Writing the Life Poetic

Carolee D. Sherwood, Dale Favier and Deb Scott live the poetic life

Thanks to Deb Scott for sharing this great photo of her visit with Carolee D. Sherwood, Dale Favier and my book! I love that I was in some small way a part of this visit with the poetry power trio. I would like to point out, as Deb did, that her book is upright and Dale's is reclining. What might this say about these poets and their approach to life, reading, wine and out-of-state friends?

Raising my glass (and my book) to you...

Live in PDX? Vote on the Poetry in Motion poems on TriMet Busses!

Here's a little note from Literary Arts in Portland, OR:

ADDING NEW POEMS TO TRIMET BUSES. YOU PICK THE POEMS!

We have some exciting poetry news! Because of the incredible generosity of a host of supporters, we will add thousands of new poems to our Poetry in Motion program this April. But, we need your help in choosing the work. Please take the online survey and vote on which poems get chosen and installed on hundreds of TriMet buses and trains.

Vote on your favorite poems!

Ask me your productivity questions! (And I'll answer them in my book)

Are you a writer with questions about how to become more prolific, published or profitable? I'm writing a book that can help. And you can help me tailor it to your needs.

I am deep in the throes of writing: THE PRODUCTIVE WRITER: Tips & Tools for Writing More, Stressing Less and Creating Success, forthcoming from Writer's Digest Books later this year.

THE PRODUCTIVE WRITER is for creative writers of all genres as well as solopreneurs -- freelance and copy writers -- who are seeking new strategies and systems for creating the writing lives they've always wanted!

And I'd like to make sure that this book serves YOU fabulously well. If you have any burning (or even flickering) questions about the back-office of your writing productivity / publishing / promotion /profit-making process, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them in my book.

You can leave your questions here in the comments section or email me at sage [at] sagesaidso [dot] com.

To your success in 2010!

Sage shares the pulpit with Obama, Gore, Blair and more

You are cordially invited to join Barack Obama, Al Gore, Tony Blair, Thomas Friedman and me -- along with many thought leaders in a wide range of disciplines -- as we reflect on how to achieve heaven on earth, in a new anthology:

How to Achieve A Heaven on Earth // Edited by John E. Wade II // Pelican Publishing Company

Whether it’s finding spiritual harmony, reducing carbon emissions, quelling hostilities among races, cutting taxes, or feeding the hungry, every single person has the capacity to change the world for the better. Longtime New Orleans writer, editor, and philanthropist John E. Wade II has asked some of our most prestigious thinkers, writers, artists, experts, and leaders to consider how to improve the world. The result––this ambitious volume––is as much a social mission as it is an inspirational anthology. Herein lie thoughtful and hopeful reflections on a rich variety of issues, ranging from racism, poverty, religious persecution, genocide, and environmental deterioration to individual consciousness, mental well-being, and community development.

One hundred contributions from such notable personalities as Al Gore, Tony Blair, Nicholas Kristof, Thomas L. Friedman, and George W. Bush explore variations on the themes of peace, security, freedom, democracy, prosperity, spiritual and racial harmony, ecology, health, and moral purpose and meaning. Focusing on the large problems of the world without losing sight of the little challenges people face every day, this collection of essays encourages readers to find meaning in their own lives and share it with others for the betterment of the world. Religious and secular, liberal and conservative, old and young, the luminaries who have contributed to this work offer their voices and thoughts to inspire movement toward creating a more harmonious world community.

Learn more and order HOW TO ACHIEVE A HEAVEN ON EARTH!

Three Friends Reading: a fond memory, a podcast and a review

In December, I read my poetry with two very special friends in poetry -- Kristin Berger and Sara Guest -- at the Three Friends Reading Series. Tired of my most familiar poems, I dug into my archives and shared poems that I've never read publicly before. It was a good field-test, reminding me that (according to audience feedback) occasionally I am funny, and what I seem to do best is disappointed-in-love. (Which presents an interesting poetic evolution in this chapter of happily-married life!)

Sharing the stage with such beautiful writers, being in the company of so many dear literary friends, and getting up there all raw and exposed in that way that only poetry undresses me made for an evening to remember. And now you can be there with us too, by podcast.

I am grateful to the lovely and talented Karen Munro who wrote a review of the event in Reading Local. I am grateful to Melissa Sillitoe, who hosts this warm and inclusive community event, for inviting me to be a part of it. I am grateful to all of my friends who schlepped out in the rain and cold to witness and lend their magic to the small miracle that happens every day, all over this incredible literary landscape of Portland: an evening of poetry, spoken and received -- one of the most gratifying ways to make our offerings to the gods.

A penny for your thoughts. And a gift for your photo.

First my friend Chloe send me a photo of her incredibly smart (and well-read) dog Baruch reading my book.

Then my dear friend, colleague and Writing the Life Poetic zine columnist Shawn Sorensen came forward as my very first spokesmodel. That got me thinking.

I'd like to see how good YOU look reading my book.

If you send me a photo of you (or someone you know) reading Writing the Life Poetic (with permission to share it) and your mailing address (sage at sagesaidso dot com), I'll send you a very special gift.

Are we on?

Shawn Sorensen, WTLP Spokesmodel!

Come on out to a Stafford Celebration reading in the Portland metro area!

Following is a list of the 2010 January William Stafford Birthday Celebrations. These are wonderful ways to tap into the incredible Portland literary community and share in the love of one of our most generous and inspiring teachers and friends.

There are many, many events to choose from -- I hope you will choose an event or two or three or more to attend.  And if you do attend, please bring a favorite William Stafford poem with you to share with the rest of us. Each one of these celebrations will invite audience participation and we want to hear from you.  

I'll be reading on January 30-- event info highlighted below -- and would love to see you. Hope you have a wonderful William Stafford Birthday month!

* * * * *

Wednesday, January 6th, 7 pm, West Linn Library, 1595 Burns, West Linn. Hosted by David Hedges. Featuring Linda Appel, Walt Curtis, Ellen Hart, Jose Knighton, Holly Springfield, Scottie Sterrett, Virginia Euwer Wolff, and FWS Emeritus Board Member Joseph Soldati. Contact: Cheryl Hill chill@westlinnoregon.gov or David Hedges david@hedges.name

Saturday, January 9th, 2-4 pm, Tigard Public Library, 13500 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard. Hosted by Michael McDowell and Bill Siverly. Featuring Robert Davies, Melanie Green, Donna Henderson, David Oates, and FWS Board Member Leah Stenson. Contact: Bill Siverly  bsiverly@comcast.net or Sarah Jesudason  Sarah@tigard-or.gov
 
Saturday, January 9th, 2-4 pm, Milwaukie Ledding Library, Pond House, 2215 SE  Harrison, Milwaukie. Hosted by Greg Chaimov and Tom Hogan. Featuring Gail Barker, Ellen Hart, Susanna Lundgren, Helen McNaughton, Heidi Pullen, Ron Rasch, Holly Springfield, Bruce Wolfe, and FWS Board Member Paulann Petersen. Contact: Greg Chaimov  gchaimov@comcast.net or Tom Hogan  tomhogan2@comcast.net
 
Sunday, January 10th, 2-4 pm, Wy’east Book Shoppe & Art Gallery at the Rendezvous Center, 67149 E. Highway 26, Welches. Hosted by Josh Baker. Featuring Lindy Delf, Rita Ott Ramstad, Tony Volk, and FWS Emeritus Board Member Sharon Wood Wortman.  Contact: Sandra Palmer 503-622-1623 or Lindy Delf  lindydelf@gmail.com
 
Wednesday, January 13th, 7 pm, Barnes & Noble, 7700 NE Fourth Plain Boulevard, Vancouver, WA. Hosted by Shawn Sorensen. Featuring Rosemary Lombard, Bill Siverly, and FWS Board Member Scot Siegel. Including audio recordings of William Stafford and a roundtable discussion. Fun activities, free treats, and coffee. Contact: Shawn Sorensen  crm2679@bn.com
 
Wednesday, January 13th, 7 pm, Auditorium, Beaverton City Library, 12375 SW 5th St., Beaverton. Hosted by Stacy Erickson and Barbara Murray. Featuring FWS Emeritus Board Member Sue Einowski.  William Stafford's poetry is much loved by high school teachers for its accessibility to students and its inspiration prompting us to see the world with fresh eyes.  Two high school teachers share ideas for how to use Stafford's poetry with students in new ways.  A social studies teacher combines poetry with google trips to teach about the Tillamook burn, Celilo falls, nuclear testing, and a variety of other regional, historic, and ecologically important places and events.  An English teacher shares using Stafford's poetry to teach the themes of coming of age and the cycle of redemption through one poem a week for an entire term. Guests themselves will read and write during the workshop as well. For more information, contact the library at 503 644-2197 www.beavertonlibrary.org or Barbara Murray MurrayB@wlwv.k12.or.us or Stacy Erickson EricksoS@wlwv.k12.or.us
 
Wednesday, January 13th, 7-9 pm, Hemlock Room, Villa Maria Hall, Marylhurst University. Sponsored by the Marylhurst University Writers’ Club. Hosted by Co-Presidents Lorian Gray and Beth Sample. Featuring FWS Board Member Leah Stenson. Contact: English Literature and Writing Department at 503.699.8141, ext. 4420.
 
Saturday, January 16th, 3-5 pm, Holy Names Heritage Center, 17425 Holy Names Drive, Lake Oswego. (Take the Mary’s Woods exit, heading east, toward the river, off Hwy 43.) Hosted by Joan Maiers.  Featuring FWS Board Member Patricia Carver. Program includes a screening of Haydn Reiss’ new film about William Stafford, Every War Has Two Losers. Contact: Joan Maiers, jmaiers@yahoo.com or Holy Names Heritage Center 503-607-0595
 
Sunday, January 17th, 7-9 pm, Writers’ Dojo, 7518 N. Chicago Avenue, Portland. Hosted by Jeffrey Selin. Featuring FWS Board Members Dennis and Helen Schmidling. On William Stafford’s birthday, Kim Stafford of Lewis & Clark College, and Jeffrey Selin of the Writers’ Dojo, together with William Stafford Writing Fellows Sara Guest and Jeff Coleman, will host a short writing and sharing activity, followed by an exploration of the digital resources now available at the William Stafford Archives. Their first goal is to share the new online resources for everyone, and their second goal is to glimpse some resources specifically for teachers. All are welcome--readers, writers, teachers, neighbors, anyone with an interest. Contact: Jeffrey Selin (503-706-0509) / jeff@writersdojo.org)
 
Monday, January 18th, 10 pm, KBOO Radio, 90.7 FM. Hosted by Barbara LaMorticella. Contact: Barbara LaMorticella barbala@teleport.com
 
Wednesday, January 20th, 7:30 pm, Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland. Hosted by Jessica Lamb. Featuring Endi Bogue Hartigan, Ger Killeen, Kirsten McAteer, Kirsten Rian, and FWS Board Member Shelley Reece. Contact: books@annieblooms.com or Jessica Lamb  lambjess@hotmail.com
 
Wednesday, January 20th, 7 pm, 100th Monkey Studio and Gallery, 110 SE 16th Avenue, Portland. Sponsored by OSPA as part of the Figures of Speech reading Series. Hosted by Constance Hall and Steve Williams. Featuring Heidi Schulman Greenwald and FWS Board Member Don Colburn. Contact: Steve Williams slw1057@hotmail.com
 
Thursday, January 21st, 7 pm, Lake Oswego Library, 706 4th St., Lake Oswego. "The Intersection of Poetry and Popular Culture, in the Spirit of William Stafford." Hosted by FWS Board Member Scot Siegel. Featuring Michael Chasar, David Filer, Deb Stone, and FWS Board Member Patricia Carver. Contact: Bill Baars, bbaars@ci.oswego.or.us or Scot Siegel  scotsiegel@me.com
 
Thursday, January 21st, 7-8:30 pm. The Terrace Room (beneath the Commons), University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland. Hosted by Herman Asarnow. Featuring Bryan Beck, Sarah Brant, Rita Ott Ramstad, Andrew Michael Roberts, bt Shaw, and FWS Board Member Tim Barnes. Contact: Herman Asarnow, asarnow@up.edu
 
Friday, January 22nd, 7-9 p.m., Eliot Chapel, First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Avenue (corner of 12th and Salmon), Portland. Hosted by Stephen Pearce. Featuring Jonathan Merritt and FWS Board Member Leah Stenson. This year’s event features Portland’s Flash Choir performing “Strangers Together,” a musical interpretation derived from Stafford’s book, Passwords, and composed by the choir’s director Sarah Dougher. Audience members will also have an opportunity to read aloud one of their favorite poems by William Stafford following the performance. Contact: Stephen Pearce smcpearce@gmail.com or Katie Radditz kradditz@firstunitarianportland.org  503-228-6389 ex.17.
 
Saturday, January 23rd, 2 pm, Vancouver Community Library, 1007 East Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA. Hosted by Elizabeth Barton. Featuring Dennis Schmidling who will make a presentation about the Methow River Poems in Washington state, and FWS Board Member Arnie Dyer. Contact: Sally Anderson, salllyea@comcast.net or Arnie Dyer arnolddyer@aol.com    
 
Thursday, January 28th, 7 pm, Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, Portland. Hosted by Joanna Rose. Featuring Stevan Allred, Jane Glazer, John Morrison, and FWS Board Member Don Colburn. Contact: Roberta Dyer 503-284-1726 bookbroads@aol.com or Joanna Rose joannarose@earthlink.net
 
Thursday, January 28th, 7 pm, Branford P. Millar Library, Portland State University, 1875 Park Avenue (Park & Hall), Portland. Featuring Michael Achterman, Marie Buckley, Michele Glazer, Wendy Noonan, Kirsten Rian, and FWS Board Member Shelley Reece. Contact: Kimberly Willson-St. Clair 503-725-4552  willsons@pdx.edu or Shelley Reece reeces@pdx.edu
 
Saturday, January 30th, 4-6 pm, Looking Glass Book Store, 7983 SE 13th Ave., Portland (new Sellwood location). Hosted by Robin Bagai and Willa Schneberg. Featuring Lois Baker, Sage Cohen, Robert McFarlane, Shawn Sorensen, and FWS Board Member Paulann Petersen. Contact: lookingglassbook@qwest.net or Willa Schneberg  snowmntn@comcast.net
 
Saturday, January 30th, 2 pm, Oregon City Library, 362 Warner Milne Road, Oregon City. This event will be part of the Oregon City Library’s 100th year celebration. Hosted by Deb Stone.  Featuring Christine Delea, Jim Grabill, Cindy Williams Gutierrez, Ron Talney, Karen Weliky, and FWS Board Member Nancy Winklesky. Contact Deb Stone iwritedeb@gmail.com
 
Sunday, January 31st, 2 pm, Multnomah Central Library, US Bank Room, 801 SW 10th Ave., Portland. Hosted by FWS Emeritus Board Member Joseph Soldati. Featuring Joel Berning, Kate Gray, Carlos Reyes, Penelope Scambly Schott, and FWS Board member Tim Barnes. Joel Berning, a third-year Master of Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, will present "William Stafford as a Minister." Contact: Joseph Soldati  jasole@comcast.net
 
Sunday, January 31st, 2 pm, Hillsboro Main Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway, Hillsboro. Hosted by Mark Thalman. Featuring Marie Buckley, Barbara Drake, Ellen Hart, Holly Springfield, and FWS Emeritus Board Member Sue Einowski. Contact: Hillary Garrett  hillaryg@ci.hillsboro.or.us  503-615-6500 or Mark Thalman mark@markthalman.com

An essay and an interview

You are cordially invited to check out my essay "Living Below the Radar" in NewsSip.

I am also grateful to Melissa Hart, author of the fabulous memoir Gringa, for her lovely interview in preparation for my presentation to the Mid-Valley Chapter of Willamette Writers this Thursday.

I'm excited about getting to know the Willamette Writers community in Eugene and having a solo visit with my in-laws while I'm in town.

I hope your New Years intentions are taking shape with ease and grace and that your days and nights are infused with poetry.

I'll be a columnist at readwritepoem this year!

Come on out to readwritepoem this year. There's an unbelievable editorial line-up that promises to give poets a valuable dose of whatever they are seeking.

In The Life Poetic column, I will offer both craft tips and lifestyle invitation designed to attune you to your poetic life and keep your pen moving this year.

(In 2009, I got the ball rolling by exploring the advantages of poetry in the holiday season.)

To your creative satisfaction in 2010! I look forward to learning with you.