Solace in a Book

Go vote (and then read this)

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Howdy! Hope you visited your polling place or have plans to do so today. How lucky we are to live in a country where we have a vote--don't let it go to waste. This weekend I learned about two great literary things in Chicago. The first is Open Books, which has West Loop and Pilsen locations. The organization collects and then re-sells used books in its bookstores to fund the various writing programs and workshops it hosts for Chicago youth. Are you spring cleaning? … [Read more...]

Mourning in Kalamazoo and other news

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Hello. I missed writing to you. But a project came up that needed my immediate attention. Besides, I haven’t much to report. To tell you the truth, socializing has taken up a lot of time recently. I can always talk myself into going out because human relations are what count in this lifetime. So why say no to a nice lunch? No doubt, you heard about the shooting in Kalamazoo, MI. Elizabeth Kerlikowske (who wrote two poems in Solace in So Many Words) has written about the … [Read more...]

Snow tracks and silhouette: Laura Rodley

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I didn’t know exactly what to post here when Laura Rodley sent me these photographs. Like Laura, I notice things in the snow and ice.  So I share two of my photos too. Laura Rodley is a writer whose poetry and photos have appeared here many times. Her poem “Resurrection” was awarded a Pushcart Prize and appears in  Pushcart Edition XXXVII; it originally appeared on The NewVerseNews. The NewVerseNews describes itself as presenting "politically … [Read more...]

Creativity and coloring

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Greetings. Hope your first week in the new year went splendidly. I haven't gotten much accomplished but I have been having fun. No doubt there are downsides to being so hyper-connected to the Internet and our phones. For instance, we often don't spend time in the moment. We're distracted. And it's been said we're losing the art of conversation. But I think that in a way this connectivity has driven creativity. Whether you're creating a meme or snappy Tweet or shopping … [Read more...]