NEW WORLD

"So it is a return to blank pages, which is like a new sail: perfect for a strong wind and clear skies."

—from "The Blank Page: Or, The Death of a Novel" by Ada Ludenow, as found at Hagengard Studio

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"An interesting thing about self-publishing that I hadn’t considered: sometimes you have to actually reject yourself."

"So I’m done with it. I’ll be focusing on starting over, which is something I want to do in other parts of my life as well. Professionally, personally and artistically I am at a nexus. I know I’m not starting over all from scratch and there are things I’ve learned in the last ten or so years that I will keep with me."

—from "Letting the Light In" by David Mecklenburg, as found at Ontological Property

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Any writer would do well to visit and read both of the above blog posts, the first from an author's "alter ego" and Muse, the second from the author himself.

The pieces are about the Janus faces of beginnings and endings (and new beginnings). They are about failure and acceptance. They are about imagination and reimagination. They are about salvage and stories.

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I know David well. He is a fellow writer and a fellow artist. He is also, in a way, a mentor to me. I can say that David and I have "grown up together" as writers and he has influenced me and my writing in ways that neither he nor I could have imagined as we swam off together as small fish after a writing workshop a few years ago. There were indeed other fish that swam with us in Les sardines, but David's voice is the one that I relate to the most. And he and I, of those nine fish, are the two who have put the most energy into trying to publish our own work after most of the school had swam off to pursue other things. We have both continued to try and get our work and our writing out into the world for others to read, for others to explore. We have each built small vanity presses, kingdoms of words, and "gone to battle" alongside one another in an attempt to get our works onto the shelves (digital and brick-and-mortar) of bookstores and into the hands of readers.

So, while these pieces are bittersweet, and, in some sense, difficult for me to read, I understand the need to let this novel go and to mine it for the words and phrases and stories that can enjoy new life in other shapes and forms.

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The two pieces/posts are brave! (So click the above links and read them!)

They come after much reflection and a willingness to move on, to continue to explore and reinvent, and for that I commend David and Ada on their decision.

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And since I seem to find myself in a "Northern"/Norse way once more, I add my own voice in solidarity. Thinking a lot lately of Ragnarök lately, I know that there is a new world that comes after the destruction.

So, here, I reprint the untitled epilogue to my collection of poems, All the Heroes are Dead and Buried, as a tribute to new beginnings, to a new world, as a blessing upon David and Ada and the new work they will create together.

Loki's world
wolf world
jötun world

now gone

cold ice sun
shining upon

a new world
a world of
man and woman

LIVING WATERS

David Mecklenburg of Hagengard Studios reads a selection from his novel The Nightingale's Stone. LIVING WATERS: A Reading. The Nearsighted Narwhal. Friday 15 May 2015.

INK: POEMS AND BLACK PSALMS

Inkblotopus awaits readers, new and old.

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"Ink: Poems and Black Psalms," TWT's contribution to Les Sar'zine issue #8, the "Mirrors" issue, is now printed, folded, cut, and ready for the upcoming publication party. 130 copies are available in two colors—60 in Mirrorlight yellow and 70 in Nightsea blue. Each copy is numbered and signed by TWT.

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Nine new related poems from TWT:
"Key"
"Ink"
"Black" (black psalm #1)
"Spanish Empire" (black psalm #2)
"Black Star "
"Aquatint"
"Parkinson's"
"Psalm" (black psalm #3)
"Ink" (black psalm #4)

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Plus "Mirrors" books from six other writers and original artwork from our "Mirrors" artist in each issue.

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$15.

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Les Sar'zine will be on sale at the APRIL Festival's independent publishing expo at Hugo House on Saturday 29 March 2014.

After that, it will be available at Elliott Bay Book Company in the literary journal section.

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Visit the Les Sardines website or Facebook page.

BLACK PSALMS

Tonight, I headed off to King's Books to listen to Dennis Caswell read some of his poems as part of Puget Sound Poetry Connection's Distinguished Writer Series.

Dennis was witty and very present. His poems, many from his book Phlogiston, and a few he had never read before an audience, were erudite and tongue-in-cheek, intelligent and playful. He and his work were both everything I hope for in a poet and poems.

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I also read three poems during the open mic that followed. I read three of my recent "black psalms," all of which will be published in Les Sar'zine #8: the "Mirrors" issue at the end of March 2014. I made some minor edits (from how they will appear in print) to "Black," "Parkinson's," and "Ink" before reading them. They seemed to be fairly well received.

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If you want to get your hands on a copy of "Ink: Black Psalms and Other Poems," then head up to the APRIL Festival's small press book fair/independent publishing expo at Hugo House on Saturday 29 March 2014 and visit the Les sardines table. You may even get to meet me in person.

LOST MAPS

My life has been pretty crazy the past two weeks.  My writing group, Les sardines, has been working hard to get issue number five, "Lost Maps," of our literary journal Les Sar'Zine published.  Tonight was the canning of the issue, which includes the work of nine writers and one artist.  Two days from now, the members of Les sardines host a release and reading party.

ALL THE HEROES ARE DEAD AND BURIED

"All the Heroes Are Dead and Buried," TWT's contribution to Les Sar'zine issue #4, the "Heroes" issue, is now printed, folded, cut, published, and ready for tomorrow's release date. 120 copies are available in five snazzy colors—Asgard (rare, 6 copies); Midgard (uncommon, 30 copies); Jötunheim (common, 48 copies); Niflheim (uncommon, 30 copies); and Ragnarök (rare, 6 copies).

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Eight new related poems from TWT:

"Just Another Day in the Life of the Pagan King"

"Dark Days Are Coming and the First Is Likely a Thursday"

"This Is the Slow Collapse Into Fire and Ice"

"Your First Glimpse of Hel Is Like a Gateway Drug"

"All the Heroes Are Dead and Buried"

"The Wolves Linger Just Outside Your Front Door, Growling"

"Heroes"

"The Colds of Hel Are Just a Foretaste"

Five new commissioned pieces of artwork from The Child:

"Mjölnir"

"Bifrost"

"Fork-moon"

"Spearflake"

"Fenris-wolf"

Plus "Heroes" books from eight other writers and original artwork from our "Heroes" artist in each issue.

$15.

Les Sardines.

DEAD WHITE BELLIES

‎"Another eschatological dream. I never dream of J. dead. But here I am at the cemetery and his grave opens. I see him whole, lying untouched by decay. But his body is completely covered with fishes. I see their dead white bellies. Only his head is bare. He opens his eyes."
—from "Industrious Amazement: A Notebook" by Anna Kamienska, found in the March 2011 issue of Poetry

LES SARDINES DREAMS

The members of Les sardines have been meeting together for two years. We originally began as a writing workshop called Writing House that was offered by a friend that each of us had taken previous creative writing classes with, at University of Washington Tacoma or Hugo House or in his home. Our twelve weeks together as a group provided us the chemistry and wherewithal to continue on at the completion of the workshop.

Seven of the nine WH participants founded Les sardines as a way to provide feedback for our work and discipline and deadlines for our writing lives, as well as a forum for publishing our own literary journal, Les Sar'Zine. (We have recently had the other two WH participants join our ranks.)

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The evening was hosted by two of our members. D. acted as host and grill-master (and one of the two desserts). L. provided most of the side dishes, decor, dining-ware, and dessert. The rest of us provided drinks and conversation.

It was an evening of wonderful company and a spectacular meal—plum and cherry wood-smoked chicken, garlic pudding, roasted potatoes, corn, green beans, lentils, bread, apple pie, chocolate torte, various cheeses and olives and figs. The beers on hand were Bridgeport Hop Czar Imperial IPA, La Caracole Nostradamus Belgian Brown Ale, and Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale. There were also a myriad of wines, although TWT was preoccupied with the barley beverages.

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It was a great way to celebrate our time together as writers, and, now as friends. Here is to another year together: Cheers!

LES SARDINES

5/8 of Les sardines discuss one Sardine's new poem.

MINUTES

The group met at Mosaic Community Coffeehouse from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday 25 February 2010, minus those members touched with The Plague.

Parking was ample. The space was described by one Sardine as a "cross between a coffeehouse and a library," which was a compliment. The group had its own table and used it well. What appeared to be a rival writing group met across the room. (We may or may not have challenged them to an upcoming game of flag football. Most likely not.)

There was some concern expressed previously and electronically about the theme "Cat Spritzer" for issue #2 of Les Sar'Zine. The group decided that "Cat Spritzer" would indeed be the theme, with multiple members already at work on pieces. One Sardine reminded us that, as a theme, each individual can "load" the term "Cat Spritzer" with whatever meaning she or he wants. Consensus determined that such was valuable.

The question was raised about length of pieces for upcoming issues of Les Sar'Zine. It was loosely determined that if someone has material for more than one book, then it would be entertained, but that particular individual would be responsible for all additional folding and manufacturing of said extra books.

One Sardine provided two writing prompts. The first was Writing Prompt #115 (by Carolee Sherwood) from the Read Write Poem website. The second was writing prompts from Facebook status updates of the friend (H.M.C.) of one Sardine.

The H.M.C. Writing Prompt

Your new piece of writing—essay, novel, short story, poem, blog post, menu—begins with (or contains) one of the following sets of lines:

*I'm so done with brains. Brains make me sick. You can take the brain stem, crainial nerves and nervous system too, while you are at it.

* Again. A problem with the cork. It must be the cheap wine.

*Drinks downtown and feeling like a grown up! It's been a while!

*I've been invited to throw things occasionally. Pillows though. Not shoes or plates.

The group wrote on these prompts or another topic of choice for thirty minutes.

Three sardines presented new material for brief bouts of reading and feedback. One Sardine provided a new poem. One Sardine provided revisions and new material for an evolving short story cum novella cum novel (perhaps). One Sardine provided a new essay. Feedback seemed more intense, more personal, and more engaged than recent meetings. The new space and the new form of meeting may have granted the group a new sense of freedom and a new sense of possibility, but that is merely conjecture of one Sardine.

A few final "informational" business items ended the evening. The group departed into the night streets of Wallingford.

FOR LES SARDINES

A toast to the members of Les Sardines.

Due to inclement weather, the meeting of my writing group was cancelled on Thursday night. I told the group that "I am going to stay home this evening with a nice cold beer [and] a good book." I kept good on my promise.

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Snow Cap Ale, a Winter Warmer or an English Strong Ale by Pyramid Breweries

This ale poured the color of garnet with a thin ivory head. The nose was of a lightly spiced red wine with a hint of apple. The flavor is of beef broth, red wine, cloves, and cinnamon. There is also a wee bit of an alcohol bite and a slight tickle of the tongue from its carbonation. Each drink provides a rich start and a dry, clean, ticklish finish.

The bottle calls Snow Cap a "full-bodied winter warmer," and it is indeed full-bodied, but without being too heavy.

This is a great winter beer. It is simple and bold of nose and of flavor. That simplicity doesn't mean that it compromises anything. It is an extremely well brewed beer.

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"For years we've been walking in mud to our knees without thinking,
sucked into the slop and going on though its clutching is killing."
—page 189, "Flood Plain" by Aleksey Parshchikov, as found in Contemporary Russian Poetry: An Anthology, edited by Evgeny Bunimovich and J. Kates

I am jumping around through the 489 pages of this great collection of the work of forty-four contemporary Russian poets. It is like getting to walk through a candy store. I am choosing poems that catch my eye—titles, content, language, layout. I am reading. I am rereading. I am reading aloud. I am having fun and enjoying myself.

LES SARDINES

Dear Reader:

Where am I? Why am I not posting? Why does something smell fishy?

The answer to all three questions is: Les sardines, baby. My summer writing workshop has transformed into a writing group named Les sardines. Currently, there are seven of us meeting in Seattle twice per month to provide feedback, accountability, and support for one another as we write. Therefore, I am writing, reading, researching, reading, reading, and writing some more.

Why Les sardines? Why not? I didn't come up with the name, but I absolutely gave it my rubber stamp of approval. I like the strangeness and surreality and mystery surrounding the name. I like the semi-anonymity that it affords. I like the potential imagery.

Now, I need to find out what kind of beer goes well with small (sometimes salted) fish...