The Writing Process

When I teach students about writing, one of the first things we cover is the writing process.  Rather than thinking of writing as a clap of inspiration, there are steps that anyone, inspired or not, can take and should said writer follow the steps diligently, the end result should be a satisfactory piece of writing.  These steps are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing although I'm pretty sure what the students hear when I tell them is "Wah wah wah wah wah" a la Charlie Brown.

The other day I was in Port Townsend, WA, for the lovely and creative Rachel P's wedding and beforehand, was wandering around town (as apparently were many of her other guests) when I came across a store called "The Writer's Workshoppe." There I found what I now believe to be the real writing process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  I have a hybrid class where students start off the first paper discussing it online and boy, did I see steps 1-4 in spades. The other treasure I found there will be the next lesson for my students: a list of rules that explains "How to Write Good" with such classic advice like "avoid alliteration always," "one should never generalize," and "eschew obfuscation."  Yes, it's geeky English humor at its best.  I'm not sure they'll find it as funny as I but then, that's never stopped me before!

Snowpocalypse!

 

The past week brought one of the biggest snow storms in the Pacific Northwest since 1974.  Labeled "Snowpocalypse" or "Snowmageddon," 8-14" of snow (or more, depending on where you live) dumped down on us, effectively shutting down the city and airport for at least a day.  Our college ended up closing for 3 and a half days, which is a record in the 8 years I've been there.

Now I admit that we Seattlelites get a bit hysterical when it comes to snow around here.  Just a few inches will generally close down the college for at least a day or two and have people wringing their hands crying "The world is ending!", but I hardly think the LA Times should be the ones calling us "snow wimps" given that their winters consist of frost on the lawn. 

I spent the days off alternating between productivity and sloth (okay, mostly sloth), and of course, rued my lack of discipline when the weekend rolled around and I was woefully under-prepared for the coming school week.  But I think that a hiatus in life is good.  Being forced to hunker down and stay in during the big snow storm (I am not a lover of snow and therefore, do not have much confidence in my ability or my car's ability to drive safely in the white stuff) created for me the space to slow down and do the sorts of things I feel I normally don't have time to do, like try out some new recipes, light a fire and sit down to catch up on some reading, or clean the house.  It was a true winter break, and I'm grateful for the time off from the normal, stress-filled routine.

The following poem by Tony Hoagland reminds us that "among your duties, pleasure is a thing that also needs accomplishing" (and that such a thing as sunlight exists--come on, Spring!)  So thank you, Snowmageddon!  Maybe I am a lover of snow after all.

The Word

 Down near the bottom
 of the crossed-out list
 of things you have to do today,

 between "green thread"
 and "broccoli" you find
 that you have penciled "sunlight."

 Resting on the page, the word
 is as beautiful, it touches you
 as if you had a friend

 and sunlight were a present
 he had sent you from some place distant
 as this morning -- to cheer you up,

 and to remind you that,
 among your duties, pleasure
 is a thing,

 that also needs accomplishing
 Do you remember?
 that time and light are kinds

 of love, and love
 is no less practical
 than a coffee grinder

 or a safe spare tire?
 Tomorrow you may be utterly
 without a clue

 but today you get a telegram,
 from the heart in exile
 proclaiming that the kingdom

 still exists,
 the king and queen alive,
 still speaking to their children,

 - to any one among them
 who can find the time,
 to sit out in the sun and listen.

--by Tony Hoagland

Magnet Mania!

 

The holidays were a blur, with finishing classes and then taking on the full-time job of trip planning for the holiday to Spain.  I can completely understand why people use travel agents.  But that's a story for another day.  Nonetheless, in the wee hours of the night, I managed to get some Christmas crafting done.  Having mostly stopped buying Christmas presents except for the kiddos in my life due to wanting to cut down on consumerism, etc., I still realized that over the years, something does get lost when presents are not exchanged.  It's one of the few times in the year, besides birthdays and such, where even if we're obligated to do so, we have an opportunity to show appreciation to the other person in a material form.  So I decided that I would try to make some gifts, even if they were small, in order to still convey my sense of gratitude for that person's presence in my life.

Personalized magnets are a simple yet pretty gift to make.  All you need are some magnets, glass stones, craft glue, black felt, and some pretty paper.  Cut the paper out and glue it to the glass stone and let dry.  Then cut out some black felt for backing and then glue the magnet to that and voila!  you've got some beautiful and functional gifts (My two hallmarks for a great gift!)

 I made one set made up of different colored macaroons from a Lauduree brochure and a couple of other sets featuring birds and flowers.  I was able to find some metal frames threaded with a ribbon to make gift-giving even easier.  And because these guys are small and portable, it made it simple to slip some in my suitcase and give them away.






Once I get over magnet fatigue, I want to make some for myself as well.  In my world, there's no such thing as having too many cute magnets.

A Spanish Lullaby

La Mezquita, Cordoba

Courtyard, Cordoba

Christmas lights, Marbella

Glazed chestnuts infused in Cognac, Sevilla

 Tapas bar in Avenue Atocha, Madrid

Aceitunas at the Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid

The Alhambra at dusk from San Nicolas Square, Granada

Alhambra tile, Granada

Calle de Cervantes, Madrid

View of the Alcala Gate, Madrid

The Tomb of Columbus, Catedral, Sevilla

View from Girabaldi Tower, Sevilla

Crown containing World's Largest Pearl, Sevilla

Catedral Ceiling, Granada

Reflecting Pool in the Alhambra, Granada

God's Grandeur

photo by Mike Kane

The sunset in Seattle two nights ago reminded me of Gerard Manley Hopkin's poem, "God's Grandeur", especially the line "like shining from shook foil."  What a sky!

God's Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

    It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

    It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

    And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

    And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

    There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

    Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

    World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Source: Gerard Manley Hopkins: Poems and Prose (Penguin Classics, 1985)

photo by Ted S. Warren, Associated Press