- At October 15, 2004
- By Jeannine Gailey
- In Blog
2
Sometimes things happen that tend to put petty problems in perspective. Yesterday, I went out of my house to go to a dentist appointment, and there were about eight fire trucks in my and my neighbord’s driveways – my next door neighbor’s house and deck were on fire. Their house was saved and I don’t think anyone was hurt, thankfully, but still, quite the big deal. Then, I heard about a friend’s wife who was in the hospital on a respirator. She’s really young and has a small baby girl. Terrifying stuff.
So I was praying for my neighbor and for my friend’s wife in this hospital (because what else can you do at times like that) and being thankful for the good things I have every day and don’t notice. There’s a very apt line from Aimee Mann’s song “I’ve Had It” that goes something like “Cause when things are really great…it just means everything’s in its place…”
I am very thankful, thankful, thankful, for the health of my family, for their love, for the surplus of freelance work I’ve been complaining about but will make the holidays financially feasible, and for the good poetry news I’ve had lately, for all my supportive friends, for the sunny October days we’ve been having. I gave my husband an extra hug this morning.
And as for small good news, the new issue 4 of the poetry journal 88 is out today, with my poem “Breathing In the Asthma Capital” in it – the issue looks great, full of poets I admire. Here’s where you can read more about it and order it if you want: http://members.aol.com/hollyridgepress/88_4.htm
Putting together my reading list for the second semester of school as well, and I’m trying to come up with contemporary women’s poetry books, since I’m not well read after, say, the 1950s. Any suggestions? Please leave them in the comments section, it would be most appreciated. Here’s the kind of poets I’m thinking about including: Margerat Atwood, Joy Harjo, Mary Ruefle, Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Denise Duhamel, and Olena Kaltyiak Davis.
Jeannine Hall Gailey served as the second Poet Laureate of Redmond, Washington and the author of Becoming the Villainess, She Returns to the Floating World, Unexplained Fevers, The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, and winner of the Moon City Press Book Prize and SFPA’s Elgin Award, Field Guide to the End of the World. Her latest, Flare, Corona from BOA Editions, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. She’s also the author of PR for Poets, a Guidebook to Publicity and Marketing. Her work has been featured on NPR’s The Writer’s Almanac, Verse Daily and The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. Her poems have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Poetry, and JAMA.
Anonymous
Hey Honk!!
What’s up? I was just playing around on the CCDS website and saw that you have a website, started reading about your life and your most impressive resume. It’s very impressive how you’ve combined your writing and your techno-geek sides!
Things in Alaska are humming along merrily. Nothing too exciting one way or the other recently, which I guess means things are generally good. I’m still working at the Native hospital and still feeling a little underwhelmed by my job. But the alternative is to make 4x more money, work a lot harder, and have mean partners… Somehow I’ll probably end up part-time at each place.
We’re readying ourselves for a big Halloween party this weekend (we’re both working on Halloween, so we’re having it a little early). It’s fun to sift through the pre-Christmas shit to find the orange and black stuff on the store shelves. Costumes have been purchased, so now it’s time to decorate the house and think about food and alcohol and music and stuff.
I’m getting close to finishing my private pilot’s license–it has been a slow and somewhat arduous task, seeing as my schedule and the weather and my instructors’ schedules are often at odds. Then it’s time to put my money where my interest lies and actually go about buying ( or at least leasing) an airplane. There’s a nice-sounding one in Renton, so I might look you up if I go down there to see it.
Any anticipated trips to the Great White North? It’s amazing that we haven’t gotten together yet. Honestly, I haven’t been to Seattle (SEA-TAC layovers don’t count) since I briefly met up with Jim there as he was moving up here. If nothing else, I should come down to go houseware shopping… our selection leaves a little to be desired and costs about 50% more than anywhere else.
Anyway, I’ve now reached the point of discussing freight costs on your blog…time to go to bed. Write/email/call/visit when you have time:
Love,
Kathy
22354 Glacier View Dr
Eagle River Alaska 99577
907-696-2230
chachianddoc@yahoo.com
jeannine
Dear Kathy,
Good to hear from you!
Sent you an e-mail at the yahoo address you posted – let me know if you don’t get it.
And good luck with all the flying around – have you ever thought about writing a novel about being a woman doctor working in a hospital in Alaska and flying a plane and all that? I think that would make a good story…
Love, j9