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April is the Coolest Month #NaPoMo
April is National Poetry Month. As the Poet Laureate of Alameda, I’d like to invite you to crack open a poetry book and read one, just once, this month. Read an old favorite, like T.S. Eliot, perhaps, whose Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is one of the finest examples of 20th Century poetry (“Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table…”) – or maybe watch performance poets you’ll find on YouTube, like Suli Breaks’ “Why I Hate School but Love Education,” or Savanna Brown’s “What Guys Look for in Girls.” (No, seriously, GO WATCH.) Poetry…
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Third Time’s a Charm!
You know how it feels when your child attempts to do something, and you know it’s going to be difficult, but you stand back and watch her struggle anyway? And maybe she’s not so successful? And then she tries again, a few years later, and struggles, and is still not completely successful? You cheer her on no matter what, even though you have the gut feeling that she might not make it? That’s what it has felt like with my first novel, Tongues of Angels. This novel, TOA for short, was my creative thesis in grad school. My poor thesis advisor read it at least three times, and it was…
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“WRITE FROM HOME” Ads Lie
Work from home! Write from the beach! Be your own boss! I’ve been seeing these ads lately on Facebook and around the internet because I guess the Google gods have figured out that I’m a writer (it’s nice to be recognized). And look how relaxed and happy those people in the ads are! I wish it were true that I have days to frolic on the beach, but that rarely happens. And I live in sunny California on a city that is an actual island. I can walk on the beach any day I want. But do I have the time? (Do I make the time? Different issue…) I’m afraid…
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Upcoming Events (Feb. & Mar.)
Feb. 26: Alameda Read & Wine Club — February Book Club Meeting: Thursday, 7:30pm @ Wine & Waffles on Park Street, Alameda. Free (purchase food/drinks). Discussing Veronika Layne Gets the Scoop. Feb. 27: Girls Inc. of the Island City: Blogging seminar with teen girls. Feb. 28: Booktropia Northern California gathering of authors. Sacramento, noon. March is Women’s History Month: Available to speak about The Doris Diaries any time March 18: Alameda Book Group: Private home. Discussing Veronika Layne Gets the Scoop. March 20: Release of Tongues of Angels (Booktrope). Watch for details online. March 21: Alameda Museum Board of Directors Installation. Reading Alameda Poetry #PoetLaureate Noon-2 p.m. March 25: Alameda Main…
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WTF? My Strange Life & the Cosmic Yawp
I spend a lot of my time howling the cosmic yawp into the blue beyond. It looks, to mortal eyes, like I’m making lunches and beating a deadline and running errands and remembering to put out the trash cans. But I assure you, a goodly portion of every day is given over to caterwauling (mostly in my inside voice, but not always) on the why of everyday living. The why of how did we get here? The why of how can X be happening? I’m old enough to know better. I am hitting the midpoint in life. I have successfully raised 4.9 kids (just 1 year left on #5). We have a…
