Sunday Scribblings - 8/30/09

Poetry

Here's a haiku inspired by the movie I started watching tonight:


The joke is on you,
shall we play a little game?
Why so serious?

Poetry and me

I've been trying to beef up my collection of poetry books, and my latest purchase arrived today:

Poems of New York

I like poetry and I'm a Manhattophile (is that a word? It should be) so this is right up my alley. So far, I'm happy with the purchase. There seems to be a wide variety of subjects, all of course having to do with New York City. It's an attractive little thing, not too large, hardbound and it even includes an attached cloth bookmark. If you're thinking of getting it, just get it.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with poetry. I've tried to understand what it's all about and learn, by myself, how to read it. Some poems I just cannot seem to grasp while others offer little language treasures that bring a smile to my face. Poetry is not easy to read, and I find a lot of value in the trying. Although poetry can be challenging, once you understand a poem and find that it means something to you, it's so worthwhile.

I like anthologies the best. I enjoy flipping to random poems, never knowing what I'll be reading on that page. I prefer shorter poems, but sometimes I'll tackle a longer piece. I enjoy the discovery of the new, but of course I also enjoy returning to old favorites.

There are a few rules and tips I follow with poetry:

• Some poems will not speak to you. They may confuse you, and you may actually hate a few of them. That's perfectly O.K. Poetry is personal both for writer and reader, and what kind of reader enjoys reading everything?
• Read every poem twice. The first time is for discovering what the poet has to express, and the way in which he or she expresses it. The second time is for pulling it all together into one piece after you've seen what the poem has to offer. I promise you, the second time will be easier.
• There is no such thing as bad poetry, only poetry you don't like. The only exception to this is a poem which was written without passion, without interest. If the writing of the poem meant something to the poet, it has value.
• Understandable language is preferable to awkward language. If I have to read a line three times to understand what it says, I'm not happy. I like poems that make sense.
• Keep trying. The next poem you read may well become a favorite. Each poem you read will enrich you. You don't have to read some every day, but do take the time now and then to do so. You'll be glad you did.
  

I'm curious - how many of my readers are poetry readers? What do you think about my little rules?

New Technology Helping The Old

Tonight, I finished the book I've been reading for a while - Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon. It's an incredible adventure filled with amazing, memorable salt-of-the-earth Americans. You can read my review of it on Goodreads, because I'm not posting here to review it.

No, I'm here to talk about another cool thing related to the book. I was browsing on Google Earth, trying to find some of the places Least Heat-Moon visited. It's neat to see them as they are now. It gives the book more meaning when you can see what these places look like (from above, at least). I decided to search for placemarks related to the book, and I found all of them!

Someone went to the trouble of making a Google Map of (nearly) all the places William Least Heat-Moon went during his "Blue Highways" trip. Of course, you can also view the map in Google Earth. You can save it and load it up whenever you want (when you're reading the book, for example). I've done exactly that.

The Blue Highways map can be found at this link. Click the "View In Google Earth" link at the top to load it in that application. Want to save it to your computer? Right click the folder once it shows up in your Temporary Places and select "Save Place As..."

If you haven't read Blue Highways, I highly recommend it. It's an amazing read. You can find it on Amazon.com here.

*update* The Google Earth file won't save to my USB drive! I hope it will save to my external drive. If neither option works, at least I emailed it to myself.

Explain this

I'm currently reading The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. It's your typical thrill novel - woman discovers secret, bad guys try to find her, woman tries to stay one step ahead of them.

I have my doubts about that kind of plot. What makes these characters so savvy all of a sudden? One minute they're typical students, lawyers, whatever. The next minute, they're oh-so-knowledgeable about how to disguise themselves and stay hidden.

I'm not buying it. In real life, people like this would not know what to do and make some sort of mistake, thus getting captured by the bad guys.

Links, Links, Links - 2/12/09

Lately, I've been craving websites that focus on poetry, writing, art, and other elite subjects. Here are a few sites, both new and old, that I wanted to bring to your attention:

• Arts and Letters Daily. This is an ever-expanding collection of articles, commentaries, reviews and links. The subjects are many, and there should be something for everyone to enjoy. The most recent items are always at the top.

• One Sentence. I discovered this one earlier today. Folks submit their stories and, as the title implies, all are one sentence in length. There are some real gems here - funny stories, sad stories, and just plain bizarre stories.

• The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. Each and every day, radio host Garrison Keillor gives you today's news and birthdays in literature, and reads a poem. You can listen to him, or you can just read.

• Daily Writing Tips. If you write, you need to bookmark this site.
  

• The Page. Much like Arts and Letters Daily, this site is a big list of links, mostly related to poetry. I'm not sure how often it updates - there don't appear to be any updates this week.

I also have one music link to share with you:

• Michael and David Doucet of BeauSoleil are featured in this Offbeat Magazine article. They discuss the state of Cajun music today and how their band fits in.

The Perfect Heathcliff

I'm currently re-reading Wuthering Heights, one of my absolute favorites. I've always thought about who would make the perfect Heathcliff in a new movie adaptation of the novel. I've had an image in my mind of just who Heathcliff is, what he looks like, how he sounds, etc. I think I've finally found the perfect candidate.

He has the rugged good looks.

He has the intensity.

He has the vaguely ethnic look, dark hair and all.

He has proven himself capable of playing sadistic so-and-so's, which Heathcliff definitely is.

The one drawback would be his age, but he still looks young enough to pull it off.

May I present for your consideration . . . .

Daniel Day-Lewis

What do you think? Could he do Heathcliff justice? Would you watch Wuthering Heights with this man in the lead role? I know I would.

Blog Books?

Why is it that popular blogs eventually have a book with blog content published?

I can't exactly think of many examples off the top of my head, but I do know that Stuff White People Like has a book. Now, Passive-Aggressive Notes is about to put out a book as well. I'm sure there are other examples out there.

I'm all for blog writers getting money and fame (if that's what they desire), but isn't turning a blog into a book a little, um, backward? Books are static. Even if they are updated, they aren't updated very often, and then only in new editions. New editions of a book mean re-publishing, using quite a bit more paper, and trying to create even more publicity for the sake of perhaps only a dozen pages of new information.

Blogs, on the other hand, can be constantly updated. The potential for new information and entries is endless. Books don't have that capability. When you hold a book in your hands, you're holding only a fraction of the possible content.

Also, books don't have the community that you get with a blog. Blog entries can have comments. People who make comments can come up with new ideas, or fresh perspectives on existing ideas. Blog entries can launch an in-depth discussion. Sometimes these discussions can be serious, and other times they can be quite hilarious.

I'm not knocking books. I love books, and book-reading is an important part of my life. I just think that blogs are their own thing. Trying to fit a blog into a book format limits the content to a physical product, with little ability to make changes and corrections or add thoughts later on.

That's just my two cents. I hope people who buy a blog-based book get on the computer and read the actual blog, too. If they don't, they're missing out on a lot of good stuff.

Links Links Links - 12/19/07

Here are the latest things getting my attention online:

• If you're a lover of language and words, this is an essential resource - the Online Etymology Dictionary. Here you can find out where words in the English language come from. For example, the word "earth" comes from the Old English eorðe, which means "ground, soil, dry land."

• Slate has a story about the legacy of Ike Turner. It's written by none other than Donald Fagen of Steely Dan! Donald discusses Ike's ups and downs, warts and all.
  

• Lord Of The Rings fans, rejoice! Pete Jackson has signed on to produce a two-movie version of The Hobbit! I hope they can keep the same actors and make these films match the feel of the three LOTR movies.

Pond Prompts - 10/4/07

Describe the perfect winter day. Tell about an activity you would do on that day.

It has just snowed the night before. I wake up and look out the window, and I can see snow everywhere. The deep green fir trees are blanketed in a fine white powder, and everything is perfectly still. I bundle up and step outside. It's briskly cold, but not freezing. The only sounds I can hear are the birds twittering, the squirrels playing among the treetops, and the deep crunch of my boots against the cold, hard snow.

I spend a few minutes outside, embracing the winter silence and taking in the beauty of everything around me. I bend down and touch the snow. It melts against my lukewarm fingers, and I can clearly feel its gritty, icy, crystallized texture. I walk around a little, feeling the snow crunch underneath me. I take a few deep breaths, letting the cold air fill my lungs and cleanse my senses as only the cold winter air can. I see my breath in front of me, fading into oblivion just a few moments after I exhale.

I take one last look at the silent winter paradise around me, and then I retreat to the comfort of my home. My companion has started a fire in the fireplace, and I come near it to warm my hands. She has prepared some hot cocoa too, and we sit around the fire drinking our warm drinks, enjoying the feel of the cool marshmallows among the hot liquid. We smile warmly at each other as we drink, both knowing that today is special - we can enjoy the beauty of the cold winter day and the warmth of the house and everything in it.

We spend an hour just sitting around, watching the snow start to fall outside the window. We get out of our seats and head to the kitchen, where we proceed to bake some cookies. What kind? Chocolate chip, of course.

After enjoying a fresh, warm cookie, straight from the oven, I head back to the fireplace and read a book. The warmth of the fire calms me, and after a few dozen pages I start to fall into a deep, contented sleep as the snow continues to fall outside.

Become A Better Blogger

While using Stumbleupon (one of the most fun extensions available for the Firefox browser), I found this great article called 12 Ways To Keep Your Posting Going Forever. It includes 12 great tips to keep your blogging habits sustained over time. I find blogging a challenge sometimes, so articles like this are very useful.

My most important piece of advice to bloggers is to do what I've done by writing this post - take those things you find in your daily life that pique your interest, and share them! Blogging is really about listening to your inner voice and making it external. Earlier today, I responded to the news about Radiohead by thinking "what a great idea!" I didn't let it end there, though; I turned that thought into a blog post.

Turn your thoughts into blog posts!

Links, Links, Links - 8/11/07

I think I have a new blog feature - a Links roundup. Sure, it's nothing different from what other bloggers do, but it has a neat title!

I'm re-reading the Lord Of The Rings books, and today I wondered if a LOTR Wiki exists. Well, of course it does! After a quick Google search, I found One Wiki To Rule Them All. It doesn't go into as much detail as the Stars Wars Wookiepedia, but it's still a great resource to consult. If that doesn't meet your needs, perhaps Encyclopedia of Arda will.

Are you a writer? I try to be a writer, although I haven't done much of it lately. Someday I will do more of it, though, and when I do I'll be sure to consult this post on The Top Ten Tips For Improving Your Writing. I'll also consult this amazingly comprehensive collection of fiction writing articles from writing-world.com. If you are a writer or want to be a writer, these seem to be really excellent resources.

Lastly, I have a site that combines travel and photography: Trekearth. The cool thing about this site is that the photos are grouped according to where they were taken - as general as continent, as specific as town or city. See the world from your computer chair! (But don't leave it at that - see the world through your own eyes too.)

I'll post more links when I find them, or when I need something to post. Enjoy!