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!