Save the Dates- Pittsburgh

Heather McNaugher, Assistant Professor of English at Chatham University's MFA program, will be reading this Sunday, August 17th at 2PM at the Carnegie Library in Oakland.

The Fall Festival of Children's Books will take place Friday October 17th from 9AM-5Pm at the Children's Musuem on the North Side.

My picture book, Angeline Jellybean, comes out in February 2009!

This is My Home

Here in Pittsburgh, TV station KDKA has a "This is your home" campaign. I'd like to share with you a piece of what has made Pittsburgh home to me:

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/americorps0730.aspx

Random semi-Updates

My computer is broken. :-( Something is wrong with the power cord. I'm going to see if it's possible to buy a new cord somewhere online. It's a writer's nightmare, for sure. I'm in the library attempting to work right now but it's not the same.

I couldn't mail my Ferris wheel piece and Angeline Jellybean today, either. Darn lack of big yellow envelopes in my apartment. I must add that to the list of things I need at the store.

In better news, my least favorite place to go on the storymobile wasn't horrible today. We signed up five new kids, and met an amazing young father with a two and a three year old, and he actually reads to his kids and was genuinely interested in books! Woo-hoo! People like that make my position so much less frustrating.

My goal: have something decent written to workshop on Monday!

The Good Side of Things

The good thing about being thrown for a loop in the middle of an otherwise normal week-- you have something to write about.

I'm off to attempt to make this situation into a children's story that I can hopefully workshop on Monday. . .

It's been awhile. . .

I have a gmail e-mail address that I use exlusively for this blog and writing-related projects. I haven't received an e-mail in it since March 2nd. My point? Nothing has been going on in my writing life. I've been stagnant, stuck, unmoving, for over a month. Not that I haven't been writing, because I have. It's just that when it comes to submitting my work, setting up my website, and generally promoting all things literacy, I've been lazy. Most of that is due to the fact that I've been getting things done for America and working my butt off. When I think about it, ALL I have been doing is promoting literacy. :-P And, in fact, I've been the total opposite of lazy. I just have too much on my plate to think about submissions right now. Putting in 50 hour weeks on a storymobile and doing service projects all over the city can take a lot out of you. I'm even a little behind on my thesis. Ack ack ack!

Ok, all calm now. Let's talk about what I've been writing-- The Thesis (as I will refer to it until it has at least a working title) is going well, if not a little slow. I'm also currently working on a short story about a mother and daughter traveling on the Titanic. Kathy listened to me read it and said "This feels like a novel." I almost died, because I know it does. And maybe it will be at some point. But not right now. I already have one started from over a year ago that I doubt I'm ever going to have the patience to finish, plus I have to concentrate on my thesis right now. The last thing I need is another novel coming my way. . .

Marc Brown, and a limo (no, not Marc Brown IN a limo)

This past Wednesday, my Writing Picture Books class took a field trip to Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA to hear Marc Brown speak. Marc Brown, if you don't know, is the highly successful author of the Arthur the Aardvark book series, which has turned into what must be a multi-million dollar coperation thanks to the PBS series and merchandising. Brown had a lot of important things to say about the state of early childhood literacy, which I could appreciate thanks to my position with AmeriCorps and Beginning With Books. I'm currently writing an article for the AmeriCorps newsletter based on Marc Brown's beliefs, which I may post here later.

My only disappointments about the reading were that he didn't give us time to ask questions and that it was so crowded that I couldn't wait in line for him to sign my brand new copy of Wild About Books. Wild About Books is a beautiful book about a lady who drives a bookmobile into a zoo. The animals eventually begin checking out books, then writing, and eventually they open their own branch of the library right there in the zoo!

And then there was the limo. We must be the only six people on earth who have ever shown up to see a children's book author in a limo. We're fairly sure Marc Brown doesn't even get limos. . . or if he does, they're certainly not for free with fully stocked bars. haha.

Spotlight on: Bill Deasy

Bill Deasy is the singer/songwriter behind the catchy music for KDKA's new campaign "My Home." I'm sure you've seen the spot a million times on KDKA. I just discovered this Pittsburgh native myself, and I dig his musical style. I would describe him as rock/folk, but I'm not so good at clasifying music... anyway, check out his website, friend him on Myspace, and all that jazz! Oh, and for those of you in Pittsburgh, he will be having a CD release party and performance at Club Cafe on the Southside tomorrow night, September 8, starting at 7PM. You can check out the details on his website http://www.billdeasy.com/ . He will also be performing in my little hometown of Altoona on September 12th at the Railroader's Museum. He's opening for The Clarks.

You may also be surprised to learn that Deasy is also a novelist. His first novel was Ransom Seaborn. I hear he's coming out with a second as well. I can't attest to his skills as a novelist, since I haven't read any of his work, but he might be worth checking it out.

The preceding commercial has been brought to you by a Pittsburgh writer who loves music, other writers . . . and just so happens to think that Bill Deasy is a hottie. ;-)

As Promised

"The 30-something man sunbathing in a speedo in Mellon Park" poem. I've been told that my poems tend to throw an unexpectant twist at the reader somewhere in the middle or at the end. The truth is, the twists are unexpected to me as well. I tend to start out a poem based on a small event or image, often from my real life, and the true nature of the poem only unfolds itself to me through the writing process.

That being said, this poem goes a lot of places. A lot of intimate places that I'm not sure I originally wanted it to go. As presented here, this poem is very rough and needs a lot of revision to clarify its purpose.

So, now that I've done all but apologize for this poem, (I will never apologize for my work, no matter how crazy it may seem) I leave you to enjoy "Stranger in the Park."

You lay there in Mellon Park in your black Speedo,
your skin burning to a brilliant shade of flamingo pink.
I watch you from the picnic table where I write,
wonder your age and sexual orientation.
Not because I am interested in you, but because I
have never seen a 30-something man sunbathe in a Speedo before.
I fantasize about replacing you with my own man, his legs
stiff, straight out in front of him, his eyes blissfully closed.
I would lean over him with my bare knees digging into the dirt,
press him into the earth, run my tongue over his lips.
I can’t, so I watch.

You are sitting up now, your legs pulled to chest,
your head cocked to the left.
I think you almost catch me. I look away.
When I glance up again you lay back, pull your shorts
up your toned legs, over your nearly naked hips in a way
that would make me blush had I never seen a man dress before.
I look down at my legal pad, watch you out of the corner
of my eye slide your shirt over your head, fold you towel
into threes, stuff it into your backpack.
You leave with your back turned to me; I don’t have a chance
to transpose Mark’s face onto yours, to miss your presence like I miss his.

Update

I have been implored by my friend (and regular reader) Sarah to update my blog, so here it is!

I tend to get so far behind in blogging that I just don't feel like doing it because I know I'll never catch up. This is one of those times.

To briefly catch you up on the past couple of months:


The reading on the Southside was a great success!


This is me, looking all hot, being the poetry goddess God made me. I normally don't say I look hot, but that night I did. This was only the third time I read to a group that was not largely fellow English majors/MFA students, but something about being a featured reader put the needed pressure on me. I walked out of there feeling amazingly confident in my performance. And, I got an A in the class! (Thanks, Jim!)




I spent two weeks in Trinidad with three of my classmates, soaking up the culture and writing about it. Can you believe it? Not only do I have classes that MAKE me write, but I have classs that makes me travel, too! I had such an unbelievable time that I didn't want to come back. We even got to meet Trinidadian writers Merle Hodge (below), who let us swim in her lagoon, and Earl Lovelace (!), who gave us rum and coconut water upon our arrival.

Us with Merle Hodge. Back: Carolyne, Sarah, me. Front: Carmen, Ms. Hodge.

My summer classes are finally (thankfully) winding down, and then I'll have two weeks to relax before they start up again. I'll also be starting AmeriCorps soon (more on that later) and spreading my love of words and books all over Pittsburgh.

And, in other news. Please check out Mark's new website: http://www.markcbradley.net/ and even consider buying his new book Writing Poems in the Rain. I'll love you forever if you do. :-)

Actually, I already love someone forever.

Simply Amazing

That pretty much sums up Thursday night's reading by Cave Canem founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, and Carl Phillips and Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa at the Hill House in the Hill District of Pittsburgh.

I was sitting right behind Toi Derricotte, with Cornelius Eady on her right and Yusef Komunyakaa on her left. *Was in total awe the entire time* All of them blew me away with their amazing poetry. I especially loved Toi Derricotte's impromptu ode to butter, Cornelius Eady's fun and intellegent style, Carl Phillips' reserved humor, and every single word that dripped from Yusef Komunyakaa's mouth. It was a poetry student's heaven.

Big thanks to Jim for making us go!

My only disappointment was that I had to leave early and couldn't stay to meet them all, buy their books and get them to sign them.


Later, I'll write about our big reading last night at the Birmingham Bridge Tavern! Talk about a fun and inspiring time!

Come Hear Me Read!

In the Pittsburgh area? Well, I've got an upcoming event for you to mark on your calendars!

Most Wanted Fine Arts in Pittsburgh is hosting its 2 year anniversary celebration on Friday, June 29th at 7:30 at the Birmingham Bridge Tavern on Pittsburgh's Southside. The event features a number of bands, artists, and... me!

Well, to be fair, I'm only one of five featured poets. The reading includes great stuff by Marissa Schwalm, Courtney Lora Lang, Sarah Adkins and Mathew Gaitens as well. Talented people, every one of them!

Come check it out. The Birmingham Bridge Tavern is located at 29th and Sarah Street, Pittsburgh, PA (in the Southside). See you on June 29th!

Pittsburgh Poems and More

So, I've started to write "Pittsburgh Poems." I suppose it's a sign that I'm becoming more comfortable with my surroundings, but I'm not so sure about that. I think I heard someone say once that every writer that lives in Pittsburgh eventually starts writing about the city. I don't find that I have a particular connection to a lot of places here, so I'm not sure why I feel the need to write about it, but I do.

In other news, I'm really enjoying my class with Jim Coppoc, even if it is mostly online. It has been more productive so far than many of the workshops I have had in grad school ever were. I don't know what that says about the quality of those workshops. (I'm thinking about one in particular.) I believe that a professor has a duty to make his or her students see and think in different ways, about their writing, themselves, and the world. When a professor fails to do that, he fails his students.

Just my two cents.

The Poet's House

Today, I went with Sarah and the rest of the AmeriCorps people to the North Side of Pittsburgh to visit the Chinese poet Huang Xiang. His house on the North Side is called simply "the Poet's House," and anyone who has been in the area knows why. Mr. Xiang has actually covered his wooden house is his poetry, written in Chinese caligraphy with white paint. To meet Mr. Xiang is a great experience. He has a passion for the spoken word that transcends language barriers, and delivers his poetry with such passion. He performed seven poems for us, and each one blew us away.

Perhaps Mr. Xiang's passion is due to the fact that he was exiled from his own country because of his writing. He was frequently imprisoned in China for writing poetry and advocating human rights. In 2004, Mr. Xiang was invited by the Pittsburgh chapter of the City of Asylum organization to begin his residency in Pittsburgh. He and his wife Zhang Ling now live in Pittsburgh as legal refugees.

Can you imagine a place where one cannot even be a poet in his own house? Where people are forced to flee their country in order to express themselves creatively and pursue their passion? Where one must literally leave his or her home to make a home in a new land, just because they want to write? I can't.

Making Connections

I've been super busy. The end of my first year in grad school is coming up fast, so I have a lot of projects and papers to finish in a short period of time.

Last Friday night, March 23, my friend Sarah and I went to this place called Connections in Oakland for an opening of Sarah's friend Moshe's art show. They had delicious food, wine, and an open mic. Sarah and I were the only two people to read poetry. I must say, Sarah rocks at delivery. She really wants to get into slam poetry, and I can see why. She's a natural. I was nervous about going on after her, but things went pretty well. I read some old work, written for a poetry workshop last year, that I have already read in public, so it was the cliche piece of cake.

I'm not normally a public reader. This was the first time I have ever read to a room of almost complete strangers. But afterwards I had a guy come up to me and started talking to me about my poetry, and I started to think maybe I should go out and read more. Although I don't think my poems are meant for oral delivery as much as Sarah's are, just knowing that their are intellegent people out there who want to hear and discuss poetry is amazing, and Pittsburgh is a hub for poets. So, watch out! I may be coming to a venue in the Pittsburgh area near you sometime soon.

I've come to realize that making connections is a major part of being a writer. A lot of writers are, by nature, shy and reserved. But to really make it, one must break through that, travel outside their usual four walls, and take risks.