outdoor writing

my recent freelance work.

this was fun to research and write. even better that my friend happened to be an excellent interview source.

poetry and a new president

This is a Presidential candidate who I can support. I bet he reads poetry -- Obama has that kind of soul.

cool niece

Need some inspiration? Check out Colorful Purls.

3 inches and counting

emerson in the snow

new chief poet

Charles Simic is the new head poet. Here's a list of those who've served in the past.

Bike-to-Work Week -- at least do it Friday?

May is National Bike Month. And this week is Bike-to-Work Week, promoted by the League of American Bicyclists. (I'm a bit late in promoting it, but it just came to my attention.) And Bike-to-Work Day is Friday, May 18.

speak up, Americans

Remember when shock-jock Don Imus used racist and misogynistic terms to refer to a women's college basketball team? Well, it took CBS two weeks to fire him for that but it only took them TWO DAYS to fire a respected General from Iraq for speaking out against the president on the war.

CBS shouldn't be censoring or firing people for speaking their mind. I signed a petition urging CBS to re-hire General Batiste -- can you join me at the link below?

http://pol.moveon.org/batiste/?r_by=10331-8068908-kHYYD2&rc=paste

There's more information on the firing on that page, too.

what's on my mind

how cool it was that Sheryl Crow stood up to Karl Rove
how MoveOn.org is totally what the American people need now
why I rode my bike last weekend from home to downtown and back last weekend -- twice!
and this...

washington state poets rejoice

the WPA announcement letter...

Dear Washington Poets Association Members, Friends, and Subscribers:

It’s official!

Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed Substitute House Bill 1279, the long-awaited
legislation that creates the position of Washington State Poet Laureate.
The signing makes Washington the 41st state to have such a post.

“It’s about time,” exclaimed Karen Bonaudi, who, with WPA secretary Ed
Stover, co-chaired the WPA committee that has worked for months with
the state Arts Commission and Humanities Washington, a nonprofit, to
steer the bill through the legislative process.

Bonaudi, a former WPA president, has seen that process falter at least
four times in the past 10 years. “We could never get it passed out of
commmittee before--the interest just wasn’t there.”

Not so this year, and certainly not on Thursday, April 19, at about 1:30 p.m.
when Bonaudi, Stover, Kris Tucker of the Arts Commission, Karen Munro of
Humanities Washington, and a host of others were ushered into the
Governor’s Conference Room for the big moment.

“Everybody who comes in has to have a poem for me,”  joked Gregoire as
the group filed in.

Stover actually had a poem. State Rep. Mary Skinner, R-Yakima, the prime
sponsor of SHB 1279, had asked Stover, who is from Yakima, if he would
prepare a poem for the occasion. Stover wrote a short poem, “Waiting
for the Poets” (see below), which Skinner had framed for the governor.

And Roosevelt High School senior Nick David, Seattle, who is poet laureate
of his school, read a poem, “Strung Out,” which metaphorically explores
the strands of life we cling to at the expense of other things that might
seem small but turn out to be important.

The idea seemed appropriate, said David, a grand-nephew of House
Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam. “It might seem like small
legislation, but I think it will have a big impact,” he said.

Gregoire agreed: “Creating a poet laureate for Washington honors the role
played by poetry and poets in the creative culture of our state,” she said
as she signed the bill.

That role will be a proactive one, said Skinner following the ceremony: “The
poet laureate will be the state’s official spokesperson in verse,” she said.
“This person will be asked to share poetry and write it for special occasions.
This individual will go into communities and work with groups, organizations
and schools to expand the use of poetry.”

Stover said the partnership of the WPA, Arts Commission and Humanities
Washington will work together to develop the program, which will be
administered by the Arts Commission.

Under the law, the commission gets a start-up appropriation of $30,000 for
the 2007-09 biennium to cover expenses such as travel and a stipend for the
poet. Future funding will come from other sources: gifts, grants and
endowments. The WPA will spearhead that effort, said Stover, adding the
partnership is lucky because Humanities Washington director Ted Lord has
extensive fund-raising experience.

“Ted will be a great resource,” said Stover. “Humanities Washington
also has people in place to provide the administrative support we
need to conduct a fund-raising campaign.”

Obviously, poetry lovers throughout the state will be asked to contribute
whatever they can. “We hope people will be generous, give what they can
afford,” he said, adding the goal is to create a $300,000 endowment fund
that will generate enough interest to fund annual program expenses.

Bonaudi said the immediate task at hand is deciding who will be the poet
laureate. The law calls for the Arts Commission to appoint a selection
committee. Kris Tucker says that committee will represent education, the
publishing industry, the state library, Humanities Washington and the WPA.

Under the law, the poet laureate will “promote and encourage poetry within
the state, including but not limited to readings, workshops, lectures ...
in geographically diverse areas over a two-year term.” The selection
committee will establish final critieria, but candidates must be state
residents who are published, who are active as poets, and who are
willing to serve a two-year term.

“We hope to have someone named in 2008--between now and then we will be
working on the process,” Bonaudi.

Tucker, who likes to call poetry “the people’s art,” said the signing
of the bill after so many years, is cause for poetry lovers throughout
the state to rejoice.

“And it couldn’t have happened at a better time because April is National
Poetry Month.”

* * *

--For Gov. Chris Gregoire on the signing of SHB 1279
establishing the position of Washington State Poet Laureate
   —April 19, 2007

Waiting for the Poets

They will come bearing words
and I will be here with my yearnings,
this aching need to speak from my heart
about what I wish for this world.
Together, we will weave a poem,
a constellation of sounds
that will fall like cooling rain
along the parched margins of the way.
I have waited so long,
I have been patient,
but now the poets are coming.
They will help me say what it is that I need to say.

 —Ed Stover

Anne Sexton 101

“When I'm writing, I know I'm doing the thing I was born to do.” - Anne Sexton

a video for beginners

just add a few line breaks

Tuesday's War Poem

There will not be a military

solution to Iraq
It belongs

to the 25 million Iraqis who live

there. It doesn’t belong to the United
States and is not a prize

to be won or lost

- Senator Hagel's slightly-altered quote from today's NYT article, "Senate Supports a Pullout Date in Iraq War Bill"

today it's franz

Kindred Poet

You have a special kinship with Franz Wright. You're meditative, lyrical, devoted to your spirituality and sobriety. May a Pulitzer be in your future. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

what you should do April 18-27th

Seeking a literary vacation? Wanna mingle with poets and other writers? Come to Spokane in April for Get Lit! ... seriously, the BEST literary event in Washington State...perhaps even the Northwest (Portland has a similar event, but I've never been).

Hang out with Sherman Alexie, Jess Walter, Alberto Rios, Tess Gallagher, Timothy Egan and more in Spokanada. The city's vibe during this time is amazing. Creative kharma to get you through the spring season of writing.

the desperate

Bush Posts Classified Ad For 90,000 Troops

for happy ex-HS teachers

Principal Hates Underachievers, Overachievers

earth baby

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Spring still makes spring in the mind,
When sixty years are told;
Love wakes anew this throbbing heart,
And we are never old." - from today's The Writer's Almanac, by Garrison Keillor

my poetic attempt (in 10 minutes or less)...

First Day of Spring, 2007

It's a wild March morning in Spokane, the wind
snags my hair and catches it
in my lips and jagged corners
of my sunglasses. My contact lenses
itch my retinas like cayenne pepper bagels,
cat hair covered eyelids,
chlorine pool water, dandelion weeds.
Later, I will take my eight-year-old dog
for a walk through the neighborhood,
along the soccer park fence that borders the cow pasture.
Emerson will drag his nose along the grass,
following urine tracks
and small shit piles. He'll add his own
thin drizzle and scratch the ground
with his back paws,
kicking up mud and grass.
I'll urge him on with my voice, then a strong tug
of the leash. He’s stubborn.
And after a twenty-second tug-of-war, we'll move on
to the next lonely tree.

* * *

“The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don’t say ‘I read a science fiction novel that says it’s not a problem.’ You take action.” - Al Gore, from NYT - Gore Warns Congress of ‘Planetary Emergency’

totally Texas: Representative Ralph Hall, Republican of Texas, said that calls for cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases amounted to an “all-out assault on all forms of fossil fuels” that could eliminate jobs and hurt the economy.

huskypoet says: Well, if there is no healthy future, who freakin' cares about jobs or the economy? And what about the jobs and economic boost that occurs because of research and production of alternative fuel sources? Corporate-puppet politicians, get real.

in revision

seeking more color...blog revisions in process

Anne Lamott coming to Spokaloo

(Photo by Mark Richards)

In partnership with Whitworth College
and the SCC Hagan Center Foundation for the Humanities,
Spokane Community College's
President's Speakers Series is honored to present
Anne Lamott
on Saturday, May 12th, at 7:30 p.m.

Ursula's encouraging words

A Few Words to a Young Writer:

Socrates said, "The misuse of language induces evil in the soul." He wasn't talking about grammar. To misuse language is to use it the way politicians and advertisers do, for profit, without taking responsibility for what the words mean. Language used as a means to get power or make money goes wrong: it lies. Language used as an end in itself, to sing a poem or tell a story, goes right, goes towards the truth.

A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper. - Ursula K. Le Guin

Photo credit: Copyright © by Marian Wood Kolisch (permission granted)

science lessons in Alaska

“They do things like throw boiling water in the air and watch it freeze like marbles before it hits the ground. They blow soap bubbles, which freeze solid and roll around on the ground like Christmas ornaments. They put bananas outside to freeze and then use them as hammers to pound nails into two-by-fours.” - from The Cold Show in Fairbanks, Alaska

my newest poem

CT Scan

like snow flakes falling, maybe,
or ice particles avalanching off a rocky slope

hard to see the husband-father under skin
after Iraqi earth and rocks imbedded his face, neck, all around his eyes

easy to believe this 3-D image,
medical photography to peer inside a damaged body

but I see a wife
wondering how to understand her husband's face,
knowing a rock still rests
against his carotid artery, after passing through his throat

a throat that said “I love you”

Picture is from the book, In An Instant, by Bob and Lee Woodruff

Spokane is Reading...

Here are some miniscule details about the 6th annual event happening this Fall.

highly recommended

oh, brother

PG-13 picture book, c/o Brotherhood 2.0

oh, those poor high school kids

Bored high school kids? "...while 80 percent of students said doing homework was important, less than half reported doing an hour or less of it each week."

And the problem is [insert any semi-reasonable answer here].

Finger pointing at teachers? Parents? Or, god forbid, the students themselves?

Today, 8 students did not come to Eng 120 (Technical Writing) today. And I don't lecture. In fact, a major project rough draft was due today.

Here are 4 communicated excuses/reasons that came to me either by phone or email (some more valid than others):
1. cancer-stricken mom in ICU
2. needed to stay at home and wait for a tow truck to take my car to the shop
3. my roommate (and ride to campus) needed to stay at home and wait for a tow truck to take his car to the shop, and our other roommate couldn't bring us to campus on time
4. court (and missed the class before because girlfriend had to be taken to the clinic)

Listen Up High School Teachers:
Keep up your high expectations for attendance, work completion, and quality of work. Do not give in to the temptation to lower standards. Do not dumb down your curriculum. And do not sacrifice quality course content just to make class time all fun and games. (You know those in your building who show movies and do other non-sensical activities way too often.)

Your students become the college's incoming class (if they make it to the next step), and here at the college, the faculty don't hold students' hands and gently guide them on their educational journeys (they're adults!!), we don't report their absences to their parents, and we don't lower standards to accommodate each individual's "personal life struggle" to manage his/her time and dedicate brain attention to homework. Yes, there are counselors, advisors, tutoring centers, learning labs, writing centers, etc. to assist them. But Faculty actually get to spend their time teaching (vs. "class managing"/disciplining), grading/assessing, guiding, encouraging, but also expecting students to put in their full share of effort.

the park poetess

Oh, I wish there were more people like this in the world..Bringing poetry to the people!

Here's the Poetess at Green Lake's blog. I'm going to Seattle this weekend and will try to stop by and see her!

And for any Spokane area poets & writers, please join Spokane Writergrrls.

survey

Questions care of the Brotherhood.

1. Your name: Amy (but my writer pseudonym, should it ever be necessary to use, is Marie Hatch)

2. Your Web page: this blog, but I've also made a MySpace page for my hip biz mag.

3. What have you been up to this past year (please be as detailed as possible, because we actually want to know)? Freelance writing, bought a house (w/ my husband), moved, became a mag editor, went on four backpacking trips, wine tasting, and got an adjunct teaching position at a local college.

4. How much longer do you think you’ll be doing what you’re doing?
Until I have my first child, then I'll probably do more freelance writing from home and scale some of the "out of the house" commitments (like teaching, perhaps). And less wine drinking while pregnant and breast feeding, of course.

5. Why are you doing it? Because I love to write and enjoy college-aged students. (Currently, I'm teaching Technical Writing.) I really, really enjoy getting paid to be a writer. And I really enjoy the flexibility and freedom of my daily tasks.

6. What do you want to be doing? Writing more poetry.

7. What’s next in your life? Getting poetry published and someday a book -- either poetry or non-fiction, or a mystery novel (still in the works).

8. How You Doin’? Super Cool (pronounced really fast as "Ssshuper-cool"). It's currently snowing in Spokane; although not sticking to the ground. Pretty.

9. What’s the best book you read this year? Citizen Vince. But I'm currently reading like 4 other books with another 5 from the library so I'm feeling like I need a "book retreat" to get caught up.

10. Describe a perfect day? Sleeping in until about 8:30, breakfast of French Toast, power ski day with my husband and fresh tracks, sunny weather and my fingers and toes are constantly warm, sushi for lunch, hot bubble bath, wine and some delicious garlic prawn dish for dinner, followed by at least an hour of lovemaking.

11. Assuming that all things come to an end…how do you think humans will go extinct? By not recycling.

12. How are you feeling about kids these days? Very optimistic.

13. (- In this space, compose your own question, and answer it -) Favorite color and why? Green, from forest green to lime green. I love every shade, which I think is connected to the earthy hues of nature -- trees, grass, etc.

14. Ambrozzo tastes better than anything else, what does ambrozzo taste like? Kahlua.

15. If you were a cliché, what cliché would you be? Student is an asset to the class.

16. What is your least favorite part of any given day? Getting out of bed (if it's before 8:30/9 a.m.)

17. Do you enjoy science fiction? No. Never have.

18. Cheese or Chocolate? Chocolate. (As in cranberry, white chocolate scones!)

19. Where would you live if you could live anywhere? Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland (in the Alps), or Munich, Germany, or New Zealand, or Bellingham, Washington. (Not necessarily in this order)

20. What was your first concert? Donnie and Marie Osmond at the Puyallup State Fair. (My parents took me and I came "this close" to shaking Marie's hand!)

21. If you could start a business that would be instantly successful, what kind of business would it be? Poetry On Demand.

22. Invisibility or Time Travel? Time Travel - I'd go back to my elementary or 7th grade self and give her a pep talk.

23. What’s wrong with the world? Too many people who are selfish, unforgiving, and lack compassion...and who drive SUVs.

inspiration

I thank you, God, for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. - e. e. cummings

Top 10 Books

Ever have a list of books you know you should have read, but just haven't yet? Maybe it was never assigned in a class you took, and you just feel guilty now for still having not read the "classic"? Or you've started it, but haven't finished it?

Well, some from this list make me feel that way. Please, Sherman, still be my friend.

freedom of words

Now I know what to bring as a gift to my next baby shower!

With One Word, Children’s Book Sets Off Uproar

By JULIE BOSMAN

Published: February 18, 2007

The word “scrotum” is on the first page of “The Higher Power of Lucky,” a book that won the prestigious Newbery Medal.

my #1 valentine

my hottie husband who takes me on adventures...


and makes me espresso in the backcountry.

my #2 valentine...Emerson

a Valentine's day poem (regardless of your lover status)

The Orange
by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange--
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave--
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It's new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I'm glad I exist.

lunch with a famous author

One of the perks of teaching at a community college in Spokane is that there are local authors who publish great books here and who agree to come speak to our students. Such is the case with Jess Walters this week. He was hilarious, kind, and shared inspiring words with students Wednesday morning. Afterwards, some of the English faculty took him out to lunch at Orlando's, the student culinary academy restaurant on campus. (They make really delicious, fancy dishes, like eggplant tart with a tomato sauce -- which is described more poetically in the menu than I just did. And creme brulee for dessert. And with drizzles of sauces on the plate for decorative effect.)

Anyway, I tagged along last minute and delayed going to my magazine job. Seriously, I thought to myself, how many chances does one get to go to lunch with Jess Walters?! I sat at the end of the table; he was in the middle -- third from the end.


Since the English faculty held an "author salon" with Jess the previous Thursday evening at a fellow instructor's home, I had already warmed up to Jess...ya know, feeling pretty chummy as he chatted with us about Citizen Vince, his new book, his writing life, personal tidbits about his funny life, this and that. He drank red wine, as did the rest of us. (Slow down there, Ms. Dean of Arts and Sciences!)

Anyway, all this to explain why at lunch I suddenly felt compelled to share with Jess, and the other people present, about Brotherhood 2.0. The guy next to me brought up YouTube, and well...it just fit. And since Jess is so funny and often tells stories about his adventures with his brother, I thought it would be appropriate. He thought the "In Your Pants" rule for book titles was funny, and hadn't yet heard of it -- or of the Brotherhood video blogs. I'll have to e-mail him the pants clip. Jess and I also chatted a bit about EWU, where we both attended (him for his BA, me for my MFA -- hmmm, who's published and living life as a full-time writer and hasn't been to a "job" in 12 years?).

I don't think Jess's book titles fit the rule.

Citizen Vince in your pants? Hmmm....unless that's a "pet" name, maybe.

The Zero in your pants. Oooh, perhaps.

Ruby Ridge in your pants? Okay, maybe so after all.

The Land of the Blind in your pants? Naw. (Although, someone somewhere probably thinks that's kinda funny.)

(P.S. Tiffany, did you finish CV yet? I did. And I know you'll appreciate my sharing the humor of the brotherhood, which you first shared with me, w/ my new buddy Jess!)

Lego ski bike - a nephew's creation

...what a cool 13-year-old! (Happy Birthday, dude...wait, that's only for tomorrow. Hope you haven't opened your card yet!)

Support the movement: Washington State Poet Laureate

Recent Poetry News...

TO:       WA Poets Association Members, Friends, and Subscribers
SUBJECT:  Poet Laureate bill clears first hurdle!
 
Following much planning and energy by the partnering bill pushers, Substitute
House Bill 1279, establishing a poet larueate position for Washington State,
has passed out of the House State Government and Tribal Affairs committee
with 8 ayes.   
 
The House committee heard testimony from three state Representatives: prime 
sponsor Mary Skinner, Lynn Kessler, and Pat Lantz.  Representing the partnership 
was Kris Tucker (WA State Arts Commission), Karen Bonaudi and Ed Stover (WA
Poets Association), and Ted Lord (Humanities Washington).  Additional testimony
was heard from Michael Weigers (Copper Canyon Press), Jeffrey Youde (Quilcene
HS) and Paul Nelson (WPA).
 
This is as far as a poet laureate bill has gotten (in the last 10 years at least), and
our eyes now turn to the Senate, where the companion bill SB 5649 was dropped
(i.e. birthed) Jan. 26.  That bill needs to pass out of its committee of origin,
Government Operations and Elections, by Feb. 28 to stay alive. We are hoping it
will happen a lot sooner than that.  Passing legislation is a huge, timed
steeplechase, where you have to clear certain hurdles within certain times or the
bill dies.  Companion bills give you two horses in the race in case one stumbles.
 
We are hoping the poet laureate effort will present a do-good opportunity for the
legislature, where they can do something positive with bi-partisan accord--and do it
quickly before the pressures of heavy issues start to pile up.  The $30,000 we are
asking in start-up funds will not break the budget.

Below are the Representatives and Senators who sponsored the respective bills. 
If any of them are from your district or you know them personally, shoot them an
email thanking them for their support. We'll keep you posted.

Representatives Skinner, Kessler, Lantz, Hasegawa, Dickerson, Haler, McIntire,
Conway, Newhouse, Kenney

Senators Tom, Honeyford, Kohl-Welles, Hatfield, Pridemore, Clements, 
Jacobsen, Kline

--by Karen Bonaudi

Tiffany, Tim and other public school teachers (bless your dear souls!)

Teachers' Deduction - Take note of this tax break!

Spokane and girls in short, sparkly skirts

Spokane is a busy place right now.

Intriguing passage with a key quote from an ice skater: (bold emphasis is mine)
[Johnny] Weir had a high-collared black coat and a fuzzy wrap around his waist. Weir recently posed for photos in BlackBook Magazine in provocative, shirtless poses and wearing high heels.

Weir, 22, has always been unapologetic about his personality. And he said that he and Lysacek do get along, outside of events like this.

“At competitions, we’re not friends,” Weir said. “I have my objective and he has his objective and that’s healthy. I wouldn’t want to have a friend sitting next to me in the locker room talking about American Idol and curling each other’s hair.”

I think "WTF" is an apt response from any reader.

Rather than watch the thrilling long program Saturday night, I'm going to see the funniest comedian in Spokane! Here's a sneak peek. And more proof how funny Dan Cummins is...his Starbucks jokes! (We heard him on New Year's Eve for the first time..HA-larious!)

TAP your brakes!!!

Idiots.

Most drivers in Spokane, however, do okay. Especially my husband! (and me, although with some trepidation.)

Most interesting news story I've read today

Key quote: "Sakinah Booker, who had been attending Bates College with the hope of running a Starbucks store one day, said she and her boys have lived a somewhat nomadic life. She said Semaj is clever and suspects he learned to drive by playing video games."

9-year-old caught flights back to Texas because "he hated it here"

THIS...is sad (but still has a "happy" ending)

A 12th Dallas Convict Is Exonerated by DNA

By RALPH BLUMENTHAL

Published: January 18, 2007

The 12 overturned convictions in Dallas County are more than have occurred anywhere else except the entire states of New York and Illinois.

My cool skier husband (@ Schweitzer Mt.)

Willow Springs latest issue

So I'm a bit slow in realizing the debut of the fall issue, but now I know that Sherman and Jess are in it...cool.


Currently reading:
Fiction - Citizen Vince by Jess Walter
Poetry - The Best American Poetry 2006 edition (a Christmas gift from my father-in-law!)
Magazine - Poets & Writers Magazine, Jan/Feb 2007 issue

My metaphorical flavor of Frappuccino...and you?

White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino

One of a kind and forward looking, you're the first to introduce a wacky new trend to your friends. And even if your ideas seem weird, they get adopted pretty quickly.

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?