National Poetry Month, MRIs and Upcoming Birthdays and Publications, and Signs of Spring

Happy goldfinch

Happy Last Week of National Poetry Month

Hope you had a wonderful celebration last weekend – we got to have dinner with two out-of-town nephews plus my little brother and his wife, and we got to take our nephews to wine and whiskey tastings, so it was a lot of fun.

And it’s the last week of National Poetry Month. What are you doing to celebrate? Buying literary magazine subscriptions and poetry books? I’ve been trying – somewhat shakily – to write a poem a day, and catch up on my poetry reading and buying. I attended a virtual reading of Kelli Russell Agodon’s, which was fun. I also have a birthday coming up the last day of April and a publication in Jet Fuel Review (I’ll put a link up when it’s up!)

Me, post-MRI with late cherry blossoms

MRIs and Things

Unfortunately, the Monday after our celebratory Easter weekend, I was due for a long-postponed brain and spine scan. I always feel a little wonky after brain MRIs – sinus infection? magnetic allergies? – and so I was a little down and out this last week. I also found out some good news (no new brain or spine lesions) but also a little bad news – a thyroid node pressing on my jugular vein and carotid artery I need to have an ultrasound on, and terrible degenerative disc disease in the neck, which I guess is why my neck hurts all the time – as well as a pinched nerve. That’s how it always is, right? As we get older – a little good news – my MS hasn’t gotten any worse – with a little bad news – age related arthritis in the neck, something I need further testing on the thyroid (which, let’s face it, my thyroid has been wonky since I was a teen.) The funniest part of the test was the front desk person, as she was handing me my MRI on disc, said to me “Your hair is the same color as the cherry blossoms – you have to take a picture with them!” So I did.

Early Lilacs

Signs of Spring – Finally!

It’s been a very gloomy cold April so far, so having a few nice days here in the last week of so of April has been really nice. We saw some early lilacs, the last cherry blossoms are falling, and the trees are starting to have leaves again. We haven’t seen our baby rabbits or baby geese yet, but we did see our first goldfinch (see above) and another beautiful pair of Wood Ducks! I also took a picture of the fox statue hiding in Redmond with some blooming rhodies.

Anyway, I hope to spend the rest of April doing more cheerful things (in between doctor’s appointments, naturally) like enjoying some poetry (I just got Mary Biddinger’s new book, Department of Elegy, and Lesley Wheeler’s book of essays on poetry, Poetry’s Possible Worlds), getting out in nature when it’s nice. Remember it’s a good time to support poets, publishers, lit mags and indie bookstores that you love – so if you have a little money, maybe put it towards some poetry! I know they could all use it after the past couple of years.

Anyway, happy April and happy rest-of-National Poetry Month to you!

Advice for the New(ish) Writer (Plus Pictures of Birds and Flowers, Because Spring)

Eastery/Springy art by Dewi Plass

Advice for New(ish) Writers

Haven’t written a post like this in a while. Wishing you a wonderful Easter, Passover, Ramadan, or Eostre, or just a happy spring. I always write a poem around Easter for some reason; the fact that it’s a time of rebirth, resurrection, first flowers, and maybe because it’s my birthday month.  I had a great holiday weekend entertaining my nephews but now I am ready for some downtime. In between advice to new(ish) writers, there will be pictures of ospreys and cherry blossoms

1. Being a writer requires a team. Find your team.

You hear a lot about writers being introverts, about writers being loners, about creation requiring solitude.

Osprey in Kirkland

And those things can be true. But being a writer long-term requires a support team, whether that’s your family, your spouse, your writing group, fellow students from your writing program, your next-door neighbor, or someone who you’ve only corresponded with and never met in person. Because whether you’re down and dealing with rejection, or elated and dealing with some long-awaited success, you want someone one your side, to keep you from being driven to the extreme highs and lows that are involved in being a writer long-term. After reading a heck of a lot of diaries, letters, and accounts of successful women writers, I notice one thing: to succeed, it took more than just one woman alone – it took other people to champion, to encourage, to promote, to keep them going. Even Emily Dickinson – held up as the solitary genius icon – had multiple women (along with her brother and the editor of the Atlantic – who rejected her work 90 times while she was alive, so mixed feelings?) – who cared about carrying on her legacy after she died.

Closeup on late cherry blossoms

2. Feed your Creativity.

Whatever this means to you – time in nature, time around visual art, music, or reading books completely unrelated to what you’re writing. Take a class; go to a writer’s conference or festival. Keep your brain alert to messages from the universe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been inspired by things I wouldn’t have thought at the time were important – a song lyric, an episode of a television show, a scientific concept, a bad sci-fi plot, a painting I glimpsed for a minute in a window of an art gallery. I know this has been hard during the pandemic. And spend time with people who inspire you and make your brain race (see above.)

3. Be persistent.

I am old enough to have seen lots of terrific writers fail not because they were not talented but because they stopped writing or stopped sending out their writing. They got discouraged. They got interested in something else. They got busy or had other priorities. That’s not the end of the world. But just when you think you’re at the end of your ability to tolerate rejection or discouragement, that’s when you’ll win the prize or get the acceptance that will keep you going. Again, this is why having teammates to cheer you on – it’s just as important in writing as it is in basketball. We all need a little encouragement to keep doing anything hard for the long term. The first acceptance or first book are great – but you will need to keep writing after those things. Writing is as much a practice as a sport – and hitting those foul shots in the NBA is not an accident – it’s because those players have practiced foul shots for hours, for years, in front of their audience and in front of their homes. Keep practicing your writing, trying new forms, and hang around with people who are also excited about writing.

Multiple cherry branches

4. Curiosity and Kindness Count

Stay curious – it will continue to pay off. Learn a new language, or a new instrument, read new literary journals and poets you’ve never heard of. Read fiction and non-fiction on subjects you don’t really know anything about.  Education? Travel? Close examination of the natural world? Yes! The point is, never stop being curious about your world – that is what will drive your writing long term.

Be kind when you can be. Volunteer with younger writers; review someone’s book; do someone a favor who can’t do you a favor back. There can be a lot of competition and not enough kindness in the art world, the poetry world, the work world in general. Believe me, your small and large acts of kindness will reverberate more than you know. A note to someone to say what their work meant to you – or how much you loved their class in eighth grade – or thank them for support during a hard time – that sort of thing matters.

Tulips and narcissus

5. Last Notes: Answering Questions

Do you need an MFA? Do you need to attend AWP every year? Do you need to do a nation-wide reading tour? Do you need to be on Twitter 24/7?

Volunteering for a literary magazine or publisher would probably help give you more perspective on publishing in literary magazines, and help you see things from the editors’ points of view. As someone who has an MA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing, and after interviewing many writer friends who do and do not have MFAs, I can confidently say: going to an MFA program may connect you with lifelong friends or mentors, or give you publishing opportunities, but it may not – so the best way to decide if you want an MFA is to decide if you want to dedicate the time and money to your writing, because that’s the only guaranteed thing you get from any MFA program. I would say all writer’s conferences and festivals are more than anything an opportunity to make friends – friends that might last your whole writing life. The same with a reading tour – it’s an opportunity to connect with others, but it’s not the only way. Social media, like AWP, isn’t a necessity, but can be seen as just another way to connect, and believe it or not, be kind. Doing a few book reviews 1. help you read more carefully and 2. show you how much work people are putting in when they write your book reviews as well as 3. help you connect with the larger literary community.

The reality is, you don’t need an MFA or to go to AWP to be a writer. A good writer’s group can be better than a traditional MFA program. You have to decide what makes you healthy and happy as a writer. So no magic keys – just whatever helps you find your team, engages your creativity, and helps you be curious and kind.

Any more questions I can address? Put them in the comments!

Happy Poetry Month! Tulip Festivals, Poetry Podcasts, a Poem in Diode, Snow Geese – and Illness (Plus Broken Teeth) – and The Importance of a Change in Scenery

Glenn and I catch a moment of sun – or at least daffodils in a rainbreak – at Skagit Valley’s Tulip Festival

Happy Poetry Month! Moody Weather, Illness, Snow Geese, And a Poem in Diode…

First of all, it’s National Poetry Month, so it’s about time I post a poem, right? Thanks to Diode for publishing my poem “Witchcraft” in their 15^th Anniversary issue, which also has poems by friends Martha Silano and Alison Pelegrin, so check out the whole thing.

(Sneak Peek below of my poem – click to enlarge:)

Bald Eagle, Skagit, in rain

Second, I spent most of this week with the lovely combination of a head cold (not covid -we checked) and a pretty serious stomach infection, so I was mostly down for the count. We’ve had a colder, wetter April than usual here – I’m so ready for some sunshine and a little bit of above-forties temperatures. PS We got snow and hail today. High of 48. Normal average temperature this month? 70 degrees. Ha ha ha.

Third, though I was very worried my head cold would make my video podcast with Robert Brewer from Writer’s Digest a little weird, but I took some cold medicine and I think it went okay. (Also, I blame cold medicine if I say anything weird.) The podcast will go up in late May, but here’s a still from the podcast. Thanks to Robert and Writer’s Digest! I’ll post the link when it’s live.

Snow Geese in flight, mountains background

A Bit of a Depressing Week and a Change of Scenery

I’ve been depressed on top of being sick this week – had a head cold on top of a fairly intense stomach infection that required big time antibiotics. Maybe because of the cold, bleak weather, the unrelenting bad news of the world, maybe because I got a very sad rejection from the Guggenheim, maybe because I couldn’t get out and see my friends’ readings on the most beautiful day of the week because I was in bed sick, and maybe because I broke a tooth (again!) and the antibiotics they put me on have a side effect of “suicidal thoughts and depression.” (True story! If you feel depressed, check your medications for side effects to see if that could be the reason.)

So Glenn decided to take me on a quick trip to see the Tulip Festival Saturday, even though it’s mostly daffodils and not tulip fields yet. See picture at beginning of post. We also did not dress appropriately for the weather! At least I had on snow boots to protect against the mud (not pictured.)

Snow Goose Crowd Closeup

It was weird weather – bright sunshine, then hail, then overcast, then snow, then rain, then clear again – but we did see some snow geese which have usually already migrated by now. A small miraculous thing.

Sometimes a change in scenery can help the spirit. It can’t make me have a normal immune system, or keep my teeth from breaking, or stop wars or pandemics, or even keep it from snowing in April, but I have so many medical appointments coming up, it was nice to have some brief sunshine and cheer. (Even though there was hail and snow and a broken tooth.)

Glenn and I with yellow and pink tulips

Allowing Yourself A Little Brightness in a Time of Storm/Stress/Mourning/Illness

Since I haven’t been able to travel much for the whole of the pandemic due to being immune compromised – starting on our third year now – I doubly appreciate being able to drive without too much trouble to such beautiful scenery. I have to get this broken tooth checked out, I’m due for two separate MRIs, I have like eleven blood draws I need to schedule, and it’s easy to let that kind of stuff take over your life when you’re chronically ill and have MS and other multiple physical problems, plus aging. Literally the time and energy it takes to stay alive feels overwhelming.

How do we make space for brightness, for the possibility of joy, when we are worried about a war across the world, or about waiting for test results, or a root canal? How do we make space for poetry? I’ve been trying to write a poem a day this week, but haven’t felt super inspired. So when I couldn’t write, I tried to do a submission, or read some poetry instead.

Daffodils and Tulips

When life keeps handing you problems, pain, rejection, and challenge, prayer/meditation/spending time in nature/purposefully changing your scene can seem stupid, like a waste of time, but these things can also remind us that life isn’t all suffering and pain, give us a much-needed sense of perspective, wonder, gratitude. In my opinion, hospitals should have mandatory garden/kitten/meditation time for recovery, which seem almost as important as giving our bodies antibiotics to fight an infection – we need a little spiritual/emotional help to encourage healing too. A sensitive, empathetic mind that focuses not only on their own pain but everyone else’s too needs to spend equal time around beauty, peace, happiness. The news does not report on this, but look – snow geese have recovered from almost extinction to the largest population on record, and even in the wind, hail, rain, and snow, there are moments when the world stops her sulk and storm and gives us sunshine and flowers.

Next week, I plan on a post with advice for the beginning writer – the last time I did one of those posts was some years ago – especially for National Poetry Month!

Happy April – National Poetry Month (and My Birthday Month,) and Seeking Inspiration

More art from Dewi Plass

Happy April – National Poetry Month (and My Birthday Month)

How is it April 2022 already? The cherry blossoms and early magnolias are blooming, the tulips are about to come out, and I’m about to turn another year older. I hope you love this piece of art by Dewi Plass, which features hummingbirds, a moth, and a fox. After seeing her art in Roq La Rue, I ordered a few art cards from her web site, and they did not disappoint.

I just finished writing up a review – my first in a while – of Dana Levin’s Now Do You Know Where We Are from Copper Canyon Press, and I’m hoping to read some more new work this month, as so many good books debut.

I’m also about a year out from the debut of my next book, Flare, Corona, with BOA Editions. Now that I have an author photo sorted, I’m turning to other things, like finding cover art and blurbs.

I’ve been taking a peek inside a few local galleries to see if there’s anything thematic that might work, but while I haven’t seen anything perfect for my book yet, it’s been great to see art in person again. I’ve also noticed some weird local art popping up – in Kirkland, wondering through one of the little streets with three cupcake bakeries, I saw this cat skateboarding and this glass and metal piece that reminded me of DNA. Here also is my own shot of a typewriter with fallen cherry blossoms.

Jeannine with pink Star Magnolias, Kirkland

Seeking Inspiration in Kirkland and in Connecting with Friends

I’m trying to write a poem a day, since I haven’t been writing as much lately, and seeking inspiration inside the world that’s still in a pandemic and a war. So I wanted to connect with some friends via phone and explore neighboring Kirkland, which has a beautiful waterfront with Lake Washington, and seems buzzing and friendly, at least when the sun shines.

I’m not healthy enough to travel or get in big crowds yet but I am, as you may see, making an attempt to get back into the world while covid levels here are low enough. As the UK and Asia struggle with another surge, I’m sure one is coming this way too, but for now, I’m getting out when it’s sunny (even when it’s not warm) and enjoying the flowers. I’ve enjoyed talking to friends this week about AWP as well as their travels and travel plans. Being immune compromised, I can’t be quite as adventurous, but I’m glad to get the news of the outside world, adventure by proxy. Meanwhile, I’m exploring different neighborhoods, capturing signs of spring.

Tulip Magnolias

Almost April

So, in family lore, I was supposed to be born in May, but I actually arrived on the last day of April – and was almost named “April.” I wrote a poem about it that was published in Tinderbox Poetry Journal. So I’ll leave you this week with a poem…Happy April!

Not at AWP Post: A Seattle Writer Walks through Plum Blossoms, Japanese Gardens, and an Art Gallery

Not at AWP: A Writer’s Week with Plum Blossoms, Art Galleries, Japanese Gardens, plus Wood Ducks and Deer

Not at Philly’s AWP this week, still avoiding crowds due to the covid-19 thing and the immune-suppressed thing. But I did try to spend the week paying attention to things that fed the spirit and inspired. When spring finally appears in our area, we get these rare sunny days when everything is in bloom and people smile and say hello to each other.

So I went for a walk through a bunch of plum trees in bloom, which smell amazing, and the petals fell down in the breeze. There are also cherry blossoms, and the daffodils have started to open, and so I spent time in the garden, trimming back maples overgrowth, giving the new apple and cherry trees more space and more mulch, and weeding and planting a new pink container “cutting” garden with things I haven’t grown before – snapdragons, carnations, cupcake cosmos, celosia, godetia. Tulip and star magnolia trees are starting to open as well. The air smells like spring, even in the rain.

The news remains grim. My social media feed is full of book signings and panels, friends who are traveling to beautiful places, or people raising money for Ukraine refugees showing pictures of destruction and bombings – it’s enough to give someone emotional whiplash. It’s hard to stay oriented, much less focus on writing or submitting poetry. The spring flowers and deer visitors (we also had a bobcat walk through again) are good reminders that there is still beauty and wildness around us. I miss seeing friends at AWP – my social life has been mostly phone calls for two years – but at least Seattle gave us some warmer, sunnier days so that we could stop and appreciate the beauty of where we are now.

A pair of Wood ducks at the Japanese Gardens

Date Night: a Visit to Seattle’s Japanese Gardens and Roq La Rue Art Gallery

This week I was working on a book review, and Glenn and I turned in our taxes, so we decided that we needed a break and had a “date afternoon” during one of our rare March sunny days this week. We visited the Japanese Gardens for the first time in a long time, where we were lucky enough to see pairs of Wood ducks, and the camellia and azaleas were in first bloom.

Then we visited my favorite Seattle art gallery, Roq La Rue, for their “Jungle” multi-artist show (click this link to preview that art). This was our first visit since they moved to a new location in Madison Valley, across from famous vegetarian restaurant Cafe Flora, and it’s a beautiful, airy space. I bought a book on women and surrealism (which somehow my art history class skipped) but missed out on my favorite painting, of a tiger surrounded by birds and butterflies which had already been purchased – cool to discover a new artist to love, though. I’ve missed going to art museums and galleries over the last two years; I’ve forgotten how much I love to be around visual art. Taking steps towards living a “normalish” life again. And I’m looking forward to AWP Seattle next year, when I hope it will be safer to attend.

It is so easy to feel depleted by the news of the war, by the feeling of missing out, by all the things we have lost in the last two years, or even just daily routines that have become ruts. Plant something new; go see some new scenery; pick up a new book on a subject you don’t know that much about. Rest can be about more than just napping; it can be making space for things that rejuvenate us. Spring seems like a good time to try breaking out of routines that have become stifling. Wishing you lots of blooms, deer, and possibly a bobcat!