Writing Exercise

Recommended for high school and older Monty Python fans.

Call me crazy, but I'm inspired by the wild metaphor poet Robert Hass used at last month's Dodge Poetry Festival. Is being U.S. Poet Laureate really like being the Encyclopedia Salesman in that Monty Python sketch?

I love weird writing exercises, so here's one for you.

Compare life as a poet/writer to a Monty Python character of your choice.

Go obvious and get all Lumberjacky:

"I'm a blog writer and I'm okay.

Online all night and I sleep all day."

Go surreal -- (Startling Admission -- when I'm trying to write and my kids come into my office wanting Mommy time, I react just like the cute little bloody-fanged bunny in Holy Grail.)

Go anti-writer's block with one of my favorite Python sketches, " Confuse-A-Cat."

Go write!

Poetry Outreach in New Jersey

Poet Khalil Murrell is Poetry-in-the-Schools Assistant for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which puts on the fabulous biennial poetry festival in northern NJ.

As part of his position at Dodge, Khalil does outreach to New Jersey's neediest school districts. Here is the final part of our interview.

KM: The Dodge Poetry Program’s interest in doing outreach in under served communities in urban and rural areas is simply to make our student and teacher-centered programs reflect the actual demographics here in the state [of NJ]. We have been curious as to how we can get the word out to students and teachers in such cities as Camden, Elizabeth, Paterson, and Vineland. Last year, we began meeting with Department Chairs in Newark to inform them of these programs and surveying teachers about how we may best reach other faculty members in their school and district. As a result of our outreach, we registered for Student Day a record number of high school students and high schools overall in Camden, my hometown. [Non-New Jerseyans, the city of Camden has been struggling for decades -- since its major manufacturer, Campbell’s Soup, left the area. The city was also Walt Whitman's last home. Whitman is pictured, left.] I have also received feedback from friends, poets reading at the Festival, and Festival attendees hugely applauding the growing diversity of the line-up, both in terms of cultural background and artistic style. AA: What’s your best “behind the scenes” Dodge Festival story?

KM: I try never to “geek out” over celebrities or famous poets. I was in line for lunch, chatting with a friend, when Robert Hass walked up behind us and joined the conversation, perfectly down to earth and kind, as he always is. He said, “Hi, I’m Bob.” I opened my mouth to speak but for 3 or 4 seconds nothing came out, and he’s looking at me, bright-eyed and smiling, until I finally retrieved my voice box to say, “Uh…uh…I know who you are. You’re Robert Hass.” (I’m guessing he’s probably known that for some years now.) He chuckled a little and patted me on the back. Afterwards, I was so embarrassed. AA: Which poets made an impression on you at this year’s festival? What did you like about their work?

KM: I loved how poets and poems spoke to each other throughout the 4 days. A great complement to Sharon Olds’s “Ode to Douche Bag” was Kevin Young’s great reading of “Ode to Pork” on Saturday night. It was a magical moment when he said, “Babe,” and the crowd took a second to catch the movie reference before laughing and applauding loudly. Having suggested we invite him to Festival, I was also looking forward to seeing Chris Abani. For me, Chris was the star in Stanhope, if there was one. He was so generous in conversation, so brilliant, yet humble, and so likable. He offered such fresh perspectives to the conversations and his readings were impressive.

AA: Chris Abani was a star. Great reader, personable. Even though some of his poems dealt with difficult subjects, Abani's humor and optimism drew in the audience.

Thanks for your insights, Khalil!

I wish I had time to share more about the festival. Never did get to my critique of the Borders Book Tent. Never told you about Robert Hass comparing being U.S. Poet Laureate to Monty Python's Encyclopedia Salesman sketch ("Can I interest you in a nice sestina?" Watch the original sketch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsvWVbBowXo ) But, it's time to stop dragging my heels and move on.

Hope to see you at the 2010 Dodge Poetry Festival, y'all.

Amok in Questions: GottaWriteGirl

Susan at GottaWriteGirl tagged me. I’m not sure what being tagged means, but I’m willing to play along. If you haven’t seen Susan’s site, check it out. http://www.gottawritegirl.com/. It’s a must read for children’s authors (like me) in pursuit of that first book contract. I’m tagging some writing friends to join the game: Gina Hagler, http://ginahagler.blogspot.com/, Mary Bowman-Kruhm http://marybk.blogspot.com/, Lois Szymanski http://loisszymanski.blogspot.com/, Cynthia Lord http://cynthialord.livejournal.com/. 1. What do you do before bedtime? As soon as the kids turn their lights out, I read. On my bedside table now: a book of Tolstoy novellas. I’m up to “The Cossacks.” My favorite piece was “Happy Ever After” because of its insights into marriage. Just finished Kevin Crossley-Holland’s wonderful Arthur series.

2. What is your favorite sound? “I’m afraid even I really just don’t know” -- my kids (ages 8 and 11) quoting Monty Python sketches. Makes me feel like I'm being true to myself as a mom.

3. What were your childhood fears? Being “It.” Playing Truth or Dare with mean girls.

4. What place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back? England. We used to visit our grandparents there every year until I was in high school. Have you ever seen the movie “Shadowlands” with Debra Winger & Anthony Hopkins? It’s about Narnia author C.S. Lewis and his marriage to an American poet. I was bawling before the opening credits ended. The rolling green landscape did me in.

5. What has made you unhappy these days? Mean people. See #3. They never went away. I’m just better at dealing with them. 6. What websites do you visit daily? I find technology overwhelming. Keeping up a blog takes up a crazy amount of time. I still read a print newspaper every day. Does that count?

7. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? Susan and I met briefly at the MD/DE/WV SCBWI conference. She’s cute. She’s enthusiastic. She’s determined to reach her goal of seeing her YA novel published. What’s not to like?

8. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head? Seal’s cover of “Lips Like Sugar” on the 50 First Dates Soundtrack. (Susan -- you're mention of Elton John's Sugar Bear triggered this.) The original song is by Echo & the Bunnymen. I loved them in high school. Now, their music is kind of scary and jarring. But I love Seal’s version and this entire soundtrack. Modern reggae-style remakes of 80s tunes? Totally Rad.

9. What’s your favorite item of clothing? I have a blue ¾ sleeve t-shirt that looks sort of like clouds. It’s got some Asian-inspired artwork on it. I love it. I would wear it every day, but that would be gross. 10. What is your dream for the future? I’ll quote GwG’s “To publish my first YA (or any) novel.” I’m five years into this adventure, with magazine credits under my belt. Still working toward that first contract. Thanks for the game, Susan. (Find Susan's response to these questions here: http://gottawritegirl.blogspot.com/2008/09/game-on.html) Writing Exercise (Middle School and Up)

Ask your fiction character the above questions. You are the tagger. He or she is the tagee.

An alternative for kid lit & YA authors: what would happen if your character played "Truth or Dare" with a mean girl?