Poet, Writer, Instructor
At the end of December, 2023, I wrote a blog post about some writing goals I’d set for myself: “I’m more interested in what’s to come, not what’s past. When I ask myself what I want to accomplish as a writer in 2024, the answers come back loud and clear. I want to take more risks in… Continue reading Back to Beginner’s Mind
Mona Lisa is the most-viewed painting in the world. And by art, I mean visual art: paintings, sculpture, photographs, mixed-media, films, buildings, installations, even furniture. Writers need art as much as any other source of inspiration. Art objects are things, and as William Carlos William said, “no ideas but in things.” Art is evidence of… Continue reading Every Writer Needs Art
It’s Tuesday, Day Four of the ice storm that’s paralyzed the Pacific Northwest. I haven’t left the house since Friday, except to tread very carefully on the three-inch thick layer of frozen snow in the backyard to feed my six hens. The hens, showing a level of intelligence hitherto undemonstrated, have refused to exit their… Continue reading Where Do Poems Come From?
"My Bed" by Tracey Emin Tracey Emin has been pushing boundaries since she emerged as one of the Young British Artists of the early 1980s. Prolific and controversial, she’s never been reluctant to use her personal life as inspiration for her art. An article in the 11/3/23 New York Times Weekend Arts section reminded me of the time… Continue reading How a Photograph of Tracy Emin’s “My Bed” Inspired Me