Month: December 2008

She’s Got High Hopes

/ Clare L. Martin

I do. I just need the mental clarity, time and strength to fulfill them. It’s coming. I promise.

I froze my eggs–NO not those eggs.  The temp on the refrigerator was misadjusted and the fresh eggs I just bought froze in their shells. It was the weirdest thing cracking an egg and having a near solid, icy yolk and white plop out. 

The only Christmas gift I have purchased was a gag gift for a party I went to Monday. 

 

Here’s a word list:

butter

fumble

lost

famished

belief

sucker

symbol

dismal

relief

base

fronds

palm

feed

wake

banish

discover

rise

pan

vibrate

yawn

numb

panic

ranch

blister

comb

rib

bust

now

beach

fame

collar

hand

save

singular

rampage

forgotten

camp

dissolve

rainbow

funk

waste

candle

dank

Running to 2009

/ Clare L. Martin / 11 Comments

I found a page in a red cloth journal I haven’t carried around for months that had a short list of writing goals and action steps that I want to be guided by in 2009.

So here is a bit of that.  I will likely spend more time with the list and expand it.  Looking over this short list I get the sense it is a six-month agenda.

2009 Writing Life

 

Write.

Write.

Write.

Organize my files.
Back up data to external hard drive!

Continue work with the Play. Music. Heal. project. Jan.- Mar. 09

Find out more details on “the secret project”  I’ve  been approached to do.

Continually update writing resume.

Explore the 2nd “secret project” I am considering.

Work on new manuscript: Eating the Heart First and reassess efforts to get Garbage Woman published I should receive notification in Jan. of its status with one publisher. I may need to reconsider G.W.  and my methods of marketing it.

Set up a co-reading with a woman poet-friend.  It was her suggestion and I hope we can make it happen.  I love her work and our poetry seems to be complimentary.

Reevaluate markets and my methods of getting into them.  

Slow Down.

Write

Write.

Write.

Reading Recap

/ Clare L. Martin

Our poetry reading at Fire and Water went exceptionally well.

There were six poets, representing quite a nice array of styles. I think maybe 25 people came through the gallery. It was a small but open space, very intimate. I ended up taking over from Patrice as “Mistress of Ceremonies” because she had to leave early which was great (not great that she had to leave early but handling the task was great–we had fun) and at the end I led a brief audience/artist discussion. I read very new work that was well-received, thankfully.

Louisiana Snow

/ Clare L. Martin / 9 Comments

It snowed overnight here in SW Louisiana. 

Let me repeat:

It snowed overnight here in SW Louisiana.

 

It is not even official winter and we have had a rare snowfall.  It is noon and the snow in my yard has just melted away. I don’t know how much snow fell, but we did get a dusting with some accumulation. In the wee hours big, fluffy flakes were falling. I was up watching it for hours. I tried to wake up the house but my husband and daughter slumber heavily. 

Some snow is still melting off the roof. It was a lovely sight but I do have some sad news to report.  My daughter did not get to build a snowperson. She has never in her life built one.   She cried before school this morning that it was unfair that she had to go to school today when there was snow to be played in and with. School in my area was not cancelled. My girl left feeling very disheartened.  But I have a feeling there may be more snow for us this winter.  It’s a strange sense that this winter will be downright frigid with various wintry precipitations in these parts.

Come for fire, come for water.

/ Clare L. Martin / 2 Comments
Date:
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time:
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location:
The Steeple Vue Gallery
Street:
Across from Russell’s Food Center
City/Town:
Arnaudville, LA
Petite Festival of Words at FIRE AND WATER
An Informal Gathering of Poets reading at The Steeple Vue Gallery in Arnaudville, LA to be held in conjunction with “Le Feu et l’Eau” Rural Arts Celebration (Fire and Water Festival)

The reading is being coordinated by Patrice Melnick, director of Festival of Words and the Reading Series at Casa Azul Gifts in Grand Coteau, LA.


Featuring:  Bret Bernard, Sam Irwin, Clare L. Martin, Patrice Melnick, Bonnie McDonald and YOU. 

Yes, you are invited to participate in the Petite Festival of Words.  Bring along a poem or short story to share.  For more information, call Patrice at 337-662-1032 (leave message if no  answer.)

Fire and Water

/ Clare L. Martin / 2 Comments

Patrice Melnick from Casa Azul Gifts in Grand Coteau invited me to read along with a few other poets at an “informal” reading she is putting together in conjunction with Le Feu et l’Eau Rural Arts Celebration (Fire and Water Festival) in Arnaudville, LA on Saturday December 13th. I think our reading will be from 2 PM to 4 PM. Not sure of the exact location yet, but it will be in Arnaudville.

 

More soon…I think I should write a poem employing the words “fire” and “water” for this occasion—like I haven’t already!