Notes on Survival

After finishing my first semester of grad school, I’m celebrating a few good things:

1.) I’m teaching writing & rhetoric to college freshmen next semester! In preparation I created and submitted a literacy narrative – a story about a moment when composing or reading a text became significant to me – to the Digital Archives of Literacy Narratives. This is a great site with interesting, multimodal compositions, and it’s something I may have my students participate in. My earlier blog post “Twas Brillig and Shook Me to the Core” was a draft. You can listen to the final version here.

2.) I have three poems forthcoming in Columbia Poetry Review. I’m so honored as this issue features some of my favorite poets: Rae Armantrout, David Trinidad, Heather Christle, and Kirsten Kaschock.

I’m not sure I could have made it through, though, without plenty viewing of the following:

1.) We posted this in one of our first blog posts, but it still cracks me up and inspires.

2.) I love this music and this video. It makes me so happy. It will get you through your day.

The Disembodied Genius

Yesterday as my class visited with the poets Maxine Scates and Jeanne Marie Beaumont, we talked about the writing process and how one knows a piece is completed:

“Every time I find an ending, it feels like a gift.”
“The poem should be telling me things I don’t know.”
“The poem, like breath, is the world passing through us.”

They saw themselves as a vehicle for the poem, often a voice for those who don’t have a voice.

Their comments – particularly Beaumont’s who openly admits and celebrates her superstitious nature – reminded of Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk a few years ago on our relationship to the creative spirit, “a divine, attendant spirit that comes to human beings from some distant, unknowable source for distant unknowable reasons.” It’s not that we are geniuses, it’s that we have a genius. Creativity does not come from us directly; we just show up to do our part.

So today I am showing up to my kitchen table, pen and paper close by, and we will see what the day brings. And here’s an invitation to you, Reader – a weekend do, if you will: Show up to your creative space and wait.

Two Artists and a Hammer

As my housemate and I have vastly different schedules, it took a few months before our new apartment felt like home. A box unpacked one day, rearranged furniture another day, whenever we were in the same space together. It wasn’t until one very late night that we tackled decorating our walls.

It took us a ridiculous amount of time, measuring, and second guessing what we were doing (neither of us “get” math), so of course our first decision was to make this momentous event a time lapse (the first video I’ve ever made!). Enjoy, and welcome to our home.

Weekend Do: Honey Edition

Recently, a friend who’s been dreaming rural, said to me, “Wouldn’t it be fun to be a beekeeper?”

For her, I think it would fit. For me, well, I’m not overly fond of bees. Memories of being stung come quick to mind. But listening to her talk, I realized their community and crafting of a product is fascinating. And I do love honey.

This weekend, spend some time dreaming and enjoying.

1. Do eat some toast and honey. It’s come a long way to your table. Spoon it into tea. Drizzle it onto bread. Dip your finger in it. It’s goodness.

2. Do move with slow and calming grace. This beekeeper from Hong Kong doesn’t wear any protective clothing. His movements, which are as graceful as the movement of bees, makes me want to approach the space I’m in with similar ease and care.

3. Do be sweet. Sweet like honey.

Have a sweet weekend.

Taking a break

Part of me slowing down will be taking a writing break from the blog for a couple of weeks. Abi will continue to share and I will return in September. Enjoy the last few posts of the summer.

Love, Pakou

Cycle adventures: Community edition

There is something about riding my bike through my city that gives a different love, experience, and perspective on Madison. I can now say comfortably and loudly, “I can ride a bike!” It feels pretty great to say that outside of myself. Now, I’m just working on being more comfortable on a bike. I will get there.

I’m riding more and more. I rode to meet friends for breakfast, bake at the cafe, and to enjoy some coffee at one of my favorite coffee shops in town. One thing that I love to do on my bike is ring my sweet little bell. However, I’m finding it harder to ride longer distances or go up hill on a one-speed cruiser. These legs of mine are working hard and knowing that I could be working less makes me want a different bike. I fell so quickly in love with the blue cruiser because it was so cute. At this point, function is topping cuteness.

There it is folks – I’m on the market for a new bike (new or used). One that fits me and has more than one speed. I’m nervous and excited about the adventure of a new bike; however, I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to bikes. I’m not sure what to look for. Readers, what should I look for when purchasing a bike?

Thanks for the riding tips thus far. They say, “It takes a village to raise a baby.” I say, “It takes a community to raise a biker.” There’s bike safety, bike routes, bike shops, and more that all support a biker. It really does take a community and I love being a part of it.

I hope you enjoy the little video above. A little inspiration for your Monday.

To Lighten the Drudgery

If your Monday work day is feeling a bit like this:

you may need to bounce and sprawl on this crocheted playground by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam (it’s safe!),

dream about running away on this vintage mod scooter (it beckons!)

and indulge in a few yonderly moments (a word of absent-mindedness and mental distance, deftly illustrated by The Project Twins).

Here’s to a Monday morning and all that it could be.

Watercolor love

Art Fair on the Square is happening this weekend and it will be my first attendance. As I continue to learn about art, I have grown a love for watercolor. I love the layers and blending of the paints. I think it’s absolutely beautiful and my eyes wander with each brush of paint.

Emma Leonard is an illustrator who combines ink and watercolor into a lot of her feminine work. I think one of my favorite combinations is seeing dark ink and watercolor together.

“Hold Me” by Emma Leonard

The Adlas Project is a year-long project lead by artist Kristy Modarelli to make an original drawing everyday and to raise money for three non-profit organizations.

“Days and Nights” by Kristy Modarelli

The watercolor inspiration occurs at 2:45 in Beirut’s “The Rip Tide” video.

Happy Weekend!

Weekend Do: Listen edition

These new tunes have been on repeat and the melodies have lingered on my tongue all week.

Do listen to:

1. I heard this beautiful voice last weekend. Instantly, I fell in love with her words and melodies. Anaïs Mitchell gets you in the heart. I sat in the front row and spoke softly to myself, “Pakou, don’t cry. You are sitting in the front row. Don’t cry.” I just couldn’t cry while Anaïs looked at me. Instead, this week I shed tears in my car, because the speakers in my car is the best that I have. A good listening session = time in my car.

2. Kim Janssen. I first heard of him a few years ago at a friend’s Independence Day music bash. We shared an evening of music and breakfast together.

3. Cuddle Magic. The name says it all. Want more magic for the ears – go here.

Really, what I want to say is that you should let the tears come whenever they do, share some breakfast with others, and cuddle with the ones you love.

Happy Weekend!

Weekend do: Hope edition

Sometimes hope can be the only thing that keeps carrying us on.

Caine hoped for a customer and one day he came.

Happy Weekend!