Reviews

Posted on May 10, 2012 by jessiecarty

It’s that time again: reading round up.

I actually finished two books on the Kindle recently. Even though I didn’t feel I had much time to read somehow having an e-reader can make the time fly by. I finished Mary Roach’s Bonk which was another fun scientific read and the fantastic memoir Talk Thai. I high recommend that one! The only real drawback I’m having with the kindle is sometimes I take notes while reading – like I do on paper – but I forget about them.

I also finished up some lit mags include an issue of Poetry East which I was thrilled to be in. I found a lot of new poets to admire. I added Susan Blackwell Ramsey’s book to my Amazon wishlist, for example. I also finished an issue of Smartish Pace. I’ve been a fan of SP for a while. I’ve submitted several times and I even had “ink” from them one year. This was the first year I subscribed and at first I wasn’t sure I was enjoying the issue, but the further I got into it the more poems I found making me go – AH! I was pleased to see James Cihlar, who worked for a while with “Referential,” in the pages. His poem even inspired – in part – the poem I hope to post tomorrow for discussion. And my office mate Jenny Beaver has a terrific poem in the current issue of Silent Revelations.

Oh wait! More lit mags. Great stuff – as always – in Hippocampus Magazine and I found another awesome poem to love in decomP. And, finally, how about this poem by M. Scott Douglass in “Redheaded Stepchild”? I’ve heard it at several open mics but glad to see he found a home for it. Well, one more, not just for Teachers.

On the paper side of things I finished two: Men Who Understand Girls a fiction chapbook from Folded Word Press an the YA novel Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. The former is intriguing although I found myself wanting a bit more clarify with the really super short pieces. The longer pieces engaged me a bit more. The latter was a pretty solid read. I’ve read a lot of Maureen’s work and this isn’t my favorite, but not bad. It takes a fairly typical story of a girl who hasn’t been kissed and puts her in a very unusual scenario to solve that problem. The oddest thing about the book, for me, was that it was written in a limited 3rd person. I’d love to ask Maureen why she decided to do that. I kept thinking it was in 1st person so I’d get thrown off from time to time. Still a solid – what you might call – beach read.

What have you guys been reading? I’m also reading student evaluations of my classes right now . . . Will this end well?

Make Friday Write

Posted on April 13, 2012 by jessiecarty

I’m thrilled to start my Friday post with some great shout outs for publisher Folded Word Press. First up my first full length collection Paper House is on sale throughout April to celebrate it’s two year birthday! Secondly, Folded Word (and Mel Bosworth’s AWESOME novel) get a shout out in an article in WIRED. Yes, you read that right, freaking WIRED!

As we continue to celebrate and reflect on poetry for National Poetry Month I’ve found myself on Poetry Foundation’s website quite a few times. One of the many articles I’ve enjoyed is this one from Cathy Park Hong about the recently deceased Adrienne Rich. I had a great time working with Cathy during my MFA experience.

Google Alerts let me know recently that my name came up in a mention for readings in Atlanta. Yep. I’ll be reading from “Fat Girl” on Saturday, April 28th as part of a Sibling Rivalry Press event. I was supposed to go to an open mike last night and to another reading on Saturday out of town but my schedule just wouldn’t quite flex in those directions.

My poem for you today is so rough you might as well call it Sandy. Get it, Sandy – rough. Like sandpaper. Ok, I know, it isn’t even sort of funny if you explain it. A lot of what is in this “poem” is me considering some possible ideas of where the poem could go in revision so feel free to share your thoughts on where you think it could go. The trash bin is also an option . . .

—Time to revise the poems!

-
As always I want to hear from you and for you to post your works in progress (any genre) which I will then take down (along with my work) one week from today. Sometimes we just have to show even the little bits of ourselves that we are tempted to keep hidden. Perhaps I was inspired by the movie I recently watched I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Ok because maybe just maybe it is ok.

Media Miscellany

Posted on April 12, 2012 by jessiecarty

Thought I’d make another quick check in to report on a few more items I’ve been “consuming.” I wonder what other word I could use to cover all the minutia that I take in from the web, books, TV, radio etc?

Somehow each of these seems to float back to thinking about my creative life.

Even the documentary Dumbstruck which was about ventriloquists. I am TERRIBLE at anything involving puppets although I used to love making masks in art class. I felt you could be creative making masks. What intrigued me, besides the interesting people presented, about the documentary was how I could feel for these guys since I’m primarily a poet. It is hard to make a living as a poet or for anyone to take you seriously because – poetry? – what is that?
Really enjoyed Mindy Kaling’s book especially about how she makes lists as well as how she talks about making a beautiful writing area even as she just ends up writing in her bed or in more social settings since she is a working writer for “The Office”. Interesting to hear how she developed as a writer and as a person. Very real and just a fun read.
Finished an issue of Iodine Poetry Journal. I had a poem in it but that’s not the reason I was reading it! Well, maybe a little I have read Iodine for years though. I thought I might make it to the open mike that the editor of the mag hosts the second Thursday of the month but I’m feeling a little peeved with multiple cat scratches on my arms and legs. Note to self: don’t try to package the smallest cat for her visit to the vet. She is wily.
I finished the third book in a YA series by Libba Bray known as the Gemma Doyle series. The third book was a monster at around 800 pages but I LOVED it. The 2nd book in the series was a bit slow, but when I finished The Sweet Far Thing I thought – I could teach this to talk about coming of age, a woman’s place in the world and many other things including speaking to me as a writer when the main character says (about literal magic), “I have lost my magic, and that I am nothing without it.” Don’t you feel that way when the words won’t come down the way you want them to?
I also really loved this article that Camille Dungy wrote about whether or not it is “easy” to get published. So much of that depends on where you want to be published and the type of work that you want out there in the world. I’m thinking a lot about that now.
I also finished reading a local friend’s (speaking of that open mike I won’t be going to!) first chapbook of poems Splintered Memories which is a very personal collection dedicated to her mother (and family) as her mother is slipping away due to chronic debilitating illnesses. My favorite poems from the slim collection aren’t on the link provided but maybe you’ll just have to find them for yourselves And no I won’t tell you which ones. Whose feeling ornery today?

Any new books, movies, shows etc to suggest? What else will I have for you tomorrow on Make Friday Write? Come back and see

Review Round Up

Posted on April 10, 2012 by jessiecarty

I’m not really sure I should call this a review round up but it is the closest description I could come up with this morning. Here are some things, in no particular order, that I’ve read – watched – otherwise interacted with over the last few weeks or so

I often use this TedTalk called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind in class. It is inspirational but also informative as I try to encourage students to write a biorgraphy of someone for their informative essay. They rarely do the assignment, but they enjoy the video. I recently downloaded the book version of William’s story and it is a really good read. There are some passages that get pretty technical, explanining how he got electricity to work from his homemade windmill, but he is still an inspiration. How I love someone who LOVES to learn.

On Netflix I came across a documentary about the Rock-afire Explosion. Well, my spouse really told me to stop on it because I didn’t know who the Rock-afire Explosion were. Showbiz Pizza was one of those places that I had heard of when I was a kid, but it wasn’t a place I was ever going to go to. I did finally take my nephew to Chuck E Cheese as an adult. We didn’t live close to a Showbiz and even when we were closer to it I just don’t think I can picture my parents surviving through all that loud music and games. We preferred the quieter game rooms next to the laundrymat The documentary is pretty well put together and what fascinates me about it is how we all seem to have something from our childhood that is a safe place for us; something we look back to with almost reverence. Now, for many of us, maybe we went back and read the revered book, watched the favorite movie again etc as adults and thought – hmm – why did I like that so well? But, I appreciate the deciation that the Rock-afire fans still have to what represents childhood to them.

I was reading magazines and blogs on my Kindle, but it just got to be too much so I back to finding articles and blog posts to read via Twitter and Facebook feeds. I do want to subscribe to some print magazines again. Any suggestions? I have plenty of litmags and I have Poets & Writers I’m thinking more in the educational field and/or just interesting. I was reading The Chronicle and National Geographic on the Kindle.

Speaking of NatGeo I’ve watched quite a few documentaries there as well recently including one on the FBI. I also caught up on quite a few PBS ones that are now on Netflix including one on the Lost Treasures of Tibet that was pretty fascinating. Still, none of these things have been quite enough to get me writing where I want to be writing. My writing feels a bit off lately. I have faith that it is just a matter of time before my need to join one of these conversations that I’m reading, watching, and talking about above (and others) will pull me back into a poem, story or essay.

And, in the mean time, I’ll keep watching, listening, and journaling away as if it was summer vacation. Wait – I’m almost there!

What have you guys been up to?

Flyleaf Reading

Posted on April 5, 2012 by jessiecarty

On Sunday March 25th I had the pleasure of reading with poet Maureen Sherbondy at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC. Maureen and I seem to cross poetic paths a lot given that we live a good 3 hours apart; which is a wonderful thing. I am currently reading her chapbook “Scar Girl” which came out from Finishing Line Press late in 2011.

Flyleaf is a terrific store and even with many other events going on (including a NCPS reading at another store within a 30 minute drive and pre-playoff parties for the Carolina game that was on later in the day) we still had a good 10-12 people to read to. The store also took on a few copies of “Paper House” and “Fat Girl” so if you know anyone in the area send them down to the store if they need a copy.

I hope I get a chance to go back to read when my next full length is out in the fall of 2013. I’d hope to have “An Amateur Marriage” with me, but it hasn’t quite arrived yet. Those of you who pre-ordered I will rush them to you when they get here! I read a variety of poems, but I found myself focusing on “Fat Girl.” She is just sooo much fun to read from. I also heard recently that a teacher will be using FG in a class in the Fall! How cool is that? Which also means I need to decide which poetry book I might assign to my composition classes . . . hmm . . . I’m thinking my comp 2 might get a novel this time. Perhaps? Or a non-fiction book?

Maybe, if I was crazy, each of my classes would read a different book?

All in all this says: I love books; I love writing; I love to read (as in eyes on the page); I love to read (as in voice to the words); and I love to be read to. So, yep, I always continue to encourage you – even here during National Poetry Month – to surely try and write everyday if you desire, but wouldn’t it be a better challenge to read everyday?

Review: Imago

Posted on March 22, 2012 by jessiecarty

Imago by Joseph O. Legaspi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m not even sure if this book needs a review from me, but I have to say I fell in love with it. I won’t belabor the point but this was a collection where I found myself stopping to go back and read poems before I even wanted to go on; this is a collection I didn’t want to end. Legaspi has a gifte for taking topics (like growing up – as most of these poems reflect back on) and somehow avoiding the potential cliches that come with those topics.

I love many of the poems, but one of my favorites is “The Red Sweater” where Legaspi writes, “hours are merely links / in the chain of days startlingly similiar, that being in the blue morning with my mother / putting on her polyester uniform, which, / even when it’s newly-washed, smells / of mashed beans and cooked ground beef.” I know I have a poem that thinks back on my own mother and her clothes that smelled like BBQ and ice cream. I can relate even though the smells were different; that is a wonderful gift to bring to a poem – empathy.

I can’t recommend this one enough, but if you want me to quibble on one thing it might be the final poem. I may be hung up on final poems lately, but I felt this piece – perhaps – tried to sum up too much in a somewhat surreal place. I missed the more concrete poems that came earlier and I would have been thrilled if he had ended with one of the other two poems that came just before the final one.

But, who am I to say?

View all my reviews

Review: Mockingjay

Posted on March 13, 2012 by jessiecarty

And I’m hoping to see the movie of the first book this weekend! I’m gonna brave the theaters

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How do you review the final book in a triology? Especially an extremely popular one? Does it even need a review?

I need to review it because I’m still trying to process the book and the series as a whole. How do I discuss the book and my thoughts on it without spoilers?

First off, I have to say that I thought Katniss – the protagonist – definitely developed into a more complex character in this book. She seemed very flat to me in the first book, but became more intriguing in the second. I still don’t know that I felt I was “her” as I read, but I could understand better what a life of living in and around war could do to a girl.

The actual battle scenes in this book, at times, seemed overly violent and not as well written as other parts of the book. I know, war is violent, but this just felt choppy. I felt the same way reading the final book in the Harry Potter series. Is there a way to be more subtle about those who are dying or being blown up without actually “showing” it happen? I’m not sure.

All in all I came away feeling this was an appropriate conclusion to the series especially that it seems the author wanted to show – as much as possible – what living through a life surrounded by war can do to a person, especially a young person.

I won’t even get into a discussion of the love triangle. It was there, and was probably necessary, but I don’t feel one way or the other about how it turned out. Its conclusion also makes sense to me.

These books aren’t easy reads as far as subject matter goes, but I’m glad I took the time to read them. They have me wishing there was something more I could do for those around me.