Alzheimer’s is a disease that not only afflicts one of two people over age 85, but it also afflicts their families. My early response to learning my father has the disease was to write about the experience — what I could observe of his experience and of course about my own emotional reaction to losing pieces of our family history, but by bit. My dad has progressed and is now more confused by simple conversation.…
Wisegeek — almost as good a find as StumbleUpon. Thanks to Steve Harris for this one. Check it out. You, too, could be writing for this nascent encyclopedia of weirdness. My favorite article topic is in the above link: Who is Crispus Attucks? Something every American should know. And now, on to more serious matters … like spinach. I must be the only person in the country whose diet was just halved by the tragic…
It often happens that I am asked to provide a friend with a selection of poems suitable for reading at a major life occasion — a big birthday, anniversary, wedding, memorial, or even Valentine’s Day. It famously happened to Naomi Shihab Nye, who took the occasion of the request for a gentle chide to her correspondent which became one of her best poems ever: Valetine for Ernest Mann I’m going to start accumulating an online…
I’ve been reading Alice Oswald’s amazing poetry book, DART. It’s a 48-page book about a journey from source to outlet of the River Dart in England. Sounds boring. Is absolutely amazing. Oswald first poetry book, with the above title, is now worth approximately $365 per used copy, according to ALibris. Would the person who borrowed my copy kindly return it? 🙂 Visit https://racheldacus.net for more information and writing by Rachel Dacus.
My young friend McVal Osborne has become a journalist. He started off with a great article on homelessness in our area. The Times has signed him on as a permanent, part-time reporter. He can only work part-time because, you see, he’s still in high school. This is a young writer to watch. McVal is the son of my friends John and Heather Osborne, who probably are still having palpitations over the idea of their talented,…
Calling all ghazal-masters: Send your ghazals (or your favorite ghazals by someone else) to a poetry event that’s a fundraiser for the Northern Arizona Book Festival. Here’s the announcement from Rebecca Byrkit, Director, Northern Arizona Resource Center & Artspace, Home of the Northern Arizona Book Festival: “As an ancillary (fund-raising) event to the Northern Arizona Book Festival, the NAZ Resource Center and Artspace will be hosting guest and “ghazal master” Steffen Horstmann (from Mt. Holyoke,…
Maybe they haven’t heard about this in the Middle East, but as I Stumbled across this web site, it struck me as a sign of the times: Let’s Be Friends Visit https://racheldacus.net for more information and writing by Rachel Dacus.
Last night Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage hosted Dan & Dale Zola’s poetry-and-music event, “A Great Night of Soul Poetry.” I missed it, but fortunately it can now be heard online. The performances are professional, lively and often hilarious. My favorite is the rendering of Naomi Shihab Nye’s “A Boy and His Mother at the Nutcracker.” First runner-up: Billy Collins’ “Child Development.” Second runner-up: “Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins. There’s some Rumi, some Mary Oliver, some William…
Working on a new play. Here’s a relevant photo. In other news, I’m having a very good publishing month. I have two poems out in Cranky. Three copies just arrived in the mail, and it’s a fine-looking magazine with cover appeal and nice layout. I do wish they’d update theirweb site, though, to reflect that there’s an Issue 5). Also have two forthcoming in Image: A Journal of Art & Religion, two coming out in…
Just as I finished my last blog, about how no filmmakers focus on poets unless they’re dead or drunk or mad, I come across a hilarious new animated poetry site, Blue’s Cruzio Cafe. And guess what — my firend David Alpaugh’s on it, performing his poem about being a dead poet. Check it out. You’ve got to hear him doing “Electgronic Epitaph” as the Grim Reaper. Send them something. Maybe you too can be on…