First Day Back - Where I Am
Weather: 62 degrees
Music: the Jason Mraz station
Gratitude Journal: non-pariels, golden retriever, coffee, freshly-cut hydrangeas, sunshine, writing shed
Notes: First day back from Summer Hiatus
___________________
The Poetry Barn, 2008
* * *
So here I am. Back at work, opening the door to the Poetry Barn back into the writing life.
I had wanted my writing shed finished by Sept 3rd, the first day of school for my daughter, but I cut it close. It's all finished except for the outside trim, which will be painted today. It's all finished except for the finishing touches. It's all finished except for the inside trim, if there will be trim, and a wastebasket.
I think I'll like it here. I may need a different chair, or maybe better posture. I'll work these things out as I go along.
So besides being in a barn next to my house, where am I in life?
Well, I'm happy to be back to writing. As I said, summer is not my writing time. If I get a poem or story, good for me, but I do not count on it. I see summer as a time to refill and I think writers need times when they aren't writing but living. Living and taking notes.
I do have a fantastic writing group I meet with twice a month, though I'm sad to have 2 members of my group moving away-- Jeannine Gailey being one of them, currently curing herself from what ails her in San Diego as I type this and another good poetfriend (NM). Thankfully, we recently had a new member (Lana!) join us and she's been a positive change for our group, just good energy there.
I mentioned this summer that I'm editing Crab Creek Review with another poet and my good friend, Annette Spaulding-Convy, and we've already done a lot of work hopefully to give CCR some of the recognition it deserves. It's a gorgeous perfect-bound, full color cover print journal that has been around the Seattle area for the last 25 years and has published some incredible poets throughout the years including one of my favorite poets, William Stafford.
I'll talk more on this blog about what I'm learning as an editor and try to give you an inside peek beneath the covers of a literary journal.
Also, we've just started a Writer's Notebook series on our Crab Creek Review blog.
Found at: http://www.crabcreekreview.blogspot.com/
where we'll be having previous contributors to our journal write about their poem or an aspect of the writing life. Our first blogger poet is Julene Tripp Weaver.
Other than that, I recently met with some writer friends to set some goals for ourselves and one of mine is to submit more. It's really the part I like least about poetry and writing in general. I like the writing and revising. The submitting part needs me to put on my administrative hat and get serious. I can do that though, get serious, wear hats.
So, as promised I've returned to the writing life which I actually never really left, just electronically, just a little weather-related absence. But I'll be here much more often and hopefully will say something that interests you or spurs conversation. Maybe. I'll try my best and you now know where to find me by email of course, and now in a barn with yellow walls, paint color: Happy Times.
I see some red apples on my tree, time to get a snack...
(Above) My own private party of non-pariels and morning coffee.
(Above) My writing buddy, Buddy Holly
Music: the Jason Mraz station
Gratitude Journal: non-pariels, golden retriever, coffee, freshly-cut hydrangeas, sunshine, writing shed
Notes: First day back from Summer Hiatus
___________________
The Poetry Barn, 2008
* * *
So here I am. Back at work, opening the door to the Poetry Barn back into the writing life.
I had wanted my writing shed finished by Sept 3rd, the first day of school for my daughter, but I cut it close. It's all finished except for the outside trim, which will be painted today. It's all finished except for the finishing touches. It's all finished except for the inside trim, if there will be trim, and a wastebasket.
I think I'll like it here. I may need a different chair, or maybe better posture. I'll work these things out as I go along.
So besides being in a barn next to my house, where am I in life?
Well, I'm happy to be back to writing. As I said, summer is not my writing time. If I get a poem or story, good for me, but I do not count on it. I see summer as a time to refill and I think writers need times when they aren't writing but living. Living and taking notes.
I do have a fantastic writing group I meet with twice a month, though I'm sad to have 2 members of my group moving away-- Jeannine Gailey being one of them, currently curing herself from what ails her in San Diego as I type this and another good poetfriend (NM). Thankfully, we recently had a new member (Lana!) join us and she's been a positive change for our group, just good energy there.
I mentioned this summer that I'm editing Crab Creek Review with another poet and my good friend, Annette Spaulding-Convy, and we've already done a lot of work hopefully to give CCR some of the recognition it deserves. It's a gorgeous perfect-bound, full color cover print journal that has been around the Seattle area for the last 25 years and has published some incredible poets throughout the years including one of my favorite poets, William Stafford.
I'll talk more on this blog about what I'm learning as an editor and try to give you an inside peek beneath the covers of a literary journal.
Also, we've just started a Writer's Notebook series on our Crab Creek Review blog.
Found at: http://www.crabcreekreview.blogspot.com/
where we'll be having previous contributors to our journal write about their poem or an aspect of the writing life. Our first blogger poet is Julene Tripp Weaver.
Other than that, I recently met with some writer friends to set some goals for ourselves and one of mine is to submit more. It's really the part I like least about poetry and writing in general. I like the writing and revising. The submitting part needs me to put on my administrative hat and get serious. I can do that though, get serious, wear hats.
So, as promised I've returned to the writing life which I actually never really left, just electronically, just a little weather-related absence. But I'll be here much more often and hopefully will say something that interests you or spurs conversation. Maybe. I'll try my best and you now know where to find me by email of course, and now in a barn with yellow walls, paint color: Happy Times.
I see some red apples on my tree, time to get a snack...
(Above) My own private party of non-pariels and morning coffee.
(Above) My writing buddy, Buddy Holly
The Barn is very cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Collin!
ReplyDeleteThe barn looks great!
ReplyDelete