Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

  To start with, I fully enjoyed The Odyssey as interpreted and directed by Nolan with such an awesome array of talent. Those who are complaining that it is not "true to the text" are missing the whole point of the story, and as a story rooted in both antiquity and myth, it has to be flexible. No story speaks to 3000 years of people without leaving room for adaptation.  There are things in the text that I miss in the film, but that's because I love the epic poem so much that I know the little things, which are, more than likely, not necessary to the narrative Nolan is spinning for us. There are shifts in the story that clearly show the director's intent, as well. Having Odysseus ponder and regret the effects of war, of breaking the social contract through lies and duplicity and offending the gods because they'd acted against the "laws of Zeus" was a choice that departs from the text. I'm not mad about it. In order for the ancient text to remain rele...

Another grey, overcast, somewhat chilly morning. Though it was ten degrees warmer this morning when I got up... progress? The pool stands, draped in heavy covering, a reproach, a distant invitation, a sad commentary on the distance between wish and reality. OK, I just leveled up the pool. I want to be floating and looking at clouds, but instead, I am not. Sigh. Summer does this to me sometimes.  At least we have no beach vacation plans to be ruined. Or any vacation plans, really. Each day has its own chore list, its own agenda that allows little time for dreaming in the pool, even if it were warm enough. Still, I have just over a month left before stodgy clothes and school requirements horn their way in. Maybe we'll get in the pool again soon. This cool trend is a bummer. (Though there are those cold weather folks who are cheering for the chill. Weirdos.) Today, after my leisurely cup of coffee and a hot shower, I will be wending my way downtown to meet with a former student who in...

We had another really great time at The Frost Place, this time with Abbie Kiefer as our guest poet. The open mic was super, too-- this year's poet in residence participated, as did a few other really good readers. It's awesome to end the weekend/start the week with good words in such a lovely location.  And now it's Monday, and it was 45 degrees when I got up. I'm pretty sure Holly is still going to want to go to swim lessons, even though it's likely to be only about 60 degrees. Crazy kids don't feel the cold. And she starts her one week of pre-K soccer camp today at 3:00 as well. Busy! But in the meantime, I hope to wash floors and maybe bake something-- the house is pretty chilly until the sun comes in the back windows in the afternoon. So, how about those Red Sox? 13 games in a row, and sweeping teams that everyone else seems to think they should have been pummeled by. I'll take it. It won't last (New England sports fans know these things in their sou...

I shuffled and sorted my poems yesterday, and there are 47 of them in a very rough approximation of a manuscript. I will be spending a lot of time with this project, and maybe refining some of the poems, moving them around, seeing what the hell they have to say to each other and to me. But it's started.  Today, we have church and breakfast. I have some house chores to attend to. And then there's our guest poet/community open mic at 3 at The Frost Place-- this week's poet is someone I do not actually know. I've only communicated with her via email. So, this will be really fun! If you're local, come on up and hear Abbie Kiefer! Bring a poem to share! And yes, I baked bread yesterday. It is so satisfying to bring the simplest of ingredients together into a cohesive whole, then knead the dough, and then let it rise. I think there's a connection there between my poetry ms project and the bread. Maybe I should write that? The forecast for today is better; it poured al...

Well, the weather has upended my plans a little today, but I really don't mind all that much. I was going to wash floors, but it's damp/chilly, and they would not dry quickly. I'll try again tomorrow. They aren't gross, just it's time, if you know what I mean. Instead, I'll bake some sourdough bread. That will be nice, and it'll warm up the house a bit. This cool/wet trend is helpful for the garden, but it's really inconvenient for the pool and for sitting on the deck with coffee.  That all said, I hope to begin shuffling poems today. I have so many copied off, and I think I might have an organizational principle figured out (book in three sections). I changed the working title, and maybe that'll help me figure out which poems go in/out and where. And I drafted a new one yesterday! It's been a bit since I've written anything much. Partly due to my time being really pulled elsewhere (four-year-olds hate it when you are on the computer, unless ...

 Holly and I went to the movies yesterday, as the day turned cool and rainy. It was the best choice for us; we went to St. J where the popcorn is good and they use real, Cabot butter. We had great seats, and the live-action version of Moana did not disappoint. There's a bit more music in this version, and the mythology/backstory for the main characters was fleshed out a bit, too. And Dwayne Johnson was fabulous, as one would expect.  Today, we have the last day of art camp, we have swim lessons, and we are going to mess around with clay after lunch. I have laundry to do (no surprises), but in general, my brain is turning toward my manuscript I promised myself I'd be working on. The working title has staled, and I'm thinking more about what do the poems do, both as a group, and individually. What I need to do is sit down and pull out the ones I truly think resonate. And I'm sure there's some to discard, some to maybe tweak a bit-- in short, I need some time alone.  S...