Idle Hands

August 28, 2010

Finished my first week back teaching after a far-t00-idle summer. Four classes and a fifth starts in October.

I need to be busy again. Busy-ness makes me feel better. Having things to do, having places to be and responsibilities. I’d like to think it pushes me creatively, too. This summer was just a wash–too much time on my hands and not enough discipline. After the writing retreat in July which was both inspiring and stifling, I came back jazzed about my book but then  I lost the momentum. I need to get it back.

I’m going to sign up for a class at the writing school where I teach and where I do the programming. A really terrific (and prolific) writer named Tammy Greenwood, who also happens to be one of the sweetest most generous people, is teaching a 4 week workshop on prepping for Nanowrimo — National Novel Writing Month. I don’t know that I’ll officially participate in Nanowrimo, but we’ll see. The workshop is all about working on a personal strategy for actually getting it–your novel– done. I think it’s what I need. I’ve got nearly 100 pages of what I’m calling a draft which is so all over the place, fragmented, unstructured, that I need to really get into shape, not to mention I need to really just push forward and get the stuff out.

Of course, I did find some time to make things this summer. Again, trying out new types of postcard making. I made these two things (?), not sure what to call them, with the previously mentioned (in the previous blog) rubber stamps.

These are images taken from magazines that I then stamped with red paint (using the faux-wood-look rubber stamp). Can you guess who is in the first one (it’s from a recent Interview Magazine)? The second one is an ad from Photoplay Magazine from 1954.

Ok, i’m hoping to bring more people to my site, so the celebrity is: Justin Bieber! Bloody Justin Bieber! (no offense to JB, it’s just an artistic rendering; however, this will probably be the only time Mr. B will be on my website. Maybe).

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You’ve Got (Late) Mail: Postcards

August 11, 2010

Remember the Writing Marathon I did back in May? We raised 17,000 dollars and I promised every person who sponsored me would get a handmade, original postcard. Well, I’ve been slow to get them out but they ARE going out. So if you’re someone who’s waiting for a postcard it’s on its way soon, I promise.

Here are 5 that have gone out so far:

The postcards for the Write-a-Thon all have something to do with literature– I use pages from old books, lines of Whitman poems, lit criticism about Dickens and Bronte and then my usual film or pop-culture images or references, many from vintage magazines. I’m also experimenting with paint more– having fun painting rubber stamps and then applying that to the postcard.

I bought these AWESOME rubber stamps– one is a fleur-de-lys (you can see it in red and orange on two of the postcards) and then I found a  huge rubber stamp that looks like

wood grain (see below).

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Fishtrap 2

August 6, 2010

Where to begin? I seem to keep taking too long to post new blog entries. Sorry. This has got to be one of the slowest summers — as far as (paid) work for me — I’ve ever had but still I find myself busy, frazzled, distracted.

So, first, Fishtrap. Got back from my 8-day writing retreat/gathering at Fishtrap in Northeast Oregon (Wallowa Lake, to be exact). Beautiful beautiful country — big blue Wallowa Lake, mountains with snow at the tips (still!), deer outside my window, writing on my laptop next to the river that rushed past my bedroom and back porch (talk about white-noise).

I had the most amazing writing workshop — not really a workshop, thankfully, but more a seminar — with Karen Fisher (I’m not worthy; I bow down to her), author of A Sudden Country. She was just incredible. Inspirational. There were no daily prompts. No sharing of work (except one-on-one with her). No BS. She talked about her process, about structure of the novel, notably “historical fiction.”  We talked about our own books, our own projects, asked how to get over our own specific hurdles. She talked about structure of scenes, momentum, pace. And most important (especially to me — or at least I really took it to heart) she emphasized COMPRESSION. Sometimes in this book i’m writing, because it’s historical fiction I want to put every bit of detail, fact, statistic, trivia, that I know into it. She told us, “Just because you love all those statistics and facts and lists doesn’t necessarily mean your reader will.” COMPRESSION. Pick what is really essential to the story, the characters. If what you know doesn’t fit into your story, it doesn’t belong. Don’t force it into your story. Get over the impulse to (over)inform! (That’s Karen in the red sweater in the middle.)

Can more be achieved in fewer pages?

Test every word or moment in your writing for the truth.

She talked about revision: Revision comes from the 1. head, 2. gut, 3. heart

The three truths to adhere to about Revision:

1. clarity

2. authenticity

3. the heart/credibility

Revision is increasing engagement with what you are doing. Increasing the reader’s engagement in your work.

She also suggests to create folders for each character — hard copy folders or electronic.

A week with Karen Fisher was worth the entire trip.

Other highlights included meeting Cosy Sheridan — folk-singer-story-teller-funny-bone-tickler-extraordinaire. She and I shared a rental car from the Boise airport through the 4.5 hour drive to Fishtrap. I don’t think we stopped talking once. She was funny, irreverent, political, compassionate, and we got along like wildfire. I just love her. And this was before I had even heard her sing (well, live anyway — I had heard her online). She is fricken awesome! A crystal voice and her songs are real stories. Her banter with an audience is nothing short of dazzling. She rocked the Fishtrap house!

Check out the video below of her singing “Do You Love the Life You Made?” last year.

And, meeting Jack Loeffler (with the beard) was a kick — he’s a much lauded aural historian who has spent countless hours taping Native Americans telling their stories and published many of them in a terrific book (that I bought) that comes with a great DVD called Healing the West.

Also, the four other fellows, Christine Colasurdo, (and, from left to right) Dave Jarecki, Chris Robertson, and Bill Wright — were lovely– super writers and fast good friends. Had many fun nights, slumber-party-style (a.k.a. long talks, red wine, chocolate, lots of laughs, impromptu poetry readings) with Dave and Chris and Bill, who were my cabin-mates. And what a cabin–huge!

Now… for the downside. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful to Fishtrap for bringing me out there. They paid for just about everything, including my travel. There were many nice people there. It was wonderful having the time away to think, write, learn. But truthfully, I felt there were kinks that needed to be worked out in their organization. First of all, there is a huge age gap, and very little effort is made to bridge that gap. The fellows were all mid thirties to mid-late forties, but the participants, for the most part, were 60s, 70s. No problem with that, but there seemed to be a big separation, a segregation, between ages. Where were the 20, 30, 40-somethings? Why haven’t they reached out to them? (There were a couple of women in their 20s who spent a week camping and then they came down the last few days.) And again, don’t get me wrong, all my life I’ve gotten along with people much older than me. When I was a kid I used to hang out in the living room with the grownups and my grandparents and their friends, emptying ashtrays, talking about movies and books, while the other kids were in the playroom. But at Fishtrap, there was a weird lack of young people. (However, there were very young kids there– a sort of writing camp for kids all week).

In addition, there were odd rules: no alcohol at dinner — or anywhere near the food (granted, maybe that was out of their control, the cabins and yurts–yes there were yurts!– were on a Methodist campground). We could not use ‘explicit language’ or ‘sex’ in our reading — and all of the fellows gave a reading — or if we did, we needed to give a disclaimer to the audience so they could leave, or take the kids out of the room. The fellows could only read for ten minutes and we were chastised, even harassed, for going slightly over. Seriously. I actually kept mine to about 8 minutes, but some of the other fellows, bless them, went over. Maybe 15 minutes total. They were pulled aside the next morning. And then at the reading the next night, we were all chastised in public. (“We are using a timer tonight because last night the readers couldn’t stick to the plan…” or something like that. And YES! they used a timer and even flashed a red light in people’s faces when they hit the time limit.) However, a couple days later, when a few of the instructors read — who were also told they had a specific time limit–most of them went way over — some even 35 minutes–without a word being said to them. It was all very strange and oppressive.

Finally, when I was introduced for my reading they made no mention of the book I edited with my husband, From Boys to Men: Gay Men Write About Growing Up – which is the first thing on my bio — a best-selling and award-nominated anthology of, omigosh, GAY nonfiction. Only two of the fellows, myself and Christine, had books out, and they mentioned Christine’s (Return to Spirit Lake — an excellent memoir of Mt. St. Helens). Not a mention of my book. Not a mention of me being gay. In fact, though at the opening ceremony and subsequent events, there were talks about the Environment, Native American Issues, Political Activism, there was no acknowledgment of GLBT anywhere, despite the fact that several of the women participants were clearly out lesbians AND one of the employees is an out lesbian. There’s no outreach to GLBT writers or any plans for GLBT workshops, etc. Kind of a shame, considering they could really pull in some great folks from Portland: Tom Spanbauer, Mark Acito, Chuck Palahniuk, Judith Barrington, Sage Ricci. I don’t know if it’s that they were worried that anything too ‘adult’ would offend board members, or, as one person there on staff put it– Fishtrap is made up of the old ‘boys club,’ but they are missing out on a vital part of the writing population– and, we have money (i.e. donors… though of course not me and Ted, we’re poor!). But anyway, it seemed a little ridiculous when, in the opening address, with all of the talk about spirituality, nature, environmentalism, activism, Native American life, there was nothing about this being GAY PRIDE MONTH throughout the U.S.  and no welcome to our GLBT brothers and sisters.

Am I just being sensitive? Maybe. But the fellows and I talked about it in my cabin and when, at the end of the week, they gave everyone evaluations to fill out I said as much as I could in the tiny space they allowed for comments. I’ve decided, though, that I’m going to send a letter to the new Executive Director, who starts in September.

Because really, the place, the scenery, are all incredible and so conducive to writing, sharing, thinking, reading, inspiration, discussion, dialogue, friendship, learning. This place should be huge. Fishtrap, though it’s been around for, I think, over 20 years, seems to still be figuring itself out– and I’d like to see them really do it, really become something great, something inclusive and welcoming to everyone.

Posted in Fishtrap, cute photos of me, fiction, my writing, travel, writers, writing residencies 3 Comments »

Fishtrap

July 9, 2010

Today I head out to Northeast Oregon for a writing conference and retreat at Fishtrap. I’m one of the five fellows (that sounds funny… but I mean myself and four others have a fellowship for the week)– and I’ll be taking a writing seminar/workshop/class three hours every morning with the writer of one of the best books I’ve read in the last decade: Karen Fisher, author of A Sudden Country, which i’ve blogged about here before. Please check out the book– it’s a masterpiece.

There will also be readings, music, a film about poet Gary Snyder (who will also be there), book signings, and this amazing ‘gathering’ the last weekend where the whole town, community is invited. We’ll be at Camp Wallowa close to Enterprise, Ore. (pic of Snyder and Allen Ginsberg from Human Flower Project).

I don’t really know what to expect. I’ll be in a cabin, out in the middle of nearly nowhere, surrounded by nature. Oh, and there will not be any internet and very little cell phone service.

I’m hoping for a week of really getting back to the book, for introducing new characters, for discovering new plot twists and turns.

And here’s a poem from Gary Snyder:

How Poetry Comes to Me
by Gary Snyder

It comes blundering over the
Boulders at night, it stays
Frightened outside the
Range of my campfire
I go to meet it at the
Edge of the light

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word of the day: infra dig

July 7, 2010

I love getting my Word of the Day from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (you can sign up for it on their website). I’ve discovered so many cool, strange, new words from it and I keep a file of them on my computer. Who knows, one or more of them could end up in my writing.

Today’s Word of the Day is:

It sounds like an archeological term; maybe it’s the word ‘dig’?

The explanation/history of the word always fascinates me.

I wonder what kind of person would use ‘infra dig’ in their vocabulary– which character that i’m writing about would use it? The young English teacher who recently graduated from the Utah State University;  the 16 year-old daughter of the Unit Director; the Unit Director himself– a man who started as a stuntman in films and dreams of directing of his own film; the wife of the Unit Director–who is a wardrobe mistress, assisting the costume designer; the ranch hand who becomes a cattle rustler on the film;the president of the high school drama club who becomes a stand-in for the actress…

(Buster Crabbe cowboy photo from Moviesandphotos.com)

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WS Merwin named U.S. Poet Laureate

July 1, 2010

Awesome news.

WS Merwin is such a sweet, spiritual man–a Buddhist and Environmentalist– who lives in Hawaii. (pic from Univ. of Arkansas Daily Headlines).

And, he’s 82!

Today NPR interviewed him (click to listen) for just a couple of minutes and he read this poem, so tiny and beautiful:

Separation

by W. S. Merwin

W. S. Merwin, “Separation” from The Second Four Books of Poems (Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press, 1993).

And here’s a pic of the young WS Merwin (photo from Univ. of Arizona Poetry Center).

OK, and shameless plug for a new T-Shirt, but it is writing inspired. It’s called, INKSpiration, and it’s

ONLY $10 and I love it. I just bought one. It’s from Threadless and you can buy it, for $10, HERE.

(cute guy not included–or I’m assuming). There are also many other shirts for $10 without a Pen on it.

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Tinkering

June 19, 2010

I’m making my way through Tinkers, this year’s recent Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Paul Harding. Yesterday I took it to a coffee shop, had an iced coffee and a cookie and sat out on the patio and read for an hour and a half of uninterrupted bliss.

I’m torn between really loving the book, and being a bit frustrated or confused distinguishing between the two main characters–father and son– and the time shifts. But I’m only almost halfway through the book. On a sentence level, however, the book is incredible.

Speaking of tinkering, last week Judy Reeves (oh, she of San Diego Writers, Ink and A Writers Book of Days, among other lovely accomplishments) and I went to a journal-making workshop at San Diego Art Department. I took a silver-ring making class there last year.

This was a four-hour workshop on crafting/collaging your own journal– though not on binding your own journal as I had thought it might be. But it was still fun. Four hours with a good friend, getting our hands all sticky with glue and watching each other create something meaningful (after all, who doesn’t love a journal, right?).

I also learned some really cool ideas for collaging– notably the use of paint in collage– as background, or sometimes applied on top of the collage. The instructor really encouraged a lot of color, but I’m a bit more minimalist than that. Still, they look pretty good I have to admit.

As much as I love to write, because it’s an act of creating, I feel that same euphoria at working with my hands to create something with paper and paint and glue and ephemera. It’s also meditative and, most of the time, I can finish a project in a few days or weeks (if only I could do the same for my novel…).

Here are some pictures of the experience. The journal with the word Grizz at the top is mine–I’m not sure what my theme is/was: there are bears, old Japanese women in cat glasses, an upside down Oscar, British Admirals– figure that one out.  (Judy Reeves, in case you don’t know her and her fabulousness, is in yellow, the instructor Carla Christensen is in Pink). Do any of you take art classes like this for fun?

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NewYorker

June 11, 2010

Back from NYC. Wonderful wonderful.

Two weddings (in one night…) but no funerals thankfully.

We did get to meet up with some of our favorite people: Aaron Hamburger and Anthony (by the way, Aaron’s new cooking blog , Aaron’s Sweet Spot, is fantastic!), Lee Houk and Kip (Lee’s book comes out in August! Yee haw!), and Alex Chee and Dustin– it was a creative and literary round table not unlike Dorothy Parker and her crew (a little less vicious, though, and i’m not sure who would be Ms. Parker?). I miss these guys!

Other highlights:

Had dinner at Moustache (see picture above left–the best Pitzas ever).

Ted’s family and friends

Seeing David and Mark, Matthew, Liz and Jason, Michelle and Jake, Micheal F, Steve C, and Frank and Audrey (congrats!).

There’s some NYC pics on my Flickr in the right sidebar—–>

Ted and I sat at the W. Village Piers and read on a glorious Monday afternoon. Finished the book I was reading– A Sudden Country, by Karen Fisher (whom I’ll be working with at Fishtrap in July). Didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want to leave these characters and places. I found that Karen Fisher’s website has journal entries– a journal she kept while writing the novel and it gives such insight into the characters though even more important to me is insight into her writing and thinking process while working on the book. Wow.

Now I’m reading this year’s Pulitzer winner, Tinkers, by Paul Harding. It’s a quiet book, with lovely sentences and a dream-like quality and these really intricate, beautiful, intriguing bits about the interworkings/mechanics of clocks.

And speaking of New York– have you been catching up on your NewYorkers? I have.

Several months ago I was drooling over Marisa Silver’s new story “Temporary” (her collection has just come out and was reviewed in the NYTimes this past weekend). Lordy she captures the city of Los Angeles like no other current writer out there.

I also loved Ben Loory’s story The TV, from back in April. So much so that I facebook-stalked him and told him so. He was actually very gracious. The story is absolutely hypnotic and strange; I read it in the bathtub (TMI?). His story collection had just sold that week or somewhere near there– can’t wait to read it.

And just yesterday I read (while on the treadmill, in fact)  Jeffrey Eugenides’ new story, “Extreme Solitude,” from last week’s NYer. I’ll read anything by Jeffrey. Lordy, I love his humor:

Looking back, Madeleine realized that her college love life had fallen short of expectations. Her freshman roommate, Jennifer Boomgaard, had rushed off to Health Services the first week of school to be fitted for a diaphragm. Unaccustomed to sharing a room with anybody, much less a stranger, Madeleine felt that Jennifer was a little too quick with her intimacies. She didn’t want to be shown Jennifer’s diaphragm, which reminded her of an uncooked ravioli, and she certainly didn’t want to feel the spermicidal jelly that Jennifer offered to squirt into her palm. Madeleine was frankly shocked when Jennifer started going to parties with the diaphragm already in place, when she wore it to the Harvard-Brown game, and when she left it one morning on top of their miniature fridge. That winter, when the Reverend Desmond Tutu came to campus for an anti-apartheid rally, Madeleine asked Jennifer on their way to see the great cleric, “Did you put your diaphragm in?” They lived the next four months in a twenty-by-fifteen room without speaking to each other.

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NYC

June 2, 2010

Wonderful last week. School ended, I turned in my grades, and then we celebrated Ted’s Birthday on Memorial Day.

Tonight we’re heading out to NYC; two weddings in Brooklyn in one night (Saturday) and at the same time– it’s going to be like the Keystone Cops but I  can’t wait to see old friends and old neighborhoods.

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Peter Orlovsky, 1933-2010

May 31, 2010

Peter Orlovsky and Allen Ginsberg 1956

My favorite postcard of all time.I think I bought it when I was about eighteen or nineteen, as a sensitive young gayboy in San Diego.

Peter Orlovsky (on the right) was incredibly beautiful and also a writer, but definitely inspired some incredible poems by Ginsberg, his partner of 30 years.

Peter Orlovsky 1933-2010

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