It’s been forever since I’ve blogged! (And soon I’ll have some suuuuuper exciting news!)
It’s been several months of ups and downs, lengthy trips, and very active poetry-ing. Let’s recap off the top of my head…
Before I go on, remember that you can view upcoming events on the calendar found on the menu at the top of the website; you can also scroll backwards on it to see what else I’ve been involved in. April is filling up for National Poetry Month, which is exciting!
One of the most exciting events coming up is the annual conference of the National Association for Poetry Therapy. The keynote poet is fellow ECPP member Zorina Exie Frey (who, by the way, won the Pushcart Prize last year. Like, won it-won it! Congrats to Zorina!!!) Anyway, back to ME 😉 Last year, Zorina arranged for me and Patti to also read at the conference with her, and I’m grateful to be invited.
But I said this post is about what I’ve BEEN up to, not what’s coming, so…
I spent half of January at an artists’ residence in France, at Chateau d’Orquevaux. It was amazing!!
Upon my return, I wrote an article that was featured as the cover story of 72 Hours, the Arts & Entertainment magazine in the Frederick News Post.
The residency itself loved the article and is framing it to hang in the château. And, although the château already has a handwritten copy of one of my poems (creatively named Château d’Orquevaux) in their collection, they’re about to have a hard copy of that and another. One of the many cool collaborations that came out of the residency was an ekphrastic poem I wrote to a piece by one of the artists, Janice Gobey. My poem, La Féminité, an ode to my aging body, was written to her watercolor titled La Femme.
That poem, along with Château d’Orquevaux, will be published in the next issue of Pen in Hand, which will feature Janice’s painting on the cover! The Château will purchase one of those issues for their collection.
While in residence, I drove around the local region most mornings, for inspiration for poems as well as inspiration and research for a feature-length screenplay I’ve been working on. Reels and images of that experience are on Instagram, such as here for the Château reels or here for France.
I wrote other articles throughout the months, including an article about Armed Services Arts Partnership, which I continue to teach for; as well as an article about both MWA and Write Women Book Fest.
I have been busy as always with editing, judging, etc. We’ve put out a few issues of Pen in Hand since I last blogged, and in addition to my poetry appearing in the issues, the most recent featured my photography on the cover! (The message from the editors explains why!)
I’ve been featured in some more journals, both in print and online, and had readings at Sky Stage (along with the Frederick Chapter of MWA), Write Women Book Fest (along with ECPP), Maryland Writers’ Association’s annual conference (while also hosting the open mic), etc.
I ran last year’s poetry contest for MWA and now am on the selection committee for Armed Services Arts Partnership’s 2024 anthology. I’m so excited to start seeing those submissions!!! If you’re a part of the entire military community, you’re welcome at ASAP! www.Asapasap.org (And ASAP’s definition of the military community includes not only active duty and veterans, but their spouses, children, and caregivers!)
Since I’ve been applying for more grants and residencies, I’ve refined my Artist’s Statement, which is now on the website. I’ve also been updating my Artist’s CV, which is really filling out!!
And on a personal office note, I recently cleaned up my office (GASP!) because it had gone from adorably cluttered to the next episode of Hoarders. It’s much roomier, more comfortable, and more organized. One of my ongoing projects, which I’d intended to start two years ago but finally started this month, is to create binders for each year–binders that include writing, photographs that I have laying around, and other random stuff.
As I’ve gone through things, I’ve also weeded a little out. When I realized I had not one, not two, and Not Three, but FOUR copies of my friend Heather’s wedding program from 2004, I threw two of them away. “Wait–why did you keep TWO?” Well, because one went into the 2004 binder, and one went into the specific roadtrip binder for the roadtrip loop we took for that Vermont wedding. There is a method to my madness.
Speaking of travel, I might be giving a roadtrip planning workshop at a retirement community in a couple of months, which I’m VERY excited about!
And what were my latest travels? In early February, I visited Iceland!! It was an absolutely amazing mother-daughter trip!
Originally, Iceland was meant to be a stopover en route to my residency in France, but the trip had to be pushed off due to the death of my grandfather, Angelo Yerace, a veteran of D-Day, volunteer firefighter, and retired teacher. I delivered an elegy at his funeral. I stayed upright and didn’t compleeeeetely lose it during the reading! Now, the rest of the funeral, I was a blubbering mess…
Here’s an interview with him on the Library of Congress website: https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.113066/ and I’ve written about him in the past on my blog Karilogue: https://karilogue.com/a-conversation-for-v-e-day/ Rest in peace.
