Bisbee Recap

The People

Bob and Estellean Wick are the most gracious hosts any wayward traveler could ask for. They welcomed us into their home and pampered us with delicious food, beautiful surroundings, and delightful conversation. It was far more than any of us hoped for or expected. They took us to some of the best restaurants in Bisbee and Nogales, Mexico (where they demonstrated their excellent salsa dancing skills). Both Bob and Estellean are thoughtful, intelligent, creative, and insightful and happy to share their memories, stories, and beliefs with anyone who asks. And they're not shy about sharing opinions or asking tough questions either.

The Wick's also have a wonderful staff at their home; Marita and Elvita, two wonderful cooks who always had coffee ready for us by 5:30 a.m. and never let us go hungry, and Lalo, a very talented gardener who patiently allowed Jay and I to practice our Spanish skills with him. The poor man probably never heard "como se dice" so many times in his life!

Then there are the residents of Bisbee. All generous, welcoming, and excited to have a bunch of poets in town. The reading at the Oliver House had an amazing turn-out; the place was packed! Since it rained that night, we read inside. The room was too small, so people lined the halls, the stairways, and even stood outside and listened through the windows. I've never seen so many people so interested in poetry (except maybe at AWP) in the same place.

Finally, I can't forget my traveling companions. It was the perfect combination of old and new friends, connections and rekindlings. The best night of the trip had nothing to do with location and everything to do with who I was with. We sat around drinking wine and talking and I haven't had so much fun in ages.

The Places:

I'll let the photos do the talking.

The view from the Wick Ranch, sunrise.

The view from the Wick's driveway:

Chiricahua Mountains:

Nogales, Mexico

Final Thoughts

This trip meant so much more to me than I can explain here, so this post almost feels silly. I'll just say that I can't imagine a better gift for a writer, especially a beginning writer, than to provide everything she could possibly ask for, for an entire week, and ask nothing in return except that she spend all her free time writing. The Wicks seem to understand and nurture the creative process in everything they do, in the place where they live, in the way that they act. To bring us into that world, off the grid, away from TV and internet and constant headlines, and allow us to submerge ourselves in words and ideas was an amazing blessing. And Maggie, our teacher, our facilitator, was just as nurturing and encouraging as we could ask as well (and not without a stern hand when we got off track, either).

The southwest is sooo far from Ohio not only in distance, but in landscape, in air, in flora and fauna...it made everything feel new. The way the earth got greener each time it rained, the way the sky changed in seconds from sunny to black and ominous, the way the mountains reflected light, these things opened my eyes to my own landscape, made things that are familiar and almost mundane become precious because they were missing. And mornings. Arizona almost made me a morning person.

As far as my writing, my thesis...I generated so many ideas that I don't know when I'll have time to write them all down. I'm not sure my plan is any clearer now, but it is richer. And my mss is longer than the page minimum finally, which means I have room to play.

Sad that it's over, but more ready now to continue with the day-to-day. I spent a lot of time at the ranch thinking about next steps and my future. I realized that the not knowing is the blessing. Opening doors and checking things out sounds like the best possible plan for the next couple years. I'm ready to ask questions.

More good news

I'm also going to have work (multiple poems!) in the winter issue of FRiGG. That makes my acceptance to rejection ratio since returning from Arizona 1:1. That, my friends, is my best ratio yet.

Even more exciting is that they're taking one of my favorite poems, one that has been read by no less than 17 different editors with at least 2 of them writing "almost" notes. Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty darn good right now. If there was any wine in this apartment, I'd be opening a bottle to celebrate. Unfortunately all that's here is bud light and that doesn't feel like much of a celebration to me.

I spent aaaalllll day today working on my AZ homework assignment - 10 new pages. I finished the requirement and realized I didn't even scratch the surface of all the notes and journal entries I made while traveling. I would love to continue dumping the contents of my brain on to paper, unfortunately, a girl has to sleep every now and then. Also, I have poems for both classes to revise this week because both portfolios are due within the next seven days. That leaves 3 weeks of summer to write more new stuff.

I'm dreading/anxiously anticipating the revision process because I don't normally produce drafts quite this quickly, which means the drafts are probably less polished than I'm used to. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Okay, kids. I think it's time for me to wrap things up.

I haven't unpacked anything yet. Nor have I done any laundry. I may be going to class tomorrow in an entirley inappropriate outfit. (Nothing like dress pants and a graphic tee, right? Or a wool skirt and tank top?)

Feeling much better today, although one of my sisters has a sinus/respiratory infection which is making me a little nervous that my feeling better is a fluke. Hopefully I will wake up tomorrow and still be able to breathe through my nose.

I have recently (today) forgotten the difference between breath and breathe...hopefully I used the right one in my previous sentence.

When I checked my email upon returning from Arizona, I had two rejections and one acceptance in my inbox. I suppose that's a pretty nice ratio. My poem "Punnet Squares" will be in the August edition of Lily. I'm super excited!

I just realized that most of my publications are in on-line mags. Maybe for my next round of submissions, I'll focus on print journals. That would make CP happy. He's old school.

Oh, and how could I almost forget. Waiting for me in the mailbox? Orange Girl. Awesome.

I'm still not ready to recap my trip. So for now, another teaser.

Bisbee Copper Mine

Home Sweet Home

What I've brought back from Arizona:

5 new poems

100+ pictures

1 nasty sinus infection

Maggie says I have to write ten more pages by Monday because I didn't write enough while we were gone. I was really looking forward to the deadline-induced frenzy, but now that I can't breathe and my head feels like a balloon, I think it's going to be a little more difficult than I'd hoped.

Despite my current whiny-ness, my trip was amazing, and hopefully tomorrow I will feel better and have enough time to give you a play-by-play. In the meantime, here's a picture about perspective.

Amazing.

Loving Arizona. Loving Bisbee Coffee Company, their "Cold Miner" iced mocha, and their free wireless.

Every morning, I wake up, open my eyes, and look at this:

We just finished the radio show. I hope you listened and liked it. Next, we're having dinner and then the Oliver House reading. Getting a little nervous.

This will probably be my only chance to get on-line, so look for my long recap and lots of pictures late next week.

Radio Interview Update

Hey ya'll. This really is my last post before I leave--I just wanted to give you the correct information.

KBRP - Radio Free Bisbee will be interviewing Professor Maggie Anderson and NEOMFA students (me, Mona Lisi, Jason Venner, Rick Strong, Jessica Schantz, and Jennifer Sullivan) on Saturday, July 21, 2:00-4:00 Mountain time (that's 4pm to 6pm Eastern). We'll be reading some of our work, talking about our projects, writing, the NEOMFA, and who knows what else. To listen, just click on Program Streaming and follow the instructions. I believe the show will be replayed on Sunday from 10pm-12am (Mountain time) if you're busy Saturday afternoon.

Well, I'm off to pack now. Hope everyone has a great week.

Brain = Empty

Wow. Is it really only Monday?

I revised 5 poems today. 3 for the Bisbee class and 2 for the other class.
I need new poems too (at least 2), but now my brain is empty. That will just have to wait.

Tomorrow is another never-ending day; class starts at 10, then I have a 3 hour break, then class until 9:30. And CP says he wants to go out after. Who can say no when the prof offers to buy the first pitcher?

Wednesday is all about laundry and packing.

Thursday, our flight leaves at 7:15. If all goes well, we should be at the ranch by mid-afternoon (Arizona time).

If I have any Arizona readers, come see me on Saturday night at the Oliver House. Or listen to my radio interview on Saturday afternoon. Actually, listen to my interview even if you're not in Arizona. I'm not exactly sure how this works, but they tell me you can get streaming radio from this website: kbrpradio.com Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what time the interview is, so I guess you'll just have to listen all day. I know it's sometime in the afternoon--I'm guessing between 12:30 and 4:00 Mountain time (is that the right name? Not pacific, but an hour ahead) because there's nothing listed there.

If I don't make it back here before I leave, hope everyone has a great week. I'll be back with pictures in about a week and a half.

It's contagious

I want a puppy too.

I lied.

You know I can't stay away.

Today, someone popped my thesis bubble. The one where I'm writing about this guy named Donny who works for ODOT.

Today, someone said, "Why are you trying to write persona poems? Couldn't you just tell these stories in your own voice?"

Today, I thought my brain was going to explode.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see about fixing this Donny issue.

***

The Pre-Bisbee workshop is pretty awesome though, regardless of the existential problems it's creating in my life. Yesterday, though, was a rough day. I started class at 10 a.m. and was still in class almost 12 hours later (a different class, of course). By the end of the day, I was twitching and slap-happy and exhausted. Didn't get to bed until around 2 and started again at 10. I'm so glad I have the weekend to recuperate. And just a few more days before I go west.

real quick

Jeannine's on Verse Daily. Rock on!

Disappearing, perhaps?

My Bisbee workshop begins tomorrow. That means right now I should be reading the materials and prepping my discussion for Friday, but first, a little distraction. I have a feeling I will be swamped and overwhelmed for the next little while, so I imagine you will see less of me around here. Of course, I always say that and then find time to post almost daily, but we'll see. I definitely won't be posting while I'm gone because I hear there's no wireless connection where I'm going. (The horrors!)

And now I'm off to break in my hiking boots.

Wait, one more thing. I'm bursting with excitement for this, and dying of envy because of this.

Bite me, Bitten

About a month ago, I was reading an article in some women's fashion magazine about this clothing line, Bitten, that Sarah Jessica Parker designed. She was talking about growing up on Goodwill and Kmart and how all women, regardless of their income, should be able to wear stylish clothes. Her conclusion? A trendy clothing line where nothing costs more than $20. Sounds great right?

My first thought was I'm never going to find a store around here that sells it. Then, I go to the mall today searching for hiking boots and see a big ole sign with SJP's smiling face on it. Sweet!

I go into the store, grab 50 pounds of cute clothes; jeans for 14.98, tees for $5, cute little dresses for $19. I'm freaking out.

Then I get to the fitting rooms. And noooothing fits. One size is too small, the next size is too big. Jeans look great on my butt but are 3 inches too big around the waist. The tops of dresses are falling down but the bottoms fit perfectly. WTF? I ended up buy two shirts and some jewelry (one size fits all!) and am so sad that nothing else fit. So much for your manifesto, Ms. Parker.

last call

Well, the weekend wasn't as productive as I'd hoped/planned, but I did write a 95 line rough draft. Needless to say, it won't remain 95 lines, but I was trying to get over my 1/2 to 2/3rds of a page rut by writing something much longer. Now I just have to figure out what the point of it is.

I got my syllabus/itinerary for the Bisbee workshop today and I am going to be busy for the next couple of weeks. Lots of reading (which I've been wading through) plus 3 poems due by the first day of class (Thursday). I also still need to go shopping for hiking boots and comfy hot weather clothes. Oh, and sunscreen. I probably should use it more often, but really only do on vacation. I learned my lesson when I fell asleep on a Florida beach when I was 14 and had to ride home sitting upright for 22 hours because my back was blistered. Still, I'm hoping to get some color so my tan sisters and mother will stop calling me pasty.

I just found out that my friend from Washington is going to be in town tomorrow, so I'm super excited about that. I am so glad I didn't say yes to another temp job because if I had, I wouldn't be able to hang out with him.

And that's all I've got for tonight. Have a happy Monday.

Poetry Homework

A few things I'm doing this weekend in hopes that my thesis will rock:

• Reading Ordering the Storm from Cleveland University Press, edited by Susan Grimm, who happens to be in my workshop this summer. A couple quotes I love: 1.) What kind of response do I want the reader to have when they've finished my book, given all possible demographics? Ideally, I hope my reader will be revitalized by the end of the process, gratified, or profoundly moved. I want my reader to perhaps feel the need to linger and savor, or to simply sit with me for a thoughtful length of silence. I want to have touched them, across space and time. I want them to taste my youth and enjoy my sassiness. I want them to be excited by my concerns and ideas. I want them to bemoan my losses and my trials. I want them to sample all life as it has defined me. I want them to have moved through my flesh. Wanda Coleman 2.) [a book] printed while the composition is still warm, reflects one blossoming consciousness, wayward and purposeful, playful, but fully intended[...]you rearrange, fiddle; spread them out on the kitchen floor[...]If this is your first 'kitchen cabinet' your job's even harder, since the poems buttering the tile are the ones that taught you how to write. Philip Brady
• Trying to take what I've read, and every other bit of advice I've heard about ordering a manuscript, and trying to apply it to my own ms. It seems a bit too early for me, but CP insists he cannot read my thesis unless it is in order. When I printed it out back in May, I put the poems in semi-chronological order, but after sitting with that for a while, I realized it was a terrible idea. Now I'm at square one and having lots of trouble.
• Reading bits of The Catechism of the Catholic Church and seriously considering the possibility of going to mass tomorrow. Other than weddings and funerals, I haven't been to mass in about 4 years. I won't get into my weird theological hang-ups, but I will say that I looove mass even if I'm not sure I believe what the church teaches. But this list is supposed to be about poetry homework, right? Well, it is. Because I've been thinking a lot about ceremony and poetry, and what is more ceremonial than mass?
• Reading Charles Simic's Selected Poems 1963-1983 with an eye towards evocation. Do I know what that means? Not exactly. But again, CP said to.
• Studying the list (I forget where it came from) of words all high school grads should know, b/c apparently I am behind. A few words I still don't know: abjure, fiduciary, gamete, gerrymander, obsequious, tautology
• Revising the poems I've turned in so far this summer
• Writing (hopefully) 3 new drafts so I don't have to worry about it while I'm getting ready for Bisbee
• Rereading Leilani Hall's Swimming the Witch and trying to figure out why it isn't jarring to hop from family poem to 17th century witch trial poem to 1970's volcano eruption poem back to family poem...because I feel like when I switch between time periods or subject matter, it is.

Well, I think that's about enough to do, don't you? Meanwhile, I'm making dinner for my sister and brother-in-law tomorrow because they have been making Sunday dinner for years and I want to return the favor. Plus, it's supposed to be +90 tomorrow and they don't have A/C.

Who has time for a social life? People pick on me because I don't go out very often, but seriously, this list sounds way more gratifying than, say, drinking 8 beers and throwing up in the woods like I did last weekend.

country bumpkin

According to Mr. Jensen, it's pretty hot in Arizona. Two weeks from today, I'll be able to find out for myself.

Last night was my first city fireworks experience. Even though I've lived in or around Akron for the better part of 6 years, I still manage to end up in the country for most 4th of Julys. Not this time, though. I hung out with my nephew and his friends at Musica (where we have open mics during the school year) because one of the engineering prof's band was playing, and ended up hanging out there the whole night, except when we walked over to the summa care building to watch the fireworks. I have no idea how I never knew Akron's fireworks were such a big deal. Streets were closed, people were clustered on bridges, the whole hospital parking lot was jammed with us. And the fireworks were good. Lots of them, big ones, swirly ones, ones that made me feel a little nervous and dizzy, loud ones that made my heart thump wrong. Definitely better than the little po-dunk ones I grew up with. (No offense small towns, I'll always love you best) The one thing that was missing at this urban display of patriotism? Darkness. They should have turned off the streetlights. In the country, everything is pitch black until the first explosion, which makes it way more exciting.

I'm not feeling very well today and would really love to go back to bed. But guess what? I have class tonight and no poem yet. There should be plenty of time but I'm just not feeling very creative. Sorry for whining. I can't help it sometimes.

Always running late

Ages ago, Talia tagged me for some quotes by writers about writing. I haven't had much time to look, but here are some that have smacked me in the face from the pages of my journals:

“The work of art which is most ‘worthwhile’ is the work which would need a hundred works of any other kind of art to explain it. A fine statue is the core of a hundred poems. A fine poem is a score of symphonies.” Ezra Pound, Vorticism

“The story behind each word must be told so there could be no mistake in the meaning of what had been said.” Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony

“A poem is never a put-up job, so to speak. It begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. It is never a thought to begin with.” Robert Frost

"...save yourself from these general themes and seek those which your own everyday life offers you; describe your sorrows and desires, passing thoughts, and the belief in some sort of beauty--describe all these with loving, quiet, humble sincerity, and use, to express yourself, the things in your environment, the images from your dreams, and the objects of your memory." Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

"Just once I'd like to hear a writer tell the truth about why he can't deliver. Just once I'd like to hear someone say: no words. The reason no one says it is because when there are no words, nothing will save you." Betsy Lerner, The Forset for the Trees

"Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy... a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink." Stephen King, On Writing

Some of you might snicker at the King quote, but despite his mass market appeal, On Writing is one of the best books I've ever read.

I reserve the right to add or delete quotes as I see fit.

Happy 4th of July.

Irritating Poem Syndrome

Do you ever have a poem that just won't let itself be written? Maybe it just means it's not a good idea, but when CP wants 2 new poems and a revision every week, sometimes I run out of good ideas. I've been working on this particular one since February, and the first draft was basically: Good god, I'm so freaking sick of this snow and this cold weather. Then, I met/created this persona who works on a road crew and realized all that snow and cold weather could be a poem about him. So I changed the I to he and went from there. I think there are about 3 lines left from the original draft, and I am still not happy with it. Class starts in 6.5 hours. Hopefully something will come to me before then.

3rd time's the charm

Check it out, folks. The new Softblow is up. So am I.

By the way

I guess I am qualified to teach English...

I Scored a 100%!

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Grown ups

I'm feeling very adult today. Paid my rent (does it count as late when the first is a Sunday?), went to the bank, bought some veggies and fresh herbs and made a marinade so I can have grilled chicken for dinner, and am about to clean and do some laundry. It's like I'm a housewife, except without the husband. Somehow, it doesn't seem right without the perk of someone else's paycheck.

The temp agency called today and said, "I know you have summer classes, but do you think you could work anymore this summer?" No! Nononononono! Must read! Must write poems! Must go shopping for hiking boots and clothes that will be suitable for Arizona in July (I own exactly 1 pair of shorts, and it doesn't fit). Oh, and don't forget the fall syllabus for my comp class. Now that I sorta, kinda know what I'm doing, I think it's time to revamp the plan.

My grandma says if I go to the University of Nevada for my PhD, she'll come visit. She likes to gamble. As much as I'd love to entertain my grandmother in Vegas, I don't think I'll be applying to UNLV. We'll see. Everyone says if I go to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, they're not coming to visit. Come on people. How can Nebraska be any worse than Ohio as far as weather and entertainment go? So far, based on my minimal research, Nebraska is my favorite.

The dust bunnies are calling. Gotta go.

The view from here

You can ignore my butterfly and check out the friggin awesome sunset behind it. This was on Friday night while I was on my way back to Chatham (my home town) to hang out with a bunch of people I've known since elementary school, for the most part. Everyone except the other girl in the picture below were in the same 6th grade class, actually.



Mrs. Wandall would be so proud...


There's something about people who've known you since before puberty. Doesn't matter how much time passes between, we always pick up where we left off...acting like assholes and making fun of each other about embarrassing things from our past. But I always walk away smiling.


By the way--I'm done working! Hello, summer vacation!