Poetics Serendipity

12:56 p.m. — San Antonio

listening to Cracklin’ Rosie sung by Neil Diamond

Hello, all. Late, you say?. Well, yes. I walked a fast mile and a half in the cold morning air and was recovering (read: felt lazy). However, here are some things to investigate.

1] The first is a correction to the post I gave you last week. Dale, of Right Hand Pointing apologises and says: Here’s a revision of the call for submissions for our May issue. The main change is related to our referring to 5×7 index cards, when it turns out that the larger index cards are actually 5×8. So, if you were out there frantically looking for 5x7s, it’s not your imagination, there are none.

2] Our second is from She Writes and mostly pertains to prose, but can be adapted to poetry. For those of you submitting, especially chapbooks, and who think they are at final draft stage, check these ten things.

3] For all you writers in the New Jersey area [and what with short distances, there must be a whole lot of you], consider a one-day writing getaway with Peter Murphy and his gang. His getaways are at the top of my writing bucket list.

Okay? Get to it. I will see you Tuesday for a prompt and next Thursday for more links.

Happy writing, everyone.

 

Poetics Serendipity

10:34 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to songs from the Broadway musical Alexander Hamilton

Hey ho, people! I am back from an eating trip to Atlanta. Granted San Antonio has some good restaurants, Atlanta is all about food and we were spoiled for five years. I am somewhat more roly-poly than when I last spoke to you. This might — ugh — involve exercise. Meanwhile, let’s see what we have.

1] This first is more a reminder. We know the words that should not appear in our writing, but I know I get lazy with my prose and if I get lazy with my prose, I might get lazy with my poetry. Besides, the layout is fun. Check out Jennifer Frost’s infographic Five Weak Words to Avoid and What to Use Instead.  (Any former students reading this will be laughing. They know this list well,)

2] I grant you this next one is only of interest generally, unless you live near, or in, or are going to visit, Chicago. Also, you’d need to be interested in American literature. With all those caveats, I still think it’s exciting news. The Guardian posted an article about an American Writers Museum, the first of its kind, that will open in Chicago in 2017. Of interest, ‘the Poetry Foundation is one of the affiliates and is, said its media director Elizabeth Burke-Dain, “committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture”.’

3] Trish Hopkinson’s Where to Submit NonTraditional and Traditional Poetry is, as all her articles are, full of helpful information. If you haven’t wandered around her blog, get yourself a hot drink, or a cold one, get comfortable and click the archives, or scroll back through.

4] Speaking of non-traditional, read the interview, Six Questions for Lise Quintana, Editor-in-Chief, & Allie Marini Batts, Managing Editor, NonBinary Review. Then check out the links to the right. Beware. Once you start going through the other Six ?s For, you might find an afternoon gone.

See you Tuesday for our next prompt and Thursday for more links.

Happy writing, everyone.

 

Poetics Serendipity

8:49 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to Kananaka sung by Keali’i Reichel (who has one of the loveliest voices I have heard)

Hello, everyone. We have another mild, sunshiny day to enjoy. I hope things are as mild where you are. Shall we get to it?

1] The first link was sent to me by Sasha Palmer. The Paris Review posted a piece of correspondence from Horace Walpole to Horace Mann, in 1754, regarding the invention of the word serendipity. The piece is short and fun to read.

2] I receive right hand pointing‘s newsletter.and they have two items of interest in the latest issue. The first is their latest volume of poetry, of particular interest because it is their first haiku issue. The second is a rather interesting call for submissions. Check it out because I can see several of you wanting to give this a try.

3] Galley Cat’s latest infographic is about The Weird Writing Practices of Authors, by Maryann Yin. I love their infographics, so you will often see them here.

Brief and to the point, today, but plenty to play with. The blog and I will be dark for ten days, or so. I will see you again, probably Thursday after next, for more links.

Happy writing, all.

 

Poetics Serendipity

9:18 a,m, — San Antonio

listening to On Broadway sung by George Benson

Hello, all. I made it. Apparently life has decided to resist happening, today. Speaking of which, I hope those of you hit by Jonas, in the eastern United States, are digging yourselves out. Having missed a couple of weeks worth of links, let’s get to it

Having missed a couple of weeks worth of links, let’s get to it:

1] If you have not come across the collection of essays that are Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings then you need to check it out. I am giving you a link to tell you what it’s about and a link to what she thinks are the best picks of the year.

If you want the quick what it’s about, Popova describes Brain Pickings as a cross-disciplinary LEGO treasure chest, full of pieces spanning art, science, psychology, design, philosophy, history, politics, anthropology and …how these different disciplines illuminate one another to glean some insight, directly or indirectly, into that grand question of how to live, and how to live well.

If you have nothing else to expand your brain with [see under ‘life happens’], Pickings will give you some of everything and all connected to our creative selves.

2] From an article in The New Yorker, by Pauline Bock: they first had the idea for the machines one afternoon in 2013. They were taking a break in the hall of their office building, buying a snack from a vending machine. One of them—they don’t recall which one—said that the vending machines should offer short stories instead of drinks and candy. They had a prototype by 2014. Sounds like science fiction, no? No. ViV, we expect you to go to Grenoble and report on this! Read the article and you will be charmed while wondering why your city doesn’t have such a machine. How about one that offers poems? It has to be easier.

3] Galley Cat offers us TED-Ed Lessons for Writers to Kick Off 2016, by Maryann Yin. Need I say more?

Have fun with these and I shall see you Tuesday for a prompt and next Thursday for more links.

Happy writing, everyone.

 

Poetics Serendipity

8:29 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to one of my favourites, Mack the Knife, sung by Bobby Darin

Hello, all. I don’t know about you, but one foot is still in December. It will help when the tree comes down (it’s so pretty, we’d love to leave it) — ornaments are stashed and Christmasy objects packed away, although I have every expectation of coming on something in August, as our daughter is brilliant at finding spots to place small things. I keep being surprised into a laugh as I come across something. Okay, gang, ready for some sites to start the year with?

1] I can think of nothing better than a series of TED talks to kick us off. Jessica Gross gives us 6 Ideas From Creative Thinkers to Shake Up Your Work Routine. I love the way Gross has structured her article. The six ideas are ones we are all familiar with, but within each, she gives us a link to a playlist of talks to go to. There is everything from an excerpt by Pico Ayer on The Art of Stillness to a talk on the power of time off.

2] The next link is compliments of d’Verse, which has put together a schedule of what comes when submissions-wise. I don’t know about your brain, but mine requires this kind of help.

3] In an article for The Huffington Post‘s blog, poet Robert Peake gives us this year’s mix of UK-based poets whose work gave me pause and, sometimes, made me gasp, in his article Five British Poets to Watch in 2016. With so many accessible writers, now, I am always grateful when someone points the way.

4] Just in from Found Poetry Review‘s poetry editor, Beth Ayer, Volume 9 has gone live.

S’okay? Go forth and discover. I will see you Tuesday for the next prompt and Thursday for more links.

Happy writing, everyone.

 

Poetics Serendipity

9:25 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to Neil Diamond singing Cracklin’ Rosie

Hello, everyone. I would like someone to do something about the weather, please. It is December. I don’t want my temperatures to be climbing towards the 80’s. I am somewhat mollified, for the moment, by having the first Pannetone of the season, just now. Links, you say? Let me look in the bag…:

1] The site Write to Done has an essay with an interesting thesis, summed up in its title: Why More Practice Can Make You a Worse Writer and What to Do Instead. The author, D Bnonn Tennant has written the piece for narrative fiction and non-fiction, but his theory on practice has some valuable insights for all writers.

2] Have you ever encountered a word and learned that it meant the opposite of what you remembered? If so, you may have come across a contronym. A contronym, often referred to as a Janus word or auto-antonym, is a word that evokes contradictory or reverse meanings depending on the context. These are the opening sentences to Kimberly Joki’s Grammarly post on verbs that are contronyms. Being a word stalker, I found it fascinating, and fun. to have pointed out clearly what I vaguely knew. (Grammarly)

3] Finally, something to amuse you: Word Origins in Plain Sight, words by Arika Okrent, pictures by Sean O’Neill.

I will see you Tuesday for our next image prompt and Thursday for links.

Happy writing, everyone.

P.S. There is nothing quite like having the nearby workers turn off the electricity as one pushes publish.

 

Poetics Serendipity

8:11 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to Little Drummer Boy sung by Pentatonix

Hello, everyone. I hope you are well. I have a couple of links and a notification for you. Plenty of things to play with and consider.

1] Jenni B. Baker and Doug Luman of the Found Poetry Review have come up with a fresh twist on secret Santa. Jenni says: Doug Luman and I are excited to announce a new holiday poetry project, Secret Stanza. Here’s how it works: Sign up to participate by December 11, and we’ll assign you another poet as a “giftee” — you’ll buy or make a poetry gift worth up to $15 and send it to him/her in the mail. We’ll also give YOUR name to someone, meaning you’ll receive a poetry gift of your own this December. While not exclusively found poetry related (and not an “official” FPR project), we hope you’ll participate and help us spread the news! More details at http://www.secretstanza.com/

2] This next will keep you occupied for weeks. My California brother sent it to me. The Paris Review has sixty-five years worth of interviews with writers. Some names you will recognise, many you won’t, but they all write. Even if all you do is go through the fifty-two writers’ statements, that are there as hooks, you can ponder for hours.

3] The final find for the day is written for the novelists but can be adapted for the poets. Kat Stiles has posted, in She Writes, Top 10 editing Tips For Your Final Draft. I’m thinking final or no these are good tips for those who have any kind of manuscript from NaNoWriMo.

I will see you Tuesday for an image prompt and Thursday for more links and things.

Happy writing, all.

 

Poem Tryouts: Eat This

7:47 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to Sink the Bismarck sung by Johnny Horton

Hello, all. I almost forgot, I am so busily running errands through my head. My brother and his wife arrive this evening. However, you before sheets and towels.

Every year, during NaNoWriMo, I talk about the importance of eating for character development. Then I try to do a variation on what is basically: ‘Describe a scene where…’. So, let me talk a minute on the subject. It is not easy to show a character’s personality without a string of adjectives. The easiest way is through actions and interactions. One of the best of these is a scene where the character is eating, either alone, or with someone, or at a party. Think about it a moment. Think of different meals and what someone might learn about you were they to watch your approach to eating. Think of other people you know and how they eat and what you learn. Heck, go sit at a coffeehouse and watch people. What judgments do you make based on how they eat and drink?

As Skip and I were just in New Orleans, and I was thinking about this prompt, I noticed the differences in the way we approach food and drink. If you were with us when we hit Felix’s Oyster House, and you ordered a half-dozen of these briny delicacies, what would we have seen? Do you jab a fork into the oyster, dunk it in sauce and move it to your mouth before it falls? Or do you pour sauce on the oyster, lift the shell to your mouth and slurp? When drinking a Bloody Mary at Maspero’s, where they believe in a varied assortment of condiments, do you ignore the toothpicked vegetables until your drink is done or do you eat them first, one by one, before your first sip? When eating beignets at Cafe du Monde, do you try to remove as much powdered sugar as possible, before taking a bite of the hot and crispy pastry, or do you bring the heaping whole to your mouth, powdered sugar be damned (along with your face and clothes}.

You get my point. NaNoWriMo-ers, you know what to do. Poets, pick a scene you remember, or envision, of a single person eating. Don’t tell us what the scene depicts about the speaker, or character, but allow us to know through your description. The scene can be a part of a larger story or the sole focus. First, or third person. You can even wait until Thanksgiving, if you are celebrating, and see if there is a likely candidate for your poem.

I’m giving us Thursday off and I will see you next Tuesday for an image prompt (which this would have been in the normal course of things).

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours whether you celebrate or not. Happy writing, all.

 

Poetics Serendipity

7:40 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to Robbie Williams singing Me and My Shadow (Yes, that Robbie Williams — he has an entire album of Frank Sinatra, and similar singers’, songs. Brilliant.)

Hello. I am returned from New Orleans beigneted and Bloody Mary-ed enough to keep me going for a few months. Lordy, the food is good in that city. Perhaps more on that with Tuesday’s prompt. On to today’s business. Nanos, coming down the home stretch!

1] NaNoWriMo-ers, I have a link that keeps on giving. Poets, you will enjoy reading just as much. Back in 2012, The Atlantic published an article titled 6 Writing Tips from John Steinbeck (a master of narrative structure, among other things), written by Maria Popova. How could I resist a statement like: The legendary author explains why you should abandon all hope of finishing your novel?

Within the piece are several links to other useful articles, such as David Ogilvy’s 10 No-bullshit Tips and Henry Miller’s 11 Commandments, You’ll be able to lose yourself, happily.

2] This next is in pdf format and will need to be enlarged, unless your eyes work better than mine. The Poetry School is London-based, but has courses around England and online. Everything I have seen from them is first-rate. The link takes you to their 2016 schedule.

3] While we are at The Poetry School, read an interview with their digital poet in residence. The interviewer is Will Barrett and the poet, Clare Shaw. Read what she has to say about a poet’s voice. It’s a fascinating description.

Right. I’m off to my second cup of coffee. I will see you Tuesday for a prompt and Thursday for more links.

Happy writing, everyone.

 

Poetics Serendipity

8:33 a.m. — San Antonio

listening to Istanbul sung by They Might Be Giants (who have a fascinating repertoire)

Hello, there. Everyone good? Nanos, still breathing? Let’s see what we have today.

1] The first place we will visit is short but fun. Kath over at For Reading Addicts gives us How to Write Fiction: Tips From Ernest Hemingway. In her introduction Kath says: Unlike other authors, Hemingway never wrote a book on writing, but he did give good writing advice and some of this is immortalised in correspondence and articles he wrote during his life.

2] TED Talks, anyone? Yeh, I knew you’d like that. I chose a playlist that focuses on narrative: 10 talks by authors. The talks range from ‘The Politics of Fiction’ to ‘What Fear Can Teach Us’.

3] Narrative structure being the framework that holds and unfolds the story, I push it every year. While looking around this year, I found an excellent article on Wikipedia (had to be written by an author, or teacher): Plot (narrative).

4] While all the above might be of interest to the poets,here’s one just for you: The Seven Types of Poetry, by Robert Peake. We haven’t had a piece by Robert in a while, and his is an interesting viewpoint.

Okay. I mentioned I will not be around Tuesday. I will be in New Orleans. Depending on the time of day, I will be sipping coffee, or a Bloody Mary, and eating beignets, or oysters. I will see you again next Thursday for more links.

Happy writing, all.