Fresh Snow

We had a dusting of snow already this fall, but last night’s accumulation (not tons, about 3 inches) felt like the first real snow of the season. Big, wet flakes and a brilliant winter morning when we woke up. And although my daughter called it “a good snowstorm wasted” because it took place over the weekend and not during the school week, there’s nothing like that first snow. Why is that? The newness of it? We’re not yet tired of scraping and shoveling and being cold? Or is it the snow-globe-iness of it to kick off the holiday season? Could just be all the fresh air that comes in with the storm. Inhale, exhale, renew.

One thing’s for certain, we all notice the first snow, whether we’re out playing in it, standing at the window, watching it come down, or blogging and tweeting about it. It snowed!

December Art Infusion

Went yesterday to the Mass College of Art & Design for the final day of a phenomenal multimedia installation, Leaving the River, by Evelyn Berde.

From "Leaving the River," a multimedia installation by artist Evelyn Berde.

The installation chronicles intertwining stories from the artist’s life—a brother’s death from drowning in the Charles River in 1956; the destruction and loss of the family’s West End neighborhood in Boston; and years of medical treatments related to scoliosis—all of which informed Berde’s emergence as an artist. Loss is a theme of the installation, but I found it more a celebration of the power of art and storytelling to make sense of and bear witness to the past, while transcending its weight through the path of creativity. We were fortunate to meet the artist herself—thank you Evelyn Berde for such a warm welcome and an inspiring exhibit!

And, as I’ve mentioned on this blog before, getting a hit of visual art is good for us writers—gets us away from the keyboard, opens up the senses, ignites the imagination. So while this particular installation is closing, I’ll use this as a call to friends of the writing persuasion to go grab some art. Thanks, 21 and Bubbles, for going with me! V and Seaweed7, hope you’re feeling better!

Already?

If days and years pass quickly, which I’m old enough to know they do, why do I feel so surprised
it’s December?

Time flies ... December skies ...

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Enjoy!

For Brady

Last Poetry Friday, over at The Drift Record, Julie Larios posted a terrific poem about her “moon fever.” I commented that I, too, had been mesmerized by the moon of late—now that we have a dog, we’re out more at nighttime. Going the next step (and thanks for the encouragement, Julie), I played this week with crafting a related poem. Ended up with a poem about trying to come up with a poem about watching the moon with the dog. It’s a bit rough and rambly, but thought I’d share for Poetry Friday this week.

Julie is this week’s Poetry Friday host. Check out the roundup for more poems and poetic inspiration.

IN SEARCH OF A MOON/DOG POEM

There’s always the humorous take,
you know, the one about the family member
with the requisite props—
pouch full of treats,
various leashes,
books on canine body language—
then the punchline ending:
who’s training whom?

More resonant, perhaps,
a moon/dog haiku,
some poignant juxtaposition involving
moonbeams and dog slobber.

But let’s face it,
much has been written about the moon,
and dogs,
by poets more polished
than the one up late again
trying to learn the ins and outs of Twitter.

Besides,
this poem would be set at midnight
(cliché?),
and feature not some glamorous orb aglow,
but a neighborhood moon over workaday houses
(last line running dangerously close to campaign-speak).

And the dog?
Well, how to capture the dog?
A shepherd mix,
trusting,
or trying to be,
after three years,
just as many homes,
and who knows how many miles.
(Mention here the eager, full-body wag
and eyes like chocolate Tootsie-Pops?)
The point is,
soulfulness in spades, this shelter boy.
What poem could measure up?

While we’re at it,
where’s the poetry in a dog’s need to pee?
Stacking the last dishes,
and donning whichever jacket is nearest the door
for a quick trip out?

Cue the midnight moon.

Not ordinary at all,
radiant,
silently magnificent.
Right there, above the back fence.

Missed how often before this?

Sniffing and other business completed,
dog draws up alongside,
regarding first the sky,
then his moonstruck companion.

Simple really,
the body language.
Stick with me.

By Martha Calderaro

We adopted our sweet pooch, Brady, pictured above, from the Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton, MA. Here’s their wishlist for anyone in the local area interested in making a donation. Thinking about adopting a dog or cat? One resource for finding animals seeking homes is petfinder. You can search in different ways, including by geographic location.

And for more pet-inspired poetry, my writing friend (and dog-walking buddy) Nandini has some wonderful poems about her family’s pets, including lovely black and white photos, over at her site, Notes from New England.

Off-Season

Visited the Cape (Orleans) over the weekend. Gone, the summer crowds …

… though the beach still calls …

… with a roar.

Poetry Site to Explore

Friday, November 13, 2009—Gosh, there are so many places to turn to for poetry. Hard for me to keep up with who’s got what where. I feel a bit the same with regard to social media, though did take the plunge this week and joined Twitter. (Tipping the hat to our Poetry Friday host this week, Greg Pincus, and his helpful advice and encouragement on using social media over at The Happy Accident. Note: This week’s Poetry Friday is at his other blog GottaBook.)

In any event, one of the first items I noticed in joining Twitter was a pointer to PoetrySpeaks, a site that I am eager to explore. I’ve been walking around this year thinking about the intersection of poetry and new media and the different ways of sharing poetry … well, this site appears to be right along those lines. Now, unfortunately, I’ve missed the past few Poetry Fridays (boo), so perhaps I’ve also missed discussion on the new PoetrySpeaks site. If so, I’ll try to catch up. If not, I’m curious if others have been exploring or posting to this site (created by Sourcebooks, publisher of Poetry Speaks, Poetry Speaks to Children, and Hip Hop Speaks to Children)?

I’m certainly intrigued by the line on the home page: “PoetrySpeaks allows you to experience poetry in a host of interesting ways.” You can check out great poets reading their own work. You can post your own poetry recording to the site. Also a section devoted to spoken word … Anyway, looks like lots here to dig into. (And, see, this is what I find tough about all this new media … trying to keep up with everything and digest what it is you come across.)

Anyway, any related notes, please share. And if you know of sites similar to PoetrySpeaks, please let me know. (The Favorite Poem Project is one that comes to mind, though somewhat of a different intention.)

Cheers to all on Poetry Friday. Happy rhythm. Happy rhyme.

Finally Did It

Wednesday, November 11, 2009—Joined Twitter. There are all sorts of conversations going on that I’m curious about, interested in, eager to follow and join. (And a whole bunch that I’m not, though I’m hoping to be able to sort out one from the other as I learn the ins and outs of Twitter.)

I’ve been planning to join for a while. Thanks go to my friend Nandini, who encouraged me to take the next step when she sent along word of a tweetup taking place during the ALA midwinter conference in Boston in January. And by extension, thanks go to Mitali Perkins and Deborah Sloan for organizing the event. Mitali has a helpful quick guide to getting started on Twitter over at her blog, which I will be relying on.

One final shout-out to Greg Pincus over at The Happy Accident, site of great information and guidance on using social media. Greg also blogs at Gotta Book, as I found out earlier this year by participating in the wonderful weekly online event, Poetry Friday.

Anyway, enough blogging for now. I have “0 tweets” staring at me on my home page at Twitter. Time to join the conversation.

By the way, you’ll find me there at @marthacalderaro.

Of Newspapers and Sesame Street

Monday, November 9, 2009—So a couple of questions for writers, readers, lovers of the printed word: These days, do you get your news more from newspapers (“paper” papers) or online sources? Do you read the newspaper now as much (as frequently) as you did in the past?

I never thought it would happen: In our household, somehow over the past several months, we went from a daily morning newspaper subscription, to Thursday through Sunday only, to Sunday only, to … well, now we get our papers at the newsstand, but not every day, and not even every Sunday. Gack. We rely more on online sources than the paper. (We’re radio listeners, too.) In any event, I’m wondering, how’d that happen? I mean, I know the trend has been toward online news for a while, but it flies in the face of the daily ritual that I’ve relied on, paging through an actual paper. (Add to that, family history—my grandfather worked at the paper of record in this area for 50 years.)

On the plus side, I’ve actually increased my book reading in the mornings. And while I appreciate downloading and electronic viewing, I can’t imagine ever stating that I read more books in electronic form than in actual “book” book form. I need that whole tactile experience. And I like the way books smell. But times they are a-changin’. Case in point, I’m blogging about this.

Luckily, not all familiar traditions are falling by the wayside. This week marks the 40th birthday of Sesame Street. Okay, so that’s television, and we weren’t even talking about TV. And I guess technically, a program is not a tradition per se, but the 40th birthday is a milestone worth marking. Forty years of imaginative, fun, educational programming for kids. All kids. And with plenty of good chuckles thrown in for grown-ups, too. Maybe a new daily ritual is needed around here–no news surfing until after a visit with Big Bird and the gang? A much more optimistic way to start the day. Happy birthday! Here’s a clip of the show’s opening from the first season, complete with that well-known theme composed by Joe Raposo. And for anyone who follows Mad Men, check out this Sesame Street take on it—very funny, particularly the stylized opening sequence (again, somethings for kids and for adults).

Typewriter pic above from this site.

Bicycle Blues!

Monday, November 2, 2009—This one’s for bicyclists and blues lovers alike. My friend Sharon passed along news of a fun night out for blues music, all for a good cause. Here’s the info:

Melanie and the Blue Shots are appearing on Saturday, November 14 (8 to 11 p.m.) at First Parish, Universalist in Malden for a performance to benefit the Northern Strand Community Trail. Enjoy a night of great music and dancing in support of efforts to complete the cyclist/pedestrian trail, which will run along an abandoned railway through Everett, Malden, Revere, and Saugus, and end at the beach in Lynn. Melanie grew up in the area and is coming back with her band especially to help the trail cause.

Melanie and the Blue Shots

You can find out more about joining the effort and reserving tickets ahead ($15) by visiting Bike to the Sea, sponsor of the event. First Parish, Universalist is located at Elm and Pleasant Street in Malden, three blocks west of the Malden T. Free parking in the Beebe school lot.

Photo from the Bike to the Sea site.