• AUTUMN OFFERS THE PEN a panorama of color. Capturing the season's detail makes your writing come alive. And perhaps you'll notice this unexpected bonus. Paying attention to nature's detail, will always brighten the writer's mood. Get out. Look around. Write it down.
• • MARY OLIVER COMES TO BOISE
Reading her award-winning poetry to a full house at the
Egyptian Theater, Mary Oliver delighted Boise with words and candor. The epitome of “unpretentious,” the grand dame of contemporary poetry makes no attempt to cover her shining white hair. She wears basic black slacks, a starched white shirt, and she hums under her breath, thumbing through a book for the next poem. There is a sly smile as she chooses one. Mary Oliver is an artist, musician and magician, as her poetry dances in the air.
Toward the end of the evening, she entertained questions from the audience. Here are some of her answers:.
• Question: Did you always want to be a poet?
. . . Mary Oliver: “Yes. I was always careful not to take an interesting job.” "If you have an interesting job, you might get interested in it.” (and then what would happen to your writing?)
• Question: How do you deal with your inner critic?
. . . Mary Oliver: “Oh, I killed that editor many years ago."
• Question: Can you tell us the meaning of your poem “The Journey"?
. . . Mary Oliver: “No. A poem is for the reader to interpret. The poet brings personal experiences, feelings and such to a poem, but once it is published, it belongs to the reader.”
• Question: Which birds, trees, and flowers are most inspiring to your work? .
. . . Mary Oliver: "I am inspired by whatever I am looking at in the moment.".
• Question: What advice do you have for a beginning poet? .
. . . Mary Oliver: “Work every day and keep a schedule. Don’t wait for inspiration. Inspiration is waiting in every one of us every day. You will do your best if your creative part can rely on you to be there for it.”
• • • WANNA BE A LOSER? WRITE TO WEIGHT LOSS
Good news for dieters who write. A comprehensive study found that keeping a food log doubles your chances to lose weight.
Okay, it isn't just the pen. Everyone in the study also attended weekly group sessions, exercised for at least 30 minutes a day and followed the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. After 6 months, the winners (or is that losers?) were those who had kept daily food records. They lost twice as much weight as those who did not keep track. TWICE AS MANY pounds. So it seems your friend is a pen if you want to be a real loser. RealAge.com for more information.
Coming to the public in December 2008 - Julia Cameron's new title: The Writing Diet.
• • • • THAT TIME OF YEAR
Although my anemones are still blooming, the holidays stand in the shadow of the late October sun. Meanwhile the world economy teeters on the edge of depression, and "we the people" struggle to find balance as well. The holidays, sacred or secular, bring family gatherings, groaning boards of food, and party invitations that add to our daily routines. The call of the mall challenges the pocketbook, even in good years.
I think I will write a letter to myself rather than Santa. It will be an invitation to stay sane for this holiday season. I invite you to join me . . . compose personal notes for your own composure. Maybe the rest of the world will follow suit.
