Wannabe Cowgirl

An article on the Montana primaries that I submitted to Associated Content today was not only accepted, but also became a featured news story on the site's front page!

Labels: writing

My browser's homepage is set for iGoogle, a personalized version of the Google website. With iGoogle, the signed-in user can add widgets that can range in function from helpful tools to games to social networking. My own iGoogle page, for example, has a widgets that display articles from The New York Times as well as top news headlines in general, a weather report device, my Google Reader RSS feed headlines, my Twitter feed, and a Flickr display.

One of my more frivolous widgets is the How-To of the Day. This displays two links to wikiHow, where the reader can learn how to do something. My favorite titles have to do with recipes or fitness, but they cover just about every topic imaginable, from parenting tips to dishwasher maintenance.

One of today's headlines caught my eye -- "How to be Artistic." Intrigued, I clicked through the link, curious as to how one goes about being artistic. Surely expressing oneself through an art form would be the number one tip, but what about the others?

Once on the wikiHow page for this topic, I found myself sadly in the wrong. The primary step in becoming artistic, according to the site, is to "start wearing unique clothes." Hmm. Only in step number two do we even start hearing about art -- "you know your talents, so use them creatively." Hardly a specific reference to making one's own art. Other tips include becoming more social, hanging out in coffee shops, and listening to unique music.

I suppose that writing poems and fiction is not enough to make me truly artistic. Neither is an active interest in photography, I imagine. At least I spend a good amount of time in coffee shops. I knew all those lattes would one day turn out to be good for something.

Labels: art, writing

As I biked out to begin my day yesterday, I saw women with stands standing at an intersection that I was approaching. I would have to wait with them to cross, and I groaned as I rode up, thinking they were pro-life picketers. I don't disagree with those activists, but picketing makes me uncomfortable. How effective can it be? Maybe that makes me a coward. I don't know.

It turned out that last morning's crowd were instead supporters of Hillary Clinton's campaign, urging drivers to "honk for Hillary." Yeah. I thought it was all rather hilarious (pun somewhat intended).

I find politics so over the top, and rather fluffy. (I'm not sure that's the word I'm looking for.) People get so worked up about politics, and seem to take such perverse pleasure and identity from rabid fervor. It's as if, as a nation , we have taken a decent system that actually dealt more or less efficiently with the real business of governing into a popularity campaign pervaded by a lot of wasted breath, wasted money, and a lack of general integrity. The way the whole 2008 campaign comes across to me is of just another form of entertainment. Do we idolize our politicians in the same way as movie stars, musicians, and other celebrities? I think so, and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Is that completely pessimistic of me? I love America and appreciate my citizenship -- but surely we can do better. Right? Or am I just being unrealistic or naive? But I don't mind being naive, if I am -- you can turn that around to say that I'm actually hopeful, that I feel that there's a higher standard that we as a society and a government can aspire to, should be held to, and, most importantly, are capable of meeting.

Labels: 2008 election, politics

The first pass revision of my NaNoWriMo 2007 novel is finished! I can hardly believe the words as I write them. Finished? To be sure, I still have to type all of my edits and changes into the manuscript, but this remains a milestone both for the specific project as well as for my writing in general. This is the closest to that elusive ultimate finish line that I've ever taken any long fiction work -- and I want to keep going with it, to the end! I feel so excited to see where this story goes. Hopefully one day it will land in the hands of a publisher who wants to purchase it. For now, though, I will be more than satisfied to see my characters, plot, and writing skill develop.

Labels: nanowrimo, writing

I certainly have been lax in my Artist's Way efforts! Not only have I skipped two weeks of morning pages, but I also failed quite miserably in the "no reading" policy of this period. But I'm dusting myself off and stiffly approaching the proverbial horse once again, ready to mount up.

Breaking the no reading assignment was, in my feeling, more than worth it. My most notable literary venture was The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger. When I heard that Eric Bana is starring in the film version of the book that's coming out around November, I thought that between his involvement -- he's only a small step down from the wonderful Hugh Jackman in my book, especially as Hector in Troy! -- and my vague grasp of the plot, this movie is something I'd be interested in checking out. However, as the book is usually better than its film counterpart, I checked the novel out of the library and journeyed in.

I had low expectations. "National bestsellers" put me in mind of The DaVinci Code, Oprah's book club, Danielle Steele, and, in general, books that may be entertaining but are also of moderate to low quality. Book snob that I am, such texts barely earn a passing glance from me. I only read The DaVinci Code because I was down the shore and wanted something quick and light for the beach. (Plus, I wanted a more informed opinion regarding its then-controversial contents.)

Niffenegger's book was nothing like my thin and sanctimonious expectations. Instead, I discovered an intricately woven plot, vivid characters that walked with me after I closed the pages, and delicate, well-crafted prose. It's been some time since I've met characters that I can truly root for, mourn with, and love. The whole tale reminded me of the voice of the graphic novel Blankets, and the male main character seemed the literary incarnation of Neil Gaiman, somehow. I loved it, devoured, luxuriated in every word. My only criticism is that there is some sexual content that briefly smears the artfulness of the story. But overall -- what rare joy!

Labels: books, reading, the artist's way, the time-traveler's wife, writing

A triolet for my husband, whom I love very much. I feel so thankful that he puts up with my craziness.

Six Months Deep

The sun danced through our twenty-four weeks,
pas de deux with silver moon sister.
Fire burned my knees weak
as the sun danced through our twenty-four weeks.
You learned the pain my pale doubt wreaks,
taught me of flames and God's love blisters
and the sun danced through, our twenty-four weeks
a pas de deux with silver moon sister.

Labels: poem, poetry, writing

i dreamed a table draped
in linen, stained
to royalty and on it bread, beckoning
draw near
draw near
I am here and there

burns a fire pillar near
it crackles taste and
chew. wheat rolls
dough pills in my mouth
through its molar lodging-loosing-
lodge before the waking

the load is not a loaf, now
a bleeding man
covering the linen with his flow, and
the pillar not a pillar
the eyes of a blazing figure
sear me to ash, i shiver
naked in the tabernacle

eat it fills the fissures
taste the table-spread form
bleeds from cracked lips, know.
the bread spreads stringed flesh
tastes of wood fire smoke
in winter, of the east. we fall
warm, one down and down

Labels: poem, poetry, read write poem, writing