Time to get to work. Yesterday it was 70's pop and funk -- America, Bread, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, David Ruffin.
I'm thinking country. Conway Twitty, Crystal Gayle, Oak Ridge Boys. Off to go round 'em up.
Have a great one :)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Writing quote for 5/31/07
It bothers me when I tell people I'm a writer and they respond that they've always wanted to write a book, and generally it's about their life. I don't mind that; I do mind the way the act of writing, to them, appears so casual. Good writing really is damned hard. Crafting a work that resonates beyond one's ego is the true task of a writer. That takes courage and work. Hard work.
-- Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz
-- Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz
Today's agenda
More writing! Big surprise.
Some flashes I'm going to try to finish and send out.
I have 9 stories out, 4 to print pubs, 2 of those are highfalutin ones.
The waiting makes me crazy. But what can I do but write, submit some more and fret about them as well!
Some flashes I'm going to try to finish and send out.
I have 9 stories out, 4 to print pubs, 2 of those are highfalutin ones.
The waiting makes me crazy. But what can I do but write, submit some more and fret about them as well!
I love "Home" by Mr. Daughtry
I doooooooooooooooooo.
If I had the money, I'd buy his cd. Give Clive some more to crow about a year from now.
If I had the money, I'd buy his cd. Give Clive some more to crow about a year from now.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
one last rant for the day
Janet Jackson on the cover of a magazine at the checkout stand.
A follow-up to how she kept the weight off.
Uhm, your career is kaput, Sweetie.
You ain't got nothing to do BUT exercise!
A follow-up to how she kept the weight off.
Uhm, your career is kaput, Sweetie.
You ain't got nothing to do BUT exercise!
Commercial break-- My next reading
I will be here
Lolita & Gilda's Burlesque Poetry Hour
Poets taking it off (the last Monday of every month at Bar Rouge in Dupont Circle -- 1315 16th Street NW Washington, DC at 8 p.m.)
June 25
Gwendolyn Mintz, Shanna Compton, William Allegrezza
What will GJM take off?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Lolita & Gilda's Burlesque Poetry Hour
Poets taking it off (the last Monday of every month at Bar Rouge in Dupont Circle -- 1315 16th Street NW Washington, DC at 8 p.m.)
June 25
Gwendolyn Mintz, Shanna Compton, William Allegrezza
What will GJM take off?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Commercial break
1) Go to Paypal.
2) Send $8 (numbered/autographed copy) or $6 (non-inscribed copy) to gjmintz@yahoo.com; postage paid for 1 copy, any more add $1
3)Sit by your mailbox, wait anxiously and expectedly for your copy of "Mother Love"
Writer Profile Project: Applied Math
Mary Lynn Reed is Kelly's current interview.
She's a mathematician and it's interesting that she intentionally uses the sciences in her fiction.
Click here
She's a mathematician and it's interesting that she intentionally uses the sciences in her fiction.
Click here
rant
I was talking with someone and I interjected God into the conversation and the woman rolled her eyes.
Uh, excuse me?
She doesn't believe in God and certainly not the one I was talking about.
That's okay with me, but I don't think she has the right to disrespect my belief while I was trying to be respectful of hers.
I hate it when people feel they have the right to voice their beliefs all they want but they disrepect others' right to the same.
In the aftermath of Jordin's American Idol win, I read this article that said she was going to use her newfound fame to promote her anti-abortion stance, as if that was a bad thing. (There's a picture of her with a poster which reads Stop Abortion Now)
I don't understand what's with some people-- if she believes abortion is wrong, where's the problem? As long as she's not bombing clinics or threatening doctors, does she not have the right to her beliefs?
Uh, excuse me?
She doesn't believe in God and certainly not the one I was talking about.
That's okay with me, but I don't think she has the right to disrespect my belief while I was trying to be respectful of hers.
I hate it when people feel they have the right to voice their beliefs all they want but they disrepect others' right to the same.
In the aftermath of Jordin's American Idol win, I read this article that said she was going to use her newfound fame to promote her anti-abortion stance, as if that was a bad thing. (There's a picture of her with a poster which reads Stop Abortion Now)
I don't understand what's with some people-- if she believes abortion is wrong, where's the problem? As long as she's not bombing clinics or threatening doctors, does she not have the right to her beliefs?
draft #7.5
Last night before I fell to sleep, the reason I was struggling with multiple drafts came to me: I'm not accepting the truth that's in this story.
The first draft had an ending that I loved and I've been trying to write scenes that would lead me to it. However, the scenes, the story line, the character development that I've got up to this point all call for a different ending, the one that was revealed to me last night.
It's not a happy ending, and that's hard for me 'cause (true to my nature) I want the main character to be someone he isn't, to do something he can't. Although I'm writing this story, that's not for me to decide. (Also a lesson I need to take and apply in real life.
Quite liberating. I'll have a complete draft today. Yahoo!
I should keep this quote by Chekhov in mind ". . . the writer's job . . . is merely to record who, under what conditions, said or thought what. . . The artist is not meant to be a judge of his characters and what they say; his only job is to be an impartial witness. . . Drawing conclusions is up to the jury, that is, the readers. My only job is to be talented, that is, to know how to distinguish important testimony from unimportant, to place my characters in the proper light and speak their language."
An honor, privilege and foremost, a responsibility.
The first draft had an ending that I loved and I've been trying to write scenes that would lead me to it. However, the scenes, the story line, the character development that I've got up to this point all call for a different ending, the one that was revealed to me last night.
It's not a happy ending, and that's hard for me 'cause (true to my nature) I want the main character to be someone he isn't, to do something he can't. Although I'm writing this story, that's not for me to decide. (Also a lesson I need to take and apply in real life.
Quite liberating. I'll have a complete draft today. Yahoo!
I should keep this quote by Chekhov in mind ". . . the writer's job . . . is merely to record who, under what conditions, said or thought what. . . The artist is not meant to be a judge of his characters and what they say; his only job is to be an impartial witness. . . Drawing conclusions is up to the jury, that is, the readers. My only job is to be talented, that is, to know how to distinguish important testimony from unimportant, to place my characters in the proper light and speak their language."
An honor, privilege and foremost, a responsibility.
Creative quote for 5/30/07
Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them.
Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man's emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity.
-- Leo Tolstoy, from "What is Art?"
Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man's emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity.
-- Leo Tolstoy, from "What is Art?"
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Three great lines
and it only took me five hours to get to them.
Spent the day listening to old school rock, southern and otherwise, while I wrote-- that was nice. 38 Special, Allman Bros.,Foreigner, the ballads by KISS and Alice Cooper. . .
"Break a heart, break a heart of stone/Open it up but don't you leave it alone/'Cause that's all I've got give to you believe me babe it ain't been used/My heart's a virgin it ain't never been tried. . ."
used to be my anthem, but that's another story.
Spent the day listening to old school rock, southern and otherwise, while I wrote-- that was nice. 38 Special, Allman Bros.,Foreigner, the ballads by KISS and Alice Cooper. . .
"Break a heart, break a heart of stone/Open it up but don't you leave it alone/'Cause that's all I've got give to you believe me babe it ain't been used/My heart's a virgin it ain't never been tried. . ."
used to be my anthem, but that's another story.
Okay procrastinating over
Time to get to that story. Draft #7. Have never written so many drafts of a story before. Changes in pov/tense, but I swear I'm getting closer to the *real* story.
I'm mining my memories for the one that's fueling this work, knowing that I'm about to give value to something in my past and at the same time be transformed by the very act of doing so.
I'm mining my memories for the one that's fueling this work, knowing that I'm about to give value to something in my past and at the same time be transformed by the very act of doing so.
Quote for 5/29/07
First you jump off the cliff and you build your wings on the way down.
-- Ray Bradbury
-- Ray Bradbury
I love me some Michael McDonald, I do
but videos like these following don't make me miss him from the DB so much.
Black Water
Long Train Running
Black Water
Long Train Running
Not in Norfolk
Way overwhelmed by things so I dropped out of the festival in Virginia.
Started losing things, the sign that I've reached *that* point- the little purse with my "member" cards (only the B&N, the Borders, Best Buy and CVS saw any real use, but still) and my box of pencils and pens (lines were coming to me for a story I'm working on so I scrounged around in my purse only to find I no longer had the pencil box that I just had; only writing implements, a highlighter and my eyeliner pencil!)
No I did not lose the flash drive and yes, I haven't lost my mind [yet;-)]
Decided I needed a break so I took it.
Started losing things, the sign that I've reached *that* point- the little purse with my "member" cards (only the B&N, the Borders, Best Buy and CVS saw any real use, but still) and my box of pencils and pens (lines were coming to me for a story I'm working on so I scrounged around in my purse only to find I no longer had the pencil box that I just had; only writing implements, a highlighter and my eyeliner pencil!)
No I did not lose the flash drive and yes, I haven't lost my mind [yet;-)]
Decided I needed a break so I took it.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Something to make that crying girl cry more
There is no Sanjaya.
Okay, the sad news is that there probably is. Now I'll go cry.
Have you heard about or seen the video of Sanjaya claiming to be an art student named Bill Vendall and that "Sanjaya" was created as part of an art project. Ha! What that boy won't do to stay in the news.
Dude, your 15 minutes were up a half hour ago. Bye.
Scoot.
Hasta la vista.
Chow.
Okay, the sad news is that there probably is. Now I'll go cry.
Have you heard about or seen the video of Sanjaya claiming to be an art student named Bill Vendall and that "Sanjaya" was created as part of an art project. Ha! What that boy won't do to stay in the news.
Dude, your 15 minutes were up a half hour ago. Bye.
Scoot.
Hasta la vista.
Chow.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Writing quote for 5/23/07
Writing is not a profession, occupation or job; it is not a way of life: it is a comprehensive response to life.
--Gregory McDonald
--Gregory McDonald
The Writer Profile Project
Kelly's talking with Patricia Parkinson over at her website.
Patricia writes the most haunting stories, raw and honest.
Read the interview right here.
Patricia writes the most haunting stories, raw and honest.
Read the interview right here.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Writing quote for 5/22/07
In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable.
--John Steinbeck
--John Steinbeck
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Quote for 5/19/07
One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
- Lewis Carrol
- Lewis Carrol
Writing quote for 5/19/07
Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
--Tom Stoppard
--Tom Stoppard
Crossroads
At a place where I've got to make some decisions.
Where do I want to be?
What do I want to be when I grow up?
Do I even want to grow up?
Where do I want to be?
What do I want to be when I grow up?
Do I even want to grow up?
Friday, May 18, 2007
I was going to fire my promotions director
I looked at my schedule and thought that it was becoming impossible --- so much that I had to do. Then she told me that the June 16 festival could be a bust, if I wanted. I didn't have to plan on going since I haven't heard from the organizers and that only if they did indeed pay, would I attend. She also told me that I didn't have to consider going to Oklahoma instead. That she'd just e-mail that coordinator and say "keep us in mind" for a future event.
An interview on an internet radio show, something in Essence magazine and some coverage in a New York-based literary publication geared toward people of color (whatever that means 'cause everyone's got some color to him/her)-- that's what's she's pursuing for me now.
No new gigs requiring travel so I can get some stories completed, get settled somewhere and decide if I really want to quit this writing thing.
So I withheld the firing and am writing today and all is happy in the world :)
An interview on an internet radio show, something in Essence magazine and some coverage in a New York-based literary publication geared toward people of color (whatever that means 'cause everyone's got some color to him/her)-- that's what's she's pursuing for me now.
No new gigs requiring travel so I can get some stories completed, get settled somewhere and decide if I really want to quit this writing thing.
So I withheld the firing and am writing today and all is happy in the world :)
Writing quote for 5/18/07
It's about time for writers - particularly those who are genuine artists - to recognize that in this world you cannot figure out everything. Just have a writer who the crowds trust be courageous enough and declare that he does not understand everything, and that alone will represent a major contribution to the way people think, a long leap forward.
--Anton Chekhov
--Anton Chekhov
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Quote for 5/17/07
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
-- Christopher Robin to Pooh
-- Christopher Robin to Pooh
Writing quote for 5/17/07
So here's what you do: take your memories and present them to the reader. Take your passions. You take as much guilt and as little total depravity as you can safely mix in. You read. You steal. You want desperately to be a writer. You volunteer to nail your soft parts to a tree. You soak up everything. You take notes. You retire to your garret or your study or your office and you tie yourself to the chair with the belt of your bathrobe. And you write. You slowly go crazy, but you write. You drink lye, if that is what it will take, and you remember the nights and caves in Granada. Because you desperately want to be a writer. You do. You write. You write. And you write.
--Bill Brashler, The Total Writer
--Bill Brashler, The Total Writer
writing, writing, writing
Still chugging away at stories.
Cleaning up the next chapbook in the mix. Am combining the 3 I wanted to do into 2.
Other than that, my life is quiet though sweltering.
Cleaning up the next chapbook in the mix. Am combining the 3 I wanted to do into 2.
Other than that, my life is quiet though sweltering.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
And speaking of chapbooks
I entered the Nerve Cowboy chapbook contest and last week the results came.
The person who won this year won last year. They said it was the first time in their history that that had happened.
I don't think it should have happened. Sour grapes or whatever, it just doesn't seem fair.
Too, it is a contest for prose and poetry, but every year the winner is a poetry collection. (No sour grapes here; I entered my poetry chapbook)
But I won't enter that contest again.
Buy myself some ice cream from Cold Stone with that $10 I'll be saving.
The person who won this year won last year. They said it was the first time in their history that that had happened.
I don't think it should have happened. Sour grapes or whatever, it just doesn't seem fair.
Too, it is a contest for prose and poetry, but every year the winner is a poetry collection. (No sour grapes here; I entered my poetry chapbook)
But I won't enter that contest again.
Buy myself some ice cream from Cold Stone with that $10 I'll be saving.
shaddup already
A post about my chapbook, yes, again.
I got a hard copy today. If this were the big world of publishing, we'd call it my advance review copy.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it. I am pleased, very, with the way it looks although there's one formatting change to be made for aesthetic reasons. Otherwise, it's truly beautiful and I'm way excited and can't wait to get to the second one.
Reminds me of having children.
Did seven of those.
Let's hope I'm just as fertile popping out books;-)
I got a hard copy today. If this were the big world of publishing, we'd call it my advance review copy.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it. I am pleased, very, with the way it looks although there's one formatting change to be made for aesthetic reasons. Otherwise, it's truly beautiful and I'm way excited and can't wait to get to the second one.
Reminds me of having children.
Did seven of those.
Let's hope I'm just as fertile popping out books;-)
Quote for 4/16/07
When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.
--Lorraine Hansbery, from "A Raisin in the Sun"
--Lorraine Hansbery, from "A Raisin in the Sun"
Writing quote for 4/16/07
If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it.
--Anais Nin
--Anais Nin
Writer Profile Project: Antonios Maltezos
Ooooh, I like his stuff.
Know him from an online writing workshop. Very generous guy.
Meet up with him and Kelly right here.
Know him from an online writing workshop. Very generous guy.
Meet up with him and Kelly right here.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Summer bouquet
Eleven sunflowers have sprouted. The instructions on the strawberry seeds said it would take awhile, but it's taking forever. And I had no luck with the first planting of those chrysanthemums, so I'm trying again.
I care, most deeply, about the sunflowers. When I get moved, I'll start some more so I can have them all summer long.
This is a pic I took last year from my garden. Such beauty! So much in the world God gave us to be thankful for.
I care, most deeply, about the sunflowers. When I get moved, I'll start some more so I can have them all summer long.
This is a pic I took last year from my garden. Such beauty! So much in the world God gave us to be thankful for.
Quote for 5/15/07
The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself.
--Anais Nin
--Anais Nin
Writing quote for 5/15/07
All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time.
-- Ernest Hemingway
-- Ernest Hemingway
Globetrotting. Well, state trotting is more like it. . .
So I'll be going back to Detroit! I'll be conducting a workshop at a writer's conference. Waiting to hear about another workshop for a writer's group in Baltimore, the one I spoke to before.
My calendar is full, full, full.
I'm not sure about that festival in Florida. They thought I was a vocal performer (and that's why they were willing to pay me-ha!) so I don't know where that stands, although I'm e-mailing to find out 'cause there's an event in Oklahoma I could particpate in instead.
We'll see.
My calendar is full, full, full.
I'm not sure about that festival in Florida. They thought I was a vocal performer (and that's why they were willing to pay me-ha!) so I don't know where that stands, although I'm e-mailing to find out 'cause there's an event in Oklahoma I could particpate in instead.
We'll see.
Writing, writing, writing
Spent yesterday revising a novella.
It was one of those writing days when time flies by and you don't even think to stop to eat 'cause all you're hungry for is the right word.
Revising the work, I found lots of places where I was a lazy writer or a sloppy one. Mostly, there were places where I thought I was Faulkner and just wrote and wrote and wrote without a care or thought of punctuation ha ha!
That's not rolling prose, Gwendolyn. Just run-on sentences. Oh, wait. Then maybe I am Faulkner.
It was one of those writing days when time flies by and you don't even think to stop to eat 'cause all you're hungry for is the right word.
Revising the work, I found lots of places where I was a lazy writer or a sloppy one. Mostly, there were places where I thought I was Faulkner and just wrote and wrote and wrote without a care or thought of punctuation ha ha!
That's not rolling prose, Gwendolyn. Just run-on sentences. Oh, wait. Then maybe I am Faulkner.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Virginia Woolf was right, so buy my book;-p
Whatchu waiting for?
Easy:
1) Go to Paypal.
2) Send $8 (numbered/autographed copy) or $6 (non-inscribed copy) to gjmintz@yahoo.com; postage paid for 1 copy, any more add $1
3)Sit by your mailbox, wait anxiously and expectedly for your copy of "Mother Love"
Quote for 5/14/07
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.
--Chinese proverb
--Chinese proverb
Writing quote for 5/14/07
A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.
--Virginia Woolf
--Virginia Woolf
writing
Am hovering at 95 for those stories. Trying, trying to get to 100 before I leave. Have one week.
----------
I'm going to collaborate with another writer. Am hoping this works out; he's way talented and, quite honestly, has the information I need to flesh the work out. I'm very excited to be attempting this.
Two more works I'm possibly going to be collaborating on with two other writers as well. We'll see how this first one goes though.
---------
I have a story right now that I consider my "prize." Every now and then, I write a story that I hold above the rest that I'm working on. "The Preacher's Daughter" holds that current status. It got rejected from the first print magazine I sent it to, but wow what a rejection.
"I was so moved (so moved underlined) by 'The Preacher's Daughter'-- it angered me and broke my heart at the same time. . . " and then it goes on to suggest that I take the work from a flash to a full story because I have "rich material" to work with. And "try us again" and of course I will submit again and directly to that editor.
What I'm not going to do is make the story longer, although it would be fascinating to delve further into the lives of those characters. The reason why is the same reason it's a flash to begin with --I have so little time!
----------
I'm going to collaborate with another writer. Am hoping this works out; he's way talented and, quite honestly, has the information I need to flesh the work out. I'm very excited to be attempting this.
Two more works I'm possibly going to be collaborating on with two other writers as well. We'll see how this first one goes though.
---------
I have a story right now that I consider my "prize." Every now and then, I write a story that I hold above the rest that I'm working on. "The Preacher's Daughter" holds that current status. It got rejected from the first print magazine I sent it to, but wow what a rejection.
"I was so moved (so moved underlined) by 'The Preacher's Daughter'-- it angered me and broke my heart at the same time. . . " and then it goes on to suggest that I take the work from a flash to a full story because I have "rich material" to work with. And "try us again" and of course I will submit again and directly to that editor.
What I'm not going to do is make the story longer, although it would be fascinating to delve further into the lives of those characters. The reason why is the same reason it's a flash to begin with --I have so little time!
Advertisement -- Buy my chapbook
Whatchu waiting for?
Easy:
1) Go to Paypal.
2) Send $8 (numbered/autographed copy) or $6 (non-inscribed copy) to gjmintz@yahoo.com; postage paid for 1 copy, any more add $1
3)Sit by your mailbox, wait anxiously and expectedly for your copy of "Mother Love"
O, Canada
Going international, maybe. A reading in Ontario. We'll see how that turns out.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Quote for 5/10/07
We are healed of our suffering only by experiencing it to the fullest.
--Edward Weston
--Edward Weston
Writing quote for 5/10/07
The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.
--Anais Nin
--Anais Nin
You'll only read this here
and there's a reason for that, ha ha.
Cleaning out old files. Found this poem I wrote 20+ years ago. I don't have plans to send it anywhere-- unsure if it's "publishable" but I like this poem, and a few others, that I'm going to post here 'cause it's my blog and I can;-)
-------------------------
you are there
standing
in the
night
the
wind
chanting
down
the sky
silence
lost in
the
stars
beneath
the moon
crickets begin
their
midnight
orchestration
i stand
beside you
open sea
licking
ankles
knees
thighs
you
speak
no
one here
to
listen
but
me
the moon
& stars
but
it is
enough
you
tell
us
there is
no
mystery
to
life
no
fountain
that
spills joy
we
are our
own
fountains
we
flow
not endlessly
but
give
until there
is simply
no more
the moon
nods
you
have said
the truth
he
dances
across the
sky
singing
your song
caught
in
this
reflection
echoes
of
night
come
back
tickling
my naked
ness
no
more
to say
the concert
over
the wind moves on
stars
sputter
laughter pales
you
vanish
the sea
quiets
itself
alone
with that moment:
you
near me
&
the
moon
&
the
stars
Cleaning out old files. Found this poem I wrote 20+ years ago. I don't have plans to send it anywhere-- unsure if it's "publishable" but I like this poem, and a few others, that I'm going to post here 'cause it's my blog and I can;-)
-------------------------
you are there
standing
in the
night
the
wind
chanting
down
the sky
silence
lost in
the
stars
beneath
the moon
crickets begin
their
midnight
orchestration
i stand
beside you
open sea
licking
ankles
knees
thighs
you
speak
no
one here
to
listen
but
me
the moon
& stars
but
it is
enough
you
tell
us
there is
no
mystery
to
life
no
fountain
that
spills joy
we
are our
own
fountains
we
flow
not endlessly
but
give
until there
is simply
no more
the moon
nods
you
have said
the truth
he
dances
across the
sky
singing
your song
caught
in
this
reflection
echoes
of
night
come
back
tickling
my naked
ness
no
more
to say
the concert
over
the wind moves on
stars
sputter
laughter pales
you
vanish
the sea
quiets
itself
alone
with that moment:
you
near me
&
the
moon
&
the
stars
American Idol near me on Friday
Glendale's planning a celebration for Jordin this Friday. If you're lucky, you may even get to view the store where she held her first job (this according to an article in the morning paper). If there's time,that is, 'cause there's a parade and the meeting with the mayor. . .
la de dah
Of the choices available (cough, cough) I love Jordin, but really.
She's going to win 'cause she's the most marketable between her and Melinda. She'll win 'cause I think AI is rigged, but that's another post for another day.
la de dah
Of the choices available (cough, cough) I love Jordin, but really.
She's going to win 'cause she's the most marketable between her and Melinda. She'll win 'cause I think AI is rigged, but that's another post for another day.
I can't ever find the damn thing I'm searching for in my purse, but
Monty Hall would love me.
The people at security checkpoints must shake their heads.
The people at security checkpoints must shake their heads.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Writing quote for 5/09/07
Books, to the reading child, are so much more than books--they are dreams and knowledge, they are a future, and a past.
--Esther Meynell
--Esther Meynell
The galley copy has arrived!
First page with copy, I see that I misspelled a word. oops!
Tomorrow, I'm going to go over it vewy, vewy carefully.
Tomorrow, I'm going to go over it vewy, vewy carefully.
Can I be that pilot's wife?
I was sitting by the podium at the boarding gate. The pilots arrived, one by one, placing their luggage by the stand. The first pilot was gorgeous. So hot that I couldn't keep my eyes off him.
When it was time for the crew to enter, he took his bag, and as he passed me, he smiled and winked. I was just as giddy as I was when I was seventeen and went to that Doobie Brothers' concert, getting Michael McDonald's attention and having him wink at me!
"Homework?" the pilot asked, nodding toward the pile of papers in my lap.
"Uh, no, I'm uh. . .I'm a writer." Girl, since when did you stumble with words?
He nodded.
I was one of the first people on the plane. Entering the coach section, I eyed THAT pilot.
Straightening (he was adjusting something in a seat), he asked what I wrote.
"Short stories and poetry," I said, heading down the aisle to my seat.
When we landed, the crew had already departed by the time I got down to the door. In the airport, I got my bag from claims and went out the wrong door to be on the side of the building where I needed to be to get picked up.
I got directions on how to find my way to the other side of the airport. I went back in and looked for the numbered door I was supposed to exit. Not that side. I turned.
"Ah, the poet!"
The pilot stepped off the escalator.
"Are you following me?" I asked. Of course, I was hoping he'd say yes, heh heh.
He laughed.
We chatted.
"So where are you headed?" he asked.
"I'm trying to find my way out of here," I said.
"Well, I've got to get to a meeting," he said, turning toward the door. "It was my pleasure," he told me.
Uh, uh, Sweetie, it was all mine.
Sigh.
When it was time for the crew to enter, he took his bag, and as he passed me, he smiled and winked. I was just as giddy as I was when I was seventeen and went to that Doobie Brothers' concert, getting Michael McDonald's attention and having him wink at me!
"Homework?" the pilot asked, nodding toward the pile of papers in my lap.
"Uh, no, I'm uh. . .I'm a writer." Girl, since when did you stumble with words?
He nodded.
I was one of the first people on the plane. Entering the coach section, I eyed THAT pilot.
Straightening (he was adjusting something in a seat), he asked what I wrote.
"Short stories and poetry," I said, heading down the aisle to my seat.
When we landed, the crew had already departed by the time I got down to the door. In the airport, I got my bag from claims and went out the wrong door to be on the side of the building where I needed to be to get picked up.
I got directions on how to find my way to the other side of the airport. I went back in and looked for the numbered door I was supposed to exit. Not that side. I turned.
"Ah, the poet!"
The pilot stepped off the escalator.
"Are you following me?" I asked. Of course, I was hoping he'd say yes, heh heh.
He laughed.
We chatted.
"So where are you headed?" he asked.
"I'm trying to find my way out of here," I said.
"Well, I've got to get to a meeting," he said, turning toward the door. "It was my pleasure," he told me.
Uh, uh, Sweetie, it was all mine.
Sigh.
The list
This morning in my email box, a list of black-owned bookstores across the country. I was wishing for such so I might create some signings when I go places-- and if all works out, then I'll be in Virginia, Florida, D.C., Los Angeles, Los Angeles again, Chicago, Baltimore, back to New York and in Cambridge, MA.
Whew! Made me tired just writing it.
And I am tired. So today I'm doing nothing but organizing what I'm taking with me when I leave Arizona.
Tomorrow, I'll resume my position as promotions director for Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz and get to that list.
Whew! Made me tired just writing it.
And I am tired. So today I'm doing nothing but organizing what I'm taking with me when I leave Arizona.
Tomorrow, I'll resume my position as promotions director for Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz and get to that list.
Paris DOES NOT deserve 45 days in jail!
I'm thinking a stint in a psych ward for a month and a half.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Quote for 5/08/07
It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it.
--Sam Levenson
--Sam Levenson
Writing quote for 5/08/07
My work is emotionally autobiographical. It has no relationship to the actual events of my life, but it reflects the emotional currents of my life. I try to work every day because you have no refuge but writing. When you're going through a period of unhappiness, a broken love affair, the death of someone you love, or some other disorder in your life, then you have no refuge but writing.
--Tennessee Williams
--Tennessee Williams
Monday, May 07, 2007
Quote for 5/07/07
Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.
--unknown
--unknown
Writing quote for 5/07/07
Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say.
--Sharon O'Brien
--Sharon O'Brien
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Writing quote for 5/06/07
The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.
--Norbet Platt
--Norbet Platt
Quote for 5/06/07
The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
-- Allan K. Chalmers
-- Allan K. Chalmers
So it wasn't May Day, but I did some pole dancing anyway
The event in Detroit was geared toward women; there were women writers and a woman selling tupperware and some others, among them a woman who teaches pole dancing.
I was hesitant when she invited me to learn a few moves, but then I conceded and WOW. There has been, of course, some planting in our collective pysches that equates pole dancing (stripping) with a degree of sexiness and although that's not true, working that pole certainly makes one feel free and uninhibited. The woman even gifted me with a boa!! And you can purchase a pole for use in your own home. hmmmmmm
I was not as organized as I thought I was. And the money that was supposed to be put in my account wasn't (but thanks to Dennis and Carrie for helping me [again]).The map I printed out was not helpful because I didn't start from the correct point and the cab driver got lost grrrr. Shouldn't you know the streets if you're working in transportation?????? And should I have to pay you for your mistakes??????????????????????/ double-grrrr
Anyway, one day all of my arrangements will be planned and footed by someone other than me and I won't have to deal with the details. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
My story was well received. I like when that happens.
And I might not have to publish those three chapbooks on black culture the way I thought. Have to email marketing plan, sample chapters, a synopsis to a woman here who has her own publishing company which distributes through Ingram. Perfect-bound books. I like that idea better than my original.
The Mets are playing the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. I forgot that they were there for 3 games. Darn. I missed all three opportunities :( But I'd rather be here than there, 'cause those guys already got big careers going on!
I was hesitant when she invited me to learn a few moves, but then I conceded and WOW. There has been, of course, some planting in our collective pysches that equates pole dancing (stripping) with a degree of sexiness and although that's not true, working that pole certainly makes one feel free and uninhibited. The woman even gifted me with a boa!! And you can purchase a pole for use in your own home. hmmmmmm
I was not as organized as I thought I was. And the money that was supposed to be put in my account wasn't (but thanks to Dennis and Carrie for helping me [again]).The map I printed out was not helpful because I didn't start from the correct point and the cab driver got lost grrrr. Shouldn't you know the streets if you're working in transportation?????? And should I have to pay you for your mistakes??????????????????????/ double-grrrr
Anyway, one day all of my arrangements will be planned and footed by someone other than me and I won't have to deal with the details. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
My story was well received. I like when that happens.
And I might not have to publish those three chapbooks on black culture the way I thought. Have to email marketing plan, sample chapters, a synopsis to a woman here who has her own publishing company which distributes through Ingram. Perfect-bound books. I like that idea better than my original.
The Mets are playing the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. I forgot that they were there for 3 games. Darn. I missed all three opportunities :( But I'd rather be here than there, 'cause those guys already got big careers going on!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Writing quote for 5/04/07
When we are writing, painting or composing, we are, during the time of creativity, freed from normal restrictions, and are opened to a wider world, where colors are brighter, sounds clearer and people more wondrously complex than we normally realize.
- Madeleine L'Engle
- Madeleine L'Engle
If you're in Detroit this weekend
Host: Kimberley White
Location: Grant Community Center
MIddlebelt & Eleven Mile Road, Farmington, MI
When: Sunday, May 6, 1:00pm
Beauty & Books Bash II
A book signing so hot it has to be held at a firehouse!
We're Celebrating Life: books, beauty, graduation, birthday...
You name it, we're celebrating it.
Join Kimberley for food, fun and entertainment at the book blast of the year.
Don't hear about it the next day, come on out
Location: Grant Community Center
MIddlebelt & Eleven Mile Road, Farmington, MI
When: Sunday, May 6, 1:00pm
Beauty & Books Bash II
A book signing so hot it has to be held at a firehouse!
We're Celebrating Life: books, beauty, graduation, birthday...
You name it, we're celebrating it.
Join Kimberley for food, fun and entertainment at the book blast of the year.
Don't hear about it the next day, come on out
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Creative quote for 5/03/07
The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.
--Oscar Wilde
--Oscar Wilde
You talking to me?
I got a reply from a coordinator at the Virginia festival. I thought it was a small affair.
It is actually the 24th year of this event which draws 100,000 in Norfolk. And Mario is going to be there. Regina Belle. Lisa Lisa of "I wonder if I take you home" fame, though no Cult Jam. The Mary Jane Girls. To name a few.
The coordinator instructed me to mark my calendar for one of the three days of the festival because I am going to be the special guest for a reception.
Me?
Really?
I am humbled, yes, and so very surprised. In a way. I've been working for things like this for awhile. Plant, water, something grows.
What I'm not doing is wondering if I "deserve" it. Not productive; just destructive.
When something good comes your way, it's best not to question it. Just be grateful. Just say "thank you." Just enjoy it.
It is actually the 24th year of this event which draws 100,000 in Norfolk. And Mario is going to be there. Regina Belle. Lisa Lisa of "I wonder if I take you home" fame, though no Cult Jam. The Mary Jane Girls. To name a few.
The coordinator instructed me to mark my calendar for one of the three days of the festival because I am going to be the special guest for a reception.
Me?
Really?
I am humbled, yes, and so very surprised. In a way. I've been working for things like this for awhile. Plant, water, something grows.
What I'm not doing is wondering if I "deserve" it. Not productive; just destructive.
When something good comes your way, it's best not to question it. Just be grateful. Just say "thank you." Just enjoy it.
A galley copy on its way
Yahoo!
Getting a book out is not as easy as I thought. But finally-- the glitches worked out and "Mother Love" will be out in weeks.
I'll be "advertising" it here. It's a limited-run (autographed, numbered copies); only 50 will be available outside of readings, through paypal so pull out your checkbooks and credit cards hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
please buy my chapbook, my teenage kids and Cingular would love you for that.
Getting a book out is not as easy as I thought. But finally-- the glitches worked out and "Mother Love" will be out in weeks.
I'll be "advertising" it here. It's a limited-run (autographed, numbered copies); only 50 will be available outside of readings, through paypal so pull out your checkbooks and credit cards hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
please buy my chapbook, my teenage kids and Cingular would love you for that.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
I tried to help Sheryl out
I did.
I used one square.
uhmmmmmm
Okay, we'll save some trees but use up the oceans washing our hands!
I used one square.
uhmmmmmm
Okay, we'll save some trees but use up the oceans washing our hands!
Quote for 5/02/07
Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.
--Kahlil Gibran
--Kahlil Gibran
Writing quote for 5/02/07
For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.
--Catherine Drinker Bowen
--Catherine Drinker Bowen
writing today
Lately, I've just been able to get a sentence in here, a paragraph in there because I've been busy with the promotional stuff, chasing leads and opportunities.
Yesterday, I got to work on a story. It felt so good to write more than just a few words 'cause I wasn't distracted. Gonna work on the story more today. Several stories if I can 'cause reading periods are closing and the 15th is a contest deadline.
So that's what I'm off to do.
Have a creative and productive one :)
Yesterday, I got to work on a story. It felt so good to write more than just a few words 'cause I wasn't distracted. Gonna work on the story more today. Several stories if I can 'cause reading periods are closing and the 15th is a contest deadline.
So that's what I'm off to do.
Have a creative and productive one :)
American Idol
Susan's got her commentary --witty, biting, and so so true-- on last night's show up. She really should be a correspondent for someone.
I only saw Jordin's performance and after reading Susan's post, I wished I'd watched it all, darn it.
I only saw Jordin's performance and after reading Susan's post, I wished I'd watched it all, darn it.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
There's a reason they call it "Recovery"
You get back important things you lost in the abuse/addiction:
generosity
gratitude
wonder
curiosity
a sense of magic
I still cry these days, but now, it's because of the sweetness of it all.
generosity
gratitude
wonder
curiosity
a sense of magic
I still cry these days, but now, it's because of the sweetness of it all.
Writing quote for 5/01/07
Writing is one of the few professions in which you can psychoanalyse yourself, get rid of hostilities and frustrations in public, and get paid for it.
-- Octavia Butler
-- Octavia Butler
Something better
Last year I didn't get around to seeing B.B. King and I was disappointed that things didn't work out, that I didn't help them work out so I could go to one of his concerts, but it turns out a better deal was in the making.
He's touring this year with Al Green (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and select shows also feature Etta James.
He's touring this year with Al Green (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and select shows also feature Etta James.
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