Overheard poetry book project, or: Book leaning casually against wall

I recently unearthed this book of poetry that I started making six years ago! The idea was to include "poems" that I overheard people say in conversation. Some of them were said by people close to me, and others by strangers. I think I'd like to finish it and make some copies, because it's always nice to share my creative projects.

"Poems" Various Authors, Previously Unpublished, 2010

My 9 Resolutions for 2014

Happy new year!

It's 2014 and I might start blogging again. I wasn't really thinking much of the change of year, partly because it seems like an arbitrary way humans measure time and not an actual event, and partly because thinking about it didn't really occur to me, but then yesterday I got asked, "So, do you have any new year's resolutions?" enough times to prompt me to start thinking about it. And it turns out that I like looking at my life and setting goals, so now I'm making a full-blown list of new year's resolutions! Here it goes.

1. Get back into taking pictures.
I used to take tons of pictures of everyday life, but then my camera became much less usable (semi-broke?) and I stopped carrying it with me, so now the only photos I take are with Eric's smart phone. I was thinking about it today and I feel like not taking photos regularly makes me feel like my experience of the world is... less. I'm not sure how to describe this, but it's kind of like I feel like I'm experiencing the world more passively, or like my view of my life was amplified by taking photos (and then having the photos later), and now it's just back to regular amplification, which is not as much. Also, it's a form of artistic expression for me, and I like having an ongoing creative project.


2. Floss.


3. Volunteer at those cool sounding places that I was meaning to volunteer at.
When I moved to Boston, I had all these ideas about getting involved in different communities and projects and nonprofits, but I wanted to wait until I got a job because I wanted my schedule to be open for work, and then I guess by the time I got a job I sort of got distracted... for like ten or eleven months. Some of the volunteer-type things I want to do are:
   -Teach a crafting class at Rosie's Place
   -Teach a creative writing workshop at 826 Boston, or even just volunteer as a tutor.
   -Lead a workshop with The Greater Boston Free School Network. Also possibly volunteer to update their website content because it looks like it hasn't been touched since the summer.


4. Be friendly.

5. Do things that are out of my comfort zone!
I was reminded of the fact that this is important to me recently because I solidified my trip to Uganda for this spring and I started feeling nervous about it because it can be dangerous, and I'm going to be away from my regular life for a month and a half, and I don't know what I'm going to end up doing while I'm there, and I'm expecting to miss Eric a lot, and I have to get shots and stuff beforehand, and get a visa, etc. And I don't know anyone there except my sister, and it's a culture I'm completely unfamiliar with. So when I started feeling fear about this trip, I was like, "Hey, I'm fulfilling my goal of getting out of my comfort zone!" So I'm off to a good start. :)

This is hanging on the wall of my bedroom.

6. Do laundry sometimes.
I did a great job of sometimes doing laundry in 2013, and I'm hoping to run wild with my sometimes-laundry streak in 2014!


7. Make things and think of good things to do with the things I make.
I really like making crafts, especially out of repurposed materials, and I usually give them as gifts and sometimes use them for parties I'm hosting. I'd like to come up with other things to do with crafts I make, though. I'm really at the early stages of brainstorming on this one. Some possibilities:
   -Sell them. (Etsy? A local art shop? This blog? Would there be copyright issues because I use magazine clippings?)
   -Sell them to raise money for things I think are important.
   -Other ideas


8. Plan fun things.
I like themes! I like having parties! Why not plan things that I like to do and ask people I like to do them with me? Some ideas:
   -Go to the movies in pajamas. Okay this one sounds like I'm writing a post called, "12 Fun Things To Do as a Family This Year," but whatever, I want to go to the movies in my pajamas with Eric in his pajamas. It's great because I don't even wear pajamas to bed; I sleep naked.
   -Themed parties! Whatever theme I want; it doesn't have to be relevant! Maybe a "moon-themed" craft party? The crafts don't have to be related to moons. But maybe I'll make a moon pinata and we can have some sort of "moon cake?" I don't know; I don't know how to make cake. Sometimes I hear of really cool sounding parties that I can't make it to, because maybe I'm busy or maybe I'm not invited, and I'm like, "Man, I wish I could go to a pie party!" (this is a real example and I was later told that a party I had recently been to was a pie party, which explains why there were so many pies there), but it's starting to occur to me that I can just have whatever kind of awesome-sounding parties I want. So I'm going to. Some party ideas:

       >Fabulous brunch. I recently saw photos on the internet of a complete stranger's "queer fashion brunch" and was super jealous. Then I was like, "Maybe I should have a queer fashion brunch!" and then I was like, "But I want to invite my straight friends :(" So how about a fabulous brunch where everyone has to dress fabulously? And maybe it can be queer "themed." Like we can read a queer short story or watch a queer movie or something. Or dress up as queer celebrities?! Yeah, this is a great idea.
       >Puppy themed movie and comfort food party. This is a nighttime party. I'll have to make sure it's on a day when Teddy will be home, so there will be a real dog. But we can watch movies with dogs as main characters, eat Field Roast hot dogs, wear furry clothes, watch puppy videos on Youtube, look at my two books of puppy photos, etc.

Okay, I only have two months before I leave the country for a while so I think that's enough party ideas for now.


9. Go to 30 yoga classes in two months.
I just bought a $20 Groupon for 30 yoga classes in the Boston area. I've only done yoga a few times, but I always like it when I do it. I bet Eric that I would go to all 30 classes before Uganda and if (when) I win, he has to buy me dinner. He suggested that if I win, he'd have to go to Uganda with me, but I thought that was too high of stakes, so I suggested that he would have to buy me dinner, and I think we both thought that was a better idea.




I'm excited to start on these resolutions! I decided that I would start on at least one by the end of today. I think I'm going to email some nonprofits about volunteering.

Did you make any resolutions this year? I want to hear them!

The "I Did It" List

I just started reading a blog called Smaller Sarah which chronicles a woman's journey to lose 75 pounds in one year. Though I have no interest in weight loss, I got hooked by a post on raw foods and continued reading because of the positive insights throughout each post.

Some of my favorites are:

"All the little things I've been longing for and dreaming about appear en masse.  It can be a little overwhelming, but its important to be open, ready and willing to say YES." (from this post)

"When I started boot camp in early November, I wasn't sure if it would work into my busy schedule.  I could only manage two of the three days a week and felt like it was an extra burden of time and money that I didn't have to spare.  But that's a pretty normal reaction to something new.  Most of us think that of all the things we lack, time and money are at the top of the list.
But I don't feel this way anymore.  Now instead of wondering how healthy eating and working out will fit into my schedule, I plan my daily life around eating well and working out." (from this post)

"The more I engage in a full physical life, the clearer and more expressive I become." (from this post)

But the the best thing I have gotten out of Sarah's blog is The idea of a weekly "I Did It" list!


I'm going to try to do this, too.

This week, Smaller Sarah's "I Did It" list is:

The "I Did It" List

three hours of boot camp

made healthy meals for my family all week

played catch with my son when the weather was nice

bought a box of produce from Bountiful Baskets Co-Op

juiced most mornings

Now for my "I Did It" List:

The "I Did It" List

Started selling my handmade jewelry at Janet's Consignments (haven't actually sold anything yet)

Went to a Student Immigrant Movement meeting and made plans to make informational flyers about immigrants and a video of interviews with immigrants. Then got home and made an informational flyer!

Went roller skating with beloved friends

Worked two days and went to all of my classes

I think I did of a lot of good stuff this week. It feels great to look back and appreciate what I've been able to accomplish! I'm proud of myself.

What did you accomplish this week? Share your "I Did It" list in the comments!

Small grants available for Occupy movement artists

A network of artists and activists called The Culture Group is launching a new project to support Occupy artists, called ArtIsMyOccupation.

"Cultural change precedes political change."

FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF OF THE CULTURAL GROUP

ArtIsMyOccupation (AMO) is a project founded by artists and for artists who are involved in Occupy and other movements for Economic Justice. Our sole mission is getting artists who are working on the front lines of social change the resources they need.

Have a great idea for a project? Apply for a grant.

Want to collaborate other Occupy artists or campaigns? Get Connected

Want to see what upcoming mass actions to create work for? Get inspired

[Most of the text of this post is copied directly from AMO founder, Favianna Rodriguez's blog]

 

Talking about menstruation!

I spend about 1/5 of my time menstruating. Most of my sick days are due to menstrual cramps. I get period blood on my fingers when I remove/insert my menstrual cup.

My period is a substantial part of my life.

So why is it taboo to talk about something that is a substantial part of the lives of every female in the world?

You'd Think We'd Never BledBook: Avoiding the Topic of Menstruation Since 1903
From Adventures in Menstruating

"Your health worries explained: Let's all just pretend there's nothing down there!"

This reminds me of the many unsatisfying experiences I've had with doctors on the topic of my vagina, including having to teach my doctor what a menstrual cup is just a few weeks ago (they're not that uncommon!).

In my opinion, our culture's unwillingness to talk about menstruation oppresses females in a lot of ways:

1. It sends the message that this bodily function is gross and unmentionable, which discourages females from loving their bodies.

2. It fails to educate girls about menstruation. Some girls never hear of menstruation at all before their first period (and therefore assume they're wounded, which can be traumatic).*

And the conversation that our culture does have about menstruation focuses on sanitary products, not the significance of fertility or womanhood.

*This info is from The Body Project.

3. It produces men who lack an understanding of menstruation.

4. It leaves females unskilled at talking (and questioning) about their bodies because they have not learned comfortable (or any) words to identify their body parts.

"Women still struggle to find a vocabulary that does not rely on Victorian euphemisms, medical nomenclature, or misogynistic slang." -Joan Jacobs Brumberg, The Body Project

I totally struggle with finding a vocabulary to talk about my body. What do I call my vagina? "Vagina" sounds a bit too medical, "pussy" is a word people use to insult each other, and any sort of euphemism is totally against my passion for bluntness.

There is a movement called menstrual activism, radical menstruation, menstrual anarchy, or menarchy that strives to change the ways that menstruation is dealt with by society.

Menstrual activism may include:

-Speaking openly about periods
-Challenging negative attitudes toward menstruation
-Campaigning for more environmentally friendly sanitary products
-Campaigning for safer sanitary products

"Do we have to regard our period as something dirty? Do we have to greet a girl's first period with silence?" -Chris Bobel

Pagan menarche ceremony

Some cultures have rituals for menarche (a girl's first period) that celebrate the girl's rite of passage.

I can see how the above photo might seem silly to a lot of people -- white, Western women imitating tribal rituals that they likely have no ties to. But I think there is good in it. It can be a good thing for people from one culture to adopt the practices they value from other cultures.

A menarche ceremony:

1. Helps a girl to feel welcomed into the world of womanhood (through the sharing of stories, the celebration of womanhood, etc.).

2. Provides a girl with an opportunity to contemplate the weight of her newly found ability to make babies.

3. Fosters solidarity and bonding among all of the women and girls involved.

4. Creates an opportunity for those who have had their periods for a time to share stories -- funny stories, embarrassing stories, stories of lessons learned, etc. which can help the newly menstrual girl gain an understanding of menstruation in an emotional and spiritual light (as opposed to learning just the medical facts, like how to use a tampon).

5. Brings meaning and gratification to the life-changing event. If a girl's first period is not acknowledged beyond the purchase of sanitary products, it may feel unfulfilling (like when it's your birthday, but it doesn't feel like your birthday).

6. Helps a girl to feel more in tune with her body and nature by allowing this naturally occurring event to dictate when a ceremony will take place.

To clarify:

Do feminists hate men? I'd estimate that most feminists do not hate men, though some might. Feminism is "the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary), not the theory that any gender is better than another.

Do I think a menarche ceremony is the only meaningful way to address menarche? No, I just think it can be a good way to do it, but I'm sure that some girls would prefer not to share this experience with friends and parents' friends. Of course, a girl's preferences and feelings should be central to how her first period is addressed.

Activists combat the notion that menstruation is gross:

A piece from Ingrid Berthon-Moine's collection of photos of women wearing menstrual blood as lipstick

"consider the idea of tasting your own menstrual blood" -Germaine Greer

Ingrid Berthon-Moine's "Red is the Colour"

Painting using menstrual blood

Why do I think these quirky artistic endeavors are worth mentioning?

1. They send the message that menstruation is beautiful. They feel to me like celebrations of womanhood and menstruation.

2. Since switching to a menstrual cup (instead of tampons/pads), I have been looking for ways to use my own period blood (because a menstrual cup collects it in the cup, rather than absorbing it into fluffy material). Menstrual blood seems potentially useful -- I've considered using it as a dye. I hadn't thought to use it as paint, but that seems like a worthwhile project. It makes a point and it is free paint (paint is expensive!).

3. I think art is a powerful form of peaceful activism.

Us us us us us us, and them them them them them them: Americans & Iraqis

My hope is that this post allows various Iraqi voices to speak for themselves, rather than me making a case for them.

"You're American and we're Iraqi. You're not Bush and we're not Saddam."
-ANONYMOUS IRAQI MAN

Quote as recalled by United Statesian activist Jodie Evans. The man was responding to her question: "Why are you being so nice to us?"

Jodie Evans spoke at this year's Connecting for Change conference, which I went to and enjoyed. Presenters and workshops explored topics including youth empowerment, environmental activism, women's rights, local food, alternative journalism, healthy school lunches, and wild edibles*.
 
*This link is for the 2012 wild edibles workshop because I couldn't find a page about the one they had in 2011.

You can see Jodie's entire 22 minute speech here.
 

Shoot an Iraqi describes an artistic endeavor of Wafaa Bilal, an artist and professor who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 1992 to escape repression under Saddam Hussein’s regime. In 2007, he spent a month in a small Chicago gallery in the line of fire of a paintball gun that people could shoot at him over the internet. Internet viewers could also see and chat with Wafaa. By the twentieth day, he had been shot at over 40,000 times, and hackers had programmed the gun to fire automatically. By the end, more than 60,000 people (people, not just shots) from 130 countries shot at him.

Yellow paintballs were used because yellow is the color of the Support Our Troops ribbons

"Uprooted" by Iraqi artist, Naman Hadi

"Birth" by Iraqi artist, Dalia Mohammad

"Kliem of the South" by Iraqi artist, Ahmed Nussaif

Also,

Nobody is ridiculous or bad or disgusting, says Vonnegut

When his father accuses him of never writing a book with a villain in it, Slaughterhouse Five's narrator (who claims to be Kurt Vonnegut himself) attributes this to his college education, which taught him that "there was absolutely no difference between anybody" and that "nobody was ridiculous or bad or disgusting."


Nobody is ridiculous.

When Jennifer Lopez demands that her coffee be stirred counterclockwise, she is still a being whose thought processes and opinions are just as valid as anyone else's, even if others don't always understand them.

Though calling a person ridiculous isn't usually considered very mean, it seems to be refusing to see him/her as a whole person. This is dehumanization, which may be the root of hatred (or at least a prerequisite to hatred).


Nobody is bad.

When a man cuts his wife's nose and ears off to punish her for running away, he is still a being whose thought processes and opinions are just as valid as anyone else's, even though it can be best to interfere with destructive behavior. The Christian teaching "Hate the sin, not the sinner" comes to mind.


Nobody is disgusting.

When Abraham Alexander embezzles over $200,000 from CRF, a charity that helps people with cardiovascular disease, and spends most of it on dominatrix Lady Sage, he is still a being whose thought processes and opinions are just as valid as anyone else's.


"Kyle is not ridiculous or bad or disgusting."
KYLE ALSPACH

Conclusion

Removing these three characteristics from our interpretations of people urges us to see past hate and fear, which hopefully makes room for us to become more perceptive of the beauty of humanity as it exists in those around us.

One of Einstein's non-scientific contributions

My friend Christine recently blogged about this quote by Einstein that I like so much I decided to post it here too.

(Background is Australian Aboriginal art, font is Parker's Hand, one of my recent free Photoshop downloads)

"Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid." -Einstein

This reminds me that I never finished reading A Briefer History of Time last year! I got to page 30 and kept reading it and rereading it, but couldn't get it. This time I'll try to read Prisons of Light - Black Holes since it is said to be easy to understand.

Black holes, I want to understand you!

Recent good sentences, etc.

I've been really into literature lately, so it seemed natural that I would write a book review, but I rarely finish books, and often don't have much confidence to assess them, especially immediately upon finishing them. So I've decided to post a bunch of excerpts from random things I've read recently.


Here are some things I like:


"O happy hepatitis! I've never known sickness -- or sorrow, or disaster, for that matter -- not to unfold, eventually, like a flower or a good memo. We're required only to keep looking."
Seymour -- An Introduction by J. D. Salinger

"at a civil but not quite relaxed dinner at an Italian restaurant, the two visionaries explained their ideas in their respective languages."
"Hell House in Brooklyn" from The New York Times

"An American near Billy wailed that he had excreted everything but his brains. Moments later he said, 'There they go, there they go.' He meant his brains. That was I. That was me. That was the author of this book."
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

"They do a fantastic job of creating these fears, these problems, condemning us for the fears, and then letting us know that they thankfully have the solution."
"Halloween and the Hell House" from The Everything Else Atheist 

"A very hairy man, youth, adolescent. The other kids in the family, not exclusively but especially the boys, the many pre-puberty boys we always seemed to have around the house, used to be fascinated by his wrists and hands. My brother Walt, at about eleven, had a routine of looking at Seymour's wrists and inviting him to take off his sweater. "Take off you're sweater, hey, Seymour. Go ahead, hey. It's warm in here." S. would beam back at him, shine back at him. He loved that kind of horseplay from any of the kids."
Seymour -- An Introduction by J. D. Salinger
Note: I love the use of the word 'inviting.'

"Interfaith gathering... talking back and forth about what all this means..."
I don't remember what this was from, maybe I overheard it in a conversation, but it was about an alternative to church, I think

“As nearly as possible in the spirit of Matthew Slinger, age one, urging a luncheon companion to accept a cool lima bean, I urge my editor, mentor and (heaven help him) closest friend, William Shawn, genius domus of The New Yorker, lover of the long shot, protector of the unprolific, defender of the hopelessly flamboyant, most unreasonably modest of born great artist-editors, to accept this pretty skimpy-looking book.”
(The dedication of) Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger





Also, I'm working on a collection of anonymous poems. It is a handwritten account of what I overhear people saying. It's the first endeavor of me and Kyle's publishing company. I'll post more when it's done!