Volume VIII, Issue 15
April 15, 2019
Word of the Week: appreciate
Dear ,
William James once said, "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."
This rings so true, both for myself and those I know well. In fact, years ago, like, say 29, I wrote a poem about my mother in which she complains about her children not appreciating her. Called "The Color of Crushed Strawberries," it's this week's featured writing.
I thought about this poem several times last week, which is how it ended up appearing here. I'm going to work backwards as I share these "moments of remembrance" with you:
1. When: Saturday, April 13th, about 6:30 p.m.
Where: My daughter and son-in-law's house
What: A birthday party for my grandsons Rhys (who turns 6
on April 17) and Harry (who turns 3 on April 18)
I've saved my gift to Rhys, a classroom calendar with pockets for each day, as well as for the month, the season, the weather, and a whole slew of holiday and special occasion cards, for the very end of the "opening ceremony," hoping he'll like it as much as his mom, who suggested it (among several other things), and I
hope he will. He has, after all, turned a large part of the downstairs playroom into a "school," complete with a number line he's made himself that we use each time I visit.
His reaction was so far and away over the top of what I'd hoped for that I could hardly stand it. I mean, we are talking shrieking and leaping and shouts of "I needed this!" and "I can't believe it!"
I don't believe I have ever felt so appreciated in my whole life. For anything. And that is saying a lot. As my son-in-law's dad put it, "You won the gift-giving lottery." I thought of my mom, and how hard she tried to "win the gift-giving lottery" herself over the years, with both children and grandchildren, and how hard she worked to please us by cooking our favorite foods when we visited.
2. When: Wednesday, April 10th, about 8:30 p.m.
Where: My daughter and son-in-law's house
What: A "finally-the-kids-are-all-in-bed moment" (Ellie, Rhys and
Harry's little sister, ten months old, rounds out the crowd) with
my daughter.
Amanda's husband is out-of-town all week, and I've come to help, from the pre-dinner-to-bedtime frenzy through the morning's school bus dash. As we flop together on the couch, she tells me that she knows it's silly to think that her kids should appreciate her, and yet, she does. I tell
her—not quite tongue in cheek—that I often feel like my kids don't appreciate me. Which reminds me of "The Color of Crushed Strawberries," And so I tell her about this poem I wrote years ago, when I was a young mother, about my mother feeling her kids didn't appreciate her. We laugh together.
And then I look at my day's to-do list, thank heavens, given that's what reminds me to ask her for gift ideas for the boys, since it's the last day I can order them from Amazon and
receive them in time for Saturday's party.
3. When: Monday, April 8th, about 7:00 p.m.
Where: Tate Hall, CPCC
What: My presentation of the Irene Blair Honeycutt Lifetime
Achievement Award in Literary Arts to Judy Goldman, and the
leading up to it.
It was such an honor to be asked, as the recipient of last year's Irene Blair Honeycutt Legacy Award, to introduce Judy and present her with this award. What a joy it was to think back to 1990, when I took my first poetry class with Judy, at the very same time that I was taking my first poetry class with Irene. (You know how enthusiastic I am about poetry, right?)
While I didn't talk about "The Color of Crushed Strawberries" during the presentation, it was Judy who inspired this poem by giving us, her students this line from Edward Hirsch's poem "Matisse": ". . . my mother is dressed / in a dress the color of
crushed strawberries . . . "
Words tumbled out, a litany for my mother.
This was one of the three poems I chose, way back then, to submit with my application to the North Carolina Poetry Society. Can you imagine my giddy disbelief when I received a letter from one of NCPS's officers, a woman named Dr. Pepper Worthington who was also the editor of Mount Olive Review, asking me
if I'd be willing to have Mount Olive Review publish this poem?
While this wasn't my first poem to be published, it was the one that made me feel a real glimmer of hope that I was well suited for this occupation that I loved so much. That I could, perhaps, call myself a poet.
You may recall, in last week's zine, that I rued the fact that I didn't have a picture of myself with Judy?
Now I do! And I also have a photo of Irene and Judy together, along with Amy Bagwell (on left),
the hard-working, ever-kind director of Sensoria.
I'm sure it goes without saying that I appreciate each of these women mightily!
And I appreciate you, , for without you, I wouldn't be writing these words, savoring these
moments. I also appreciate the words that you write, the stories you weave that connect us in our joint humanity, from our deep craving to be appreciated to our multiple endeavors that merit appreciation.
Before I close, there's one more thing I appreciate: National Poetry Month! I hope you're having a happy one. It seemed like a perfect time to let you know, if you don't already, that I've created an online poetry course in which I turned just about everything I know about writing poetry into a hands-on
instruction manual and toolkit so that you can immediately integrate what you're learning and create poems as you go. You can check it out here or below if you're interested, on your way down to the featured writing and the prompt.
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
THE SEVEN ENERGIES OF WRITING
ONLINE CLASS
(A Holistic, Whole Brain Approach, with Accompanying Tools and Strategies To Enhance Creativity, Productivity, and Writing Pleasure)
If you’ve ever had a hard time getting started writing, finishing what you’ve begun, or gotten stuck in the middle (AKA writer’s block), knowing how to engage in the most helpful “energy of writing” for you at each stage of your process—and on any given day—will be a game-changer. In this class, we’ll explore—and practice—the ins, outs, and benefits of all seven
energies of writing. You’ll learn invaluable tools and strategies you’ll use again and again to write with maximum ease and effectiveness. Yes, you can be more productive, creative, and fulfilled, no matter what kind of writing you do or how experienced you are.
WHERE: The comfort of your own home
WHEN: Tuesdays, May 14th and 21st, 2019 from 7:00 until 8:45 p.m.
COST for Workshop and Materials: $67
This class is being audiotaped as a part of creating an online class for future participants. Attendance allows permission of WordPlay to use voice of an individual or individuals for use to include promotional material for media, online, physical products or any other type of publication. Note: no identification beyond first names of individuals will be given, and no written
work of participants will be shared. Your privacy and copyright protection are of paramount importance to us.
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To pay online, please click this link to pay through PayPal.
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POETRY ROCKS!
(Learning the Ins and Outs of Poetry; Strengthening Your Writing Skills; Adding a New Layer of Literacy Beauty to Your Life)
Would you like your writing — prose and/or poetry — to be more graceful, powerful, beautiful? Do you sometimes find poetry confusing or intimidating and wish you could “crack the code”? Or do you enjoy writing and reading poems, but want a more thorough understanding of what makes a poem good? Then this poetry extravaganza is for you.
Expect a good time exploring what makes a poem a poem, gaining the knowledge you need to confidently create and revise poetry, and strengthening your writing skills in all genres.
It would be a joy and an honor to share what rocks about poetry with you!
HERE’S WHAT YOU GET:
- 23 poetry creation tools, delivered one per day (Monday through Friday) to your inbox — in honor of National Poetry month. Use them as you get them, use them when you can, use them over and over to create poems. Each tool zeroes in on one aspect of poetry and provides an innovative method to approach writing a poem. Many of them are great for creating prose,
too. The tools include:
* a purpose, so you’re clear what you will learn
* background information when helpful
* “how-to” directions to create a poem
* an example that illustrates the poetry tool in action
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
* “Hone Your Craft” suggestions for further exploration
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
- A PDF document of each tool that you can print or save on your computer
- An audio recording of each tool, so you can learn by listening and/or reading
- Instruction on the role of audience, reading like a writer, and the process of revision, including a handy Revision Checkpoint Chart — this information can be applied to strengthen your prose as well as poetry
- Additional poetry resources
- An e-book that contains the information and resources covered, as well as your 23 poetry creation tools for ongoing use
WHERE: From the comfort of your own home, via the web.
WHEN: Any time you want! And once you receive all 23 tools, they’re yours to keep, which means that you can keep using them for years to come.
COST: $45
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To register for Poetry Rocks online, click here.
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WRITE LIKE A GENIUS
AT THE JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL
(Expanding Our Creativity; Learning New Tools for Our Writing and Our Lives; Creating New Writing)
Discover your own genius as you learn to apply seven fascinating approaches of Leonardo da Vinci to your writing. These techniques enliven non-fiction, poetry and fiction. Expect fun, inspiration and writing galore in your preferred genre, with opportunities to share
your work.
WHERE: John Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902
WHEN: Sunday, May 26th – Saturday, June 1st, 2019
COST is $630 for one week-long session
(lodging and meals are additional – options can be found on the Folk School website)
TO REGISTER: To register, please click this link to register through the John Campbell Folk School website.
Class size limited to 8.
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CLASSES AT CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION
WRITING OUR WAY TO HAPPINESS
(Week 2)
Come explore research-tested ways writing can increase your happiness level. You’ll learn how to use writing as a tool to increase your sense of well-being, as well as jumpstart your pen and provide inspiration and knowledge about the process of creative writing, whether you want to write memoir, fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. For writers of all levels, including beginners, who are interested in expanding their
writing practice—for personal fulfillment or for publication.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Alumni Hall Poetry Room
WHEN: Monday, July 1st – Friday, July 5th, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Register directly through the Chautauqua Institution website here
TELLING YOUR LIFE STORIES WITH GRACE
(Week 7)
Our life stories are a precious legacy, imbued with grace we can often see only in hindsight. Capturing these stories “gracefully” in words is a gift, not only to ourselves, but to those who love us – they’ll be treasured for generations to come. Come learn engaging tools and techniques to retrieve and record your adventures, loves, losses, successes, mistakes, and more with ease and, yes, grace, no matter where you
are in the process.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Hultquist 201B
WHEN: Monday, August 5th – Thursday, August 8th, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Register directly through the Chautauqua Institution website here
DELICIOUS MEMORIES
(Week 9)
Food not only nurtures and sustains us, it’s also a rich source for writing. We’ll explore our culinary connections as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how — and even why — we ate. We’ll also learn from the work of accomplished writers. You can use the tools you’ll learn to create a family cookbook, individual essays, stories, or poems, scenes in fiction or memoir, a food blog—or just for your own
pleasure.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Hultquist 201A
WHEN: Monday, August 19th – Thursday, August 22nd, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Register directly through the Chautauqua Institution website here
More WordPlay opportunities here.
. . . My mother is dressed
in a dress the color of crushed strawberries . . .
~ Edward Hirsch
My mother is dressed in a flannel nightgown
the color of faded morning glories, on her knees
on the hardwood floor of her bedroom
mumbling Hail Mary’s, begging forgiveness
for the sin of not wanting
five children's worth of work.
My mother is dressed in an apron
the color of ashes, by the stove
frying sugared parsnips, spearing chunks
of city chicken, serving salted complaints
about how we don't appreciate her.
My mother is dressed in corduroy pants
the color of sodden newspapers, on a stepladder,
the smell of ammonia strong, the window
panes squeaking, the streaks meekly disappearing
in the face of her furious rubbing.
My mother is dressed in a raveled sweater
the color of old snow, scrubbing socks
on a washboard. She is not dressed
in her wedding rings. They hang
on the Virgin Mary's white ceramic hands,
palms together, pointing upward in supplication.
How I longed to see her in
lipstick the color of crushed strawberries,
humming as she dressed in blue watered silk.
But summer upon summer, after we’d bruised
our knees on the packed soil of the fields,
bent over the sink hulling
entire afternoons away, she let me
wield the potato masher
in the copper-bottomed pot filled
with the makings of next winter's jam.
~ From Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay—so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "appreciate."
PROMPT: Write something—anything you like, in any genre—that expresses appreciation from one person to (or for) another.
It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats here.
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide
to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water.
She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another." Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best
learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours!
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