Make Friday Write

Posted on February 17, 2012 by jessiecarty

Well, I’m back! I can’t argue better than ever because I’ve picked up some kind of cold that has slowed me down the last few days. I do, however, have some news to report in so here we go!

A poem that was inspired by class, a storm, and reading rainbow was published in The Monarch Review
I notified Folded Word Press that the remaining copies of the limited edition version of my chapbook The Wait of Atom were spoken for (you may see one last giveaway soon!) and they did a write-up about that. There is still a version available for purchase for $5 as well as the electronic version.
There are some details now in the Salisbury Post about the Fine Arts & Literary Festival that is held at the school where I teach. The event listed as “sci-fi and poetry writing” actually will more likely be a release party for my upcoming chapbook “An Amateur Marriage” and the new non-fiction book of my co-worker Dr. Sherry Ginn that deals with the Joss Whedon universe. Awesomeness all around.
I also have two poems up in “Wild Goose Poetry Review” where I also had the chance to leave a little commentary on each. You can also comment back on those. You may recognize at least one of them from posts here in earlier drafts. The two that are up are Maid and I was 36
Doesn’t look like I’ll be making it out to Poetry Lincolnton tonight, but I will be speaking as part of a panel next Saturday to share some of my insight about both sides of the classroom (obtaining an MFA and now being a teacher).

In this space there should be a new poem, but – alas – I haven’t heard the call of a poem in a while. I had a few stanzas that I attempted recently, but nothing came together. I just added a new stack of poetry books to my to read pile and I just finished another terrific issue of RATTLE (although the poem I voted for in the contest this year didn’t win – as many of my online friends say – sad panda) so here is hoping the ideas start flowing. I am not feeling in a panic or in a state of writer’s block because I’m still doing some daily journal type free-writes and I do blog as often as I can, but the poet is silent. Perhaps she is working on something I can’t see yet?

I, however, still want to hear from you! What have you been working on? Any good word on submissions and/or publications? Just have something you want to rant about?

My composition students worked on revision this week (learning the difference between re – vision and proofreading) and my British lit students were introduced to some of the Arthur legends. They also had to deal with a somewhat addle brained teacher who was sick for most of the week and who also had to deal with numerous appointments, an office lock that was temporarily broken, and a variety of other minor shifts that made the flow of the week – well – un-zen like.

Here is looking up to next week. Week 7 of the semester filled with Monty Python, reading Referential submissions, and peer review. But, before that, let’s enjoy that weekend

Make Friday Write

Posted on January 27, 2012 by jessiecarty

Recently I reviewed Stephen Frye’s how-to poetry book The Ode Less Traveled and I believe I remarked (or I was thinking it) how I don’t write much formal poetry so I found myself skimming through some parts of the book.

Well – surprise – surprise – a pantoum I wrote is going to appear in the 2013 Poet’s Market! That was a pleasant surprise and a reminder to have other readers because I was about to give up on that poem.

That – and squeezing in some time in a busy week – helped prompt me to submit one packet of poems although I only drafted on this week – which is below.

–and that poem is gone as well

My consuming of things (well besides food!) has been limited this week although I did (over several days) finish a really sweet coming of age movie from Canada called Dear Lemon Lima. It reminded me of “Rushmore” but with a female protagonist.

My composition classes focused on rhetorical situations this week. I asked them to think, write, and discuss the interplay of author, audience, and text. I always say I don’t write for an audience, but what if I am writing for myself. That is at least one audience whose expectations I – usually – know.

In British Lit we did a refresher about research as we prepare to discuss “Beowulf” next week and my online creative writing 2 class is gearing up to help with “Referential” while they start to work on their own writing.

Feel free to talk about what you have been up to this week and to share your writing. As always, I will take down anything posted in comments (well any creative writing – not the general comments) this time next week, including my own work in progress.

Let’s chat

Make Friday Write

Posted on October 21, 2011 by jessiecarty

I know I posted several blogs this week, but this is really the first one I am sitting down to write since Sunday. While I was working on a presentation for Monday (10-17), I took some time to review several books I had pending etc so that’s why I had so many blogs this week. Saving blogs for future use when you actually have extra time (none of that this week!) is such a great idea.

But – since last Friday – I did that presentation, taught, wrote, (submitted work?), read, gave two poetry readings and . . . I’m probably missing something in there!

First, I read at Barnhill’s Books in Winston-Salem last Friday- well – at least Helen and I got to hang out

Then there was the brief weekend followed by a lot of time spent preparing handouts, flyers etc a presentation on Monday. I enjoy doing different things at school, but I tell you taking 4 hours out of your prep time, especially right after Fall Break really throws off your week . . .

Last night I drove up to Fuquay-Varina (love that name!) and read with Sara Claytor (in the picture) as part of a Main Street Rag series hosted at the Lazy Lion Bookstore (used and new?) which was a really FANTASTIC little store. Sara asked me to read two poems with her that required voices. That was fun!

I’ve still had a few pieces here and there of new writing, but lots of revision (and mostly EMAIL! MY GOODNESS THE EMAIL THIS WEEK!)

But, before the new work, how about some shout outs this week?

I have a poem in the current edition of Rose and Thorn Journal
From twitter I grabbed this really interesting conversation/blog about trying a Reverso poem.
There is a new review of Fat Girl online.
And there is some really great stuff in Untitled Country Review this issue

So what poetry to share with you today? How about a pretty new piece, although I have ha several rejected recently that I need to dig back down into . . .

–and the poem will be revised now – thanks!

As always, if you have something you want to post or link to do so in comments and feel free to comment on my work and/or anything else I posted below. This is a time to share! I take down my poem and any you post one week from today.

Yesterday was National Writing Day – if you didn’t write then – how about making up for it now? Like I asked one of my classes this week: Write about the first time you remember using a fax machine? Or, if you still haven’t used one, why do you think you haven’t?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Make Friday Write – The Quest

Posted on October 7, 2011 by jessiecarty

I like working my classes around themes even though I cringe at constantly looking for the theme (meaning) of a poem, story etc. The theme of this week, for me, seems to be The Quest.

I’m borrowing the picture for today’s post from one I took at a UNCC Writing Project meeting from last month. You can read more about that meeting at a guest blog I did for the Writing Project.

On – speaking of guest blog kind of things – in case I forgot to mention it I was interviewed over at CL Bledsoe’s blog. And, while we are sharing, I do have a few poems up in the current issue of Wilderness House Literary Review. Each of these poems has a role in what I hope will be my second full length collection, tentatively titled, What if We Could Morph?

In my interview with Cort, he asked me about ongoing projects and it almost feels painful for me to discuss ongoing projects right now because I feel stuck. I’m one of thsoe who loves to start and finish things, but I sometimes ZOOM through the middle part – the journey part – the quest – the now. Because, right now, I can’t seem to hear my own poetry. I know these moments come, but there is part of me that worries just a bit (interestingly enough Robert Lee Brewer was kind of talking about this this week too!) about whether or not I have any more poems in me – or at least ones I like.

For example, here is a poem I am working on in the Tiger project I mention in my interview. I’m really not sure it is a keeper, but I’m here to show you all sides of what is going on in the writing life so here it is.

Goodbye poem – back to the revision pile
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As I’m pondering all of this and wondering if I am at a wall in my writing journey I also found myself watching the movie Chasing Amy this week. I know, I’m like 10 years (or 15) late watching most of the Kevin Smith movies. I think I saw Dogma first on Comedy Central before I ever went back to watch his New Jersey films (and I saw Mall Rats first. I love the mall so I even blogged about that once). At the time when they came out I was just getting out of college and into my first career life. I was at an in between place similiar to a lot of his characters, but I wasn’t ready to see it yet. (Note – for thsoe who don’t know – lots of language and sexual discussion in CA if you aren’t into that kind of thing).

So what am I getting at? I wonder if I am, in a sense, chasing the amy poems I wrote over the last few years? In a previous poem share I mentioned watching a documentary about Kevin Smith where he talks about having success and whether or not that means he can no longer write the movies of his 20′s because that isn’t who he is anymore. What if I’m not a person who can produce the narrative poems I love so well anymore?

I try to remind myself that it is the task of trying that matters so much; that the quest sometimes is all there is . . .

Time for comments, your poems etc. Let’s chat

PS Almost forgot: a poem from my Poetry app that I enjoyed

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