part of our Poetry ON Demand series. Click this link to watch: http://www.rfg3travel.com/bowerylive103008.htmlBody of Water features several photographs by Patti Smith. Smith and Kaye will join Hamill in a performance of a selection of poems from the book. Bowery Books is proud to be putting out this book. And it will be a great party!"Janet Hamill is the author of four books of poetry: Troublante, The Temple, Nostalgia of the Infinite, and Lost Ceilings. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies, and she has read widely at venues and festivals in the U.S., England, and Ireland. A strong proponet of the spoken workd, she has release two CDs of poetry and music, Flying Nowhere and Genie of the Alphabet. Her work evokes a sensual world where the magical and spiritual merge in a transport of dream and experience."Standing by a body of water. Moving or standing still. In the dark green depths my soul finds its own level" -Janet Hamill
Bowery Books Presents- Janet Hamill -Body of Water, Book Release Party -FREE!
Bowery Books Presents- Janet Hamill -Body of Water, Book Release Party -FREE!
Plus Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye will be on hand to help celebrate the release.
This event will be a live WebCast! As part of our Poetry ON Demand series. Click this link to watch: http://www.rfg3travel.com/bowerylive103008.htmlBody of Water features several photographs by Patti Smith. Smith and Kaye will join Hamill in a performance of a selection of poems from the book. Bowery Books is proud to be putting out this book. And it will be a great party!"Janet Hamill is the author of four books of poetry: Troublante, The Temple, Nostalgia of the Infinite, and Lost Ceilings. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies, and she has read widely at venues and festivals in the U.S., England, and Ireland. A strong proponet of the spoken workd, she has release two CDs of poetry and music, Flying Nowhere and Genie of the Alphabet. Her work evokes a sensual world where the magical and spiritual merge in a transport of dream and experience."Standing by a body of water. Moving or standing still. In the dark green depths my soul finds its own level" -Janet Hamill

TODAY'S WORD

ANTHOLOGY

A collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works
of art or music.

Chapbook Reading in Brooklyn on Sat 10/25

CAConrad Reading @ Unnameable Books
SAT-10/25 8pm-9pm

UNNAMEABLE BOOKS
456 Bergen Street (bet. 5th & Flatbush)
Brooklyn

Host Laura Jamarillo and CAConrad celebrating her chapbook 'Reactionary Poems'

E-mail: unnameablebooks@earthlink.net for more info.

Subway: 2,3 to Bergen Street

WORDS OF WISDOM

I NEVER SAID MOST OF THE THINGS I SAID.


~YOGI BERRA, American Athlete (b.1925)

TODAY'S WORD

ALLEGRO adj., adv.,

Music brisk and rapid in tempo

Bluestockings Bookstore

I first visited Bluestockings ten or twelve years ago. It was a hole-in-the-wall bookstore located on Allen Street on the Lower East Side. It was small with a decent selection of books and magazines on the counterculture. There were books about war and exploitation, anarchy, racism, feminism, and global warming. I have always read radical rag sheets and articles outside the norm.

Bluestockings reminded me of my days as a young Bluestockings is larger with a coffee bar, tables and chairs, and a larger selection of books. Now there are books on issues important to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. There are book and poetry readings practically every day. Local authors, slam artists, and connoisseurs of the spoken word share their works with a diverse audience. Bluestockings has film series from time to time about such hot topics as global warming and the displacement of indigenous people in South America.

If you enjoy reading books on the counterculture, Bluestockings Bookstore is the place to go. I tend to read books that are not on the best sellers lists but they do educate me just the same. Come down, have a cup of coffee and hang out at this Lower East Side establishment.

Bluestockings Bookstore

172 Allen Street near Stanton Street

New York, New York

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

There's more to being a teacher than just showing up and reading a book.

~from a classmate of mine

Readings at St. Mark's Church

POETRY PROJECT
Tomorrow 10/13 @ 8pm
Dan Featherston and Luisa Giuliano from their works

St. Marks Church in the Bowery
131 East 10th Street (@ 2nd Avenue)

Subway: 6 to Astor Place
F to Second Avenue
N/Q/R to Union Square

POEM

RISK

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To explore feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams
before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair.
And to try is to risk failure.

~Unknown

WORDS OF WISDOM

God is the perfect poet.

-Robert Browning, English Poet (1812-1889)

TODAY'S WORD

POSTULANT

Candidate for a religious order.

TODAY'S WORD

NEOLOGISM
n. a new word.

LITERACY

It is estimated that around 50 million people in this country are classified as illiterate. By illiterate it means that these people cannot read or write proficiently to the acceptible norms to function in society. It doesn't mean that the people are lazy, unintelligent, or lack creativity. It's quite the opposite. I taught literacy to adults for five years. Many of them are creative, have skills, have drive and determination. They are overcomers in that they have carved out a decent life despite these deficiencies.

You may be asking what does literacy have to do with writing? Plenty. Just because people cannot read or write does not mean that they don't have a story to tell. Every one has one. I remember tutoring a young lady several years ago. She expressed her dislike for writing. I brought her to a bookstore and purchased a couple of books for her to read. I advised her to write something about what she read. In time, this young lady wrote some beautiful and heartfelt poetry.

I encouraged my students to keep a journal to record their feelings, thoughts, concerns, and triumphs. I saw some feel more at ease with themselves afterwards. I am studying to become a teacher. One of my concerns is that many young people are losing the love for the written word and reading. Many are computer savvy, know how to text message, and google. However, the knowledge and mastery of the English language is being lost. I maintain to the mind retains much from the written word than from technology such as the computer and texting. I'm NOT against technology; just that the art of writing is being lost.

In summary, there are many illiterate men and women who need to be encouraged to learn to read and write. How many stories and legacies could be kept in written form if these dear people could write it themselves. This is not something to be taken lightly.

Words, Readings, and other Doings

Friday 9/26

FRIDAY NIGHT SLAM
@Nuyorican Poets Cafe
236 E. 3rd St. (bet. B&C) www.nuyorican.org

$10
SUBWAY: 6 to Astor Place
F to Second Avenue
R to 8th Street
4/5 to 14th Street
L to First Avenue


Saturday 9/27

SEGUE SERIES
2 featured poets
@ BOWERY POETRYCLUB
308 Bowery @ Bleeker/Houston
$6 www.bowerypoetry.com

SUBWAY: F to 2nd Avenue
6 to Bleeker


Sunday 9/28

CORNELIA STREET CAFE
29 Cornelia Street (W.4th/Bleeker)
212-989-9319 www.corneliastreetcafe.com

3 featured poets

SUBWAYS: A/C/D/E/F/V/B to W. 4th
1 to Christopher Street-Sheridan Sq.

Monday 9/29

WORDS FROM THE BARRIO OPEN
Weekly spoken word and musical open mike presentation*

Hosted by Bobby Gonzalez

CARLITO'S CAFE Y GALERIA
1701 Lexington Avenue (106/107th)
$5. (no one turned away)
212-534-7168

WORDS OF WISDOM

Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

-Kahlil Gibran, Poet (1883-1931)

Johan Wolfgang von Goethe-Commentary

I became interested in Johan Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) when I read some of his famous quotes. I have posted a few in the past on this site. I looked up his bio on the internet and I find him to be an independent and complex man. Goethe had a wide variety of interests which may be a reason that I did research on him.

Goethe was a playwright, author, alchemist, lawyer, novelist, politician. He was a driven man whose thirst for knowledge bordered on obsession, in my opinion. Goethe wrote a number of plays which often dealt with events that happened in his life. In his poetic drama FAUST, the main character was interested in alchemy which he was also. Goethe's first play, The Lover's Caprice (1767) was inspired from an unhappy love affair.

I've never read any of Goethe's works, just his quotes. I am fascinated by his interests and contributions to literature and art. It's odd that he wasn't interested in Renaissance art but he was in a sense a Renaissance man. Perhaps, Goethe's life is a lesson to us that we have talents laden within us that are waiting to be tapped and mined. It is probably the reason why I am fascinated with this creative and intense man. Like Goethe, I have a number of interests. Like him, I have the intense desire for knowledge and discovery. I leave you with a word from the play Divine:

Noble be man,

Helpful and good!

For that alone

Sets him apart

From every other creature

On earth.

-The Divine, 1783

Bookstore Kickoff Party

Bookstore Kickoff Party

Tues. 9/16- 7-9pm

Cumberland Greene (237 between Lafayette and Dekalb)

Engage in discussion and meet Brooklyn authors. Food, drink, and a good time guaranteed


Directions: Subway

A/C to Lafayette
G to Fulton

WORDS OF WISDOM

A JOURNAL IS TO A WRITER AS A SKETCH PAD IS TO AN ARTIST.

-AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Upcoming Events

The Poetry Project will resume their active reading season starting September 22nd. See the website below for more details.


www.poetryproject.com

COMMENT

September is upon us. It's back to school for some of us. To others it is the unofficial end of fun and sun. To those of us who write for a living or for enjoyment, there is never a vacation. I look at summer as a time to gather ideas and information in regard to where I want to travel as a writer.

I reread some of my writings from several years ago. It revealed my depths of darkness as I struggled with personal issues. I always encouraged my adult literacy students to write what and how they feel when life seems to want to stop them from achieveing their goals. Wen I read some of their comments I was intrigued by the depths of their innermost feelings. This was something that I struggled to obtain as a writer. When I read my past work I discovered my own despair. I poured out everything within my soul on paper. I had achieved what I wanted.
I only found out this year.

In yesterday's blog I mentioned that the sight of St. Mark's Church took me back to the days of my young manhood. Here it is nearly forty years later that I finally understand what it is to put your soul into writing believeable stories. I was always afraid of opening up my true feelings to others. It was something that I feared but now I must reveal what I have inside because it may impact someone's life. Helping others is something I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life with.

Being a multigendered person, writing has taken on a new dimension. I have to tell a story from this perspective. To use a voice that is not my own does a disservice to my readers and to myself.

Church that Reminds Me of My Young Manhood

I was in the courtyard of St. Marks Church in the Bowery (l.) a few days ago. This venerable building has been the seen of much social activism. There are still church services held here but there is also the social events which has kept this church alve. One of those events is the Poetry Project. From September to June there readings, book signings, recitals, workshops, and debuts of writers from many genres. I haven't been to any of these yet but I have a day in September penciled in.

I mentioned that I was at the church a few days ago. It reminded me of the social activism of the 160's and 1970's. I was in my twenties and while not actively involved, I read some of the articles and newspapers ( I call them ragsheets). Today I look upon those writings as to my being educated about issues not covered by the mainstream media. Today I am a volunteer in a grassroot organization looking to create an independent media that voices the concerns of the poor and working class. A new concept, no. Is it one that is possible to achieve, yes.

What I remember about those days is that people wrote what was on their minds and wrote it with passion and conviction. They wrote without fear of being censored or shut out because they were not politically correct (two words I detest). I may not have always agreed with what they were saying but I listened. As writers, we need to speak our minds and convey our thoughts and ideas to a public that is seeking knowledge and meaning in this homogenized world.

One project I have is to attend reading, writing, and poetry events because I want to see if the fire from the socially-conscious sixties and seventies is being revived.

WORDS OF WISDOM

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.

-Amos Bronson Alcott, American educator (1799-1888)

Literary Festival

SATURDAY AUGUST 23 @ 3PM

4TH ANNUAL FORT GREENE SUMMER LITERARY FESTIVAL

FEATURING YOUNG WRITERS (AGES 7-18) FROM NY WRITER'S COALITION

FORT GREENE PARK-enter @ Dekalb Avenue or Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park


EVENT IS FREE!

WORDS OF WISDOM

Some of the greatest works have been written
when the person was at their lowest point in life.

WORDS OF WISDOM

A poet can survive everything but a misprint.

-Oscar Wilde, Irish dramatist (1854-1900)

POEM

Another path to cross,
A hand gently nudges me forward.
There's more to see
there's more experience to be gained
The journey continues
and I'm not exhausted.

-Genevieve

The Lighthouse

There are periods in history that I enjoy reading about. The middle ages, the western frontier, and the seacoast are a few examples.

One of my favorite structures is the lighthouse. It conjures up times when the lighthouse's beacon may have saved hundreds of sea faring vessels from a watery grave. It also gave light to those seeking direction. It could be a ship figuring out how close it is to a rock jetty. To me, the lighthouse is a metaphor for someone who seeks guidance and direction. Life has its stormy seas and what a person seeks is relief and respite.

When creating a short story I use this analogy with the character I use. The character discovers resources within themselves that may have been dormant in their lives. When all seems forboding and lost, a beacon of light radiates the inner darkness. A path is shown and the character is able to continue on.

Lighthouses aren't the only objects I enjoy. Castles conjure up mystery behind the many doors and passageways. Trains remind me that there are places to be seen hundred of miles away. The western frontier has me thinking of cowboys, Indians, settlers, and untamed lands. Being part Native American, I take it from their point of view.

I don't discard any of these objects or experiences because they can be fodder for future ideas. Don't throw anyway that unwanted toy, fur coat, or battered rattan suitcase. There just may be hundreds of tales held in those objects.

Thomas Merton

This is the book I am curently reading. I have been reading his books and have found a kindred spirit in the late monk and poet. When I finish the book I will comment on it.

POEM

Don't walk in front of me,
I may not follow;
Don't walk behind me'
I may not lead;
walk beside me,
and just be my friend.

-Albert Camus

QUOTE

CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

TODAY'S WORD

INDIGENOUS

Native to a particular region.

Characteristic of and originating in a particular region or country.

WORDS OF WISDOM

We mold clay into pot
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.

-Lao Tzu, Chinese spiritual teacher

WORDS OF WISDOM

A USELESS LIFE IS AN EARLY DEATH

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German novelist (1749-1832)

TODAY'S WORD

POIGNANT

1: emotionally painful
2: deeply moving.

TODAY'S WORDS

COMPLIMENT

1. Flattering remark. 2: greeting-plural in this sense. Verb- pay a compliment to.


COMPLEMENT

1: Something that completes. 2: full number or amount.


P.S. These are two words that I get mixed up.

Radical

If you like things on the radical side, the website below may be your cup of green tea.

http://www.bluestockings.com/

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)

I had planned to pen this during women's month as a biography. After reading more about Zora Hurston's life, I felt that a straight bio would do this controversial and intelligent woman an injustice.
I don't know if being 'politically correct' was the buzz word during Ms Hurston's heyday, but politically and culturally correct she was not. I find a woman who went across the grain what was expected not only in American society but in black society as a whole.
Born in Alabama in 1891, Zora Neale Hurston was outspoken and had definite opininons about matters of race, her life, and the positive aspects of black culture. She was a folklorist, novelist, and an anthropologist. Hurston believed that black American should look inward for their spiritual and cultural center. It was in contrast to the 'seeking the government to solve our problems' approach.
Though Hurston was part of the Harlem Renaissance, she was somewhat of an outsider. She was stridently anticommunist and believed that school integration would not benefit black people. This is some of the reasons why she was alienated from other black writers. Looking at it now perhaps Hurston was right.
Though Zora Hurston's most famous book is Their Eyes Were Watching God, she did write a number of other books. Her first novel Jonah's Gourd Vine was published in 1934. Hurston also wrote short stories, plays, essays and articles. She had a pulse on the audiences she wrote to. Hurston you could say marched to the beat of her own drum.
I am always drawn to controversial figures, especially those who may fly under the radar of classical authors. Zora Neale Hurston falls under these terms and yet she had much to say. She had that inner craving to speak her mind. I confess that I have never read any of Hurston's books but having studied would she was, I'm going to purchase everything that I can find. At some future date I will critique a piece of her work. Those who have read Hurston's works, I implore you to look deeper and she if what she was saying in the 1930's resonates with audiences today.

Tormented Genius

Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite authors. Though his was filled with tragedy and torment, it did not take away his genius or his eye for description of surroundings. I wouldn't say that Poe flew under the radar in literary circles but he was an enigmatic person.

I have read his famous poem The Raven but he wrote many other poems. Hs stories are a great example of what makes a great author. In the story 'The Fall of the House of Usher', Poe's description of the acoustics inside the castle made me feel that I was his sidekick. I felt like we walked side by side in this strange and scary place. I read 'he Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Pit and the Pendulum (which was a movie in the early 1960's), The Mask of the Red Death, and The Cask of Amontillado. Poe showed his genius by the description of the surroundings, by the building of the story to its horrifying climax, and by the seeming casualness of the survivors.

Edgar Allan Poe did not live a long life (1809-1849) but he left an indelible mark in my mind as a literary icon.

Effecting Change

Writing touches the deep recesses of my minds and hearts. We can point to books read that inspired, challenged, educated, and spurred us to activity. It is the last description that I will touch on.

Over the years many writers have written books, poems, stories and commentaries about the world as they see it. While writing can open our minds to new worlds, it should spur people to change the inequalities in our world. Much is happening as I write. The mortgage crisis, recession, the war in Iraq, the economy, medical care, and high prices are affecting all of us in some way. To me what makes a great writer is the way they can communicate with the readers. Poe, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Langston Hughes come to mind. After I read Malcolm X's autobiography, I could see where he was coming from and how he came to his conclusions.

I just want to say that whatever genre you choose to write, remember that you are effecting change no matter how subtle. Writing is not an idle pursuit of entertainment but affects those who you wish to affect.

Working on a mystery story

I am formulating a horror mystery story in my mind. Now I have to get the outline on paper. I like horror that forces the character to face their fears, biases, and preconceived notions. I also want to have the characters have a positive change in their lives. I believe that horror can alter the course of a person's life in a positive way. Is there anyone that has felt the same way? Love to hear your ideas and stores.

Horror/Mystery Fan

I am a big fan of horror mystery genre. I love it when characters are confronted with their worst fears-an are challenged as to how they will get out of thier predicament. There are some places that can be a great back drop for a horror story. I love castles, dungeons, dark rooms, empty streets, hotels, motels; the list is endless.

I am a fan of Edgar Allan Poe. Stephen King is good. I'm searching for some of the great horror fiction writers of the present and the past.

MAYDAY!

Today is International Labor Day. May is Labor Month. It's odd but some countries such as China and France (I believe) have week long celebrations. THe US has only one day; and labor of poor and working men and women built this great country.The labor movement was an integral part of working people securing fair wages, benefits, and medical care.

Over the past several decades we have seen government and business literally takes away those gains. Industries such as steel and the auto industries have been decimated by restrictive laws, cheap sources of labor, and union busting. It is time for all working and poor people to organize and unite to change this trend.

I am searching for books about labor history, biographies, organizing and any thing to do with labor. If there are any suggestions you have, I welcome them.

Friday Nights and Beyond

Listed below are some websites where you can hear poetry, talks and readings.

www.bowerypoetry.com
www.nuyorican.org
www.poetz.com

COMMENTARY

Sometimes I think an idea for a story has to be something spectacular. As I get older I had discovered that one small word can germinate into a poem, short story or even a novel. For example the word 'urges' germinated into a poem that I wrote. Park scenes have led me to write some stories about love, redemption and serenity.
There are ideas all around us if we slow down and 'smell the roses'. I wrote some prose describing a rainy day. Another time, a woman on my job led me to write a story called 'Eve'. I think that this is the best story I have ever written because I completed it in one setting. Cold days make me think of fireplaces and drinking hot chocolate. See what I'm driving at.
Write on a piece of paper a word, phrase, or describe a person or place and see if you don't come up with some ideas. I love castles and now I am creating characters and settings for a mystery/horror story. When you get some ideas and do some research you will be amazed at what you can create. Happy writing!

Quote

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.

-Aesop, 550 B.C.

A NEW LOOK

I have given the blog a new look. 'Mocha Literary Lounge' is now 'The Literary Lounge'. I decided upon green as a background not because of the upcoming earth week activities but because spring is here and summer is on the way. My love of green tea is also a factor. I hope that you like the new look. I do hope to post much more often than I do presently.

Poem

GOD MADE TEACHERS

God understood our thirst for knowledge,
and our need to be led by someone wiser;
He needed a heart of compassion,
of encouragement, and patience;
Someone who would accept the challenge
regardless of the opposition;
Someone who could see potential
and believe in the best in others...
So He made Teachers.

-Author Unknown

hello

Free Comments & Graphics

POEM

THE POET

He sang of life, serenely sweet,
With, now and then, a deeper note.
From some high peak, nigh yet remote,
He voiced the world's absorbing beat.

He sang of love when earth was young.
And Love, itself, was in its lays.
But ah, the world, it turned to praise
A jingle in a broken tongue.

-Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins (1859-1930)

Pauline Hopkins was a prolific African-American writer and literary editor who ws overshadowed by the Harlem Renaissance writers. She was an outspoken journalist and storyteller. Hopkin's fiction combines suspense with presentation of the race debates of the turn of the nineteenth century.
Pauline Hopkins was born in Portland, Maine in 1859. Her prodigy includes Nathaniel and Thomas Paul who founded the first Baptist church in Boston for blacks, activist susan Paul, and poet James M. Whitfield.
Hopkins helped found Colored American Magazine in 1900 whiche she used as a political platform for African-American causes. Among her works were four novels and short stories. Hopkins' best known work was Contending Forces: A Romance Illustrative of Negro Life North and South (1900). Other works include Hager's Daughter; A Story of Sothern Caste Prejudice (1901); ansWinona: A Tale of Negro Life in the South and Southwest (1902).

POEM

HYMN

At morn-at noon-at twilight dim--
Maria! thou hast heard my hymn!
In joy and woe--in good and ill--
Mother of God, be with me still!
When the Hours flew brightly by,
And not a cloud obscured the sky,
My soul, lest it should truant be,
Thy grace did guide to thine and thee;
Now when storms of Fate o'ercast
Darkly my Present and my Past,
Let my Future radiant shine
With sweet hopes of thee and thine!

-Edgar Allan Poe

WOMEN'S MONTH CONTINUED

I wanted to highlight a female writer, poet, playwright, etc. each day during Women's Month. I was unable to do it consistently each day because of domestic demands. However, I have decided to do it during the month of April. I will also do other things in the blogs such as a poem, song, story or other pieces of literature. I will renew the series starting this coming Monday.

Gertrude Stein (1874-1926)

Gertrude was an American author who influenced writers such as Sherwood Anderson and Ernest Hemingway. Stein was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and graduated from Radcliffe College.

Stein's writing style was simple and repetitive. She believed that a lot of punctuation and difficult words distracted the reader fro the feelings of the characters. Telling the stories were secondary to Stein's communicating the feelings of the characters. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas is her best known book. It was about herself from Alice Toklas's point of view. Lectures in America, published in 1935, is a collection of lectures on literature, painting, and music.

Gertrude Stein was also an art critic and collector. She encouraged painters such as Pablo Picsso and Henri Martisse.

World Book Encyclopedia

Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)

Lillian Hellman was an American playwright from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her work had tightly woven plots which delved into psychological weakness and the social issues of her time. Hellman's plays dealt with greed and selfishness. Plays such as The Children's Hour (1934), The Little Foxes (1939), and Another Part of the Forest (1946) show how unchecked greed, selfishness, and lust can ruin lives and place human values as disposable.

Hellman's heyday was in the 1930's and 1940's as she saw the materialism and immorality taking root in society. Her authobiographical writing gained ne notoriety for her in the 1970's. An Unfinished Woman (1969) and Scoundrel Time (1976) are two of the better known works.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

One of the well known American poets of the nineteenth century, the reclusive Dickinson sought to expand her horizons rather be in the narrow minded literary establishment of her time. Dickinsson questioned the society that she lived in. She was nonconvetional i that she wrote about topics such as nature,life, and fleeting moments. Dickinson's best poems were written in the 1870's, when she slowed down from the intense pace that she wrote earlier in her life.

What I find fascinating about Emily Dickinson is that she could glean much depth from ordinary meanings. Dickinson lamented the alienation of intellectuals after the Civil War. She was reclusive and not available to her folks in her town but this makes Emily Dickinson a curiousity.

Phyllis Wheatley (1753?-1784)

Phyllis Wheatley was the first important black American poet. Brought on a slave at age eight, Wheatley was purchased for his wife by John Wheatley, a wealthy merchant tailor. Phyllis learned how to read and write. At age fourteen, Phyllis began to write poetry.
Some of her poems reflected this deeply Christian lady. Wheatley's book Poems on Varoius Subjects, Religion and Moral was published in 1773 in England. She was also aware of her status as a slave and those people who sought their independence. After Wheatley was freed and married a free slave, she disappeared from the poetry scene and died in obscurity.


World Book Encyclopedia

Women's Month

Since it is women's month I will feature women who have impacted the lives of others. Women do not get enough credit for their contributions to the betterment of the world. I will focus on women in the literary world. There are so many to choose from. Whether they are well known or obscure is not important. The tribute will begin tomorrow.

BACK IN OPERATION

Yesterday I installed internet in the laptop that I purchased. Now I'll be posting on a regular basis. I was posting using the computers at the public library. Now I can be in a more private setting and record my thoughts, comments, and bios.

PLACES TO GO

TONIGHT

OPEN MIKE:LOVE LETTERS FROM THE PAST
@ Bluestockings
172 Allen Street bet. Stanton and Rivington 212-777-6028
7pm FREE

F Train to 2nd Avenue

Sites

Here are some websites that may interest you.

www.bowerypoetry.com
www.nuyorican.org
www.poetz.com
www.stmarksbookshop.com

COMMENT

Writing can inspire us to challenge ourselves. It can force us to change our thoughts, our preconceived notions, and our focus. Writing is therapeutic in that it causes us to think about what others feel. I don't believe that writing is an exercise in futility but a journey to the other side of our consciousness.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

WISDOM IS SACRED COMMUNION.

Victor Hugo, French Author (1802-1885)

PLACES TO GO

FRIDAY NIGHT POETRY SLAM
@ NUYORICAN POET'S CAFE

236 EAST 3RD STREET (bet B & C) 10PM

$10

PLACES TO GO

FRIDAY
POETRY CLUB
308 BOWERY @ Bleeker St.

Great performances, poetry, art, music, food and drink
All day, all night, every day

SMALL PRESS READING @ 11 Street Bar
511 East 11 Street bet. A & B 7PM

Subway: 4,5,6,N, R, L to Union Square

TODAY'S WORD

IMPREGNABLE

1. Able to resist attack.


FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Any writer, I suppose, feels that the world into which he was born
is nothing less than a conspiracy against the cultivation of his talent.

James Baldwin, African American author (1923-1987)

COMMENTARY

Lately I have read a number of books about different subjects. One could also say I'm a jack of all trades and a master of none. I look at it as part of my education because it should be well rounded as well as ground in the basics. I guees that may be the reason that I don't have any particular writers who I'm a fanatic of. I enjoy a number of different writers and genres. I like Edgar Allan Poe, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, and Plato. Pretty diverse I must say. I get some great nuggets for future writings.

I do my research on the era that writer lived and apply it to a comtemporary setting. One can take many liberties and make it one's own creation. Often I imagine what it was like to live in a particular time and place. What was 1930's Harlem like? What was Poe's state of mind when he wrote 'The Raven?' Was Shakespeare sharing with the readers what 16th century England was like? It's amazing how in tune these great writers were with their surroundings and the people.

It's great to explore and discover different writers and different styles. There are some who may not be as famous as others but their writing can be an ivaluable tool towards expanding our writing horizons.

TODAY'S WORD

BOW

1. Submit
2. Bend the head or body; act of bowing

Withdraw (bow out)

NOUN
1. Bend or arch
2. Weapon for shooting arrows
3. Knot with loops
4. Rod with stretched horsehairs for playing a stringed instrument

VERB
1. Curve or bend

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Expand your horizons. Read different genres. Research things that you may not understand. Play on words. Be creative.

Commentary

This past semester We read many of the plays of William Shakespeare. I must say that it was quite an education into the man who wrote them. Plays such as 'Hamlet', 'MacBeth', 'Richard III', and 'The Tempest' revealed how much Shakespeare knew about the world that he lived in. In his later works, Shakespeare demonstrated his awareness of the changing landscape of 16th century England.
I was fortunate to have read 'Julius Caesar' months prior to taking the course. The language used by Shakespeare was cumbersome at first, but once I understood the meaning of many words, the course went smoother than I thought. I don't know which is my favorite Shakespearean play, but I am drawn to 'Hamlet' because he was a complex and multiplural individual. I haven't read all of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets so my opinion about my favorite play will have to wait.
Shakespeare touched on subjects like valor, power, gender, sexuality, honor and other virtues and vices. He was not moralistic in his tone but he did know what the human heart was capable of. As a person, I find Shakespeare to be brilliant, innovative, enigmatic, shrewd, and perceptive. He is one of those people who I cannot figure out becase they are many shades of gray in his personal life. Maybe that's what makes Shakepeare a fascinating and mysterious person. It may be that he has left us to think of what we think and say about him.