Bless: November 2018
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darling
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughing at fools like me
Who on Earth d'you think you are
A superstar?
Well, right you are
--John Lennon
It's been quite a month: another wonderful Art Party, and a retreat that saw eleven writers come together and use their energy and presence to nourish their work and support each other. In two weeks, I head off to the Hambidge Arts Center to close out the year with a writing residency, during which time I will have no obligations other than to write, walk in the woods, listen to the birds, read poetry, and create.
Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about all of this, and feeling very, very lucky. I want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of my life as a writer and a teacher of writing -- your work, your honesty, and your sensitivity inspire and enrich me. Bless you, your work, your people, and may the rest of the year offer you peace and joy.
Say what you will about Eat, Pray, Love -- I have some thoughts! -- but I always feel better about writing, creativity, and life after listening to Elizabeth Gilbert. Even her smiley face cheers me up, makes me think, OK yeah, let's do some writing! Here's a new TED talk from her about showing up. (Thank you, Anne, for passing this along!).
It's time again for the end of year ritual wherein publications put out their lists of the best books of the year. I have heard writers speak at conferences about how stressful this is--reviewing the lists, seeing who is on which one, how they affect sales, etc. (Digression: I once heard Jami Attenberg say "Goodreads is like cutting for writers" and it solidified my everlasting love for her.)
I'd like to share with you a different kind of list: 33 life-changing books, compiled by VIDA staff in honor of International Women's Day. "Ranging from educational to empowering, these titles celebrate and interrogate femininity, humanity, and the act of writing." This is a stupendous selection; one of my personal favorites is Audre Lorde's Sister Outsider.
And if you don't know much about VIDA, check them out here. They are an important voice in promoting women's work and analyzing the ways in which men's voices continued to be favored ahead of women's. Here's a bonus reading, long but impactful: "...poetry has raised me when adults couldn’t."
This landed in my inbox a few days ago and it sparked a little fire in me. May we continue to light each other's torches.
To Go Poems
During my residency, I will for sure read a lot of Mary Oliver poems, which make me feel calm, centered, and hopeful. Here's a few to enjoy.