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.

Happy Halloween!

 

Have fun! Be safe! Feel free to pass along any extra peanut M&Ms!

 

Jack-o-lantern courtesy of this site.

In the Booth

Wednesday, October 21, 2009—Adding lots to my pot of revisions. Away from blogging while that work bubbles and brews. Witch’s cauldron perhaps a more appropriate image here, but phone off the hook will have to do. Back soon!

 

Image by fotolia.

A Thursday in October

Thursday, October 8, 2009—Digging in on revisions and additions to a kids’ poetry collection I’ve been working on. Listening to the pages to help me triage which poems to jettison or put away for a spell, which ones to keep on with. Listening to lots of music and paying attention to rhythms. Mumbling a lot. Reading. Not blogging so much. Dog training, freelance work, family activities all in the mix. Keeping the flow of inspiration going. Now back to it.

Art Infusion

"this comes from within" by Virginia Fitzgerald

Thursday, October 1, 2009—Anyone able to get to South Boston before Oct. 16 should go see Virginia Fitzgerald’s art installation “this comes from within” at Medicine Wheel Productions. The focal point as you first walk in is a majestic, illuminated dress, built of eggshells and papier-mache and presiding over shattered glass. The dress alone is amazing, but look around, and you’ll notice the gorgeous imagery on the walls—of nurturance, life, and flight; mythology and dreams—and an interior red chamber, revealed through the outline of a dress, celebrating the spirit and body of the feminine creative. Oh, but I’m not doing it justice here! What you really should do is go see it!!  Better yet, go to the installation and …  

… Meet the artist this Sunday, Oct. 4, from 2:30-5:30 p.m., at Medicine Wheel Productions, 110 K. Street in South Boston.

If you can’t make it Sunday, check out the installation during gallery hours, Monday through Friday, 10-4, or by appointment until October 16.

From "this comes from within" by Virginia Fitzgerald

La Machine

Wednesday, September 23, 2009—I’ve been thinking for a long time about getting a laptop. My clunky old workstation (which was new and shiny not that long ago it seems) has been crashing a lot lately, forcing me to go beyond just toying with the idea to start reviewing new PC specs and conduct actual research at the Mac store (vs. my usual goof-around mall Mac visits). New computer arriving soon. A very helpful person we know has been providing guidance on a reconditioned laptop, which is the way I’ve decided to go. (I picture an old laptop covered in new upholstery.) In looking into all of this, I also realized that my cell plan has been officially up for a while, so maybe it’s a good time to revisit all that phone business and think about some kind of computer-slash-phone strategy? Isn’t that what I’m supposed to be doing these days? Integrated strategy and apps? Although, I think my phone itself is just fine—the back is sort of not exactly on right since the phone has been dropped a few, well, several times, and I can’t receive email on the thing, or maybe I can if I pay extra, which I won’t. But hey, I can take pictures and, yeah, I can call you and send texts just fine. I mean, I’m slow on the texting, but the technology is there. So, keep the phone, but get a new phone plan. Gack! More research. I need a cup of coffee. Which brings me to our coffee maker, which makes really yummy lattes, but has a digital display that says that the machine needs cleaning, even though we’ve run the clean cycle with the enzyme tablets and all that about ten times. Either the display is stuck, or there is some oily coffee slime somewhere up in the machine beyond the reach of the interior scrubbers that are part of this intricately designed Swiss machine. And the machine just won’t let go of it—the incessant blinking of “clean the machine.” Luckily, you can override it and still make a cup. I love this machine despite its obsession with cleanliness because it saves on having to go out for coffee. Although if I get a new laptop, am I beholden to set up shop in Starbucks or Panera?

Image by fotolia.

Friday Notes

Friday, September 18, 2009—Yesterday, my friend Ted emailed with a quick hey to let me know that former U.S. poet laureate Ted Kooser was on WBUR’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook. Would that I could have clicked on the radio at that moment, but morning work didn’t allow. Fortunately, through the wonders of the Web, I can listen to the program today. Kooser is speaking about his book Lights on a Ground of Darkness, a tribute to his family and life growing up in America’s heartland. I’m scheduled to switch over to some freelance work in a few minutes, but I will give a listen as the morning/afternoon allows. Here’s the link for anyone interested.

Update: Shortly after I posted this morning, my computer crashed. I will never type “wonders of the Web” or other such technology-related hexes again. But I will try listening to the program later today.