I had a hard time finding a post for today. I looked through public domain poems trying to find one that was appropriate, one that celebrates the soldier and laments the war. For that’s how I feel. I hate war. But I appreciate the men and women who have fought and continue to fight in our wars. I appreciate their sacrifices and those of their families. Then I remembered I had a war poem, one I hadn’t shared before because I was embarrassed by the publication of it. It was … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2016
Catching up — congrats to Joe Meno
Hey there -- Somehow I've missed a week and I can't tell you where it went. There's been lots of socializing lately -- a retirement party, dinners out, a play ("Mary Page Marlow" by Tracy Letts at Steppenwolf), end of the year parties, birthdays, workshops etc. Hope your calendar is full of fun. Congrats to Joe Meno. His novel won the adult fiction book of the year award from the Society of Midland Authors. The award ceremony just happened at the Cliff Dwellers Club in … [Read more...]
Five is prime — Happy Birthday SISMW!
If I had a five-year-old dog, I would calculate my pet’s age to be 33 years, using a formula in which there are 10.5 dog years per human year for the first two years, then four dog years per human year for each year after. How do you calculate a book’s age? I mean, are book years and human years the same? Five years may seem old for a publication. Most books go out of style or lose their relevancy. I don’t think that’s the case for Solace in So Many Words as we still … [Read more...]
Fair season
It’s that time of year when books are celebrated. Here are three upcoming bookfairs. Currently underway is the Evanston Literary Festival, which started May 4 and goes through May 14. Upcoming events include Zoe Zolbrod tonight at Evanston Public Library to launch the tour for her new book The Telling, just out from Curbside Splendor. There are also readings by Laura Kasischke (May 11)and Alexander Chee (May 12) and a program called “Writing the Next Chapter” on Friday, … [Read more...]
Poem for my mother
August 1999: Light is a measure of time Scientists have found the oldest point in the universe: a galaxy filled with new stars, and all day long I’ve been thinking about my mother. How long it has been since the nun came to fetch me from class so I could wait for my brother to take me home, even though I was in trouble for using CliffNotes in my Macbeth paper. I practiced driving on the way, Jack tossed the keys to me, figuring, perhaps, concentration would hold … [Read more...]