34 Comments
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Sara B's avatar

Looking forward to your workshop! I also think writing to each other is a form of reclaiming attention.. <3 https://www.sarabruya.com/post/please-write

Chris La Tray's avatar

Great post, Sara. And I agree!

NWHarper's avatar

Thank you for the poem. Your posts always bring me something worthwhile, and this one three.

Li Kentgen's avatar

Just signed up for your workshop and, like Catherine, I'm looking forward to attending. Miigwech for the opportunity!

Chris La Tray's avatar

Thanks, Li!

Pamela J Peters's avatar

I'm an East coast, early morning person, but I can't resist a workshop with Chris. I'm in!

Chris La Tray's avatar

I appreciate you making the effort. It's difficult scheduling these things across time zones.

margi cates's avatar

Ok, I signed up.

Because poetry keeps tugging at me, and I find your writing/ brain delightful.

I’ve been kind of irritated at my work lately, whenever a poem lands I feel myself roll my eyes. Like really?

What am I supposed to do with you? I know that it’s building towards a something, a doorway, a stretch of road, an old boot.

My nose is too close to the page.

Anyway, looking forward to class.

Chris La Tray's avatar

Looking forward to having you, Margi!

Nina's avatar

I’m on a month camping road trip at the moment, and was reading some random crap on my phone tonight, when my partner shouted over to ask if I’d seen the bats. Hundreds of them! Giant flying foxes of insane wingspans and indescribable noises! Just 20 feet over my head! Beautiful. And then I picked the phone up again, and read this, so thanks for the second reminder

Chris La Tray's avatar

I would LOVE to see that. What an experience!

lucy's avatar

Amen to throwing the screens (and most of the internet, really) into the ocean. And yet, my body doesn't know how to deeply, truly relax (while still awake) without lying mostly horizontal, staring at a screen. I don't know if I've ever known relaxing other than this? It troubles me deeply.

I'm sad that I can't make it to your upcoming class, but it's for a good reason - Monday nights is choir, which is one of the truly analog experiences I have on a regular basis, and I need it deeply. So next time you host another one (maybe on a different night of the week) I will be there!

Chris La Tray's avatar

Monday happened to be the only consistently free day of the week for me for the entire month, so next time maybe another day will work out. Have fun at choir practice!

Julie Gabrielli's avatar

Your workshop sounds wonderful. Thanks!

jpmillspoetry's avatar

I have been reevaluating my phone use once again. So this was timely to read your thoughts on it all. Thank you for sharing as always!

Chris La Tray's avatar

It's a constant struggle, isn't it?

Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

I've signed up for the workshop and so look forward to it!

Angie Stegall's avatar

"It’s like if someone decided to write a manual on self-destruction, they’d just need to immerse themselves in mainstream media for a week. No wonder we are all miserable!" My gosh, this is so spot on! I cannot watch regular TV at all anymore. 😵‍💫

Chris La Tray's avatar

It's truly shocking.

LC Macalla's avatar

“From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats.”

I never read that part of the Thoreau quote. I love it! I’m going to try to be as brave as Muskrat.

Chris La Tray's avatar

Muskrat saved the world, after all!

LC Macalla's avatar

Miigwech Muskrat! Somebody has to do it …

Tom Vandel's avatar

At the risk of distracting you from living a good life, I take time to applaud this post. Enough said.

Chris La Tray's avatar

Miigwech, Tom.

Peter Harris's avatar

Thank you. For taking the time to write.

Tamara Fox's avatar

Excited for the workshop, and that poem. I had tears in my eyes when the cardinal call out in the end!

Catherine Hanson's avatar

At long last I can attend one of your workshops from my perch on the east coast. Much gratitude. Cathy