Loose Leaf Notes

1. When Poetry Becomes Dictation: It’s like having an imaginary friend that no one but you believes in.

2. File the below poem under the heading: At least I got a poem out of it.

3. Reading her poetry / is like splashing liniment / on my right shoulder / that is stiff / My range is limited / only improves by increments / Is measured by stretches / and tasks out of reach / by scrawling warm-ups / of the best blind intentions / to throw the first pitch / that will lead to finished work … Read How to Read Barbara Kingsolver in its entirety HERE.

4. Yes, our Floyd girl Morgan Wade got her picture on the Rolling Stone for “Pics of the week of January 26,” which includes a video clip of one of her songs on her upcoming album HERE.

5. “Even to this day, if I write something, I’m writing it for me. It helps me not to look at what everybody else thinks as much.” Morgan Wade

6. Pun or punch line?

7. “Glamorous or clamorous?” asks Barbara Kingsolver

8. When someone calls a poem I wrote ‘clever,” I always get the idea they think I tricked them.

9. “If you’re a young writer and a smoker, you should probably quit, because that will increase your odds of getting old enough to accumulate wisdom. That is the main thing readers want, I think: wisdom. When I pick up a book, I want it to rock my mind. That only happens if the author knew something I didn’t. Wisdom tends to accumulate with age, as we survive misfortunes and distill what was useful. So, while dancers and athletes peak at 25, writers have the career advantage of doing our best work in old age. And that’s good, because given the average writer’s income, there is rarely much of a retirement account.” Barbara Kingsolver

10. That’s the Narnia part of our yard.

11. “I missed out on the GameStop frenzy on Wall Street last week and didn’t earn a bundle of money, but for me, it was enough that the temperature got up to forty, a slight thaw that made me think of spring, I being the registered optimist that I am. After all, I am a Democrat, the party that seeks to legislate against ignorance and cruelty. I believe in the goodness of people I pass on the street and I think that by July, we’ll be crowding into comedy clubs and laughing at pandemic jokes.” Garrison Keillor

12. Joe and I both recently had our first dream where we were wearing masks.

13. Remember when masks were for winter weather? HERE We Snow Again or Nothing to See HERE? 

____________Thirteen Thursday