Fall for the Book - a DC-area literary festival - began Sunday and will run through Friday night. On Tuesday night, poet Robyn Schiff will be reading at George Mason University from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts). I have been reading Schiff's second book, Revolver, in which she examines … Continue reading Fall for the Book lineup: Robyn Schiff’s “Revolver”
Category: art
Art and architecture in Pittsburgh
Jeff and I spent Memorial Day weekend sans kids in Pittsburgh. We decided that since east-bound beach traffic would be heavy, heading west was a good idea, and Pittsburgh is only about four hours from DC. So off we drove, in the stunned silence of burned-out parents of small children, into the real world. Pittsburgh sits at … Continue reading Art and architecture in Pittsburgh
The Basket of Curiosities
I have trouble getting anything done when there is visible clutter. This morning, the house was overrun with scattered toys, cuttings from various papers, books, and game pieces. So I spent twenty minutes getting everything back to its container and shelf. Unfortunately, there are always items that defy classification, don't really have a place: kid's meal … Continue reading The Basket of Curiosities
Kids at poetry readings
Last night, I took an enormous leap of faith and took my first grader to her first poetry reading. This particular reading - part of the Iota Reading Series curated by Miles David Moore and hosted by Iota Club & Cafe in Arlington, Virginia - seemed a good fit. I promised her a brownie sundae, … Continue reading Kids at poetry readings
Connections
As I write this, I'm on hold with a Verizon representative, who has left me on hold for six minutes as he investigates why our internet connection keeps dropping every five minutes. For every minute that goes by without hearing his voice, I know (from prior experience, unfortunately) my chances increase for being hung up … Continue reading Connections
My top five love poems
I've selected my top five love poems - one romantic, one intellectual, one humorous, one passionate, and one familial - in the hope that these will fill your Valentine's Day needs. Here they are: 1) Romantic - "somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond" by E.E. Cummings I first heard this poem in the 1980's Woody … Continue reading My top five love poems
Midsummer nights
Today I'm letting Adrienne Rich say something inspiring about this sweltering night, which has me camped in front of the A/C register. I love the coolness of her images here: the blue stones in the moonlight, and her solitude "half-blotted by darkness." Here is an excerpt from the final poem of her "Twenty-One Love Poems:" … Continue reading Midsummer nights
Debris of a derecho
On June 29, many residents of the D.C. area learned a new word: "derecho," which is an intense windstorm. We were traveling in California when it hit, but were able to see the devastating results all over the internet and Facebook. During a time of record heat, the power outages throughout the area - which … Continue reading Debris of a derecho
Poems on Travel
Every summer, we head to California to visit family. Although our six-hour plane trip - with little kids in tow - is decidedly unromantic, that moment of lift-off, of anything-can-happen, is marvelous. On the subject of plane travel, I love David Brendan Hopes' poem "A Jet Flying Over Oxford." Here's an excerpt from the poem, … Continue reading Poems on Travel
The Artists’ Salon
On Saturday night, I attended the first meeting of Steve and Katy May's "salon," with a number of other writers and visual artists. Steve and Katy run Plan B Press, which specializes in poetry chapbooks of astonishing, handmade detail. We passed the chapbooks around, admiring the hand-stamped letters on covers, pressed-flower linings, and of course, … Continue reading The Artists’ Salon
Between Gods 