Sometime during college I came across this quote from Mary Oliver’s Blue Pastures. She calls it a “Sand Dab.”
Lists and verbs will carry you many a dry mile.
That quote still sings after all these years. It’s really the basis of the one word writing prompts that I create. So I thought I’d collect a few things that I’ve been noticing.
I’m reading through On Being a Writer by Ann Kroeker and Charity Singleton Craig this summer. The epigraph for this chapter of On Being a Writer is from Henry James.
Try to be one of the people on whom nothing is lost.
This is a pretty good job description for a homeschool mom. It’s the kind of attention that finds connections and complexity in the most quotidian days. It’s found in the work of people like Ann Collins and Melissa Wiley. It’s a lifetime’s work to keep on waking up to this world.
Along with half the city, I put Colm Toibin’s new novel Long Island on hold as soon as it came out. I fell in love with his videos on Scribner’s Instagram account.
He’s just a hoot! I loved the movie Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan, but I didn’t realize it was based on a novel. So, I quick read (and loved!) Brooklyn and Nora Webster while I waited for Long Island.
The book arrived on my Kindle just in time for our vacation. I’m trying to portion it out and not just gulp it down. But these characters are just riveting. Next up for me in my Toibin deep dive is his novel about…Henry James called The Master.
Finally, a poem called “Notice” by Steve Kowit.
“Notice” by Steve Kowit This evening, the sturdy Levi's I wore every day for over a year & which seemed to the end in perfect condition, suddenly tore. How or why I don't know, but there it was: a big rip at the crotch. A month ago my friend Nick walked off a racquetball court, showered, got into his street clothes, & halfway home collapsed & died. Take heed, you who read this, & drop to your knees now & again like the poet Christopher Smart, & kiss the earth & be joyful, & make much of your time, & be kindly to everyone, even to those who do not deserve it. For although you may not believe it will happen, you too will one day be gone, I, whose Levi's ripped at the crotch for no reason, assure you that such is the case. Pass it on.
Oh, one more thing! My chapbook Elemental is on sale over at Bottlecap Press! These poems would be a fine companion at the beach, in the mountains, or wherever summertime takes you. There are a few poems from the collection in this post :
I was in love with this post even before I got to the part where you said such a nice thing about me!
Kortney, I’m in awe of the people who are awake to the possibilities of an ordinary Tuesday. Thank you for counting me as one of them. So are you…Your incredible chapbook “Every Broken Year” has a permanent place on my work table to remind me of how moving and elegant a focused piece of writing can be. 🌺