Volume VIII, Issue 24
June 25, 2019
Dear ,
Name that tune! And if that's too easy, name that artist!
Hint: Last Tuesday evening, my sweetie and I had an amazing time at the 2019 "Individualist" World Tour by this artist, and we heard "that tune." (We couldn't resist these T-Shirts with their "digressions, dreams, & dissertations" slogan.)
OK, time's up! Did you know it was Todd Rundgren?
I have to tell you, it was an absolute thrill to spend an evening with him. (He shook my hand!) You see, when we met, I owned on Todd album. And I liked some of his song. Richard, in contrast, was a rabid fan. He so wanted me to love his favorite "musical genius" that, when we were dating, he hand-selected an "Elpee's Worth of Tunes" (Well, it was actually a cassette tape; do you remember those?) of songs meant to turn me into a fan, too. He named it MoTodd, since Mo was my college nickname, and he succeeded. While I knew "I Saw the Light" and "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" and, of course, "Hello, It's Me," I had never heard many of the songs on MoTodd before, like "Love of the Common Man" and "Compassion" and "A Dream Goes On Forever."
One of Todd's songs, a remake of "La La Means I Love You," became "our song." We played it at our wedding reception, and our daughter had it played for us at her wedding reception. Because her childhood, and her brother's, was punctuated by Todd songs, especially on the semiannual road trips from Charlotte back to my hometown of Erie, Pa. Todd's song, "Couldn't I Just Tell You" even made it into one of my poems, which I
chose as the featured writing of the week, because, well, naturally, because this issue is all about Todd. It was amazing to hear him perform this song live. It was all I could do to "keep it bottled up inside" and not
sing along!
I hope you enjoy spending some time writing about how you (and/or your characters) feel this week!
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
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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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.
Hi, you don’t know me, but
I’m driving behind your flatbed truck,
here on I-77 North. That’s what I would
say. Trouble is, I don’t have your cell phone number.
Don’t know your name. Honking wildly
while waving my arm outside my window
seems a bad idea. So I let Todd Rundgren blare
“Couldn’t I Just Tell You”
through the speakers as a pair
of what must be your work gloves
levitate above your truck, twin birds
riding the upwind. I guess you left them
on the flatbed, you probably
don’t see their defection in your mirrors,
you will likely later look and look
elsewhere, puzzled, even annoyed, without
benefit of explanation from me
or the poppies winking from the median.
Your gloves – Expensive? Cheap? – are
making the most of their takeoff, the lift
and loft, sailing past my car. I can’t resist
watching through my own mirrors while one
lands on its edge and rolls
as convincingly as a wheel in its lane
and the other glides just above the pavement.
Now they are waving, I see them
waving goodbye; these gloves of yours
are suddenly everything, every last thing, I have ever
lost, loved and otherwise. Soon they’ll be gone,
yet another of the many losses
you and I, fellow sparrow, along with
all the other strangers in the cruise-controlled
nests around us, will keep bearing
our whole lives long. I raise my hand
in farewell, hoping, wherever
you are going – gloveless – you somehow know
you are not alone.
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 "feel."
PROMPT: I often, in my work with writers, talk about the importance of including all four elements of human being—heart, mind, body, and soul—so that the reader's heart, mind, body, and soul are engaged. This week's word, feel, like so many of Todd Rundgren's songs, speak directly to and from the heart in tunes like "Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel," "A Dream Goes On
Forever," "Compassion," "Love of the Common Man," and, of course, the aforementioned "Couldn't I Just Tell You."
Write a poem, scene, essay, or perhaps a song, that shares the way one person, real or fictional, feels about someone else. Bonus: slip in the title of a song, by Todd Rundgren, or anyone else. The featured writing above, "Witness," is one
example.
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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