NEW YEAR WISH

To writers, keep on writing
To poets, let your words heal, challenge, and stir change
To artists, keep creating
To dancers, let your personality flow
To actors, give performances people will remember
To filmmakers, create works that will create peace, love, and harmony
To all, teach, motivate, and express love. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

DON'T FORGET POETRY READING ON NEW YEAR'S DAY!

Remember to come to St. Mark's Church in the East Village for the annual poetry reading marathon. There will many poets and performers creating poetry in their own unique style. The will be food and books for sale also. The place is always packed for this event. It's a great way to start the new year.


ST. MARK'S CHURCH
131 EAST 10TH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10003 

Writng and Reading Poetry

I have been writing much poetry over the past few days. I'm also reading some poetry including selected poems by Walt Whitman.

I am using prompts to begin and it has paid off. The number of  prompts is unlimited. I see now how any kind of prompts can be the seed to a piece of writing. I picked up from poetry books in the vestibule of a church the other day. I read several poems last night and was very impressed by the subjects and thoughts of the authors. I now remember using prompts when writing short stories.Guess I'm getting back to basics.

USING PROMPTS

Prompts are an excellent to begin crafting a piece of writing. Last year at church a group of us used prompts to create a performance about affordable housing."A Tales Of Two Cities"was performed at church, an open mic and at a community forum.

Prompts are cues in which words are used to lead to other words. Today, I wrote a poem using a article of clothing. Last night I wrote a poem about a subway station that I frequent. Prompts can a word, a sentence, a street scene,a question, and other forms. It's common among actors when prompts are used when a performer forgets his/her line(s). It's fun and can inspire us to write. Give it a try and see what happens. 

WORDS OF WISDOM

Poetry is like a bird, it ignores all frontiers.



~Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian Poet (1932-2017)

ARTS-NEED MORE

I do notice all the different venues that will be performing as the year draws to a close. Maybe its me but it seems that more was produced this year. I attended more events than usual. I have done some open mic and performances also. I try to expose myself to different venues because it gives me a different view of how each genre works. Classical music is so much different from rhythm and blues. Movies are so much different (IMO) from seeing a performance on Broadway.

As I anticipate more of the same in 2018, I would like to add how the arts are important to EVERYBODY! Creativity cannot to harnessed or contained. I would love to see more political and activist work like there was in the 1960s. It's great needed in these troubling times.

HOLIDAY WISHES

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

NEW STUFF

I have written some new poetry in recent days. Looked over some old short stories and perhaps a book is in order. The arts are more important now more than ever.  I've seen people blossom into butterflies through the arts.

I have taken up photography recently because pictures add something to the poetry I'm writing. As you can see I'm pretty busy. I already have some goals for 2018. It promises to an active year.

POETRY MARATHON

Ten days until the 44th annual poetry marathon at St. Mark's Church in-the Bowery.

MONDAY  1/1 @2 PM

ST. MARK'S CHURCH 
131 EAST 10TH STREET
NEW YORK, NY

WWW.POETRYPROJECT.ORG

WORDS OF WISDOM

Spoken word poetry is the art of performance poetry. I tell people it involves creating poetry that just doesn't want to sit on paper, that something about it demands that it be heard out loud or witnessed in person.



~Sarah Kay 

Creating My Own World

As a writer I can create whatever world I want to and what kind of character I want. I love the challenge of doing this. Every genre has this potential. I believe that horror may be the best at being able to do this. Science fiction is also a viable medium. 

INFLUENCES

Influences are reciprocal. They influence us who in turn influence others. I have a number of influences. Some of them are Edgar Allan Poe, Langston Hughes, Herman Melville, Sylvia Plath, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Rumi, Jack Kerouac, Rita Dove, Walt Whitman, Jim Morrison, Virginia Woolf, and Maya Angelou.  

HARLEM RENAISSANCE

I have been reading about the Harlem Renaissance the past couple of days. It was a literary movement from the 1910s through the mid 1930s which produced from of the greatest black writers of our time. It wasn't limited to writers. It featured artists, musicians, and performers.

What the Harlem Renaissance accomplished is that African Americans were creative and intelligent and not the brutes and primitive backward people much of society believed about blacks..

WORDS OF WISDOM

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might be the greatest of the arts since the medium is human mind and spirit.



~John Steinbeck, Author (1902-1968)

Another Sylvia Plath Book

Yesterday at Barnes and Noble I found this book in the fiction and literature section. I didn't know (or had forgotten) that Sylvia Plath wrote short stories also. I read one (The Death Of Mr. Prescott) and enjoyed it. I'm considering purchasing this book.

Christmas Classic

Beginning today this Christmas classic will be shown until December 24th.


IFCCenter
323 6h Avenue
New York, NY
www.ifccenter.com

WORDS OF WISDOM

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.


~Robert Frost, Poet (1874-1963)  

POETRY MARATHON AT ST. MARK CHURCH IN-THE BOWERY

The annual New Year's Day Marathon Benefit Reading will be here before you know it. It's sponsored by the Poetry Project at St, Mark's in-the-Bowery on East 10th Street and 2nd Avenue in the East Village. I have attended for over a decade and enjoy the many varieties of poetry and the spoken word.

In the rear of the church books and food are for sale. I have chatted with other artists and enjoy listening to their thoughts on literature. Seems that more artists are coming to New York from all over the world. The event will take place on January 1st from 2 PM to 2AM. Tickets are sold at the door. Look forward to seeing you there.

POETRY PROJECT
@ ST.MARK'S IN-THE-BOWERY
131 EAST 10TH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10003

Walt Whitman

I am currently reading Walt Whitman's selected poems. It's the first I've read his work in any great detail. He's considered one of the three greatest American writers. Whitman's are classic and it's time that I become acquainted with his work.

Words Of Wisdom

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.


~W. Clement Stone, Businessman (1902-2002)

Alternating

I'm principally a reader of non-fiction. However I will alternate with different genres or subject matter. Fiction, poetry, science, biographies, and plays are some of the subjects I will read. It keeps my mind fresh and challenged. Reading poetry is great after reading an intense book of non-fiction.

Words Of Wisdom

Editing is what I enjoy most-putting the pieces together and making sense out of them.


~Christian Marclay, Artist

Editing

Editing is just as important as writing a good story. It's not always fun but ver necessary. After I have written a piece of poetry I let it set overnight.

I have found grammatical errors, misspelling, or dislike what I had written. On occasion I have rewritten the piece. Editing is never to be taken lightly. I can be the difference between a good piece of writing and a masterpiece.

Election Day

Don't forget to vote!

Words Of Wisdom

Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.

~Alice Walker

The Raven

When I think about Halloween I am reminded of Edgar Allan Poe's great poem 'The Raven'.

Jack Kerouac

As you may know I am a huge fan of Jack Kerouac and his books. My favorite book is "Dharma Bums" which told me more about the man who is credited with beginning the 'Beat Generation'. Kerouac was also a complicated man which makes him a compelling character of the American Literary landscape.

I have been watching video about him. The more I view and read the I see a man tortured by his own shortcomings. He was sensitive and shy yet had message to share to the staid cookie cutter society he lived in.  

Words Of Wisdom

Artists should never be limited by convention. Artists must have the freedom to create and recreate.

Raven and Halloween

I wonder when Edgar Allan Poe wrote 'The Raven' if he had Halloween in mind?

Words Of Wisdom

Creating believable characters is time consuming and requires much patience and research. The work is well worth it when a character comes to fruition.



~Genevieve

Prose Poetry

The Waves- Virginia Woolf
The Prophet- Khalil Gibran
Trout Fishing In America- Richard Brautigan
Ulysses- James Joyce
Absalom, Absalom!- William Faulkner
The Lover- Marguerite Dumas, Barbara Bray (translator)
Jazz- Toni Morrison
The Stone Diaries- Carol Shields

More Novellas and Authors

Here is a list of more authors who wrote prose.

Ethan Frome- Edith Wharton
Goodbye, Columbus- Philip Roth
Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
The Bookshop- Penelope Fitzgerald
Passing- Nella Larsen

Words Of Wisdom

He who waits much can expect little.


~Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Novelist (1927-2014)

Novellas and Authors

Here is a partial list of novellas and authors.

Animal Farm- George Orwell
The Awakening- Kate Chopin
Billy Budd- Herman Melville
Black Water- Joyce Carol Oates
Breakfast At Tiffany's- Truman Capote
No One Writes To The Colonel- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Brokeback Mountain- Annie Proulx

Novella and Prose

For the longest I have been wanting to write a novella. I don't believe that I have the patience to write a novel. The fact that novellas aren't one of the most popular genres intrigues me. It's the type of challenge I welcome.

I've written a couple of prose poems in the past. Many of my poems aren't that long. I have those times when I have much to say. I believe that prose poems will bring out the best in me.

I compare novella writing and prose poetry to the middle relief pitcher in baseball. He's called on to hold down the fort until his team can get back in the game. It's not a glorious spot but is important to the team. Novellas and prose poetry aren't popular but there is a niche in the market for them.

Favorite Authors

Please tell me who are your favorite authors.

Also share if any authors have an influence on you.

Words Of Wisdom

Poetry may make us from time to time a little more aware of the deeper, unnamed feelings which form the substratum of our being, to which we rarely penetrate; for our lives are mostly a constant evasion of ourselves.

~T.S. Eliot

First Project in Series About Obscure Writers

I am currently researching the life of Angelica Weld Grimke (1880-1958). She contributed much with other writers of the Harlem Renaissance. This is the first in a series of stories of oscure writers. I'm focused on women because you don't hear or read much about them.

Women Of The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance was a  literary movement of black writers during the 1920s and 1930s. Men like Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen are well noted. There were a number of women who were a part of the movement. Women such as Angeline Weld Grimke, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Anne Spencer and Effie Lee Newsome. Women were very vital to the movement and contributed much, highlight the views of women.

You may not have heard of these women because they have been obscure for so many years.

Words Of Wisdom

Just as outer space is limitless, so is imagination.

On Bucket List

This is one book I'm putting on my bucket list.

Morning Ideas

I find that some of my best ideas come when I wake up in the morning. That's odd for someone who is not a mornong person. That's why I keep a pen and notebook on the nightstand.

There's not the clutter of the previous day so the mind is clearer. Also the thoughts arevpurer. Some of these thoughts strike at the core of my being. I actually feel more connected with those thoughts because it is actually how I feel about events in my life. That's a breakthrough for me as I'm not one to share my feelings with many people.

Already I'm revising a few of my old poems and stories while creating new ones. I thing somewhere in the future that I will write a novella. Don't know if I have the patience to write a novel.

Local Bookstore

This is Word Up, a local independent bookstore which is run by volunteers. The The store originated is 2011 as a pop up site in Washington Heights on Broadway and West 176th Street. The neighborhood wanted  a place where people could share their talents, art, poetry, and singing. Word Up is the only bookstore in Washington Heights. 

I was present when the store opened at its present site on Amsterdam Avenue and West 165 Street. Word is open Tuesdays-Sundays. for more information go to 

www.wordupbooks.com

Words Of Wisdom

The greatest writing comes at the lowest points in life.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is probably the greatest fiction writer of all time.

More Than One

An author may be famous because of the particular genre they write. William Shakespeare is mostly known for his plays. He also wrote sonnets. Beat writer Jack Kerouac is famous for his novels. How people knew that he wrote poetry and haiku? Sylvia Plath is famous for her poems. She wrote one novel titled 'The Bell Jar' ( a great novel in my mind).

I wonder if writing more than one genre helps a writer? I switched to poetry four years ago and believe that it has improved my development of characters for short stories. I can't speak for others but I find that the challenge of a different genre stimulates the mental processes of my creativity. I have written a few plays and some horror stories. I'm curious to see if another genre comes up.

Poem

                                                           Village Streets

Back in '68 I caroused on Mac Dougal Street 
Crowded and boisterous, young people were living life
Bell bottom jeans and sandals were a staple
T-shirt a kaleioscope of red, purple, orange, yellow, green and blue.

Like a flood I was swept away into all the activity
Genders, sexualities, and races were many and varied
It was one happy party
Then I went away.

Life split us apart
I went across the country 
While you stayed behind 
Waiting for the day I would return.

I didn't return right away
Too many responsibilities
 I thought about you many times
But my return would be delayed.

Two score and two years have passed 
You've changed and so have I
Your love never waned 
For you knew that I would return someday. 

These pictures inspired me to write this poem. I was walking by this venerable church in 2010 when a wave of nostalgia swept over me. I sat down on bench you see here and reminisced how much this place had an affect on me in my growth as a person. Even today, I can remember when I saw people who wanted to make a difference in other people's lives. I saw people who were creative, vibrant, passionate, and caring. 

It's amazing that now, half century later, I'm still drawn to St. Marks Church. It was an active vibrant church back in 1968 and it still is today. Perhaps there are still more lessons for me to learn.

Words Of Wisdom

Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.


~Zora Neale Hurston, Dramatist (1891-1960)

Performance

One of the benefits of being a performer is the lives that a performances can touch. I'm not a professional performer but it's important to convey a message to the audience that  I have in front of me. 

I have performed several times this year and see how much of an impact it has.  A few years back I first read poetry at a local bookstore. I began to write poems to where now I have over one hundred poems to date. I have performed with two theater projects in the past couple of years. I'm mulling on getting my master's degree in creative writing. I dearly would love to perform in schools. I'm not looking for fame or fortune. I want to make a difference.

Hanging Out In Times Square

I was in 1966 that I began hanging out in Times Square. One could find entertainment that a self respecting person may have found repulsive. For a seventeen year old kid it was exciting! Adult bookstores, sex magazines, movies, and peep shows were abundant. I must have hit every bookstore.
There were plenty of tourists back then as there are today. Some of the people who worked and lived there were a collection of misfits and outcasts. It was they that drew me deeper into that culture.

Friday and Saturday nights the streets were packed. It was like running an obstacle course trying not to bump into people. When I had some coins I would take in a couple of peep shows. I could get a couple of hot dogs and a drink for around a dollar. That whole scene was fitting to my own quirkiness and love of odd places. Some people I know have told me that I like weird stuff. I take that as a compliment.

I saw those early days as my informal education which would serve me greatly in later years. I wondered about the people who actually participated in those burlesque shows and peep centers. I would love to hear and write their stories. Stories! There are ALWAYS stories. That's what I love about New York. That what I loved about Times square in those days. 

Times Square is much cleaner now and the tourists still come. I would love to share with my salad days as one of the denizens would loved this place despite its sleazy rough house reputation. The memories will always be in my heart.

Words of Wisdom

I'm kind of like a relic from another era.


~George Hamilton

Stories In Those Relics

I enjoy taking photos of old buildings. Some of those once vibrant places are now empty shells. I researched one building and discovered that it was once a Polish Catholic church. A senior citizens drop in site now sits empty. I see ideas for stories emulating from these relics of the past.

We all remember places that brought joy in our lives. I hung out in Greenwich Village and Times Square in my youth,places which still impact me today five decades later. I have written stories and poems about those days and continue to do so.

I realize that I'm a part of the history of Times Square and Greenwich Village. More stories and poetry are waiting to be written about those days- and today.

Celebrate Labor

Happy Labor Day!!!

Reread

Two books I detested in high school were The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter. A friend suggested that I reread these two books. Maybe because I was just a teen I didn't see the greatness of these two writings. I will take my friend's suggestion.

Browsing The Poets

Today I was at Barnes & Noble browsing through the book racks. I spent much time in the poetry section. I want to read some of the classics; Homer's Oddesey and the Iliad, James Joyce's Ulysses and Dante's Inferno. Rumi is one of my favorite poets. There are so many fine poets.

I'm looking at some modern poets. Mary Oliver is excellent. So is Rita Dove. I'm looking at female poets in particular. I read an article in in literary magazine about female African poets. This I will investigate more.

Words Of Wisdom

You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.


~Octavia Butler, Writer (1947-2006)

College

Many people have begun or will start college vey soon. I started college again in 2002 at the age of fifty four. I received my bachelor's degree in 2008 in childhood education and minored in English.

I have learned much about this journey and offer a few tips.

1. Go to a place where you believe you'll receive the best education. The name of the college is unimportant.

2. If you are struggling, seek help. College isn't high school. You will learn things that will carry you through life.

3. Don't compare yourself with anybody else.

4. Appreciate your accomplishments. I was thrilled to know that I was a B student, something as a young person I never attained.

5. Have confidence in yourself. There will be struggles but those tough times will make you stronger.

Black Horror Writers

Very rarely do you hear about African American authors in the horror genre. There are many of them who produce some excellent stories. Here is a partial list of some of them.

Octavia E. Butler
Tananarive Due
Walter Mosley
Linda Addison
Brandon Massey
Chesya Burke
Steven Barnes

Words Of Wisdom

It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.


~J.K. Rowling

Writing Horror Stories

I never imagined myself writing horror stories. My spouse writes them and receives great responses about them. I never knew she had this talent. I tried my hand at and wrote a couple of horror stories. I found that I enjoyed writing them.

Edgar Allan Poe was the author that influenced me to try. His stories such as Fall of The House of Usher and Murder At The Rue Morgue were the impetous to my starting. Another author was Bram Stoker. His story, The Judge's House, is one of my favorites.

I prefer the psychological horror where the protagonist is bedeviled by curses and unseen forces which he/she uses all their wits to survive. I haven't written any stories of late but I'll be back at it real soon.

Trying A Diferent Genre

Over four years ago I tried my hand writing poetry. My short story and essay writing had gone stale so I wrote poetry to get the creative juices flowing. I have now written over one hundred poems.

Trying different genres can bring depth to writing. Disciplines for poetry writing is different from play writing (I've tried my hand here). I find it challenging but I need that on occasion.

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is my favorite author. He wrote some amazing short stories such as The Fall Of The House Of Usher, The Pit and The Pendulum, and The Murders In The Rue Morgue. Poe wrote poetry of which The Raven is his most known. His description of architecture is uncanny.

Poe was a tortured man bedeviled by loss, poverty, alcohol. When I read is work I see vividly his own life. His mysterious death was a sad end to a brilliant writer.

Words Of Wisdom

The purpose of going to college is to get a well rounded education.

Go to a college where you believe you can get the best education. The name of the college is unimportant. 

Words Of Wisdom

Empathy is the most mysterious transaction the human soul can have, and it's accessible to all of us, but we have to give ourselves the opportunity to identify, to plunge ourselves in a story where we see the world from the bottom up or though another's eyes or heart.



~Sue Monk Kidd 

Writers Are Readers

I was a tutor for five years back in the early 2000s. I helped adults with reading and writing in preparation for taking the GED test. I discovered that those folks would didn't read much struggled with writing. The reverse is also true.

I have read bios of numerous authors and one common thread was that they read almost constantly. I read that the late lead singer of the 60s rock group The Doors, Jim Morrison was a voracious reader. I was blessed with parents who were readers. Today, I am a voracious reader who reads at least one book a month. I once read four in a month. 

It is important to read and read and read. As a writer you want stimulate your mind by seeing what others have written. I find it helpful to read another genre that you normally wouldn't read. That's how I started writing poetry over four years ago. Same thing with horror stories. I need to be challenged. My vocabulary has improved also.

My advice is to read! Read! Read! and read some more.

Words Of Wisdom

The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.


~Charles Baudelaire, French Poet (1821-1867)

No Limits On Creativity

What I love about the arts is that there's no limits on creativity. I have personally seen people's change right before my eyes when he/she creates something from their own imagination.

Last week I performed with a group of about twenty transgender and non conforming people of all ages at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn. The name of the play was 'Resistance'.  I was the second of involvement with the Transgenerational Theater Project. It was also our second performance in two months.

Each person contributed something to the project. We were co-creators along with our wonderful facilitators. The public response was amazing. Many were surprised that we as trans and non conforming produced a quality piece. I would love to bring something like this to schools, colleges, prisons, nursing homes, hospitals, churches, other public venues like the Brick.

This is my way of educating the public in a non traditional setting about transgender people are about. We have dreams, intelligence, creativity, and love.  

Words Of Wisdom

The poetry of the earth is never dead.


~John Keats

Current Read

This is my current read. A friend recommended that I read this.

More Favorite Authors

William Shakespeare
Thomas Merton
Delmore Schwartz
Agatha Christie
Bram Stoker

Words Of Wisdom

I am a fan of anyone who goes outside conventional thinking and creates their own space.

Favorite Authors

Here is my partial list of my favorite authors.

Edgar Allan Poe
Langston Hughes
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Herman Melville
Jack Kerouac
Rumi
Virginia Woolf
Emily Dickinson
Mary Oliver
Maya Angelou

Chosen Two Female Authors

I have chosen two obscure authors whose books are unknown to most people. Fran Ross had a book published in the 1970s called Oreo. It was the only book by Ms. Ross that was published. Whether she was to write another book I'm researching on.

Jane Bowles's Two Serious Ladies was published in 1943. I don't know of any other book she wrote. I chose these two authors so I"ll see what I can discover.

Words Of Wisdom

Personality is everything in art and poetry.



~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet (1749-1832)

Researching Obscure Authors

I am doing research on authors the public may not have heard of. I'm starting out with at least three authors who I am interested knowing more about. I will share the list when I get it.

Writing Is An Adventure

Writing is like taking a journey into a foreign land. You don't know where you'll end up or what to expect. Then again that's the beauty of writing.

Thinking about this post it reminded of Jack Kerouac's great novel On The Road. I will encounter stumbling blocks and setbacks. Is the character the way I want portray him/her? Is the story good? Will the audience read it? Yet, like Kerouac's character, Sal Paradise, you keep going.

I have been brought into the world of dance, performance, and poetry reading. The adventure is never ending and yet different from one moment to the next. When I'm able to act on my adventures, life is pure joy. This is why I love to write.

Words Of Wisdom

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or mirror that reflects it.


~Edith Wharton, Author (1862-1937)

Current Reading

This is the book I'm presently reading. Holly Woodlawn is one of those people you never forget. I never knew how much of an influence she was on me until a few years ago.

Arts Always Educated The Masses

One reason the arts are usually the first cutting aspect of dictators is that they know how it can be a teaching tool. The arts have always educated the masses. Do you think that the governing forces want an informed and educated public? I think not.

In these tenuous times the arts are more important than ever. I am happy to see more people picking up the mantle and bringing artform to the masses. The arts are not conformed to any set convetion because it never was intended to be that way.

I pray that there will be more art with a radical element because it is greatly needed. To all artists, writers, performers and others, keep sharing and educating. Be creative and defy convention. People are looking up to us more than ever. Now is a great opportunity.

Words Of Wisdom

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.

~Isaac Asimov, Scientist (1920-1992)

Performance A Success

The theater group at church performed this past Friday night. The theme revolved around New Year's Eve and events in our lives. I shared my story of suffering a heart attack on New Year's Eve. My wife shared her story of the aftermath. Five stories were shared and the performance was an overwhelming success.

Words Of Wisdom

The poetry of the earth is never dead.


~John Keats

Upcoming Performances

I will be performing this Friday a piece I have written. Five other people will performing. Also there will a cabaret next Friday celebrating pride month. My spouse will read poetry. I'm undecided as to what I will do.

Words Of Wisdom

What is art but a way of seeing?


~Saul Bellow

A Busy Summer Looming

Summertime is fast approaching. I spend quite a bit of it outdoors and will do so much more often this summer. I really don't know what the summer hold given the current political climate. I'm sure there will be much political writing. I'm not want to go this way but may contribute something. 

I believe that it's a writer's job to encourage and challenge people  to do the things that will help others. We need each other more than ever. The arts are much needed NOW!

I'm looking forward to writing new poems and stories. I want to educate others and share with them that they are valued.