Either Way, It's Legit
A weekly round-up
I haven’t decided yet what I should call this no-big-deal weekly post, where I don’t rant about stuff and just share news. Maybe it doesn’t need an actual name, I don’t know. People who know what they’re doing are all over this kind of thing and I’m still just muddling along but that’s just how it is. Let’s get to it….
Untrammeled Renegade Genius: Jim Harrison as Poet
Here’s one I’m incredibly stoked to be part of, the official release celebration of the new book from Copper Canyon Press, Jim Harrison: Complete Poems. This book “contains every poem Harrison published over his fifty-year career, as well as a section of previously unpublished Last Poems.” What’s not to love about this, and what’s not to love about being fortunate enough to be given ten minutes to read a couple of his poems and talk about what his work has meant to me? And you can be there, as it is free! It’s this coming Tuesday, October 26th, at 6pm Mountain. Click here to register!
You can pre-order the hardcover edition HERE. You can also get the special limited edition four volume box set HERE. Either way, it’s legit.
The Slingshot Vignettes
When I was in Crested Butte during the month of May, my friends Tony and Laura Burfield came to the book festival, then we cut out early and sat out on the back patio of my squat on a chilly, star-blessed night sipping beers and catching up. It was the best night of the month and their company might have saved me that night. Anyway, Tony has a new book of haibun out called The Slingshot Vignettes and I was fortunate enough to read a pre-release copy and I love it. I sure hope a few of you take a chance on checking it out because it’s wonderful. You can learn more about it HERE at the site of his publisher, Alien Buddha Press. You can buy a copy HERE. But I’d urge you instead to hit Tony up directly and buy a copy from him and I bet he’d sign it for you too. Contact (and follow) him via DM on instagram @tony_burfield or twitter @TonyBurfield2 or even email at tonyburfieldpoetry - at - gmail.com to set that up. Please support indie presses and indie poets!
Poetry as Spiritual Practice
I’m teaching this workshop as part of the 4-Week Writers' Room Series from the Missoula Writing Collaborative called “Poetry as Spiritual Practice,” Tuesdays, November 9, 16, 23, & 30. It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while now and so the time has come to see how it goes. Here’s what it’s about:
“The practice of quiet attentiveness and observation is critical to the writing and enjoyment of poetry, and a key element of what makes life living in many, many ways. It is a refuge for me. Perhaps it can be for you too.”
Here’s more:
These weekly 90-minute classes will give writers the opportunity to build community, share their work and receive prompts, strategies and feedback from a professional writer. All classes are designed for novice and experienced writers alike. OPI Credit Available. All classes take place online from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
Somehow I was under the impression the classes were only an hour each so, as always, you are best situated if you come to class with maybe 1/3 lower expectations. The way the website is set up is weird, so click HERE if you are interested, then click GUIDELINES next to where it says, “4-Week Writers' Room Series.” I know, that’s kind of a hassle, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the MWC is that we always do things the hard way.
It’s Just Stupid, Faster
Gary Paulsen died last week. I was a big fan. He was also something of a curmudgeon and a luddite, and the “stupid” quote was a comment I read and saved that he made about the internet. Dig the NPR piece about him HERE. Arguably his most famous book, Hatchet, was one of my go-to books to sell to inquiring young people when I toiled as a shiftless cog in the global bookselling machine. It’s a good one.
Shameless Hussle
Thanks for hanging in there. Remember, you can still subscribe to this newsletter if you care to help me make this writing thing work as a living!
Or give it as a gift! FYI, this supply chain will never break….
You can also get One-Sentence Journal, still going strong more than three years later, HERE.
And the new one, Descended from a Travel-worn Satchel HERE.
And Finally….
My new corner office in Missoula. Now if we can just keep people from letting their dogs evacuate their hind ends in the vicinity of our door it’ll be perfect.
Ooooh love that building 😎
Gorgeous office. I hope you have heat. I used to live in an old barn, when I first moved away from home. Freezing cold. I wrote poetry but not as much as I would have with warm fingers.
I am sorely tempted to join your poetry class. I have long considered myself a psalmist in my poetry, urban for a while, and not mountain-ish. (I'm only at 2500 ft elev. so I'm not quite mountain, next to the Sierra Nevada, but elsewhere this would be considered mountains.) That day of writing classes also sounds good. Thinking about it. xx