Welcome to the Pumpkin Patch aka Literary Connections

It’s that time of year.  Pumpkins are everywhere!

While you can find them for sale at many stores, it’s more fun to search for your pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.  Especially one where the proceeds go to charity.

The particular pumpkin patch I visited yesterday offers pumpkins from Farmington, NM.  I’ve been to Farmington a few times on vacation.  (By the way New Mexico is actually a state!  Search for 1 of our 50 is missing if you want to read some funny stories, or maybe not so funny, of how some folks confuse it for the country!). And, if you read mystery novels by Tony Hillerman (now carried on by his daughter Anne), Farmington is sometimes mentioned.

Just like my love of New Mexico from the trips we’d taken there made me enjoy walking through the pumpkin path that much more, literary connections can also be real.  Have you ever identified with characters in a book?  I know when I write certain things, I feel in touch with my characters like they’re a real part of my writing life.

That realness gives a flavor to the texts that makes you want to read more.  That’s why they’re so many book series out there, too, - because people can love characters as if they are real.

What realness do you put into your writing?  Have you visited a pumpkin patch lately?

Here are my pictures of the pumpkin patch I visited:

The Mailbox of the Kindred Spirit - Ocean Isle Beach edition

 If you’d like to read my story about Ernie and Melody and the iconic mailbox (The Mailbox of the Kindred Spirit on Sunset Beach) you can pick up your copy locally (and even online) at the fabulous Tybrisa Books! My book is not only set at Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach but also in Lenoir (called Rionel in the book). 

 Check it out at: The Mailbox of the Kindred Spirit Ocean Isle Beach edition

The Quiet Zone

These poems are written about the Quiet Zone and the surrounding and nearby area. There’s so much to see and do in West Virginia! The Quiet Zone is in Greenbank, West Virginia near the radio telescopes. They keep out any interference such as from a cell phone where the telescopes are so it doesn’t affect their research. It’s fun to walk amongst the telescopes! They sit among the pine trees. The area is beautiful and isolated.

The Quiet Zone

Poet

 Poet: A Poet’s Guide and Mini Workbook now available in E-book or Paperback.

This book is about what it’s like to live as a poet. It’s not just a profession! If you are a writer, a poet, then it affects your world, your head, your heart and those around you. No matter what you do to make a living, you are a poet through and through all day, all night.

Living your life as a poet is almost like writing a poem: you take words, thoughts and organize them to fit a certain structure. For me, poetry = life!

Poet: A Poet's Guide and Mini Workbook

The Impact of Books aka Along the Yellow Brick Road

What are the impact of books?  I bet, especially if you’re a reader, you can answer this question in many different ways.  

Let’s take “The Wizard of Oz” for example.  This past weekend, I visited the revived theme part “The Land of Oz” based on the movie and the book.  (The idea came from the man who started nearby Tweetsie Railroad.). The theme park originally (and still does) sit at the top of Beech Mountain and it was the most successful one of the time, with only one actual ride.  Even the place with the mouse, came to visit for inspiration.  The theme park itself closed in the 80’s and it is now reopened as a sort of revival of the park, with some of the original buildings and shows, but without the one ride, the balloon ride.

I wonder if Frank Baum ever envisioned his book(s) as a movie, much less a theme park!  And here we are years and years later and “The Wizard of Oz” is still inspiring so many new generations.  

It shows the impact words/books can really have as well as the longevity of stories.  I would put “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “The Canterbury Tales” etc. in the same category.

When you write, your words do have meaning!  So be mindful of what you write, be inspired about what you write, and most of all don’t forget to write!

Just for fun here are a few of my pictures from “Autumn at Oz” at the original “Land of Oz” theme park from this weekend (Sept 2022):

The Jackalope Committee and Other Tales

 My new short story book is out now from Alien Buddha Press. It’s entitled “The Jackalope Committee and Other Tales.”

Order your copy of "The Jackalope Committee and Other Tales"

Graffiti Poems

Have you ever written a graffiti poem?  If not, have you seen graffiti somewhere?  

I have seen graffiti many places but generally not in the area where I live.  The town is small and there are simply not too many places for it.  

Yesterday, I saw lots of it in underground street tunnels.  These tunnels run underneath a busy road at a big university and they’re used to keep people from crossing the street in all the traffic.  There’s another tunnel decorated in graffiti near the university - this one runs under the highway and is part of the local Greenway aka walking paths.  

It’s interesting to see what people decide to paint or spray paint.  Words, drawings, some things quite unmentionable, quotes, movie lines, etc.  

I find graffiti interesting.  No, I don’t agree with defacing public property but it is what it is.  

I have written poems about graffiti I’ve seen - I wrote a couple about the walkway to the Morris Island Lighthouse off of Folly Beach (in Charleston SC) in my book “Chucktown” with poems all about that particular area.  You can’t access the lighthouse except by water, but there is a road that leads to the beach across from it.  The entire thing is covered in graffiti.  

If you’re a writer mostly likely you like to read and you have a love of words like me.  There are some interesting “words” used in graffiti.  You can easily write a poem from something you see or even write a found poem from it.  

Writing is simply what you make it.  Writing a poem can take you to all kinds of different places.  How will you write a poem today?

This is some of the graffiti in one of the pedestrian tunnels.

Authors Signing Books

Lately I’ve noticed that some of the authors I follow on social media, are signing their books if they come across them in stores.  One of my favorite bands lead singer did that too for their new music release.  What a neat idea!  I know I enjoy coming across signed books in my favorite bookstores - and when I say coming across I mean finding them in amongst other books for sale and not as a bookstore promotion.  I usually find these at used bookstores.  I’ve noticed that bookstores selling new books have been offering signed books for sale.  There’s even one that let’s you subscribe for a book a month including some signed books.  Plus there are constant signed book giveaways online to promote them and the authors.

My local bookstore, Tybrisa books, offers local author books as well as a huge selection of used books and other media.  I dropped by there this week to do some book shopping.  And because they kindly offer my books for sale (The Glass River, The Mailbox of the Kindred Spirit, Poetry in LA, Swim, A Sunless Sea, The Poet Next Door, The Blue Eyed Side, and more), I (yes) signed my books!   

I don’t know what it is about a signed book vs an unsigned one that makes it more attractive (to me).  Maybe it’s because I know the author has actually spent time with the book, at lease a few moments, signing it and that makes it special.  

A book is a work of art!  Works of art are usually signed, so why not books?!?

Back to the 4th!

 

It’s so good to be back to the 4th of July with a real fireworks display!  Last year there were fireworks but nothing like this year’s which seemed to be back to like it was in years past.  There’s something about watching fireworks with other people nearby, oohing over the magnificent display.  

Fireworks are a work of art, in my opinion!  Each burst of light, each noise tells a story and is connected.  The night sky is part of the act, too.  There are the different colors, how the firework displays, and if it makes any sounds as some do and some don’t.

It was like watching a brilliant light show you sit underneath.  It’s like an immersive art experience or theme ride except this is more real because there’s no video displays and no music no special effects except for the fireworks themselves.

How real is your art and creative world?  How do you like to experience art?

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

You Can’t Use Chopsticks with Soup

Do you read the fortunes in your fortune cookies?  Do you like to eat with chop sticks?

I like to do both.  Though, I don’t actually eat the fortune cookie, I like to read the fortune.  Other members of my family like the cookies, so I save mine for them.

Fortunes in fortune cookies are pieces of writing.  They are probably auto generated by computer by now. Can a computer really give you your fortune?

And then there are the sleeves for chopsticks which also have some writing of some kind on them.  It’s not a fortune, but maybe the manufacturer’s info, etc.

Last night, we got take out from our favorite Japanese restaurant and I decided to eat with chopsticks.  Well, I’m not a traditional person so what I always order is probably very different from what others might.  I like the soup and salad and a side of mushrooms.  

As I fingered my chopsticks, easily using them with the mushrooms, I laughed as I looked at the soup.  And, my salad.  Turns out eating a salad with chopsticks isn’t all that easy, either.  So there I was with chopsticks, a fork and a spoon to eat!  

It made me think of the tools I need for my writing.  I actually still use pen and paper, but I also use my smart phone, my tablet, my computer, and a Rocketbook (look those up on Amazon or wherever you shop because they are amazing - it’s reusable but document scannable paper).  I also carry a pint sized journal - it’s tiny.  I also use painting and playing guitar and ukulele to enhance my writing as a well as reading books, magazines and papers.  Plus, I like the experience of going a few places here and there to actually see things happening, to observe.  Observation is probably the best tool you’ll ever need to be a writer.  

I also wondered could there be some kind of chopstick that’s made for eating soup?  How about for salads?

What tools do you need to write?  What tools can you imagine that you’d like to have for your writing?

Reflections and Perspectives

I love the water.  I love to look at reflections in the water.  Everything looks different depending on where you’re looking, your angle.

Angles are important with writing.  What perspective do you use when you write a poem or short story?  Over the years, I’ve read that it’s a no-no to use “I” in a poem, yet it happens all the time and yes I’ve written some “I” poems myself.  Using I in your poem doesn’t necessarily mean you’re writing about yourself.  Sometimes, I think readers of stories, poems see or read stuff into them that may not be what the author intended as writing is and should be creative, not necessarily a confessional.  

I like to take pictures of the water and sunsets.  I will walk around or move around to get different views.  It’s really worth it.  I think with writing it’s good to read other poets and authors to see their points of views.

It’s always good to consider the scenery and what’s reflected in it - same goes for characters in a story or a narrator in a poem.  Like with painting, it’s good to think about the perspective in all angles.