workshop | Ink In My Coffee

Mon. Oct. 6, 2025: Residency Days 2, 3, 4

*Inspiration wall & reading corner. Photo by Devon Ellington*

Monday, October 6, 2025

Full Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Usually I do an “intent for the week” post on Monday, but since I’m still in the studio, I wanted to share that experience.

I do, however, have the Community Tarot Reading for the Week posted here.

Once I got into the studio on Friday morning and did my meditation and 15-minute writing sessions, I transferred the files I needed to print to a separate USB and printed them off. I tried to use my regular USB, but the printer can’t read within folders. So I’m glad I tossed the extra into my cosmetic bag of flash drives, and had a clean one just for things to print.

I printed out our collaborative poem flyer, the programs, and the book price and tracking sheets. I wanted to get all of that done for the next day’s reading, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it at the last minute.

Then, I printed out pages of CONSEQUENCE and I WILL BE DIFFERENT, the two projects I wanted to work on first. I managed to get all that done by just a little after 8:30, which made me feel more settled.

*Studio set up for writing and sewing. Photo by Devon Ellington*

I read through CONSEQUENCE (I wrote about 30 pages, pre-residency). There are a couple of different ways I could go. I have to ponder in which direction I want to take it. I’m still not sure there’s enough there for a full-length, which is a problem, since I need something full-length to aim at the theatre who asked for one by their November 1 deadline. It makes me wonder if I should switch to CONNECTION, but I don’t want to leave CONSEQUENCE unfinished.

I re-read through what I have for the Milly section and the Amanda section of I WILL BE DIFFERENT. I think I might try to finish the Amanda section and start the Joy section. That leaves Alice (Milly’s mother, who actually has some great scenes in the Amanda section), and write the Mildred section last, even though it’s first in the chronology of the play, later this month/year.

I had to get a book review out, too, but got that out of the way mid-morning. It was not a genre I generally read, but I did the best I could with it. I put aside my personal feelings on the genre and focused on the strength of the writing and the way it engaged.

Played with some ideas in longhand, the start of explorations for the next sections of the plays.

Before I knew it, it was lunchtime!

I browsed in the gift shop for a few minutes, and then we all found each other, picked up our lunch boxes, and went outside to eat, because it was such a pretty day. We chatted and hung out. After lunch, I went back to the apartment to pick up a few things, like my toothbrush. I walked across the street carrying my toothbrush case and some makeup brushes and ran into an artist I knew who teased me about a very strange walk of shame!

Had trouble settling into the hour and change before the workshop meeting. It wasn’t enough time to get any substantial writing done, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to read. I spent some time on the acupressure mat, which was a good thing.

The workshop was a lot of fun, and the talent in that room makes me so happy and grateful to be a part of it. I did not bring anything to workshop on Friday. I listened and commented on other poets’ work. Even the dark poems have a lot of fierce joy in them, and I love that.

I headed home after on foot, stopping by Golden Bamboo to pick up Chinese food. I ran into a couple of people headed in for First Friday as I headed home. My mom was doing well. It’s good for her to have a few days of independence now and again. The cats were happy to see me, especially Bea.

After we ate, I headed back downtown to First Friday. I dashed down to FutureLabs, just in time for the talk by the two artists whose work is displayed this month. It’s really intriguing work. One artist made the paper she used by hand, and then painted on it – some of the paper was made from the garlic stems she’d help grow in the community garden, and on it, she created paintings about the process of planting the garden. The other artist does a series of robotic paintings. and he does them by painting with his fingers, rather than brushes. The gallery owner encouraged me to make an announcement about the reading at the library, which was so generous. She also really liked the proposal I sent about the upcoming shows, and will have my key to the gallery made up.

On the way back, I ran into some of my fellow poets, who were wandering around, enjoying First Friday. Yay! I love it when people who don’t live here can see how much fun we have.

Locals really want this to be a vibrant town, and love welcoming visitors.

Home baked the mini banana muffins. They came out pretty well, in spite the oven being inconsistent lately. I threw a few tee shirts into my bag, since it was supposed to get into the 80’s over the weekend, and I packed sweaters for the week. I checked the bags with the things we needed for the reading. I packed the muffins.

I actually slept really well (with Charlotte stretched out against my spine, purring). I woke up at 3, then dozed off again and had weird dreams, getting up around 5:30. While I’d hoped to be at the studio by 6, the world was not going to end if I was there by 7 instead.

I fed the cats, took my shower, risked putting curling cream in my hair (with the rising temperatures, it’s always a risk), made breakfast (scrambled eggs instead of the fried egg sandwich I usually do on residency mornings), packed up the food, said goodbye to the cats, and loaded the car. Tessa gave me instructions until the final time I shut the door.

I was in my studio a little before 7. It was lovely and quiet. I was still the first one there. I put up the suncatchers I brought from home. The pole beside my desk has two large screws in it, and I knew I would impale myself on them if I didn’t put something pretty there. I checked over the programs, paperwork, and ran through my own three poems for the reading. As weird as “The Grief Weather Tangerine” is, I really like it.

I had three false starts on poems. I hit a certain point on each and realized I’ve written this before, and better. Which is frustrating.

I did a little bit of research on the Queen Anne era and how prolific women playwrights were at the end of the 1600’s into the early 1700’s. According to the introduction of LOVE AND THUNDER, which is a collection of plays by women from the time (including Susanna Centlivre), “during the time of Anne, outright misogyny was tantamount to treason.” Wouldn’t it be nice if that was still the case, instead of the current encouragement of misogyny?

Headed up to the library, early of course. I wasn’t even the first one there! The third floor of the library was a wonderful space for us. It felt airy and intimate simultaneously. We set up the snack table and the book table and the chairs. Got the programs and the collective poem written for North Adams on the chairs. Chatted and generally got settled before the reading.

The reading went well, and was a lot of fun. There was snacking and chatting after. We put together a plate of goodies for the desk downstairs, cleared up, and were out by the time the library closed.

My fellow poets helped me load the car. I drove back down to the studio, resorted bags as to what was going over to the apartment for us to snack on for the rest of the residency, and what needed to go back home.

I paused to eat lunch with the collective. It was warm enough to eat outside again. In fact, I changed into a tee shirt because it was so hot. I had the roast beef for lunch, thinking it would be a good choice since I was feeling run down. But by mid-afternoon, I was reminded that red meat is rarely my friend.

Took things home, dropped off the car in the home lot, checked on my mom and the cats.

Walked back down to the studio, packed up what I needed for the apartment, and went over to the apartment to take a rest. I’ve been pushing hard on my deadlines since September with the ghostwriting client (last three projects on tighter than normal timelines), and the short story deadlines, and making sure things were set for the reading. Fatigue was to be expected.

I sort of dozed off and on for the rest of the afternoon. Read a little, dozed a little, read a little. There was a point where I realized how lovely and sunny it was in the livingroom, so I moved onto the couch there. Started playing with the idea for a poem that’s one thing on the surface with something else going on underneath.

My flatmate returned after the workshop, and we chatted for a bit and got ready for dinner.

Dinner was in Williamstown, at the Water Street Grill. I’d never eaten there before, but heard good things about it. I didn’t expect it to be as tavern-y as it was. It reminded me of Freight Yard Pub here in North Adams, in some respects. The food was good (I had fish tacos). The wine I chose was not a good choice. I should have gone with a beer. I’ll know next time!

Home, we all hung out together for a bit, my flatmate and I sat up talking a bit longer.

I set my alarm, in case I overslept, and I slept well. Weird dreams, which fled as soon as I woke up.

Woke up before the alarm, at my usual waking-up time. I tried to be quiet getting sorted out for the day, making breakfast, doing dishes. I swear one can hear that coffee maker all the way to Peoria.

And then, of course, I left my travel mug of coffee next to the sink!

I love getting into the studio early. I mean, there’s always someone working in one of the permanent studios, the museum’s security staff is lovely, and the space just feels safe and welcoming, especially without the public!

I did my morning meditation and my 15-minute writing session. Sunday was Day 45, halfway through the 90-day experiment. I played with my poem idea some more, and looked back at one of the ones I rejected yesterday, finding a kernel of potential in it. I played with it for a bit, and with another idea I had in the workshop on Friday.

I got several drafts of one poem done, well enough that I feel good about taking it to workshop. The title, which is what spurred the poem in the first place, no longer fits. The poem’s gone in a different direction.

I wandered the museum for a bit. I did my pilgrimage to the Boiler House and took some more photos. I might do a piece for one of the FutureLabs exhibits on striking images from the Boiler House that tell a story, three photos with three poems that can stand separately, but together add up to something more than the sum of its parts.

I sat with the Anselm Keifer pieces a bit, which are just so disturbing, I don’t know where to start to create poems or stories with them. They are so self-sufficient. What more can I say about them, except to explore the impact they have on me?

A fellow poet was in the exhibit, trying to write a poem, and said she’s been trying for the 10 years she’s been coming to the residency to do so, and hasn’t found the way in yet.

My camera was acting up, and I can’t figure out why. I sat at one of the picnic tables and my flatmate arrived. She was on her way to Boiler House, and then we wandered a bit, hoping to see Randi Malkin Steinberger’s “Archive of Lost Memories” which I loved so much when I saw it in summer. But it wasn’t open yet.

Back to the studio. I have wall space here, so I did some legs-up-the-wall pose to counter walking on concrete.

Picked up my lunch and ate it at the studio, reading Iris Woolcock’s book THE ROAD NORTH. Iris is one of my Playland Painters. She is the one who rented a room in the Greenwich Village brownstone owned by an Italian immigrant, his wife, their teenaged daughter and young son, with other lodgers being a young actor and two female journalists. Talk about a sitcom in the making! She lived in Vermont, not too far away from here, was a photographer and painter, even painting the official portrait of one of Vermont’s governors. Twice divorced, in 1947-48, she bought a trailer and drove the newly paved Alaska Highway with her cat. The entire trip was about 12,000 miles, since she began it in Florida.

The book is hilarious. She is the kind of person I would have loved to have as a friend. She’s such a good writer, with a wry sense of humor, a sense of adventure, and a clear-sightedness to the joys and foibles along the way.

Once I finished my lunch, I joined my fellow poets at the Fall Foliage Parade. Groups from all over the Berkshires are invited. There were many more organizations involved this year than in previous years, and it was so much fun. The marchers had fun, the audience had fun, it was a hot, sunny day. An all-around good time, and I’m really glad I went.

Charlotte fully believes the parade is in her honor, so I’m sure she had a lot to see, as they de-staged going past the apartment.

Back to the studio. Pinned up the fabric swatches, and got a solid idea of how I want to approach “Vast”, the piece I plan to create for the January show at FutureLabs. (Yes, that’s the one I hope doesn’t turn out to look like a giant potholder). None of the swatches I have will work for it, but at least I have more of an idea of what I’m looking for.

I set out the large “Human Compass” quilt top. I haven’t yet run a new bobbin, which I need to do before I pin and stitch.

I had hoped to do some stitching on Sunday, but went to the parade instead. I have no regrets.

The workshop was fun. As always, the poems ranged widely. I got lots of feedback on my poem, which I have to go through and figure out how to integrate. And there are options for titles now, far better than the ones I struggled to try and figure out.

We dropped off our stuff at the apartment, and then walked up to Nara Sushi for dinner. There were only four of us, out of the ten. The rest opted to stay home and eat leftovers from their previous meals I had rolls: Alaska roll (in honor of Iris) with salmon and avocado; yellowtail and scallion; eel and avocado. The wine was awful; I need to remember to only order beer there. But it was fun.

We wandered back. The moon over the city was gorgeous. Poets drifted over to the apartment to chat for a while. My flatmate and I stayed up and talked more, then headed off to bed

I woke up once in the night, but went straight back to sleep, and needed the alarm to hoist myself out of bed at 6. Still, I was at the studio before 7. Morning meditation, trying to get settled in my day. Once this is posted, I will do my 15-minute writing session, and then delve into the morning’s writing. I hope to do some stitching either late in the morning, or between lunch and the workshop session.

I can’t believe how fast the time is going!

Have a good one!

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writing

on October 6, 2025 at 6:45 am Comments (3)
Tags: fabric, Fall Foliage Parade, food, poems, poetry, reading, research, residency, studio time, workshop, writing

Wed. Jan. 15, 2025: Feeling Like a Juggler (in a Good Way)

image courtesy of Daniel Vargas Ruiz via pixabay.com

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Waning Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

There’s a new post up on Ink-Dipped Advice here, about a re-set for the beginning of the year.

We had a knock on the door while eating breakfast, telling us we can’t use the water for a good portion of the morning because they have to fix a sewer pipe in the basement. What a way to start the day. But they had it fixed in a couple of hours, so it was all good.

I worked on the support letter for A4A. It’s almost where I want it. I will work on it some more today, and then drop off the hard copies at the office later this week.

I adapted a bunch of serial episodes into four chapters for ANGEL HUNT. It felt good, although I worry a little because chapter lengths are uneven.

At noon, I had a two-hour workshop with A4A about going beyond arts grants. It was a terrific workshop, the first of three parts. I was disappointed that only one of the current cohort members participated. I really liked the workshop leader. I knew some of the information in this section, but there was also new information on which I could build.

The store that sent me the wrong book refunded the money, which is great, but now I have to hunt down a copy of the book I actually wanted. Put in another Chewy order, this time for Bea’s food. It should be here tomorrow.

After the workshop was over, I had a late lunch, then turned around 5 small coverages. I had the chance to take a short break, before changing, bundling up, and walking down to the yoga studio. Halfway there, I realized I hadn’t booked myself into the class, so when I arrived, I was able to do so on my phone. It was a bit of a brisk walk in the cold, but when I left the house, a little before 5 PM, it was still light out! The light is returning.

I’m so glad I went to yoga. It was wonderful. And we only have two more classes after this before the studio closes. I will miss it so much. There was also a current cohort member there; we joked about seeing each other out of context. One of the regulars drove me home after, which was very kind of her.

Cooked dinner, and started reading one of the books for the contest I’ve judging for a decade. It’s pretty good.

Slept reasonably well, although I was awake by about 3:30, fretting. Didn’t get up until I smelled the coffee at 5:30. It seems to work to have Bea’s door open all night, and she’s much happier that way, so we’ll see if we can make it work.

So much going on in the world right now, that needs to be, at least, acknowledged. The Neil Gaiman situation is heartbreaking for everyone involved. So tired of predators. Carrie Underwood performing at the inauguration? Why is anyone surprised? She’s always been trash. The confirmation hearings for the incoming cabinet show just how incompetent and loathsome the choices are. The bill the House passed yesterday on transgender girls in sports goes far beyond what it pretends to do. In addition to stripping rights from transgender individuals, it encourages and supports sexual predators AND it is part of the larger plan to strip yet more rights from women and girls. If they can’t play sports, they can’t get sports scholarships and it’s harder to get an education. If they aren’t fit, it’s harder to fight back against their abusers. The whole thing is disgusting.

Every parent who voted for the Sociopath is responsible for all further abuses from here on out. Putting their own children and ALL children in danger like this is unconscionable. No rational human believes that it’s “protecting” anyone. It’s about hate and removing rights, and they don’t give a damn about collatoral damage.

Let’s hope the winds die down and some rains come out in LA. They’ve been through enough. It’s wonderful how many individuals and organizations are stepping up to help. Let’s also note who is not, including the trio of ass-licking billionaires.

On today’s agenda: keep working on the support letter; more adaptation work on ANGEL HUNT; hopefully some work on VICIOUS CRITIC; work on the book reviews and the contest; we’re far enough into the year, so I think I can get out some more pitches and LOIs. I don’t like being in a holding pattern for the two big projects, and I don’t want to cut off other options, in case neither of them work out. I have a medium-sized coverage to turn around this afternoon, and that’s the end of the pay period. I made so little money it’s ridiculous.

I may do a library run later, if the weather holds. I have a lot of books to return, and a stack to pick up. Yay, rolly cart.

Have a good one!

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on January 15, 2025 at 7:34 am Comments (4)
Tags: assets-4-artists, books, cats, freelance, Ink-Dipped Advice, politics, workshop, writing

Fri. May 24, 2024: Start of the Holiday Weekend

A quartet of tall, thatched umbrellas at a lakeside beach with a pier stretching into the water and mountains on the other side of the lake. — *image courtesy of Rafał Kozanecki via pixabay.com*

Friday, May 24, 2024

Last Day of Full Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Sunny and warm

We’re at the long holiday weekend! Woo-hoo!

Although I woke up this morning thinking it was Saturday!

Today’s episode of ANGEL HUNT:

Episode 140: Lianna’s Magic

Lianna’s magic shouldn’t work on this plane. And yet it does. . .

Angel Hunt Serial Link

There are only SIX more episodes of ANGEL HUNT after today (three weeks). The final episode goes live on June 14.

I was absolutely exhausted yesterday. Note to self: be careful about overbooking, and give yourself more recovery time. You are no longer in your twenties!

It wasn’t quite as hot and humid, which helped.

My mom seems okay after her fall (I mean, she’ll be 100 in October, we have to be careful). She was still a little woozy. I was a little light-headed at times, too. Just in case it was environmental, I had a neighbor with a hypersensitive carbon monoxide detector take a turn through the place. Remember all those issues with had with carbon monoxide in the Cape house?

Nothing showed up, which was good. It was also expected, since we had new detectors put in recently and the windows are flung open to get whatever air circulation we can (no a/c). We do have a good deal of tree pollen happening right now. Someone yesterday mentioned this is a particularly strong year for tree pollen, which means I constantly feel like there’s dust at the back of my throat and my eyes itch.

I got about half of the follow up emails done. I left the more complicated ones and the ones that needed clips, proposals, and other material added until next Wednesday. Because who the heck wants a packet of material landing in the inbox right before a holiday weekend? No one!

I heard back from some of the people I contacted, which is always nice, and there will be further conversations and connections. So different from my previous location, where chamber events were all, “you have to buy from me, but what you do isn’t real work so you have to work for me for free. Because you should be grateful for the exposure.” Nope.

I had a workshop from noon to one. I still have to watch the video of the one I missed Wednesday. I dropped some books in the book bin at the library and did a small grocery shop. I figured going to the store today would be too busy.

I turned around two scripts in the afternoon and read a book for review, and then, I was done!

I didn’t get any writing done (other than emails), which made me feel itchy. Although I got an idea for a comic 10-minute play during the workshop (inspired by someone’s comment), and I jotted it down.

I slept really well last night, which made a big difference.

Today, I will do some writing (not yet sure on what). I will write and submit the book review. I will do a library run. I may do the episode videos for all the remaining episodes of LEGERDEMAIN and ANGEL HUNT, upload them, and schedule them to post. That way, I don’t have to think about them, and I can start mulling over ideas for the binge videos. I have one coverage to turn around and some follow-up questions on a coverage I did earlier in the week, and then I’m done with client work for the weekend.

Over the weekend, I hope to have fun. A friend sent me the latest draft of her screenplay – a piece for which I have a special place in my heart. I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to swing by the Farmers Market on Saturday to see how they have the Make It at Market residency booth set up. That’s on my way to MASSMoCA, which is having its 25^th anniversary celebration. As part of it, cohort members are going to attend open studios, and then have a drink together to catch up. I can walk there and back, which is even better!

Sunday I just want to chill out. Maybe write, mostly read. Monday is mostly chill day, too, being a holiday, although I plan to see a fellow cohort’s show in the evening.

And then it’s Official Summer.

I hope to have a lot of script coverage work next week, while I put together and submit promised clips and proposals next week finishing up the Expo follow-up. I also want to get some other LOIs out. I have a somewhat lighter week next week, activity wise, so I hope to get a lot more client work in and out the door.

There’s a book sale in Williamstown today. I keep telling myself I don’t need more books, but. . .

And I want to swing by the local bookstore to follow up on my email for the Boiler House reading in autumn.

The plan for June is to have my head down and turn around a lot of client work, since July is somewhat busy as far as non-client projects are concerned. Then head down working again in August (much as my dream is to start taking Augusts off).

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and we’ll catch up next week!

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on May 24, 2024 at 6:50 am Comments (6)
Tags: ANGEL HUNT, books, holiday weekend, reading, script coverage, workshop, writing

Wed. March 6, 2024: Trying To Keep All the Balls in the Air

Sketch of a darkhaired woman in red leotard and white vest and spangly tights, juggling balls — *image courtesy of Nona* via pixabay.com

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Waning Moon

Rainy and raw

There are two serial episodes going live today. The first is from ANGEL HUNT:

Episode 117: Akseli Varden in the Circle

Akseli teases Lianna and Gaston with partial answers.

Angel Hunt Serial Link

The other is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:

Episode 67: Dmitra’s Opening Night

Dmitra’s performance is unlike anything Nina’s ever seen before. Is that a good thing?

Deadly Dramatics Serial Link

Yesterday was exhausting. After the laundry, I came back to do the monitoring. My mom wasn’t feeling great, but she felt better as the morning continued. She’s very tired, which is understandable.

Breakfast, litter boxes, folding and putting away laundry, grocery shopping. I managed to get the grocery shopping done before the storm got too bad; it was just spitting when I was out and about. Much worse by the time I was home, unpacking it all.

Put everything away. Found out most of the social networks on the internet went down. Whose cat was it who broke the internet? I’m looking at you, Calamity Joon!

Rather amusing.

The artist cohort is set to use What’sApp, which is not something I am fond of; I’d been griping to a witchy friend. As soon as they heard that was one of the sites down, they said, “I know you’re not a What’sApp fan, but did you have to crash the whole internet?” It was pretty funny, all around.

I guess you had to be there. 😉

Tried to reschedule 10 DEADLY DRAMATICS episodes so that they are releasing one per day, starting on St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, Amazon, who approved the initial episodes when they were first scheduled, is dragging their feet, and I had to get in touch this morning. The only change to the episodes is the release date (and the new assurance that I do not use AI when I write). The episodes already passed review. I want to make sure these episodes move before I move all the rest, so that the release schedule is tighter.

Reading posts from authors in various Vella groups. Kind of sad how mean so many authors are to each other. This work holds different positions in each of our careers. We need to make the best decisions FOR OUR OWN CAREERS as we can. It’s going to be different for someone like me, where Vella can only be a portion of the career to someone who uses Vella for their entire income to someone who does it as a hobby for a little extra cash. It’s no one else’s business as to our individual decisions, based on our vision and needs. Hey, for those who do it as a hobby, great. STFU on the snark to those who write as their career.

Got us fed for lunch (yay, grocery shopping). I turned around three short coverages, wrote and submitted a book review, dealt with moving a book into a contest category into which it’s more suited.

Put in a Chewy order – we have another bag of food, but sometimes it’s out of stock, and it’s back in stock right now, so I got the Great Big Bag – which is the same price as it was last time, but a pound less food within in. Sigh. I already stopped ordering cat litter through them because I get a better deal at Big Y for the same quality litter (1/3 of the price).

By then, I was wiped. Spent an hour or so as cat furniture for Charlotte, trying to work out the best way to structure the next Legerdemain episodes to end the arc and the serial.

Managed to get to yoga, but I only stayed for gentle yoga, and I barely made it through that. I’m glad I went, I needed it, but it was physically and mentally a struggle. Considering it was gentle yoga, that was not a good thing.

Home, dinner, after dinner chores. Went to bed ridiculously early.

Which meant I was wide awake at 3 AM. Got the email off to Vella to sort out the episode rescheduling issues.

Going to work on the March newsletter now, then do the early morning monitoring and get my mom ready for her morning doctor’s appointment. This afternoon, I have a Creative Capital workshop around their grant. I hope to get in a medium script coverage before I head off to tarot circle – although, if the storm comes in early and is as bad as predicted, I might have to skip tarot. But I would like to be with them.

I’m hoping to get some writing in there, at the very least on an episode by episodes outline for the upcoming Legerdemain episodes. And maybe work on the short story, but that might get pushed off until tomorrow.

Fingers crossed the doctor’s appointment goes well. My mom seems a little better this morning, at least so far. Let’s hope she’s on the road to recovery.

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on March 6, 2024 at 5:56 am Comments (6)
Tags: ANGEL HUNT, book review, Chewy, Deadly Dramatics, doctor, errands, laundry, Legerdemain, script coverage, social networks, stroke recovery, stroke recoveyr, Vella, workshop, writing, Yoga

Thurs. Feb. 22, 2024: The First Workshop

*image courtesy of 8926* via pixabay.com

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Waxing Moon

Cloudy and warmer

You can read the latest on the garden here on Gratitude and Growth.

I put up yesterday’s Ink-Dipped Advice post on communication tools after this blog post, and you can read it here.

Today’s serial episode is from LEGERDEMAIN:

Episode 166: Enchanted Blades & Poisons

Shelley’s theory about how the blades are enchanted means there’s a skilled sorcerer involved. That sounds familiar.

Legerdemain serial link

Legerdemain web site

Yesterday went a little cattywampus because I had to take my mom to the doctor. I did a script coverage in the morning, and then did my library run. Dropped off a lot of books, picked up a decent amount, too.

Home, got a few little things done, had some lunch. Re-read a call for proposals I’d thought I couldn’t do, and an idea began forming, from the prep work I’d done for the night’s workshop. I might see if I can put together a viable proposal. So that’s two detailed, intricate proposals for two different projects that I need to write in March.

Took my mom to the doctor, and met her doctor and my mom’s favorite (male) nurse. The doctor was concerned that her blood pressure was so high and adjusted the medication. I take her back next week. She felt better just for going to the doctor.

Finished reading THE MAGIC OF LEMON DROP PIE by Rachel Linden. (Sort-of, but not really spoiler alert): I really liked most of it, up until a few sentences near the end: “. . .you don’t need magic to change your life. You just need to follow your bliss as best you can.” But that’s what magic IS. Understanding and defining your bliss, aligning yourself with that, and then taking action toward it. The character’s dismissal of magic soured the book for me (no pun intended).

I started reading YOU CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUOT TEA by Rebecca Thorne, which is really funny so far.

After a late dinner Tuesday night, we had to have an early dinner last night because of the workshop (plus I had to miss tarot circle).

It was my first workshop as a member of the Assets 4 Artists Northern Berkshire Artist Capacity Building Grant Program. It was wonderful. It was run by Shey Rivera Ríos, who is based in Providence, and the topic was “Cultural Organizing for Artists.” I learned so much, and the entire group had so many good ideas. We had a breakout session, with just three artists in each, so that we got to get into some deep discussions. I learned a lot that I can apply toward both new ways of storytelling that are more layered, and toward the two projects on which I am writing applications. There was some talk about continuing the conversations started over a period of weeks. I’m definitely interested; we will see if that comes to pass.

Charlotte, of course, was delighted to meet a whole new contingent of people over Zoom who think she is pretty, and she participated in about the first 20 minutes of the workshop.

In the Land of Things Work Out, a disappointment I had in not getting a particular residency in April worked out in my best interest, because of this capacity building program and the play reading.

It was a very intense two hours, and I was both exhilarated and exhausted by the end of it. It ties in a lot with the community based work that Wild Soul River does, and that the farm in which I’m now a CSA member does. The way things are aligning, and the connecting dots are really cool.

I slept pretty well, although I woke up around 3:30 (mostly because I’d gone to bed early). But instead of fretting and worrying about going back to sleep, I decided to be grateful for the quiet time and mull over things I’d learned in the workshop and how to apply them in life.

I naturally fell back asleep, and Charlotte roused me as soon as the coffee started.

On today’s agenda: I already wished a good friend happy birthday (and I hope she has a brilliant day); meditation; writing; working on proposals; LOIs; script coverage; finishing up the reading for the Scholastic contest; Open Studios as MASSMoCA this evening.

My mom’s feeling a little better today, so we’ll see how the medication adjustment works.

I hope it doesn’t rain this afternoon/evening, so that I can walk to and from MASSMoCA. If I drive, while I’m out, Dipsy Doodle will appropriate my parking spot again.

Anyway, have a good one!

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on February 22, 2024 at 7:48 am Comments (4)
Tags: cultural organizing, doctor, Legerdemain, proposal, reading, THE VICIOUS CRITIC, workshop

Thurs. Feb. 8, 2024: Bit of a Roller Coaster Day

Orange roller coaster track with cars rolling up. — *image courtesy of pnat* via pixbay,com

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Dark Moon

Clear and cold

The latest on the garden is over on Gratitude and Growth.

Today’s serial episode is from LEGERDEMAIN:

Episode 162: Interviewing the Questing Quintet

Five singers met at the Adventure-Sum Inn and created the quintet. So who is the mysterious sixth man in a matching jacket?

Legerdemain Serial Link

Legerdemain Website

This episode was so much fun to write, with this singing group that happened to find each other staying at the Adventure-Sum Inn, that they will get their own novella. I’ve been working on the outline. I haven’t figured out how to pull off what I want to do structurally with it, and am playing with possibilities.

Yesterday morning, I had a bunch of admin that had to get out the door early. Then, instead of writing, I checked a list of submission calls, and found two that I wanted to enter. I had to check a few details on the full-length, and when I re-read it and realized it fit, I sent it off. Sent off another one-act, too.

Looking at my roster of stage plays, I need to add in some full-lengths, and maybe a couple more ten-minute plays, but also a couple of 40-minute plays. I have two full-lengths begun: THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE and FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE. I have a feeling finishing WOMEN will be the project I do for this year’s END OF PLAY program. Some of the other seeds of plays that were planted in the Williamstown playwrighting workshop a couple of years ago have the possibility of growing into decent one acts. Plus, I have “Inspired By” which needs a rewrite, and “After Arden” which could also use a rewrite. The former will probably run around 20-40 minutes. The latter, I don’t want to go beyond 10.

I missed the submission deadline for the one- and two-minute plays, but that doesn’t mean I can’t write them and keep them in my back pocket and/or adapt them for radio.

Speaking of radio. I need to get some radio plays into the mix again, and I need to do a tracking sheet for the radio plays the way I do for the stage plays: page count/running time, character breakdown, etc. I started working on that spreadsheet, but it’s very time intensive.

Signed up for another A4A workshop in late March, which I’m looking forward to attending via ZOOM.

By then, it was time to head out for errands: post office, pick up at a store of a bunch of items, pharmacy, library. Of course, as soon as I got home the pharmacy decided they had a second prescription ready for pickup.

Turned around a script coverage. Read for the contest.

Finally got a chance to go back to tarot circle. It was great. I was so happy to be there. We have such in-depth conversations. Turns out some of the store regulars are also in the artist cohort, which will be fun.

Home to find out, once again, someone appropriated my parking space. This Wild West of parking has to stop. My parking space is part of my lease agreement. It wasn’t an issue until last year, when Dipsy Doodle downstairs started disrespecting other people’s slots. I’ve been nice and diplomatic for a year, and it did no good. No more nice. I managed to get my slot back this morning, but I shouldn’t have to be back in the slot by 4 PM every day, nor should I have to worry every time I go out and run an errand.

I’d put dinner in the crockpot earlier in the day – chicken penne with sun dried tomatoes and spinach. Pretty good.

The women in the CIA book I’ve been reading reached the 9/11 stage, which is not something I should have read before trying to sleep.

On today’s agenda: meditation (which I need – badly). Writing LIGHTHOUSE LADY. Revising, editing, polishing, uploading, and scheduling LEGERDEMAIN. A small coverage came in (not enough work has come in this week). Contest reading. I’m invited to a kirtan chant event tonight; I’m trying to decide if the parking lot stress is worth it.

I am so ready for a new moon tomorrow!

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on February 8, 2024 at 8:17 am Comments (4)
Tags: "The Women on the Bridge", errands, FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE, Legerdemain, Lighthouse Lady, parking issues, parking-problems, plays, script coverage, tarot circle, THE LIGHTHOUSE LADY, THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, tracking sheets, workshop, workshops, writing

Tues. Oct. 10, 2023: Back at the Desk

Fountain pen resting on an open journal — *image courtesy of Christine Sponchia* via pixabay.com

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Waning Moon

Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

Pluto DIRECT today

Cloudy and cool

How was your weekend? Ready for a good Tuesday morning natter?

Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:

Episode 127: At The Twisted Thespian

Shelley meets with a man in disguise to exchanged information.

Legerdemain Serial Link

Legerdemain Website

Pluto goes direct today. What does that mean? Pluto influences what’s hidden. When Pluto is retrograde, secrets are often revealed: either yours, or someone who’s kept something from you. Also, during a Pluto retrograde, you might choose to reveal parts of yourself you formerly kept hidden, as might those around you. Pluto is also about transformation; when it’s retrograde, you have time to consider how you want to transform moving forward, but it’s not yet time to do so. Now, with Pluto direct, you can move forward with necessary changes.

With it going direct, it’s easier to keep secrets again.

I’m just happy we’re down to five retrogrades from the seven a few weeks back. But we’re stuck with these five until early November.

Okay, so catch up from the weekend. Friday was slow going. I had to do a bunch of paperwork/admin, etc. Worked on setting up a forum for the group; filled out some feedback forms for the two big units that ended this week. I managed to get an episode of Legerdemain rewritten, polished, uploaded, and scheduled.

I did the big grocery shop. The first shop of the month is when I restock staples, and then I fill in as needed, depending on the meal plan for the week. As I’ve said before, when I meal plan to recipes ahead of time, as I did this week, I spend more than when I go to the store, see what looks good, balance that with what’s on sale, and make up a meal plan on the spot. However, I want to start trying new recipes again and get my cooking mojo back, so I planned ahead. And thereby spent more.

Hauled it all home and up the stairs. Put it away.

I couldn’t get the hazelnuts for the chocolate orange hazelnut cake I’m planning to make this week, but I figured I could pick them up later over the weekend at Wild Oats.

Then started organizing my fridge along the lines of the way Jeremy demonstrated in last Wednesday’s class.

Yes, I’m aware I should have done it BEFORE I went shopping. But that’s not how it worked out.

Anyway, it wasn’t as difficult or scary as I feared; I’ve kept on top of things better than I thought. I switched out some Ziploc containers for glass jars, grated an entire wedge of Parmesan and put it in a jar, and so forth. Since we have PLENTY of glass jars, put them to work. And I’ll get more Pyrex dishes. I have some great ones from way back in the 60’s, along with casserole dishes, but a few more couldn’t hurt.

Since I was on a roll, I re-organized the freezer, too. That tends to be my trouble spot. I slam things into the freezer and forget about them. But I rearranged, cleaned out, got rid, and now can get at everything and know what’s what and where.

I couldn’t do it quite as efficiently as Jeremy, mostly because I don’t have a fridge that big. His is wide enough, with double doors for the fridge and the freezer at the bottom, so he can put sheet pans of things in the fridge. He has my dream fridge.

Someday.

But that took most of the rest of the day. Along with making three batches of differently flavored vegetable stock from the veg bits I’d saved in the freezer over time. I have plenty of vegetable stock, and I’m going to use one particular herb-heavy batch to infuse the next batch of rice I cook by cooking the rice in the stock instead of water.

But that was pretty much the day. I made a chili-spiced salmon on a bed of crunchy kale with roasted potatoes that was really good (and tagged Jeremy in the photo, since he’s always going on about kale).

Read more of Mary Rodgers Guettel’s memoir in the evening. I love it when she talks in detail about her composing and writing. I learned a lot. And, again, hearing anecdotes about people I worked with, from a very different perspective, is always interesting.

Slept pretty well, albeit with weird dreams about packing up a touring show and having trouble getting the guys to load the trucks.

Up at a decent hour, but a slow start, in spite of doing my morning routine of coffee, yoga, meditation, writing in longhand. Worked on some more catch-up admin, then got ready to go to the theatre, because I had to leave at noon.

Pittsfield isn’t that far, but with traffic, it took me nearly an hour to get to the theatre, park, etc. I was early enough to get one of the few spots in the theatre’s parking lot. The show was at the black box. Everyone was very efficient and very nice.

The show itself, THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH, was powerful. It’s a one man show about Eddie Jakub, who was in concentration camps three times (Buchenwald twice and Auschwitz once) and lost 99 relatives in the Holocaust. Kenneth Tigar’s performance was astounding, wonderful, detail-oriented, and moving. To be on stage for 90 minutes and go through such a physical and emotional show takes stamina as well as talent, and he has both.

I’m really glad I met him and his husband before the show in Great Barrington this summer, and that they asked me to come and see it.

It also makes one ponder, how can people be so cruel to each other? I mean, they do it all the time, but what is so inherently wrong with the human soul that it can twist like that? When you think that Trump and his supporters revere this kind of treatment of those they deem “other” in order to feel powerful and good about themselves, you realize just how much is wrong with the human race.

I did not wait to talk to Ken after the show; he had an evening show for which to prepare, and shouldn’t have to be gracious to someone he met once for twenty minutes. I wrote him a note instead, when I got home. This way, he knows how much his work moved me, but I also didn’t interfere with his dinner break.

By the time the show let out, It was monsooning. The drive home took even longer than the drive there, due to street flooding. There were two points I was worried I wouldn’t make it through, but I did.

Dried off, warmed up, read a bit, but mostly sat with the aftermath of the show.

That’s how you know you’ve seen a good piece of theatre; it stays with you.

Tried a new-to-me lasagna recipe with chicken sausage meat instead of beef on Saturday night. It seemed a little funky when I read it, but I figured I should try it as written.

Well, THAT was a mistake.

The proportions were off (not enough ricotta, for one) and the timing of what to prepare when was wrong (preparing the noodles first and letting them sit and get gluey), and then the layering was wrong.

I should have just gone back to the way I’ve done lasagna before as soon as I thought something was off, instead of trusting the recipe just because it was published.

It was kind of a disaster. No, that’s too kind. It WAS a disaster.

We managed to scrape out some decent ricotta/marinara/spinach/sausage out of it so we wouldn’t go hungry. We rescued what we could of the big pan of it and labelled it “lasagna adjacent” and I’ll figure out something to do with it later this week. Tossed the icky bits into the trash.

Yes, I stuffed it into the freezer. But this time I won’t forget about it (stop taking bets over there, you).

At least we had chocolate mousse cake to make up for it.

I’ve cooked enough so I should trust myself when something doesn’t read right in the recipe.

Read in the evening. Slept decently, although I woke up around 1 from a dream about a mass suicide by drowning (not fun). When I went back to sleep, I dreamed of a parrot who’d call out, “My Queen! My Queen!” whenever his human entered the room, because she’d played a queen in a play, and that was his line when she entered the stage. She inherited him when the show closed.

I’m not even going to try to interpret either of those.

Made raw apple muffins from Marion Cunningham’s THE BREAKFAST BOOK just to remind myself that yes, I do know how to cook and bake. I only had one kind of apple (I usually use 5 different kinds). I also added allspice (anything with apples and cinnamon gets a dash of allspice when I make it) and substituted currants for raisins.

Yummy.

I also need to buy more currants this week. And liners for the muffin tins. And sugar.

Blog as grocery list. Um. . . .

Started decorating the kitchen for the holidays. This year, instead of just the pumpkin lights, I’m also putting up spiderweb curtains in the kitchen. And switched out the kitchen island curtain from the sunflowers to the witches, cats, and pumpkins one, and switched out the tablecloth and table decorations.

There’s still a lot of decorating to do, but I’m doing it in bits this year instead of a single burst. And we’re trying things differently.

Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Edited, revised, polished, uploaded and scheduled an episode. I’m cutting it a little too close and must do better this week, and moving forward. Once I sat down at the desk, it flowed well, so I don’t know why I had trouble drafting episodes in-studio.

It doesn’t matter why. It simply needs to get done, and better, moving forward.

Had a quick bite for lunch, put on Real People Clothes and headed to the Clark for the “Experiencing Nature” workshop. Two staff members, three docents, and 20 people, a mix of first-time visitors, frequent visitors, and members. We spent some time in the woods around the property.

Of course, I noticed a pair of gravestones tucked away and had to ask about them. The staff explained that it was originally thought to be a pet cemetery, but it was recently discovered to be the graves of two children, who died in the 50’s or so. Their parents couldn’t afford traditional burial, and the Clarks let them bury the children under this tree on their property. The museum felt it was unethical to keep the original story of “pet cemetery” which is the story most of the locals know.

I could have told them it was human remains just by walking past. Human graves feel different.

We spent some time in forest bathing mode, then moved inside to the Munch exhibit, which was packed (and yes, I masked; I’m getting stringent about masking again, after being lax during the residency). We studied three paintings: “Summer Night” and “Fertility” and “The Sun” and talked about them in terms of nature and symbolism and tensions. It was so interesting. The group numbered about twenty, with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, and the way we showed each other how to see in new ways and then built on it was interesting.

I’m really glad I went. Believe me, I considered not going several times in the morning. But it was worth it.

Stopped at Wild Oats for coffee and hazelnuts – and ran into one of the docents with whom I’d spent the workshop! It really is a small town around here. Stopped at Stop & Shop for sugar. I forgot to look for currants; next shopping trip. I used the last of the currants in the muffins.

Home, and it started pouring with rain again, and the temperature dropped. Leftover chili and rice for dinner. Read in the evening for a bit. I started a mystery that was recommended by an acquaintance, but I didn’t like the protagonist enough to spend the length of the book with her (and she wasn’t showing me how to see things in a new way; she was merely annoying). I put that down.

Slept well, in spite of a few stress dreams.

Slow start on Monday. We were supposed to go away for a few days at the beginning of the week, but with Hurricane Phillipe making his way up the coast, and the coastal areas we wanted to visit being a mess, we scuttled the trip. We’ll do stuff at home instead. There’s plenty to do.

I finished, revised, edited, polished, uploaded, and scheduled a Process Muse episode. I did the episode graphics and loglines for Legerdemain, then did this week’s six episode videos for the three serials, uploaded, and scheduled them to TikTok. I typed up the meeting notes from the Collective’s meeting and sent them out for review, and the contact sheet, along with the link to the message board I set up for the group. People can visit to post about readings, post submission calls, opportunities, see if someone’s around to read something, etc. People can use it or not use it through the year to keep in touch.

In the afternoon, I read the book for review, and that’s all I’m going to say about that. But the review is due today, so I have to come up with something. I finished reading an acquaintance’s book, which was cute and fun.

I made Moosewood’s Thai Vegetarian Curry for dinner, which was good, even though there was a lot of vegetable chopping involved. I miscalculated how many sweet potatoes I needed, and peeled too many, so I cooked and mashed (with butter, orange juice, and brown sugar) the rest, and we’ll have them with tonight’s trout.

Stayed up until nearly midnight and finished A.J. Hackwith’s THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN, which is just wonderful. If you love books about adventure, libraries, stories, and imagination, this book is a good choice. It sets up like there might be more in the series, but I kind of hope it’s a standalone. (Note: I checked; it’s the first of a trilogy, and yes, I ordered the other two books from the library).

Slept reasonably well. Woke to the smell of coffee and Charlotte using my stomach for a trampoline.

Today’s writing priorities are drafting Legerdemain and working on the poem for Sunday’s reading. I have to finish telling the story I want to tell in the poem, time it, cut it where necessary, and then go back and work on sonics.

I also have to write and get the review out the door, and let them know I’m ready for the next assignment. I have to negotiate with the car insurers – our insurance DOUBLED since April’s payment, and we haven’t had a claim in years. I have to revise yesterday’s meeting notes and send them out for another review. I have an early conversation on a possible freelance gig. I need to do a library run and swing by the pharmacy to pick up something. I also have to get back on track with promoting the serials again on the rounds of social media.

The new WGA contract’s been ratified. Hopefully that means more script work coming my way in the coming weeks. I’m still going to look for another big, but short-term client for November-March, remote. I’m waiting to hear back on a few proposals between now and the end of the year, and then we can figure out spring and summer.

The constant beeping from the heavy machinery and the construction workers sending cars speeding down our street in the wrong way instead of putting up signs like responsible workers would to detour them around on the proper streets is sending me over the edge. Enough already.

I better get going then, hadn’t I? Have a good one.

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on October 10, 2023 at 7:38 am Comments (2)
Tags: admin work, baking, Boiler House Poets Collective, canceled trip, car insurance, Clark Art Institute, cooking, cooking disaster, decorating, Dreams, episode videos, fridge organization, grocery shopping, Jeremy Rock Smith, Legerdemain, Mary Rodgers Guettel, meal plan, Moosewood, mUNCH, Pluto direct, poem, Process Muse, rain, retrogrades, review, THE BREAKFAST BOOK, THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH, THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN, traffic, vegetable stock, WGA contract, Wild Oats, workshop

Tues. Oct. 3, 2023: Residency Complete

Multi-colored ceramic tiles in jagged patterns. — *image courtesy of* 652234 via pixabay.com

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

Foggy and dark (hey, it’s early; it’s supposed to be a nice day later)

My flash fiction story “Lavender” is out in the New Zealand-based FLASH FRONTIER:

October 2023: MARA | GARDEN

The link brings you to the title page. You can click the title/my name, and it will take you right down to it.

Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:

Episode 125: Discussing the Spread of Discord

Shelley and Braziel deal with the mess.

Legerdemain Serial Link

Legerdemain Web site

Lots of catching up to do today!

Friday morning, I worked in studio. I had the whole building to myself for the first few hours. I did a lot of pacing and muttering, using the whole shared space, along with my studio space. The rain and wind got quite ferocious at one point, and I appreciated being in a sturdy, industrial building.

Our group project is inspired by our member Nancy Edelstein’s installation last year, “Pray for Sun.” Looking at the photos of the installation on her website, two in particular stand out for me; one with sun creating patterns through four tall panes of glass; the other a much darker, black and white industrial window, again three tall ones.

I think each will inspire a different poem. At least one of them, I think, will take what I learned in workshop about where words are placed on the page and play with that idea. Columns. Points of view? Different voices? A conversation between shadow and light?

I wasn’t sure on Friday, but I played with it.

Thursday afternoon, when I was too tired to create anymore, I submitted a play and I sent a pitch to a place that wants to hire writers to prepared audition monologues for actors, Since that’s how I got into writing plays in the first place, I pitched. And got a demand (it was sure as hell not a request) for a “one way interview.”

You know where you can put that “interview.”

I don’t do one-way interviews, because any talk of working together needs to be a conversation. Also, a “one-way video interview” is yet another form of unpaid labor as part of the interview process. I broke down how much that is in an actual cost over on Ink-Dipped Advice.

As much as I would have kicked ass in that job, it’s not the right fit. I’m not an actor; I don’t audition.

Friday, I played with the shadow & light poem. While I did that, I also played with the fabric wall art piece, adding words in different colors and beads. My fellow poets took a trip to the Clark to see the Munch exhibit, which is why I wanted to share the excerpt of the play inspired by the painting before they went.

Working with the words was a struggle. I have craft and structure questions. Rather than workshopping the piece itself, I decided to use Friday’s workshop session to ask questions and get guidance on craft.

How do I get the stanzas in conversation with each other? I want to do them in columns, the way Nancy played with columns of light.

I also printed out the program for the reading, which was harder than it should have been with flipping pages and making sure the inside was the the right side up, but at least I’d already made friends with the printer, so it wasn’t too bad. And, in this studio building, we had a laser printer, so it looks good.

By the time Nancy, whose work inspired the group project came in (her studio is next to mine), I had already had a half a dozen conversations with her in my head. I showed her the images I printed out. We talked a bit about what she was trying to do with the space in her installation, and it dovetails nicely with the ideas I had about creating the poem. Not that I had any idea HOW to create it yet, but I tried. I looked for a bunch of words with different shades of meaning and made lists, and wrote up my questions.

I got the second of this week’s Legerdemain’s episodes polished and uploaded, and did the episode graphics and loglines. My colleagues were in-studio then, so I didn’t work on the videos; I didn’t want to make noise.

I named my five fictional women, inspired by my Playland Painters.

Lunch was fun. The food was good, and we had a good chat. They loved the Munch exhibit, and found it inspiring.

We went back in-studio. I got a little more work done, and then I hit the point of “what are words?” so I spent some quality time on the acupressure mat reading Mary Oliver’s book about the craft of poetry, and some time reading Anne Truitt’s journals.

At 4 o’clock we trooped over to the other building for workshop. Again, everybody’s work is so cool! The scope and depth and engagement is wonderful. It was so exciting. What I love is how everyone gets really into the precision and how word choice and sonics change things. I am learning so much.

I asked my craft questions, and they all encouraged me to just dive right in, so that’s what I planned.

I did not go to dinner with everyone. I went home.

My mom was so funny. “Why aren’t you out with your friends?” She asked. “I still have left over spaghetti and meatballs from Grazie.”

After dinner, I baked the orange cranberry muffins, and then I did the apricot white chocolate gluten free bars.

Took my shower and went to bed early. Slept until about 3:30, when Charlotte woke me up. Stayed in bed until the alarm went off at 4:30. Made breakfast, did the dishes, packed everything I needed for the reading and headed out.

I was in-studio by 6 AM (maybe a little before). I got set up. I reworked the radio script pages I planned to bring in that afternoon.

I worked on the “Penumbra” poem about light and shadow, inspired by Nancy’s work. I got the light section and the shadow section done, in two different word placement formats. The third stanza, which brings them together visually and verbally, wasn’t where I want it on either level, but it’s a start, and I planned to keep working on it more before I brought it in on Sunday.

I also did the first couple of pages/first section of the comic mystery poem, “Lucy Debussy and the Mystery of the Old Mill.” Again, no idea what I’m doing, but I’m having fun.

I did vocal exercises. No one else was in-studio, so I made full use of the space, stretching, rehearsing, doing vocal warmups. I ended up rewriting “Quicksand” and cutting some stuff so the jokes can land better.

I drove stuff over to the bookshop and unloaded. We had a bit of a late start and more setup than expected, but we got it all done.

We had a decent turnout, although smaller than expected, and I was annoyed that some of the people who’d promised me they would come (and to whose events I have steadily turned up) did not. But one of my good friends did, and that made up for it! And some of the young poets in the regular writers’ circle that meets at the bookshop were there, and that was fun.

Everyone’s work was vibrant and interesting. Having Nancy’s video about her work in the middle was also great, because it gave the audience something different on a sensory level, and then the attention went back to the words.

It was fun talking to everyone after. I bought a copy of each poet’s book who had books there. We talked to the young writers, and basically to everyone in the audience.

We packed up. I put my car in the lot behind Big Y, and took the leftover baked goods back to the studio.

It was lunch time by then. We had lunch upstairs in the mezzanine space. Mine was disappointing. I’d ordered a BLT and it was pretty lame. I only ate about 1/3 of it.

I had the adrenalin crash. I’ve been so worried for weeks that something would happen to derail the reading. But we pulled it off; we had fun, the audience had fun, the owner was pleased and would like us back next year. Also, because I personally do not enjoy reading, I was glad it was over! Now I could kick back and socialize for the rest of the residency (during appropriate socialization hours).

After lunch was a bit of decompression time before workshop time. I did a little bit of work on “Penumbra” and “Lucy Debussy” but in the hard copy versions. I didn’t want to boot up the computer.

I read Anne Truitt’s DAYBOOK again, and found this wonderful quote on p. 178: “The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.”

That really resonated.

Headed over for the workshop. Again, the variety and breadth of everyone’s work was terrific. I brought in the opening of the slow-burn atmospheric radio play, and the comments were very helpful (and they all wanted to know what came next). They kept reading “SFX Owls” as “Sex Owls” so that became a running joke over the next few days.

I worry sometimes that I don’t give useful enough feedback because I don’t know the language of the form, But I try, and I’m learning.

After workshop, I gathered my things and the snacks took them over to the apartment. I saw the room I would have lived in this week, had I stayed over. And it’s nice! The whole apartment is lovely.

Most of us went out to dinner at Blue Mango in Williamstown, a Thai/Japanese place. We had the sweetest waiter! What a lovely, lovely man. The food is outstanding. Definitely someplace to which I would go back. Good conversation, too.

We came back to the apartment, and a bunch of us hung out and talked. It was fun.

I got home a little before 11, switched out what I needed to in my bag, showered, and went to sleep.

All 3 cats waited in a row at the top of the stairs when I got home, with their little mad faces on.

Hard to haul myself out of bed on Sunday morning, but I did it.

It just tickles me that people put out chairs for the parade overnight on Saturday and they were still there on Sunday! It cracked me up. I can’t think of that happening in a city like New York or whatever.

Chatted with the security guard when I got in. They’re so nice.

Set up and discovered that “Lavender” was published. Sent the link to my cohort here, and did the copies for my Clip file. If I don’t do that right away, I forget, and then I have to scramble when I need them.

Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. It was originally envisioned to be a lot of play on words/double entendres, but it’s turned out to be a more straightforward episode. I have to build the next few episodes to see if that will work, or I need to go back to the original concept.

I worked and reworked and reworked “Penumbra.” I was stuck, and I looked forward to workshopping it and getting feedback on what the hell I do next? Because I had no damn idea.

I went over to the museum to ask about the temporary membership card, and they had nothing there. Which is fine; we still have a few days to sort it out. I stopped at Tunnel City Coffee to get a hot chocolate. The paintings on the wall were a familiar style – turns out they are Jane Hudson’s! I had her tarot deck in my studio, and here were her paintings on the walls! Love it.

Ran into some of my fellow poets sitting in the sun, and we had a nice chat.

Came back to the studio and did some work. I went down a rabbit research hole with Playland. I also wrote some background on my fictional Painters. I named them a few days ago; now, I sat and stared at the photos and started creating characters based on the poses – some playful, some shy, some whatever. Creating their characters will help me create the story. I think I will go back to my first instinct about writing about them and the park as mysteries, with humor, but also with a darker side about the social and cultural aspects.

We had lunch outside, because it was such a beautiful day, although we were bothered by wasps. We talked through publication options one of the poets currently faces with her new book.

Printed out two different versions of “Penumbra” – not in the words themselves, but how they were arranged on the page. Again, workshop was great. Several people presented work they’ve done in-studio this week, so there was a lot of experimentation and play, which is beautiful.

They were very interested and supportive about my mess of “Penumbra” and the feedback gave me a lot to work on. I’m going to keep playing with it. Yes, I realize that means building time to play with it past residency. But I’m going to keep working on it.

We decided to do our own takeouts for dinner. I grabbed my favorite chicken lo mein from Meng’s Pan Asian (which is practically next door to the apartments) and ate in the kitchen, as people drifted in.

We had our planning meeting for next year: what we needed from the experience, our priorities, dividing up tasks so no one person has so much on their plate that they can’t fully enjoy the residency experience. We all want to come back next year, and even have our dates. Everyone wants to do their bit to make it all happy and easy for all of us, which is part of what makes this special. We are invested in this being a Collective.

Headed home, switched things out of the bag. Charlotte waited for me right behind the door, I didn’t know it, and she got tapped by the door as I opened it, and was very upset. Tessa had A Lot To Tell me. Willa just wanted to be petted.

Took my shower, went to bed, fighting the beginnings of a migraine.

The smoke alarm went off at 3:30, because the downstairs neighbor smoked in front of my door and set it off.

Got settled back in until 4:30. Up and out of the house and in-studio by 6. Had trouble settling in to work. I was trying to write my way through something or other, and it wasn’t working. I felt scattered and weepy. Scattered is understandable; weepy is not.

I worked and reworked the opening of the “Lucy Debussy” mystery poem. I’m only sharing about a page and a half. I want to make sure I’m on the right track before I keep going.

I did some noodling of ideas around the Playland Painters story.. But it was a struggle. I’m trying to figure out if I’m going to drop the first body in the Fun House, in Laff in the Dark, in the Witch’s Forest, or hang it off the roller coaster. It’s a big decision!

This week contains a lot of change, and I don’t think I’m ready for it.

Walked over to Big Y, because we were out of bread and coffee at home, and couldn’t wait until the residency was over.

I went to the museum, bought some postcards (I’m going to send my friend one), and Erik Kessels FAILED IT! about how mistakes are creative opportunities.

I spent a lot of time in the Boiler House again, with the camera (not the one on my phone). I took a lot of photos. Got a cappuccino on the way back, and picked up a card for the Working Weavers studio trail in a few weeks.

Downloaded all the photos from my camera into the computer. Printed out some of my favorite ones and pinned them to the wall.

Got an email from Bill Yehle to confirm that I have a slot in the Oct. 15 Poets in Conversation about “Work”. Looking at those equipment/industrial/rusting photographs from the Boiler House got those wheels turning.

I have something else connected to those photos that wants to be born, but I’m not yet sure what it is. It needs to simmer for a bit, and decide what it wants to be.

Nancy invited everyone over to her studio to show them what she’s been working on, and gave us a demonstration of the press she’s been using to emboss. It was fascinating!

We had lunch outside again. Another group headed off to the Boiler House. I stopped at the R & D store – the clerk recognized me from the author event the other day. I bought a book of “SPELLS – 21^ST CENTURY OCCULT POETRY” which is a really great anthology.

Sat and stared at the photographs. Worked on the first two stanzas of “Work” for the reading on the 15^th. We’ve talked a lot about the sonics of poems, and I want to play more with language and sound. I did some of that in the Lucy Debussy rewrite.

Our final workshop session was good. Again, people were playing. We have a safe space to try new things. One of the most fascinating and wonderful things is how we will all ponder and poke around a specific word to find out if there’s a better one. I mean, that happens to a point in prose, but there tend to be a lot more words, and the weight can be spread around a little more. Poems distill image and emotion and story and theme in a limited amount of very specific words. But there’s something really joyful about the care and attention everyone takes in helping each other find the right word with the right nuance.

The feedback on “Lucy Debussy” is very helpful. Some want it to be prose; I still want to see if I can learn enough craft to pull it off as a poem.

We went to dinner at the Craft Food Barn and ate outside. I had the Cuban Panini, which was just as good as it sounds. I was also introduced to the joy of the mocha sundae.

Sadly, I was also bitten by a mosquito on my forehead and wound up with a welt the size of a golf ball.

We went back to the apartments, spread out snacks, poured wine, talked, and did a round of poem sharing. They were funny and poignant and wonderful. Most shared two; I only shared one. I’d forgotten the print version, but I’d read it over a few times in-studio in the afternoon, so I was able to do it from memory.

I was home a little after ten, did the usual turnaround of the bag, making coffee, the showers.

Hard to drag myself out of bed this morning. Got in-studio a little after 6. The lock on my door stuck, and I worried that my last morning there, and I couldn’t get in! But I jiggled it and did.

I’m trying to get some writing done. I’ll pack up the studio in bits. I could just strike the whole thing around noon, in about twenty minutes (never let anyone tell you what you learn in theatre is not relevant to life). But I think I’ll write a bit, pack up the meditation/painting corner, write a bit, pack up the books, and so on.

I hate taking down the inspiration wall. But this experience is complete. I need time to figure out what I’ve learned, and how to use it moving forward.

And to cherish the experience.

Shorter post tomorrow, I promise!

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on October 3, 2023 at 6:05 am Comments (5)
Tags: "Lavender", "Lucy Debussy and the Mystery of the Old Mill", "Penumbra", "Quicksand", Anne Truitt, baking, Bear & Bee Bookshop, Blue Mango, cats, clip file, conversation, fabric art piece, FLASH FRONTIER, Ink-Dipped Advice, Legerdemain, lunch, Mary Oliver, mUNCH, Nancy Edelstein, one-way interview, parade, Playland Painters, program, radio script, reading, residency, Rye Playland, Studio, Williamstown, workshop

Friday, Sept. 29, 2023: In Studio

Brick boiler house with catwalks and airstream trailer — *Boiler House, MASSMoCA Campus, Photo by Devon Ellington*

Friday, September 29, 2023

Full Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

Rainy and cool

Moving into the weekend!

Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:

Episode 74: Teaching Boys About Demons

Demons in the wild are different than demons in a video game.

Angel Hunt Serial Link

Tomorrow’s episode is from Deadly Dramatics:

Episode 20: Back in the Office

Important files are missing from Nina’s desk.

Deadly Dramatics Serial Link

Catchup time.

We had a water issue at the house, Wednesday night going into Thursday. The cold water was coming out with a yellow-ish brown cast. So we’re using bottled water for things like brushing teeth, filling cat bowls, etc., and boiling the heck out of everything we use, especially for the dishes. It’s probably from the construction up the street – and they have to get their act together. They’ve caused enough disruption. The hot water is fine (because it goes through the tank to heat it?) But the cold water is disgusting.

Fortunately, I didn’t need water to bake the cookies (and boiled the water for the dishes). Made the chocolate chip cookies, cooled them, packed them.

Took a very hot shower, went to bed – and couldn’t sleep. I sort of dozed on and off, and woke up just after 4 AM. I’d set the alarm to go off at 4:15. Got the coffee started, fed the cats, got dressed. I was out the door before 6.

Tessa wished to speak to the manager, because this is not our routine. Although nobody minded being fed at 4:30 AM rather than 5:30 AM.

It was foggy, and they set the traffic lights to blinking lights, which I really hate.

The gates at campus were closed, so I went around to the one I knew was open, and checked with the security guard about where I could park. Hauled my stuff in. Set up some more in the studio, setting up the reading nook and the yoga/meditation corner. Tried and failed to get into the site’s internet. Checked the residency packet, and I’d mis-entered the password. Once that was fixed, all good. Figured out how to work the printer with my computer.

Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Decided I would do my first share as the opening scene of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, and printed that out (we’re working in hard copies).

One of the things I love here is the Clocktower, which chimes every fifteen minutes. There’s a wonderful story behind it, which you can read here, about Christina Kubisch, the artist and musician who restored it. At noon, there’s the most beautiful music.

I wrote eight more pages on THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE. I had to course correct, because, in one scene, I had them talking about WWII, and then realized it hadn’t happened yet, so I had to delete and restructure.

The two other artists in the studio building came in, a few hours after I did. None of us slept well last night. I’m glad it wasn’t just me, although I’m sad they didn’t get good rest.

A little after 10:30, I took a wander over to the museum. I spent some time in the Joseph Grigely IN WHAT WAY WHAM? White Noise and Other Works. It was fascinating, but kind of overwhelming. It also got me thinking about how much talking we do that isn’t about communicating, it’s about noise (which is part of what he’s exploring). How many of the banal verbal exchanges are about building relationships through the daily details, and how much is unnecessary noise? I suppose part of it depends on how much you enjoy the interaction, and the people involved.

Anyway, those musings are going into the mental percolator, and we’ll see what comes out. Down the road.

I really wanted to be outside, so I wandered out and over to the Boiler House, which is how the Boiler House Poets Collective got their name. What a fascinating building. I took a bunch of photos, and I will do use them as something. There’s something very compelling about the building.

I stopped in at Tunnel City Coffee – and there were two of my Word X Word colleagues! One of them lives in North Adams, and is looking forward to the reading on Saturday. The other colleague talked about how he wants us to perform in the Boiler House, and how they’ve done some events at MASSMoCA. Which is such a cool space, and there are so many opportunities.

Wandered back to my studio to settle in and get some more work done before lunch. But my brain was tired. I read a little bit. One of my fellow artists had a wasp in her studio, so we teamed up to defeat the wasp. May he rest in peace, because by the time we were done with him, he was in pieces.

Lunch was good. We ate together outside. My box lunch was a chicken Thai burrito, which is as strange as it sounds, but it was good. A little heavier than I wanted, so I will adjust moving forward.

Went back to the studio, helped a fellow artist with the printer, gathered my things, and we headed to the other building for workshop time.

Everyone’s work was so strong, and so interesting! It was great to listen and learn about the different poetic styles and the precision of word choice. I brought in the rewritten opening of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, and got excellent feedback on it. Two small cuts make it much stronger. Also, one of my colleagues pointed out where I misread a line, reading the piece out loud, and it changed the meaning of it to something I didn’t want.

This is why it was great to bring a script into a poets’ conclave – poetry is about the precision of language to an even greater degree than any other form. So they catch the details. And it was interesting to see how they got some of the details the other theatre artists had missed, when I shared with another group. Each group picked up on different elements. Which gives me information on precision to engage different types of audience.

Two of the poets brought their contributions for the collaborative project, based on the work of one of our fellow artists. I need to get to work on that (I wrote the opening before I got here and some notes, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten). I also need to work on my piece for Word X Word on October 15. I have my notes at home; I need to find them and bring them to the studio.

I timed my readings for Saturday multiple read-throughs. I’m coming in pretty consistently at 4:30, which means I’m fine for the 5-minute slot.

By the end of the afternoon, I was very tired. That lack of sleep will do it.

But one of my fellow poets and I had tickets to a conversation with the Finnish artist Marika Maijala, over in the R&D section of the museum. She had a terrific turnout, and it was a fun event. She’s a lovely, interesting, somewhat self-effacing person, and charmed the audience. She signed copies of her book, ROSIE RUNS (about a greyhound), so of course, my friend and I bought copies and had her sign them.

I then joined two of my fellow poets and we went to Public for dinner. It’s a place I’ve wanted to try, and never have. It was busy. I’m still a little skittish about indoor dining, but I’d promised myself that this week, I would take the risk. The food was good. The wine was even better.

And we had excellent conversation, which is always a highlight of spending time with fellow artists.

At the end of the evening, I went home. There was no way I was baking. I took care of a few things. The water situation seems to be fixed. I’m still using bottled water for a few days, especially for the cats. Put together some tea choices to take in. There’s plenty of coffee in our studio space, and an electric kettle, but no tea. Since I have A LOT of tea, I figured I could share it.

I went down hard to sleep. I had trouble getting to sleep, but once I was out, I was out until about 3:30. I tried to rest for another hour until the alarm went off, only it didn’t go off, and I thought, surely it’s 4:30 by now? I checked the clock and it was 4:35, so I got up.

I had trouble getting going. The cats are digging the whole 4:30 AM breakfast thing. I made myself scrambled eggs and toast and got out the door. Easy ride down. The main gate was open, so I didn’t have to drive around. I parked; I chatted with the security guard as we walked to the studio. He’s very nice to pretend he “just happens” to be around when I get there, and sees me to the building.

I got myself settled in to start the day.

It was so interesting, yesterday, talking to some of the other poets, about how they enjoy having a slow morning, coffee in bed, thinking time, before coming to the studio. Meanwhile, I’m out the door and in-studio by 6 AM, because my strongest creative time is 6-10 in the morning, and I want to make sure I’m in studio for it!

I need to allow myself some more quiet and rest while I’m in-studio. I definitely will spend some quality time today on my yoga mat and the acupressure mat (both of which I brought, and set up in one area of the studio, along with my zafu, so I can sit in meditation if and when I choose.

Percolation time is not time wasted; percolating in-studio is the same, and I have to allow myself the space to do so.

I also have to print the programs for tomorrow’s reading!

I hope to play with a few ideas and maybe type up and write my way into a few things on which I made notes. See if they’re viable. I want to do some work on the paint/textile piece, using what I learned in yesterday’s workshop session about space and word placement, and see how that translates to the fabric. I want to wander around the Boiler House a bit more, and the museum. I’m working in sections on the museum.

The concrete is doing a number on my ankles and hips. That’s another reason I need to spend some time in yoga asanas today. The slippers help a lot.

Most of the poets are headed to the Clark today to see the Munch exhibit. I will stay here and work. We have our communal lunch, more work time, and then workshop time. I have to figure out what I’m going to bring in. If I can get enough drafts done of the group project, maybe I’ll do this.

Tomorrow is our reading at Bear & Bee Bookshop. I’ll do another round of social media on that today. It’s in the morning; I’m sure we will spend the afternoon recovering. Tonight, I have to finish the baking. So, no group dinner or community hangout for me!

Sunday, we can luxuriate in studio time, and then have a workshop session, and a planning meeting in the evening. Monday is a full studio/workshop day. Tuesday is our last morning together, and we have to clear out.

My studio feels like home in the right way. It doesn’t have the distractions, but I’ve definitely uber-nested.

I’m off to draft an episode of Legerdemain and then get back to work!

Have a great weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side.

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on September 29, 2023 at 5:50 am Comments (1)
Tags: ANGEL HUNT, Bear & Bee Bookshop, Boiler House, Boiler House Poets Collecive, cats, Christina Kubusch, Clark, Cocktower, conversation, Deadly Dramatics, fog, Joseph Grigely, Legerdemain, lunch, Marika Maijala, mUNCH, Museum, percolation time, Public, reading, security, sleep, Studio, tea, THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, timed reading, tired, Tunnel City Coffee, wasp, water, Word X Word, workshop

Fri. April 19, 2019: Trying to Stay On Track

Friday, April 19, 2019
Full Moon
Jupiter Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Yesterday was not as productive as I’d like. I got out a few LOIs, handled some admin work, worked on “Aurora Nightingale” and my presentation. I still can’t get those two scenes where I want them. It’s very frustrating. But I have to keep at it. I’m going to go some more research on current events. That should help.

Worked on contest entries in the afternoon and evening. Just felt tired and discouraged, but better for being off line for a good part of the day.

I’m trying to juggle everything that has to be done before I leave for the workshop. The hotel stuff gets more and more frustrating and complicated. I’m remembering why I dislike that hotel so much.

But the workshop will be fun.

I’m trying to track down monies owed that are late — so sick of this. We all have bills to pay. Pay on time and let everyone else pay their bills on time.

We had rain yesterday afternoon, so I couldn’t do yard work. It’s sunny now, but we’re supposed to get another storm. I have things away from home that I can’t put off this morning; I’m hoping the weather will hold for the afternoon.

The weekend is supposed to be a little nasty. But maybe they’ll be wrong, and I can get some yardwork done.

Playing with some ideas that are niggling at me. Getting back into the groove with GRAVE REACH. But the bulk of the focus will be honing the presentation and making sure I have the handouts.

I’m under intense pressure on several different fronts. All I can do is put my head down and do the work.

Have a great weekend, everyone. For those celebrating Easter and Passover, best wishes to you.

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on April 19, 2019 at 9:02 am Comments Off
Tags: GRAVE REACH, Intrigue on the Aurora Nightingale, weather, workshop

Fri. April 12, 2019: Long Weekend Needs to Be Productive

Friday, April 12, 2019
Waxing Moon
Jupiter Retrograde
Cloudy and cool

Got some yard work done yesterday, which was a good thing. Compared with how much still needs to be done, it doesn’t look like I got a lot done, but every bit of progress is progress. I got rid of a lot of invasives, which was not fun, but necessary.

Took my mother to the doctor. She had to have another biopsy done on her leg. Hopefully, she won’t need more surgery.

Worked on contest entries and some other stuff. Behind where I want to be in the writing, and have to push hard this weekend. Also want to finish the material for my workshop. I’m last on the schedule, about which I have mixed feelings. It’s my lowest energy point of the day. But I’ll pull it off.

I need to start putting together the handouts, too. Because, of course, I am the Queen of Handouts.

I’m still not sure if I should do a Power Point presentation, or visual boards, or a mix. I might do both and be prepared.

Still not happy with those two scenes in “Intrigue on the Aurora Nightingale.”

Waiting to hear back on a couple of things, prepping a couple of pitches. In a holding pattern for a few things, because I can’t move forward until I have more information, and, once I have it, I might have to do some negotiating.

I have a meeting at 2 this afternoon, which could also put a few interesting things into play.

Tomorrow morning, Tessa goes to the vet to get her shots updated (Lucy’s are still good). In the afternoon, I have a sound bath workshop. I can’t wait.

In between, I have to write and do yard work (unless it’s raining). And finish my taxes (ick).

Most important errands this morning are to pick up my mother’s prescription and put gas in the car! All the other errands are build around that.

Monday is Patriot’s Day here in MA, but I’m going in to work with a client on a big project.

Have a great weekend.

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on April 12, 2019 at 8:47 am Comments Off
Tags: contest entries, Intrigue on the Aurora Nightingale, meetings, vet, workshop, yard work

Fri. June 6, 2014: Workshops and Summits and Crows

Friday, June 6, 2014
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Busy day. Got out my next script episode before I headed to the library.

I’m starting to get some ideas on how to make Thursday mornings run more smoothly; hope to be able to implement them in the coming weeks. The printer at work is just — if it wasn’t littering, I’d drop-kick it into the canal. It prints; it doesn’t; it grabs six sheets; it doesn’t grab any sheets. And so forth and so on. Something that should take thirty seconds winds up taking 45 minutes. That has to stop — beyond my situation. How can we walk our talks on sustainability when our only printer options are printers that the companies make disposable, out of cheap-ass plastic parts so we have to replace them every couple of years and they can’t be fully recycled? The technology industry has to change how they manufacture — which means kicking out the overpriced CEOS and top executives who think more about their own pockets than a sustainable future for all of us.

Had to leave just after noon to get to a workshop in Chatham. The weather was awful. Hard to drive. But I got there (almost on time). The library is gorgeous out there, but parking is a nightmare. I wound up parking blocks away in front of some person’s house, and dashing through the rain.

I was NOT happy with the workshop. I’d hoped for a workshop on resources to help hunt down information to answer people’s questions. Let’s face it — librarians are the ultimate detectives. Instead, the presentation focused on how to stand when you talk to a patron and promoted an attitude of indentured servitude rather than being a professional partner in a hunt with a patron. I found it quite insulting to all of our intelligence.

I headed back to my library, finished out the day, dashed home, threw together some mac and cheese, bolted it down, dashed back out to the Community College for the Environmental Summit. I couldn’t attend the full Cape Coastal Conference this year, but I did manage to fit in the summit. I ran into some friends in the parking lot, and caught up with some people I’d met at last year’s conference when we got inside. They served us a full dinner we got in there (hmm, let’s see, did I overeat last night? Uh, yes) and then it was an interesting, interactive discussion with the purpose of getting the 29 non-profits that attended (and some that did not) to work together, sharing information and working towards common purposes, instead of everyone working in isolation. Yes, I signed up to help work on what I do best — create engaging narrative around actual information.

Afterwards, a couple of us went out to the bar at The Dolphin, in Barnstable, to continue the conversation, which was fun. One of my frustrations here is I don’t have a local hangout, so I’m trying places to see which place suits me best.

I rewrote the monologue for the actor this morning — we have several roads we can travel down next. I think the section on the loss of a particular relationship is too ordinary and what he’s usually played, so I have a couple of sections we could replace it with in that that explores loss of parent, sibling, mentor, etc., that might make it more unique. So that’s off.

So tired I could just fall over, but it’ll be a busy day at the library. Hope to come back tonight and relax. Have GOT to mow the meadow tomorrow afternoon when I get back from the library, because the grass is VERY high. While it’s good for the environment, and my grass now definitely had the chance to grow strong roots, I think my neighbors would like me to neaten it up a bit.

My murder of crows who hang out in the yard had a fit about something this morning. One of the smaller ones ended up coming up on the deck and hiding under one of the tables. I think he’d been attacked by something else, and the rest of the conclave was very, very upset. I got their attention (they shut up and listen when I call out to them and clap my hands) so we could get it sorted out — not sure what attacked the crow, but it’s out of the yard for now. He let me get close enough to him to watch him walk. He limped for a few steps, then flew a bit, then walked a little bit more, gaining strength, and flew off. So I guess I don’t have to bundle him up and take him to Cape Wildlife before work. He seems okay.

Off to work.

Final race of the Triple Crown tomorrow — go California Chrome! And Tony Awards on Sunday — my people! 😉

Devon

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on June 6, 2014 at 7:34 am Comments Off
Tags: California Chrome, Cape Coastal Conference, crows, Environmental Summit, monologue, printers, script writing, The Dolphin, Tony Awards, workshop

Tues. June 3, 2014: Projects, Interviews, Writing

Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

I have an interview live over on A Biblio Paradise about how TRACKING MEDUSA evolved. Jump over and read it here.

Busy day yesterday. I lost most of the morning and a good part of the afternoon helping a colleague work on a project that was dumped on us at the last minute.

Then, I revised Episode #105 and most of #106 for the Big Script Project, while working on #109 (which has to be delivered today) and #110 (which is due on Thursday).

I tweaked a few things in BALTHAZAAR TREASURE and finished Chapter 3 — it was nearly 10 PM by the time all that happened. And I realized this morning I have to do an “insert” to tweak something, or it will contradict (in the wrong way) information from TRACKING MEDUSA.

Dropped off my new boss’s birthday gifts at the library — she deserves to know she’s appreciated.

I started putting together the pieces of the Tip Sheet for tomorrow, but that has to be finished.

I have a lot of baking to do today, in preparation for tomorrow’s workshop, script work, and other stuff that all needs to get done TODAY.

I have to remember to do my own writing first, and not try to get work done for other people in the morning (my most creative time), because then I run out of words and creative energy later in the day. There’s a reason I start with MY OWN first thousand words of the day.

But I’m happy to be back on track with BALTHAZAAR TREASURE. Even though It’s a draft and will need work, it feels right again.

Devon

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