ROLLER COASTER

I know exactly what I was feeling and doing in February, 1959.  I was hovering several feet above the earth, playing house as a brand-new bride, knowing that I wanted to spend forever with my new husband.  At 23, forever seemed doable.  The concept of 50 years, however, was ungraspable – forever seemed more likely.

In February, 2009, I’m still hover happy and still playing house – the living room furniture and my life both keep getting rearranged.  50 years is still ungraspable.  Somehow it happened and we celebrated with closest friends at a favorite restaurant at a dimmer totally and beautifull arranged by our children – EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!!

Fast forward one week – February 16 we were at the hospital emergency room for John’s chest pain. February 21 he came home with a stent in his main artery and very glad to be free of  bed and iv’s and beeps and pings.  Again the kids were amazing – doing  just the right thing at the right time.

Did I mention that  our 2 cars were hit while parked in our driveway – John’s totalled and mine saveable but with much damage – this happened about 3 weeks ago and mine is still being repaired.

I’m taking bets on whether this will sell as the next great soap opera plot!!!!

Being married to the same wonderful  (and now heart healthy) man for 50 years and having 3 amazing children and 5 beautiful grandchildren as well as loving and special friends to help us celebrate those years is quite a gift.  We both thank you all.

FYI

Check out dianelockward.com for information about 2 upcoming events she has planned:

Saturday, March 14  A Reading in Celebration of  Women’s History Month, Women Poets Reading Poems That Reflect the Lives of  Women, from 1 to 4 at the West Caldwell Library.  This reading brings out some of  the best women poets from all parts of New Jersey and there will be an opportunity to talk to new and old friends over tea and cookies.  Men are welcome to share in this day of great poetry.

Sunday, May 17  Poetry Festival showcasing  12 Journals at the West Caldwell Library from 1 to 5.  This is the sixth year of  the festival and it is a great way to hear good poetry and to see some of  the journals available in the local area – it is always a wonderful afternoon!!

There is more info on Diane’s website and I urge you to check it out

MACHINES

I have thrown tantrums over a telephone in unbalanced contrariness. I am terrorized by a missing battery bar on the cell and by texting (no lol). I have raised my blood pressure 100 points over a scale that lies. My computer from 2004 is an antique – no one supports them and so I live with the error message holding my poems captive.  I have a VCR  bought last week – yes they still sell them.

I am a 20th century girl – machines defeat me simply by existing (and they do have existence).

Understand, then, my consternation last night when the aforementioned one week old VCR turned on/off/on/off – by itself – all night.  Into 3 AM darkness flashed red-green-yellow lights – on/off – with no discernable patterns. Chaos theory swamps my beautiful Periodic Table.  It was the clicking that woke me first, a horde of restless beetles set up housekeeping in the corner of the bedroom. John’s snoring could not drown them out.

Automation fights me.

BOOKS

I had one response to the last blog entry who agreed with me that this is a place for musing.  So – I will.

I love books. I still have my Nancy Drew books and my Mother’s copy of Lorna Doone (which was published early in the last century). I print a hard copy of anything sent to me online if I have to study it or need to refer back to it. Part of this is my eyesight (can’t see anything “far” away) and part is habit – I like the feel of paper in my hands. If I post a poem today, or a link to a poem today, unlike Lorna, it’s gone tomorrow – at least from the screen. I have to ‘click”  around to search for it (or use the Help which is only “helpful” if you already know the answer so you can click on the right line). I know that online vs print is not an either/or, nor is it a final answer; both are usable, sometimes user friendly – either changes the carbon footprint.

I love and have been published in several online mags. They certainly are seen by large numbers of readers. Imagine seeing a poem of yours on Poetry Daily?  A WOW moment!!  So, as I ended the last entry with realizing that I need to look at more blogs, so I must look at more ezines.

Why does my musing seem to lead to more for me to do??

MUSINGS: IS THE BLOG THE PLACE FOR MUSING?

First some information:

John and I will be featured on

Monday, January 12 at 7:30 

Delaware Valley Poets

Barnes and Noble  Book Store

Market Fair, Route 1 south, Princeton

     My son has politely pointed out that I have not added anything to the Blog in three months.  He is right – as he usually is. Does that it is the Season to be Jolly or that I’ve been busy, cut it?  Probably not. I did travel to San Francisco to visit aforementioned son, mailed out all my Christmas cards before Thanksgiving (don’t ask, I think the world will end if my cards go out in December), decorated the house – it is all even bluer with splashes of  red and all sparkly, threw a party for 30, had two Christmases because one daughter was working and the cousins all wanted to see each other. I really was busy. Now it’s time to take it all down – so before Christmas is neatly thrown into various plastic bins in the crawl space and the 100+ nutcrackers (again don’t ask) are hibernating for another year:

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a Healthy and Peaceful New Year.

     Being busy doesn’t preclude random thoughts and that is what I have decided to offer here today.  I guess I haven’t read enough blogs so I’m not sure if this is the place for “musing”.  On a blog can you ask and not really “show” or “tell”?  Can it be a “free write” exercise – never lift fingers from keys? An escape to the right brain trick? A place for  “ing”/ “maybe”/generalizations/ modifiers/adjectives?  Is a Blog tied to info or a place where ideas meet and meld and search for a space to moor?  Is questioning too scientific/sensitive for youtube escapism?

     Someone told me that he will only read the postings if they are witty or super clever.  One line, online solutions to core questions? Is there a difference among youtube/facebook/ twitter/blog – they are all aspects of what an individual is willing for you, the reader, to see (and judge); the shorthand evasion of sharing anything more thought inducing than my latest Pathword score compared to yours. Or are they the beginning, as the printing press was – the next vehicle for desiminating philosophy and scientific theory – the new way to “spread the word” sandals not needed.

     I guess I need to think about it more – and maybe read a few more blogs.  Comments gratfully accepted and wanted.

DODGE FESTIVAL

Spent weekend at Dodge Festival – WOW!!  So many old friends and familiar faces – and lots of new voices.  Check out Chris Abani’s work – great!! If you don’t know the work pf Patti Smith, you should really try to read some, she was very exciting.  Joe Weil, Kate Greenstreet and Betty LIes all read from their new books. See web site (edisonliteraryreview.org) for photos of the event and of some of the attending poets who have been featured in ELR over the past 7 years. I also added three new poems from the magazine – including one of mine.

Dodge Foundation is starting a youtube site where you can see and hear poets from the festival. They are hoping this becomes a major site for research on contemporary poets for teachers. Check it out or see the Dodge web site (dodgepoetryfestival.org).

It was another wonderful festival.  Even three days of rain conuldn’t dampen the fun. Much thanks to JIm Haba (this festival is his baby) and to the Dodge Foundation for supporting and fostering the community of poetry.

MAY BE OVERKILL

Now I am on Facebook and I did it (almost) by myself!!  Again, it is so much fun!

There was an article in the Times Magazine last week (“I’m So Totally Digitally Close to You“  by Clive Thompson) lots of info about the whole field of study re the Internet and society – who knew that Harvard has a whole department for this- although it does make sense. Now I have to read some more – and I don’t know when one has time to read and also write for blog, twitter, facebook and not just repeat the same thing over and over!! (Look at Diane Lockward’s various sites and see how she manages to pull it off – WELL!). Remember I am a poet – there does not seem to be any time left for that – Good Grief!  This is one time when I wish I had many more years to live – I guess we’ll have to wait and see about that.

The magazine is doing really well – thanks to all of you who purchased it and ordered subscriptions!!! We will be selling it at the book tent at Dodge – and  then only have a few left.  Wow! This really feels wonderful! The next issue (due out in Fall 2009) is filling up fast, but there is still some room so send me a poem if you can. See website: www.edisonliteraryreview.org for how to’s.

ISSUE 7

Issue 7 of the Edison Literary Review is now available. Lots of hurdles getting this one out – but it is here!!!Check the web site (www.edisonliteraryreview.org) for details and to order your copy. We will have copies at many of the upcoming local readings – DVP (9/8), Barron’s(9/10), Carriage House (9/16), etc. It will also be in the Book Tent at Dodge Festival (9/26 & 27) if that is more convenient. As usual there are lots of good poets in this one:Mark Brunetti, George Drew, Anna Evans, Tony Gruenewald, Betty Lies, Tom Plante, David Vincenti – and so many others you know and enjoy.  After all the struggles – a really good issue. Thanks again to so many of you for encouraging and supporting us.

It is Dodge time again – and back at Waterloo, Yea!  We are going up on Thursday (and staying up there for the four days). I still like the two days with the kids best – the poets seem somehow different, more approachable and helpful with the students there – or maybe I just miss the classroom – not often, just every few years. I will miss  going into the schools for  the Poetry in the Classroom series I did for the Art Society the past 5 years or so. Time to come up with something new.

I Tweet (Honest)

Ok – did it again – asked my son what treo and twitter meant (I wanted to be ahead of John McCain – see article in the August 3 NY Times) and he called to say I could now twitter (edisonliterary.com)!! And I did!! Since the first thing you see on that page is a definition of twittering and JL then explained it to me – I now know how – although I forget what you do after you get to that twitter page – and I even did tweet, honest.

If you’re not yet on Twitter, you probably have a jump on McCain so go visit www.twitter.com. Then follow our us at www.twitter.com/edisonliterary.

We are free to publish the ELR – have permission to use the title as soon as I sign a waiver. However, when the papers came through, they had spelled my name wrong and the lawyer is on vacation until the middle of August. And so the saga is continuing. We have sent Volume 7 to the printer and it should be back soon.

FYI: I will be reading for the Quick and Dirty Poets at the Daily Grind in Mt. Holly on August 15 at 7PM – Come down if you can, it is a really nice reading and you will hear some VERY good poets!!

Load the event into your calendar.

The Edison Literary Review lives

We will be able to use the title we have always used for the magazine!!!!!  Sometimes things work out well – even though there are hard feelings that may never be reconciled and no one “won”. I think the Society lost a valuable asset and I lost a friend of 45 years. It was a fight I had to wage, I think; the magazine is that important to the poetry community (both local and far ranging), but there is sadness mixed with the joy.

Don’t know what if anything we will do to celebrate Issue 7 but it should be out in end of August at the latest!!!  Tony will send it to the printer this week. Have to see if we can find a place and time – probably never again like it was at the Sheraton. 

Many thanks to all of you for your support and help during this rough time.

Love to you all,
Gina

Thank You

I have always known that poets are special people – but I guess I never realized how really special they are!!!!!! So many  of you have taken the time and effort to encourage and support the continuation of the magazine.  It has been my PROJECT for the last 7 years and it did seem to be taking off – only because you were willing to take a chance on us and have so generously  shared your poems with us. The next issue – which I hope will be out this summer with some title new or old – is filled with poets both familiar and new. I have always done this to  create an outlet for the many great writers that need a place to share their work – and it has been so much fun to bring you new work by poets you know and the chance to hear some new voices.

Tony has been a godsend! Not just in the technical knowledge and expertise he brought to us, but with his enthusiasm and extraordinary writing talent. Not to mention the calmness and logical focus and direction both he and John bring .

Again, Thank you all for your support – believe me I would have erupted off into the ether if you all had not been here!!

PS I just realized that no but me could read the comments until I pucked (clicked) on some stuff.  JP just told me tonight and John Leo is in Hawaii and it was something he forgot to tell me in his tutorial (see previous post).  I still do not know to how to answer a comment unless I email the author.