What Inspires Me? Lighten the Load
Lately, I’ve been walking around lugging an extra 50 pounds…of baggage (OK, and of actually blubber, but that is not what this is about, yet.) This is about that extra baggage. The lists of must do-need to-overdue items on my task list. They are weighing me down. And so, yes, I do do them. But often at the expense of doing what I want to be doing. Guilt is a huge motivator.
Truth is, before last weekend when I attended the first in 3 years—hooray!—Alumni retreat, I hadn’t paid much attention, or frankly though it was something I could do anything to change. Instead, I just carried on lugging the baggage, growing more stooped, grumpy, unfulfilled…
Okay, so back to the actual blubber which is probably a result of dealing with tasks at the expense of personal needs—aka exercise—that hasn’t helped. But those extra blub pounds had finally become so disgusting that, inspired by friends and family members I finally decided to actually track my intake and pay attention and so I downloaded the Lose It App. Cue The Band’s Take a Load off Fanny. Confession, until I looked up the YouTube, I have been singing “Granny” as in Take a Load off Granny…which, now that I think about it is why I downloaded Lose It and what this post is about…
Which takes me to the VCFA Alumni Residency. The closing lecturer was new VCFA faculty member Anica Mrose Rissi who’s presentation, “Process Is a Story We Tell Ourselves” was partly about how how maybe—just maybe—the reason we do—or don’t do—what we want is because the story we tell ourselves is “I can’t! Too busy! I’m not important! What I want is not important! insert all our various “too busy for me” stories. Anica Mrose Rissi is former editor who managed to publish a slew of books while being a fantastic editor and is now, still, writing delightful books and teaching (Absolutely check out her books.) She suggests we change our stories. Rissi is inspiring! Her talk was inspiring. It inspired me to change my story from I-can-only-write-when-I-have-a-chunk-of-alone-time-and-my-chores-are-done to I WILL WRITE 15 MINUTES A DAY with the same commitment I give to brushing my teeth. And I have excellent dental hygiene. But saying it—even in ALL CAPS—is one thing. . .
This is the one I downloaded.
Doing it! Carving out 15 minutes for M.E. Making sure I do it! And celebrating it was another. Back to Lose It!
Lose it! *as I said, is a FREE (and if you want more paid) calorie tracking-exercise-weight loss app, like NOOM I suppose (although I’ve never used NOOM). The Lose It App is easy to use to track meals and exercise. It’s on my phone which is literally plastered to my yoga-pants clad leg aaaaaall the time. And best, I was using it. Heck! I was on a streak—not weight loss streak but a 10-day long Meal & Exercise Logging streak. So I got to thinking. Accountability! Celebrating! Record Keeping! Can I use the Lose It! App to record my 15-Minute Writing Goal.
And YES! YES! and YES! So I am not Tekke. I do not like “exploring” apps. I’m a tell me what and how to do it and I will do that and exactly that Tek user. But I did a little searching on the Lose it! App and discovered one can add Customized Workouts to the list of exercises listed. So that’s what I did.
I added “Writing” to the list of exercise options. And, because the App requires one to post the calories used beside exercises, I figured dang, when I’m writing, my brain is clicking—as are my fingers—so that has to use calories. At least as many calories as resting Yoga, hence I gave it 10. That’s it!
Amazing how a tiny change to My Story and rewarding myself by tracking my success has made such a difference! I’m still hauling around all that luggage, but the promise and reward of 15 minutes writing has me singing a new song. And not going overboard, I’m considering adding a few more goals worth tracking to my handy dandy customized LOSE IT app. After all, “Leisure Reading” and “Photo Sorting” are workouts, too, right? Care to join me?
Lose It is helping me Do exactly what I want! Now that’s inspiring!
*No Lose It App didn’t pay me to write this or provide the download link. But they should…hint hint
Poetry Challenge #269-With No Particular Place to Go
So what is it about those Russian writers of old? Was it something in the ice? the snow? … the vodka?
For example, because it’s his 204th birthday (Nov 9, 1818), let’s consider, Ivan Sergyevitch Turgenev . Ivan came from Russian nobility. He was born in Orel, more than a hundred miles south of Moscow to a family with expectations. After university, he joined the Ministry of the Interior at St. Petersburg, but his passion was writing. Like so many other mothers, his wanted him to make good—and so after he resigned from the Ministry, she cut off his allowance. “See where that gets you?” she thought! And Turgenev did!
He wrote verses, comedies and novels, the first published being “A Sportsman’s Sketches,” which, after Russian sentiments changed cast him under suspicion. An admirer and friend of Dostoevsky, during his time Turgenev was considered among the great living Russian writers and while his writing was “Russian” his style was more Western European in its economy of means and language. “Fathers and Children” and “A House of Gentlefolk” are considered his best work.
Turgenev was an avid hunter who spent much time in the woods.
His poems (like the two below)—more prose poems—ramble along in a conversational tone that gently introduce readers to the scene and allowing events to unfold in a way that mimics an actually ramble through the woods.
Poetry Challenge #269
With No Particular Place to Go
As an homage to Ivan, write a prose poem about a walk you might take on any given day. What might you see along the way?
To lend it a conversational tone, imagine you are narrating the scene as you walk.
Describe it in such a way that readers feel as though they are walking with you.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just. . .
Ramble on! As if you, too —in the midst of an icy Russian winter— had no particular place to go…except where your imagination takes you!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Fin Pal asks Norman "Are You Famous?"
Have you read the Norman the Goldfish books, NOT NORMAN and NORMAN ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH? Have your friends read them? (They are available in your library and bookstores.)
So then, what do you think Norman will say? Is he famous?
Ready to read Norman’s answer? Scroll down . . .
Glug
Glug
Glug . . .
But first a finny!
Q: Why did the burglar try to steal Norman?
Q: Why did the burglar steal the goldfish?
A: Because Norman is 100% pure gold! Get it? Norman the Goldfish!
Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish- about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!
Don’t forget to order your copy of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY and NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH!!
Poetry Challenge #268-Playing with Lines
I recall a few truths about lines from Geometry 101: A line can move in both directions; it has no beginning and no end with an endless number of points in between.
I saw these truths in black on white during a recent field trip to Governor’s Island* where artist Shantell Martin’s black line scribbles transformed Our Lady Star, a former Catholic Church now decommissioned Military Chapel, into art of endless possibility.
Shantell Martin plays with lines, curving, bending them, twisting them into ideas, figures, words—remind us we can too!
Poetry Challenge #268
Playing with Lines
Recently on Twitter someone quoted the following line**, set up as a poem:
do what you love
and you’ll never
work a day
in your life
People were asked to replace the first and third lines to make a new poem. For example:
use doritos as forks
and you’ll never
wash a fork
in your life
Your turn! Rewrite the above poem with your own new first and third line. Then choose another saying by Confucius, write it as a 4-line poem, and replace that first and third line. You can search for your own Confucius saying or use one of these:
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.
Ala Judith Kerman, choose a word, any word and define that word in a poem. You might choose a more abstract word, as Judith did in “Air” or you might choose a concrete word as in her poem, “Elephant.” (Scroll down for the YouTube of Judith reading “Elephant.”)
Include as many possible definitions of the word as possible—feel free to use a dictionary. And bust out with your own definitions of the word.
Form-wise you might choose to simply list definitions ala Webster, as in “Air,” or shape them into Free Verse as in “Elephant,” or choose some other poetic form.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just write It!
*Govenor’s Island is a 178 public space in the heart of New York Harbor, just a short FREE Ferry ride from Manhattan. It’s open year-round and is a delightful place to walk, ride bikes, laze—there’s a grand junkyard playground, a “formal” tidy playground, learning garden, food, a day SPA, a FREE Art Center, way cool “deserted” former Military housing and forts, Glamping—and a hill to climb—not high—with the most glorious views of The Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, Brookly, New Jersey and beyond.
**This quotation is attributed to a huge number of people, including Confucius.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
What Inspires Me? Women in Baseball
Baseball! Baseball! Baseball! As I write the World Series 2022—Phillies vs Astros or Astros vs Phillies—which team goes first at this point is still anyone’s bet!
This past spring and summer—through the more than 3-month long MLB owner-imposed Lockout, frenetic Spring Training, Regular and Post-season MLB 2022 — Shohei Ohtoni chasing Babe Ruth’s pitching records; Aaron Judge chasing Roger Maris’s season home run record; who was playing well, playing bad, losing, winning… it’s been about the guys!
I was really, really wanting to post a clip of that scene but couldn’t figure it out. So, if you want to watch the There’s No Crying in Baseball Scene click here. I won’t blame you—then come back!)
But…
In the movie “A League of Their Own” Tom Hanks playing team manager Jimmy Dugan wails, “There’s no crying in baseball!”
Notice, Jimmy Dugan (maybe my favorite baseball coach ever) didn’t say there are no women in baseball. He didn’t say it then. And he absolutely would not say it now. Because while there may not be many women MLB players now/yet. There most certainly are women in baseball!
We’re talking . . .
Women in the Big Leagues Baby! The MLB!
Women of various backgrounds, ethnicities, ages—
Female General Manager!
Female Managers!
Female Coaches!
Female Scouts!
Female Player’s too!
The writing is on the wall at the Louisville Slugger Muesum and Factory:
“We’re going to have women playing professionally (in MLB)”
These photos featuring some of the women working in the MLB this year, 2022. I write “some” because there are more! —many behind the scenes—and many ahead of the game (watch it, that “lady” in the stands might be a scout!)
These profiles grace the walls of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. I snapped them on a recent visit—that’s an inspiring place too! (Another post; another time). Right now, today, while the teams, players, fans—the world—is buzzing with World Series 2022
Let’s here it for the girls! Here are some of women of the MLB:
Women in the Big Leagues! Now That’s Inspiring!
Fin Pal asks Norman "Do you like scary books?"
PSSSST! Do you want to know a secret?
Do you promise not to tell?
CLOSER . . . Let me whisper in your ear . . .
Norman the Goldfish is a Scaredy Fish! Yep, that’s why, in Not Norman, when the boy hears SCRATCH SCREETCH Norman is watching.
What’s more! In Norman One Amazing Goldfish, our fishy friend gets so scaredy he is quivers and shakes with Stage Fright!
What happens next? (No way am I spoiling the ending here. Read the book to find out!)
But here’s the secret: Norman loves reading books that are scary. Especially when they are about fish. If you like picture books that are a little bit scary and a whole lot of fun, read on:
Norman’s List of Five Best Scaredy-Fish Picture Books
(On a scare level of #1-5. #5 being fish scale-raising scariest.) *
#1 Ten Scared Fish by Ros Moriarty, illustrated by Balarinji (published by Allen & Unwin Australia, 2012.)
This underwater Australian creature counting book starts out 1-2-3 with Turtles, then a Snake…until finally 10 little Fish meet a big scary SHARK! Bold, bright pictures perfect for 1–3-year-olds.
#2 Ugly Fish by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Scot Magoon (published by Harcourt, 2006).
What’s scarier than a bully? Ugly Fish is ugly and big and mean, and he doesn’t share…with anyone! And that means the wimpy little fish who keep showing up in his tank have got to go. But then one day someone bigger and uglier and maybe even meaner arrives . . .
#3 Barry the Fish with Fingers and the Scary Harry Monster by Sue Hendra, illustrated by Paul Linnet (published by Simon & Schuster, 2011).
As that fabulous title suggests, this is a great fun read-aloud! Barry & his fishy friends are playing hide & seek. Puffy finds a great hiding place in an old wreck, but he gets scared out of his wits when he sees a hairy monster lurking in the shadows. Luckily Barry the fish with fingers comes to the rescue! Spoiler alert: the “monster” is just a friendly seahorse in need of a haircut.
#4 Teeth, Tentacles, and Tail Fins: A Wild Ocean Pop-Up by Matthew Reinhart (published by Reinhart Studios, 2021).
Pop-Up book of underwater creatures that jump out from the page! Literally! (Imagine the Jaws shark leaping for the boat—that image!) That and 49 others including the colossal squid, the anglerfish, goblin shark, of course, with facts about the creatures. Definitely not a bedtime read, and yes, pop-ups are fragile, but so worth it (and tape-able).
#5 Creepy But Cool Fish by Julie K. Lundgren (published by Crabtree Seedling, 2021)
Non-Fiction—what’s scarier than real life? Book of photographs of fish—from baby fish called “fry” to the whale shark—the largest fish! Including facts about how fish adapt in weird ways to their environment in order to survive.
*Amazon buying links are included for your convenience only; I do not receive payment/rewards for them. Our preference is that we buy local & support local booksellers!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! . . . BOO!
Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish- about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!
Don’t forget to order your copy of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY and NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH!!
Poetry Challenge #267-The Brave Bold Catalogue of ___
Want to toss a wet blanket over a group of boisterous adults (“adults” meaning literate and over 30…or precocious teen) all one need do is mention Sylvia Plath. Immediately one of three things will happen:
Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, written under the pen name Victoria Lucas will spring to mind.
Conversation will switch to discussion of suicide and mental illness and the party scene will turn into round table ala The Voice.
A vision of coed Sylvia pedaling along in pink pops into your mind as you begin silently humming Gabriel Yared’s haunting theme from the stunning, moody 2003 movie Sylvia starring Gwyneth Paltrow—or make a beeline for your Sylvia Plath finger-puppet-refrigerator-magnet.
YES! You too could have one of your very own Sylvia Plath finger-puppet-refrigerator-magnet.
One of the rare snaps of Sylvia smiling—the way I imagined her when she was writing The Bed Book.
Why Sylvia Plath? Why today?
Because: on this day, Oct 27th, in 1932, Sylvia Plath was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Because: by the time of her death at 30, Plath had accomplished more than many of us scribblers will in a lifetime.
Because: she was a remarkable, gifted novelist, poet, short story writer Joyce Carol Oates described in the NY Time Book Review as “one of the most celebrated and controversial of postwar poets writing in English.”
Yeah-yeah-yeah we all know this! We study Plath in high school literature and for many of us The Bell Jar was required reading thus Plath+death+sadness+poetry are linked in our minds.
But what we are not taught and so, what many of us never knew existed is the playful, imaginative rhyming poet Sylvia Plath, who in 1959, also wrote—gasp—a picture book!
The Bed Book by Sylvia Plath, is actually a rhyming catalogue of different kinds of beds, including a submarine bed, snack bed, and flying bed and many delightful others.
The original English version, published in 1976, is illustrated by Quintin Blake; the American version features art by Emily Arnold McCully. Treat yourself to either or both-delight filled!
Poetry Challenge #267
The Brave Bold Catalogue of __________
Let’s say “Happy Birthday Sylvia!” by creating a rhyming catalogue poem of our own. (Below are two of Plath’s rhymes from The Bed Book.)
Think of an ordinary everyday object. Something that is so common and common place one hardly notices it at all. Plath’s Bed for example, but not a bed, something different.
Now imagine all the various models or styles that object could come in. For example, might it, as Plath’s beds do, become a submarine or spaceship? Or???
Write a rhyming poem describing one or more versions of that object.
Let that object be brave! Be bold! Let it do what no such object has ever done before!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just Imagine IT!
And just because, here’s the opening scene from Sylvia:
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
What Inspires Me? Visual Verse
A picture is worth a thousand words…the adage goes…and, as Visual Verse proves oh so many ideas!
As you may or may not know, about 2500 days ago, along with Cindy Faughnan, I challenged myself to write a poem a day. (Note: I didn’t say “good poem” I just said “a” poem, for most often, the result of the poem is not the point of the exercise, the “point” is in the thinking, the writing, the act of creating.
Visual Verse’s dedicated team!
And, at least once a month, the poetry prompts are provided by Visual Verse.
Visual Verse is a celebration. Of the drama of seeing and the desire to express it. Of the things that inspire us, move us, and that we find hardest to articulate.”—Visual Verse
Visual Verse submissions—inspired by select images—like this one by Erin Quinn titled “ETTA/Girl in Red Hat”—can be poems, fiction or non-fiction; must be between 50 and 500 words in length; and the read challenge: can be created in no more than 1 hour.
This October, by way of a challenge, Visual Verse hosted it’s Autumn Writing Contest!
Last week the 4 winning pieces and 16 shortlisted pieces (from 141 entries) were selected. I’m delighted to report that both Cindy and my efforts made the shortlist.
Visual Verse on the web, instagram @visualverseanthology; and twitter @visual_verse—it’s inspiring!