Just finished a day of sending CWIM corrections to the designer. Tomorrow, I'll be talking poetry on Twitter and working on NSSWM. There was a minor hiccup in the binding of Writer's Market that hopefully doesn't turn into something more significant (one of those 1/8 of an inch alignment problems--yippee!). But all the books are going to make it out, and they're all going to rock when they do.
*****
Speaking of rocking...this past weekend rocked. I spent it primarily with Tammy and Baby Will (though he did have a babysitter for a date night on Saturday). During the entire weekend, Tammy and I hit three bookstores, ate at Veni Vidi Vicci's (some upscale Italian place that had great food and service, but made me nervous that I was using the wrong fork or something), watched Jaws on the big screen at Fox Theatre, and included lots of first time eating experiences, including my first Cuban sandwich and hot boiled peanuts done Cajun style (woo-hoo!). Plus, I "discovered" a band that's apparently been around forever named The Magnetic Fields. Who knew? (Apparently, everyone except me.)
Anyway, the weekend rocked, and I even fit in time to watch District 9 with Tammy and make some bacon and eggs on Sunday morning. Mmmm... (Anyone else notice that I'm totally about food in these blog posts?)
*****
Here are the poems since the last post:
156-Satellites
I don't know how to act around people anymore--
I sit in my car and wait for my wife
to collect hot chocolate and marshmallows from Kroger.
Another man arrives and waits alone
in his truck as a woman circles the parking lot
in her minivan talking on her cell.
The evening is quiet and humid and somewhere
someone is maybe getting a signal.
157-No reason for ALL CAPS
I am going to strangle a poem
& light a house on fire before hitting
my neighbor's cat with my car
(unintentionally)
because I can't communicate
how watching oil cover the gulf
doesn't stop me from driving
(intentionally)
my words tumble from me
like a leak that can't be plugged
or a problem that spreads
158-Clean or kill them?
They look like they are made of wood
with marble eyes, these pelicans
huddled together in a cage.
Only a handful are likely
to survive past twenty-four hours.
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Poetry, Market Books & Shakes
First thing first: I just want to go on record as saying that I'm not overly impressed with the milkshakes at Steak 'N Shake. I've tried a few now, and while they're better than the ones from Arby's, so is everyone else's.
My fave shakes come from UDF (United Dairy Farmers) and Chick-Fil-A. In fact, Chick-Fil-A recently made a perfect shake over here in Duluth.
*****
Now that we've got that out of the way (priorities), I just want to exhale, because I've just finished one of the busiest weeks ever. I've assigned most of my 2011 Songwriter's Market articles, sent 2011 Poet's Market to Pre-Press, tested out the WritersMarket.com site for some new platform change, ran outputs of 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, made several Poetic Asides blog posts, re-ran outputs of 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, and still wrote the best WritersMarket.com newsletter ever. (Whew!)
Oh yeah, I also...
*****
...wrote the following poems as part of my poem-a-day in 2010 challenge to myself.
150-Distracted
It's hard to comprehend something more
complicated than ourselves. We think
we're tops; we think we earned it.
Our planet orbits a star and is
orbited by a moon that sometimes
mirrors that star in the evening
even as the universe stretches apart.
These are things we think and maybe
we're right. Like when the planet
was flat and gods cared what we did
and everything revolved around us.
151-Props
She has two mouths--one for talking,
one for kissing--and she is French
(two mother tongues ready to talk
and kiss francais). Beside the creek
of a dozen fireflies, we tan-
talize our mouths and ears. She tells
me I can kiss. I say she can
talk her way into my heartbeat.
152-Confession
I hear music in my head
I know no one else can hear.
153-Nexus
We set up shop on the wrong side
of the tracks. One train passes, then
another. They pass in a flash,
those satellites. I chase napkins
around the shop and tell the kids
not to touch things they cannot kiss.
The dolls hold out for licorice,
but they'll be waiting and waiting.
I may be a clodhopper, but
my brain is a pipe dream covered
in soot. My eyes, little moons, chase
lickety-split those cabooses--
aching to hear the whistle, but
afraid to stand on the platform.
154-Conflict
Tonight is perfect for staying inside,
but I'm busy contorting my organs.
For instance, my heart and brain love to fight.
Sometimes, you can see them twist my body
this way and that when it is raining, though
tonight is perfect for staying inside.
My lungs breathe heavy and my skin itches
to touch you, to let you know I'm all right,
but I'm busy contorting my organs.
It's a put off, I know. Losing control
when I'm around you, unable to say,
for instance, my heart and brain love to fight.
155-Don't ask
All day, I hear thunder, but I don't see any rain
while birds flit between branches and squirrels
bark at the dogs upstairs that never settle down;
maybe I heard a knock at the door, but I put
off answering it, and when I eventually went
to leave, there was a package waiting for me,
and I wondered who would leave such a gift.
*****
Anyway, if I can write a poem a day during a week such as this one, then I have no excuses to hide behind for the rest of 2010. Only 210 to go!
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
My fave shakes come from UDF (United Dairy Farmers) and Chick-Fil-A. In fact, Chick-Fil-A recently made a perfect shake over here in Duluth.
*****
Now that we've got that out of the way (priorities), I just want to exhale, because I've just finished one of the busiest weeks ever. I've assigned most of my 2011 Songwriter's Market articles, sent 2011 Poet's Market to Pre-Press, tested out the WritersMarket.com site for some new platform change, ran outputs of 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, made several Poetic Asides blog posts, re-ran outputs of 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, and still wrote the best WritersMarket.com newsletter ever. (Whew!)
Oh yeah, I also...
*****
...wrote the following poems as part of my poem-a-day in 2010 challenge to myself.
150-Distracted
It's hard to comprehend something more
complicated than ourselves. We think
we're tops; we think we earned it.
Our planet orbits a star and is
orbited by a moon that sometimes
mirrors that star in the evening
even as the universe stretches apart.
These are things we think and maybe
we're right. Like when the planet
was flat and gods cared what we did
and everything revolved around us.
151-Props
She has two mouths--one for talking,
one for kissing--and she is French
(two mother tongues ready to talk
and kiss francais). Beside the creek
of a dozen fireflies, we tan-
talize our mouths and ears. She tells
me I can kiss. I say she can
talk her way into my heartbeat.
152-Confession
I hear music in my head
I know no one else can hear.
153-Nexus
We set up shop on the wrong side
of the tracks. One train passes, then
another. They pass in a flash,
those satellites. I chase napkins
around the shop and tell the kids
not to touch things they cannot kiss.
The dolls hold out for licorice,
but they'll be waiting and waiting.
I may be a clodhopper, but
my brain is a pipe dream covered
in soot. My eyes, little moons, chase
lickety-split those cabooses--
aching to hear the whistle, but
afraid to stand on the platform.
154-Conflict
Tonight is perfect for staying inside,
but I'm busy contorting my organs.
For instance, my heart and brain love to fight.
Sometimes, you can see them twist my body
this way and that when it is raining, though
tonight is perfect for staying inside.
My lungs breathe heavy and my skin itches
to touch you, to let you know I'm all right,
but I'm busy contorting my organs.
It's a put off, I know. Losing control
when I'm around you, unable to say,
for instance, my heart and brain love to fight.
155-Don't ask
All day, I hear thunder, but I don't see any rain
while birds flit between branches and squirrels
bark at the dogs upstairs that never settle down;
maybe I heard a knock at the door, but I put
off answering it, and when I eventually went
to leave, there was a package waiting for me,
and I wondered who would leave such a gift.
*****
Anyway, if I can write a poem a day during a week such as this one, then I have no excuses to hide behind for the rest of 2010. Only 210 to go!
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Awesome mixtape, poem & other thoughts
Hit the Interstate around 7 p.m. Friday night from Duluth, GA, and around 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning arrived here in Kettering, OH. Whew! I nearly got knocked off the road by a wild big rig in a super heavy rain in Georgia and missed a turn in Knoxville (while talking on my cell), but now I'm here and trying to make myself sleepy so that I can catch some zzzz's before picking up Ben and Jonah later this morning.
I don't think I would've stayed awake driving if it weren't for this awesome mixtape (err, mixdisc) that Tammy made for me (all these songs can be found on MySpace and/or YouTube):
I don't think I would've stayed awake driving if it weren't for this awesome mixtape (err, mixdisc) that Tammy made for me (all these songs can be found on MySpace and/or YouTube):
- "Arcadia," by Ash
- "Mixtape," by Tift Merritt
- "My Love," by The Bird and the Bee
- "Party With Children," by Ratatat
- "M79," by Vampire Weekend
- "Percussion Gun," by White Rabbits
- "Joyriders," by Pulp
- "Playground Love," by Air
- "Do It Again," by Chemical Brothers
- "Id Engager," by Of Montreal
- "Strange Overtones," David Byrne & Brian Eno
- "Eponine," by Ozma
- "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing," by Jack Johnson
- "That's All," by Clare and the Reasons
- "I Can Change," by LCD Soundsystem
- "Harmony to My Heartbeat," by Sally Seltmann
- "Imma Be," by Black Eyed Peas
- "If I Ever Feel Better," by Phoenix
- "Do the Whirlwind," by Architecture in Helsinki
- "Never Forget You," by Noisettes
Tammy made the mixtape for me after I created the set list. It's been a while since I've composed a mixtape, and I think this may be one of my favorites. Of course, new mixtapes are almost always my favorites. My strategy is always to have a cohesive mix that changes moods and tempo without having any songs that awkwardly stick out. Plus, I love it when the last track flows into the first track. Anyway, this mix totally received a Mission Accomplished for getting me safely awake to Ohio.
*****
Here's a poem for today (Saturday) to keep the poem-a-day in 2010 going:
149-Don't question your luck
Kiss on the mountain top;
kiss on the counter top.
Then, drop to the kitchen floor;
shed your clothes and kiss some more.
Don't say another word;
don't tell her what you heard
about her reputation--
block out communication.
Just get another kiss;
just give another kiss.
There's time for talking later;
don't be a player hater.
Just let your body move
and feel her body move:
what you want--now you got it;
don't try to use your logic.
Kiss on the easy chair
and kiss without a care.
Take it all and then give it.
Not dreaming if you live it.
*****
Observation #1: There were like a million troopers outside of Dalton, GA, pulling speeders over left and right. I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles (seriously, I have), and I've never seen so many troopers lined up the way these were. In fact, I was speeding in that area and felt kind of like R2D2 and C3PO in Star Wars: A New Hope sneaking past undetected.
*****
Observation #2: I noticed several cars heading out of Georgia with Ohio license plates or Gwinnett county GA plates. Since NCR recently left Dayton for Duluth, I imagined all these Ohio and Gwinnett GA plates belonged to NCR employees heading back up home for Memorial Day weekend. Made me feel a little less lonely driving up this time around to think I was part of some kind of Duluth-to-Dayton caravan.
*****
Observation #3: This is something I've been noticing for a while, but the billboards seem to be getting emptier and emptier along I-75. Not sure if this is a national trend and a move away from billboards for advertising, but it's interesting anyway.
*****
Observation #4: Last one for this post, but Lexington, KY, smelled like either a sweaty sock or a cigarette--or a combination of the two unique smells. It was not a pleasant area to be driving with the window down, for sure.
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
Friday, May 28, 2010
28 Poems!
Here's my progress on my "write a poem each day of 2010" resolution. Please let me know if any stand out for you.
121-To bed
I heard you. Hush.
I told you, "Shush."
Shhhh and shush;
now don't you fuss.
Please don't riot;
just be quiet.
I love you too;
now don't you move.
Yes, I've seen it;
Stop! I mean it.
Don't be weepy;
just get sleepy.
122-Undiscovered poets
I guess we knew no one cared,
but we pushed on anyway,
because we had nothing else,
and besides, our health wasn't
anything to brag about
or you know we'd be bragging,
because that is how we are,
and it's how we'll always be,
even if you'll never read.
123-Then that
The one thing I believe:
the ebb and flow of momentum.
I won't point my fingers.
I don't trust buildings
without windows or cars
with windows tinted.
In my dream, she said,
"The world ain't no place
for a good man to live."
124-Procession
I have trouble falling asleep in Ohio,
and everyone knows it has everything
to do with the space between here
and there. Everywhere I go I think
wish you were here. The sound of my
turn signal, the beat of my heart--
when I blink, when I flutter--
I want her to bother to turn me
on or out without whispering why.
Just a touch or a sigh I can
turn into a sign, a reason to sing
or bend with the wind like the world's
loneliest sapling. Distance is sapping
the fun from living, but I know
full well the reason we yearn is so
that we long to someday return.
125-To begin
Push a pen to paper
and expect it to bleed
because that's what happens
when she catches your eyes
like fireflies in a jar
she keeps under the sink
where no light can escape
and the pipes drip slowly
with careful abandon.
126-Initiation Point
too many signs suggest
too many songs to sing
no one said you had to
but you did anyway
fingers on one hand lock
fingers of other hands
one smile leads to one
more smile trailing off
127-Like chickens
I always think
birds like chickens
are mammals, but
they never are.
128-Songs of the tormented
Once upon a night like this--
Once upon a night like this--
and then that ache I felt.
129-Invasion of the poets
We stoned the first one, thinking
it was just an anomaly,
but then, another came and
another. Next thing we knew
they had spread all over
until it wasn't worth
the effort of trying to kill them.
So we hid our daughters and
tried ignoring them, swatting
only if they got too close.
130-Fundamentals
I imagine you imagining me,
but I know there's not much magic here--so
I just let myself sleep, because, you know,
in my dreams, you're standing there with your hair
creeping down your shoulders, and I'm holding
you closer telling you everything.
131-60
Sprinkles in a puddle
under the moonlight
makeover of another
Monday in mid-July.
Even he can't bother
reminding her Tuesday
plans on still coming--
offering instead his
ear, his arm around her
mid-section, his lips on hers.
132-Wolf Man
I know what it's like to love someone
who turns into something else against
his own will. I know how that someone
can forget what he's done the next day,
but it doesn't change the facts the sun
reveals. To kill and love the same way,
that man hunts and shakes every fence--
snarl by night and smile by day--
searching for someone to love against.
133-Control
Let's negotiate. Can I tear out my brain?
I don't want to remember anything, and
I wear my jacket because I'm part reptile,
and I need to control my body heat. That's
why I mind and why I cannot settle down.
134-Babies see black & white
Wear glasses & part your hair
a new direction. Throw
on a cape & tights. Save my
life & pretend we've never
met. I'll love you without
knowing; you'll love me without
showing.
135-Transformation
The same stream streams
behind my grandmother's house
as when I was a child,
but I've grown afraid
of the water I used
to wade through in summer.
136-Transformation v.2
Every day, I become more aware
every day is one less chance to bear
everyday fears less fair than the fare
every day request for me to care.
137-Transformation v.3
The wasp sting was actually
a paper cut with grass--
so perhaps a grass cut.
Besides, some snakes shed
while other snakes molt;
they all lose their skins.
138-lune
trees never wander
but still spread
across open fields
139-Our health
Every morning, we rise and
shine slow wondering where our sleep
has gone, wondering how we'll reach
our two destinations on time.
Every morning, we rush and
worry; every morning, we
rub our eyes and wonder how; but
every morning, we make it.
This morning, I drum the steering
wheel and beg the light to change green
just as a cat pounces a bird
reminding me what's important.
140-Ineffective
My fingers on the coast--
pressure that builds until
something words can't contain
finally has to bleed--
try to do what they can't
141-swallowing air
destroy the farms
without killing
the animals--
that dead oil
drill still bleeding
across the gulf
we knew it was
too good to be
here forever
like holding air
our surrender--
a motorbike
look at that farm--
that factory--
that firm handshake
empty billboards
advertising
their emptiness
142-Transmission
Radio towers transmit signals: If
you ask for a kiss, they give you a kick.
Does she kick you? That is the love alarm.
Her house caught fire--so she moved elsewhere.
143-The dead are shivering
You've got to be cold-hearted to raise cattle,
to raise pigs. Watch them grow from infancy and
then let the ax fall. A man on a ladder
paints a house white. The beauty of just getting
this moment and the next, a never ending
series of strip malls to pass while thinking
there's nothing you can do to stop the bleeding.
144-Gambler
I guess she could tell I was
out of it. Eyes unfocused
and me running into walls,
appliances and her bed
unmade as if that mattered.
A dance is a touch is a
tell, and she's a wild card
who wants me to settle down.
145-shopping cart
rattle rattle
fill myself full
of whatever
can fit inside
and then rattle
146-Ways to kill a flower
She loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me! O, marigold!
147-system
beat a moon out of the bushes
& into a cage because when
one heart beats another burns white
hot for a chance to chase a sun
as if it's not at the center
148-Is there a fire?
Lately, my dreams have involved me
being falsely accused. Can I
forgive a cross decorated
as a man scaring me? A star
streaks across the horizon and
dissolves into horse shit. Never
said I was the holy spirit,
my face moving over water
and looking for attention, just
a little tension suspending
my belief. Communication
is a means, not an end. Must I
make sense for you to listen? Phone
a friend; get a clue. Do what you
have to do to follow the long
tail of this kite stuck in a tree.
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
121-To bed
I heard you. Hush.
I told you, "Shush."
Shhhh and shush;
now don't you fuss.
Please don't riot;
just be quiet.
I love you too;
now don't you move.
Yes, I've seen it;
Stop! I mean it.
Don't be weepy;
just get sleepy.
122-Undiscovered poets
I guess we knew no one cared,
but we pushed on anyway,
because we had nothing else,
and besides, our health wasn't
anything to brag about
or you know we'd be bragging,
because that is how we are,
and it's how we'll always be,
even if you'll never read.
123-Then that
The one thing I believe:
the ebb and flow of momentum.
I won't point my fingers.
I don't trust buildings
without windows or cars
with windows tinted.
In my dream, she said,
"The world ain't no place
for a good man to live."
124-Procession
I have trouble falling asleep in Ohio,
and everyone knows it has everything
to do with the space between here
and there. Everywhere I go I think
wish you were here. The sound of my
turn signal, the beat of my heart--
when I blink, when I flutter--
I want her to bother to turn me
on or out without whispering why.
Just a touch or a sigh I can
turn into a sign, a reason to sing
or bend with the wind like the world's
loneliest sapling. Distance is sapping
the fun from living, but I know
full well the reason we yearn is so
that we long to someday return.
125-To begin
Push a pen to paper
and expect it to bleed
because that's what happens
when she catches your eyes
like fireflies in a jar
she keeps under the sink
where no light can escape
and the pipes drip slowly
with careful abandon.
126-Initiation Point
too many signs suggest
too many songs to sing
no one said you had to
but you did anyway
fingers on one hand lock
fingers of other hands
one smile leads to one
more smile trailing off
127-Like chickens
I always think
birds like chickens
are mammals, but
they never are.
128-Songs of the tormented
Once upon a night like this--
Once upon a night like this--
and then that ache I felt.
129-Invasion of the poets
We stoned the first one, thinking
it was just an anomaly,
but then, another came and
another. Next thing we knew
they had spread all over
until it wasn't worth
the effort of trying to kill them.
So we hid our daughters and
tried ignoring them, swatting
only if they got too close.
130-Fundamentals
I imagine you imagining me,
but I know there's not much magic here--so
I just let myself sleep, because, you know,
in my dreams, you're standing there with your hair
creeping down your shoulders, and I'm holding
you closer telling you everything.
131-60
Sprinkles in a puddle
under the moonlight
makeover of another
Monday in mid-July.
Even he can't bother
reminding her Tuesday
plans on still coming--
offering instead his
ear, his arm around her
mid-section, his lips on hers.
132-Wolf Man
I know what it's like to love someone
who turns into something else against
his own will. I know how that someone
can forget what he's done the next day,
but it doesn't change the facts the sun
reveals. To kill and love the same way,
that man hunts and shakes every fence--
snarl by night and smile by day--
searching for someone to love against.
133-Control
Let's negotiate. Can I tear out my brain?
I don't want to remember anything, and
I wear my jacket because I'm part reptile,
and I need to control my body heat. That's
why I mind and why I cannot settle down.
134-Babies see black & white
Wear glasses & part your hair
a new direction. Throw
on a cape & tights. Save my
life & pretend we've never
met. I'll love you without
knowing; you'll love me without
showing.
135-Transformation
The same stream streams
behind my grandmother's house
as when I was a child,
but I've grown afraid
of the water I used
to wade through in summer.
136-Transformation v.2
Every day, I become more aware
every day is one less chance to bear
everyday fears less fair than the fare
every day request for me to care.
137-Transformation v.3
The wasp sting was actually
a paper cut with grass--
so perhaps a grass cut.
Besides, some snakes shed
while other snakes molt;
they all lose their skins.
138-lune
trees never wander
but still spread
across open fields
139-Our health
Every morning, we rise and
shine slow wondering where our sleep
has gone, wondering how we'll reach
our two destinations on time.
Every morning, we rush and
worry; every morning, we
rub our eyes and wonder how; but
every morning, we make it.
This morning, I drum the steering
wheel and beg the light to change green
just as a cat pounces a bird
reminding me what's important.
140-Ineffective
My fingers on the coast--
pressure that builds until
something words can't contain
finally has to bleed--
try to do what they can't
141-swallowing air
destroy the farms
without killing
the animals--
that dead oil
drill still bleeding
across the gulf
we knew it was
too good to be
here forever
like holding air
our surrender--
a motorbike
look at that farm--
that factory--
that firm handshake
empty billboards
advertising
their emptiness
142-Transmission
Radio towers transmit signals: If
you ask for a kiss, they give you a kick.
Does she kick you? That is the love alarm.
Her house caught fire--so she moved elsewhere.
143-The dead are shivering
You've got to be cold-hearted to raise cattle,
to raise pigs. Watch them grow from infancy and
then let the ax fall. A man on a ladder
paints a house white. The beauty of just getting
this moment and the next, a never ending
series of strip malls to pass while thinking
there's nothing you can do to stop the bleeding.
144-Gambler
I guess she could tell I was
out of it. Eyes unfocused
and me running into walls,
appliances and her bed
unmade as if that mattered.
A dance is a touch is a
tell, and she's a wild card
who wants me to settle down.
145-shopping cart
rattle rattle
fill myself full
of whatever
can fit inside
and then rattle
146-Ways to kill a flower
She loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me; she loves me not;
she loves me! O, marigold!
147-system
beat a moon out of the bushes
& into a cage because when
one heart beats another burns white
hot for a chance to chase a sun
as if it's not at the center
148-Is there a fire?
Lately, my dreams have involved me
being falsely accused. Can I
forgive a cross decorated
as a man scaring me? A star
streaks across the horizon and
dissolves into horse shit. Never
said I was the holy spirit,
my face moving over water
and looking for attention, just
a little tension suspending
my belief. Communication
is a means, not an end. Must I
make sense for you to listen? Phone
a friend; get a clue. Do what you
have to do to follow the long
tail of this kite stuck in a tree.
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The last play date
I'm sure Reese (also known as the six-year-old named Reese) will have many more play dates during his time as a kid. Who knows? Maybe he'll even have play dates as an adult. (More adults probably should have play dates, but I digress.) But today marked Reese's last play date with his friend "Eric" from South Korea.
Eric and his mother spent the past school year in Duluth, Georgia, which actually has a very large Asian population--so much so that whole strip malls, billboards and advertisements are in Korean. Apparently, some of the other kindergarteners have done the same thing. They come over for a year to experience America and learn English before growing up in Korea.
Eric's mother set up the play dates at the beginning of the year (through her own broken English), because she wanted Eric to learn English outside of the classroom. So every Wednesday when I haven't been in Ohio, Eric and his mother have met Reese, Baby Will and I at the Chick-Fil-A across the street to play, learn from each other and struggle to communicate through our language barriers. And I think everyone has benefitted.
Eric (and his mother) speaks and understands English much better than he did at the beginning of the school year. Reese has come out of his shell a little more and seems braver on the playground. Even Baby Will has developed physically over the course of the year--developing from the little guy who couldn't walk or talk yet to the little guy who now climbs up on equipment and does a little chicken dance (picked up from The Wiggles). Not all of this development came from our Wednesday meetings, but some did. And we've developed a friendship and familiarity with each other--even as we can't fully communicate what we did over the previous weekend.
In a week, Eric will be headed back to Korea. He already says he's upset and wants to stay in Georgia where his friends are. But some of those friends will be heading back to Korea and others back to Japan. Even Reese will not be coming back to Mason Elementary next year, since we're planning on moving up to Ohio in August to live closer to Ben and Jonah.
On Monday night, the kindergarten classes performed a play that consisted of songs they'd learned over the course of the year. They all did great and made everyone smile. All of these little kids who have grown so much (physically, mentally and socially) over the past several months will continue to spread in different directions, and I hope many of them will remember how alike they are now--not just skin colors and/or languages--but six-year-olds learning songs and coloring pictures and playing at recess together day in and day out waiting for the last day of school and the beginning of summer vacation.
*****
Update on writing a poem a day in 2010: Still chugging along. Will share a big bundle of poems in a post soonish. You can check the Poetic Asides blog for two that I've written in response to the weekly Wednesday Poetry Prompts.
*****
Update on work: 2011 Writer's Market is off to the printer; blogging at Poetic Asides; writing the best WritersMarket.com newsletter ever each and every Friday; soliciting submissions for the 2011 Songwriter's Market; working (or finished helping out) on the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents and 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market books--both soon to be followed by the 2011 Poet's Market and 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market books. The fun never stops.
*****
Update on living: Tammy, Reese, Baby Will and I are heading up to Tennessee to stay the night with my grandmother tomorrow night. Then, we'll be in Ohio for the weekend and Jonah's 7th birthday party. As some of you may remember, it was on Jonah's 6th birthday (before the birthday party) that I lost consciousness, quit breathing for several minutes, turned blue and very easily could've died (were it not for the cool head and amazing efforts of my wife) or suffered severe brain damage last year. As a result, I feel a weird combination of excitement and dread this weekend. The logical part of my brain knows there is nothing to fear; but the illogical part of my brain is the one pushing the panic button. Poor Jonah! I wish that event had happened on my birthday instead of his.
Also, talked with my storm chasing brother Simon this morning (for literally less than a minute). He has been chasing for the second season of his TV show, and he got three twisters on Monday. It's pretty cool that he's out there doing his thing.
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
Eric and his mother spent the past school year in Duluth, Georgia, which actually has a very large Asian population--so much so that whole strip malls, billboards and advertisements are in Korean. Apparently, some of the other kindergarteners have done the same thing. They come over for a year to experience America and learn English before growing up in Korea.
Eric's mother set up the play dates at the beginning of the year (through her own broken English), because she wanted Eric to learn English outside of the classroom. So every Wednesday when I haven't been in Ohio, Eric and his mother have met Reese, Baby Will and I at the Chick-Fil-A across the street to play, learn from each other and struggle to communicate through our language barriers. And I think everyone has benefitted.
Eric (and his mother) speaks and understands English much better than he did at the beginning of the school year. Reese has come out of his shell a little more and seems braver on the playground. Even Baby Will has developed physically over the course of the year--developing from the little guy who couldn't walk or talk yet to the little guy who now climbs up on equipment and does a little chicken dance (picked up from The Wiggles). Not all of this development came from our Wednesday meetings, but some did. And we've developed a friendship and familiarity with each other--even as we can't fully communicate what we did over the previous weekend.
In a week, Eric will be headed back to Korea. He already says he's upset and wants to stay in Georgia where his friends are. But some of those friends will be heading back to Korea and others back to Japan. Even Reese will not be coming back to Mason Elementary next year, since we're planning on moving up to Ohio in August to live closer to Ben and Jonah.
On Monday night, the kindergarten classes performed a play that consisted of songs they'd learned over the course of the year. They all did great and made everyone smile. All of these little kids who have grown so much (physically, mentally and socially) over the past several months will continue to spread in different directions, and I hope many of them will remember how alike they are now--not just skin colors and/or languages--but six-year-olds learning songs and coloring pictures and playing at recess together day in and day out waiting for the last day of school and the beginning of summer vacation.
*****
Update on writing a poem a day in 2010: Still chugging along. Will share a big bundle of poems in a post soonish. You can check the Poetic Asides blog for two that I've written in response to the weekly Wednesday Poetry Prompts.
*****
Update on work: 2011 Writer's Market is off to the printer; blogging at Poetic Asides; writing the best WritersMarket.com newsletter ever each and every Friday; soliciting submissions for the 2011 Songwriter's Market; working (or finished helping out) on the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents and 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market books--both soon to be followed by the 2011 Poet's Market and 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market books. The fun never stops.
*****
Update on living: Tammy, Reese, Baby Will and I are heading up to Tennessee to stay the night with my grandmother tomorrow night. Then, we'll be in Ohio for the weekend and Jonah's 7th birthday party. As some of you may remember, it was on Jonah's 6th birthday (before the birthday party) that I lost consciousness, quit breathing for several minutes, turned blue and very easily could've died (were it not for the cool head and amazing efforts of my wife) or suffered severe brain damage last year. As a result, I feel a weird combination of excitement and dread this weekend. The logical part of my brain knows there is nothing to fear; but the illogical part of my brain is the one pushing the panic button. Poor Jonah! I wish that event had happened on my birthday instead of his.
Also, talked with my storm chasing brother Simon this morning (for literally less than a minute). He has been chasing for the second season of his TV show, and he got three twisters on Monday. It's pretty cool that he's out there doing his thing.
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
Friday, April 30, 2010
April Recap
April is always (always) a busy month for me. Last year, it was so busy that I ended up in the hospital by mid-May. This year, I think I paced myself a little better--not one all-nighter in the entire month.
There was a lot of good and some bad this month, but I want to focus on the good. Here are the best things (with number one being the best and five being the less than best but still very good) that happened:
Here are the 30 poems I wrote for the April Poem-A-Day Challenge:
091-Overture
092-Canada
093-Partly Dangerous
094-Last night
095-I need to work on my tan
096-Witches
097-Until the world spins apart
098-Jack
099-31
100-The People Outside
101-The Last Thing I Said
102-Savannah
103-Mornings with T
104-Tybee Island
105-It doesn't seem fair
106-Roadkill Poem
107-Scientific Method
108-To write a poem in a crowded bookstore
109-Reese Foster Trendle
110-Carpe Diem
111-According to the time
112-O, Earth!
113-Baby bedtime
114-Half
115-All nighters
116-More than 5 times
117-Commuter
118-Good-bye Winter
119-And suddenly you
120-Darkness
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
*****
Check out a few cool poetry blogs (with 30 minutes left for National Poetry Month):
There was a lot of good and some bad this month, but I want to focus on the good. Here are the best things (with number one being the best and five being the less than best but still very good) that happened:
- Tammy wrote some poems right at the end of the month. I love my wife, and I love her writing. I'm sure about everyone who's read her writing is a huge fan, too. But she was in a little bit of a creative funk this year, so the best thing that happened to me yesterday was not becoming co-Poet Laureate; instead, it was reading an unexpected poem by my wife. (Click here to read it.)
- The Poetic Asides gang made it through another April poem-a-day challenge. This was our third year, and it had its share of technological and social drama. But ultimately, everyone came together and had a very supportive (and functional) month of poeming. Plus, the gang helped me become...
- Co-Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere. This was a very weird experience. I'd never been attacked as a non-poet or a some kind of paid stooge who doesn't care about poetry before in my entire life. So, it took me by surprise when not one person but a whole gang of them seemed bent on making me out as a person who only writes poetry for the money. After I got over the initial shock, I decided to take the high road and ended up with the most votes by midnight on April 29 without getting negative and even sharing links to the other bloggers' sites (so that my audience can learn more about what is out there). And I'm very happy to share the crown, because I think poetry should be about bringing poets together, not splitting them. We can all have our different subjects, styles, world views, etc., but we're all ultimately poets.
- I was interviewed for StoryADay.org's blog. Apparently, they're running a May story a day challenge. If you're game, head on over there.
- Wrote more than 30 poems and found the time (somewhere) to make a few submissions. I am now 33% of the way through writing a poem a day in 2010. Some days are easy; others are hard.
Here are the 30 poems I wrote for the April Poem-A-Day Challenge:
091-Overture
092-Canada
093-Partly Dangerous
094-Last night
095-I need to work on my tan
096-Witches
097-Until the world spins apart
098-Jack
099-31
100-The People Outside
101-The Last Thing I Said
102-Savannah
103-Mornings with T
104-Tybee Island
105-It doesn't seem fair
106-Roadkill Poem
107-Scientific Method
108-To write a poem in a crowded bookstore
109-Reese Foster Trendle
110-Carpe Diem
111-According to the time
112-O, Earth!
113-Baby bedtime
114-Half
115-All nighters
116-More than 5 times
117-Commuter
118-Good-bye Winter
119-And suddenly you
120-Darkness
*****
Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer
*****
Check out a few cool poetry blogs (with 30 minutes left for National Poetry Month):
- Sage Cohen
- Billy Jones
- Sina Queyras (co-Poet Laureate)
- Collin Kelley
- Ron Silliman
- Amy King
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