wow.

 

thanks to all who came out on saturday evening 
to the reception for “new beginnings”
at the sturbridge coffeehouse…

thank you to pia and jen
for the opportunity…

thanks also to jonathan cook
of the sturbridge town common
for the story…

and thank you to bruce and michael
for the lovely acoustic tunes,
particularly “body of my soul”…
(i only hope i can do
the background vocals justice…)

love & peace,
~ yvonne

every choice is worth your while.

a conversation with stephen king

 

totally unauthorized photo of steve and…that other author

so, simon and schuster/scribner graciously pre-released a big batch o’ king’s latest book last thursday, and, in cooperation with the odyssey bookshop in south hadley, massachusetts, hosted “a conversation with stephen king and richard russo” at mount holysmoke college. i was fortunate enough to score a ticket when they were released, hence this post. for those of you who weren’t, the new title “just after sunset” is being released to the uh, general public, today. {giggle.}

 

by the time odyssey bookshop owners had read through their list of “thank you’s” and the history of the bookstore, i was up to page 37 or so. “just after sunset” is a collection of short stories spurned on by stephen’s recent experience editing the annual “best american short stories” series in 2006. during the evening he talked about the form, and how he hoped he could rekindle his excitement and proficiency at this particular style of writing. uh, mission accomplished, mr. king.

 

whether you know me or not, or wish to, you still may not know that i am one of stevie’s biggest cockadoodie fans! i have an entire bookshelf in my living room with only His books adorning the shelves. these include the hardcover and paperback editions, and a few duplicates for some God-knows-why reason.

some of his expressions and exclamations have made their way into my everyday language {i.e.: jesus krispies!, fuck me freddy, christ-in-a-sidecar, and do the day, and let the day do you!}. i have everything he’s ever written, including some audiobooks, and mostly everything that’s ever been written about him. to me, his biggest appeal is that he carries you right into the story, crafting characters that are so familiar, likeable or not, that you recognize them as people you already know. then he introduces a bizarre element, something you normally couldn’t even fathom, but since he’s already reeled you in…you just accept it, and read on. the horror genre is not all about monsters and boogeymen; sometimes it encompasses the horror of the mind that grips your very soul and can be just as paralytically terrifying as being stalked by a rabid dog on a hot summer day.

…in no particular order, the high-est-lights of the evening, IMHO, were as follows:

• handing my literary hero my $160 monteverde fountain pen, {when i removed the cap, there was a resounding CLICK! in the auditorium, stevie’s security guy standing behind him raised one eyebrow, then probably realized i didn’t look like much of a threat}, and somehow stammering “i am a calligrapher. would you use my pen?” i had something else exceptionally brilliant to follow that, but instead morphed into a 12 year-old girl needing to buy a vowel. i exited left as gracefully as i could, being herded along by the rest of the crowd, happy in the knowledge that He is the only other person to ever use that pen, except yours truly. {giggle.}
• the announcement of the benefactor of a portion of ticket sales, the food bank of western massachusetts, {more introductions here} ~ and the bookstore owners bringing out a comically large check in the amount of $18,565.00 !
• king, commenting on dead zone: “when mccain picked palin as his running mate, tabitha and i looked at each other and said ‘that’s greg stillson in a skirt!’ “
• king, answering a question about his books-turned-movies: commenting on the new verizon commercial, where the two dead-looking twins get off the elevator, a-la-the shining, and say “it’s a dead zone here.” and how horrifying that kind of stuff is to him.
• when asked by moderator joe donahue {host of “the roundtable” on WAMC, 90.3 FM}, “what’s your favorite curse word, and why?”…steve did a spot-on imitation of kathy bates as annie wilkes in “misery“: “he didn’t get out of that COCKADOODIE CARRRR!” …then expounded a little on expressions that cracked him up as a kid: “i wouldn’t give a tin shit!” and “shit or go blind.” …much laughter here. fellow author richard russo deferred answering first, so he could compose himself…and went on to tell a tale of how the “c” word is used commonly in england, much like “bitch” is here. how he called his daughter recently, who works in a family-owned frame shop in london, and her use of the word over the telephone. his kneejerk reaction: shock. then, chuckling, “i am so proud of her!” …thunderous applause.
• stephen king discussing “on writing“, and the Q & A session at the conclusion of the discussion.

 this girl left with a huge shit-eatin grin on her face, and in her very heart.

in absentia…

yes, i have been absent. just a little too much going on in this life at present. i am frustrated over my inability/unwillingness/demotivation to express myself either through this venue, or visually as an artist.

a tiny spark has emerged through my association with massscribes, and their incredibly talented members. also some bright shiny spots have weaved themselves into my very soul due to my recently renewed reunion with former classmates who still practice the fine arts. i am at once in awe and more than somewhat intimidated

…but reflexively retreat rather than create.

i visualize a million tiny pieces of me, hurtling into space.

i am disappointed in my apparent lack of ability to dissociate emotionally and be more captain spock-like, capable of critical and logical thought, without all the complications of feelings.

and why ~ oh why ~ does my horrorscope have to be so SPOT ON today ?!?!

October 22

Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, there is a child inside of you who needs tending, dear Leo. You are all grown up, and proud of who you have become. And well you should be. But we are all the sum total of who we once were. Today’s planetary positions suggest that you spend some time acknowledging the various parts of your past. That includes the good parts as well as the not-so-good parts. It is only after you have integrated all these different elements of yourself that you can truly be the person you are meant to be.

look for a post soon on my upcoming meeting with the king!, or my mother’s recent heart surgery, my collaboration on a book!, laying down some vocals with an old friend; or my new hiking and volleyball adventures…{giggle}…but certainly not the upcoming mindphuck which is the presidential election.

until then, i remain…
perplexed,

yvonne, at 47.91666

these days are my summer
i shall not want

i will lie down in green pastures
and dream as the clouds float by,
feeling the wind caress my skin

i will attend concerts and shows
and celebrate the wonder of gifted musicians

i will go barefoot as often as possible
and feel the earth embrace my skin

i will absorb the sunshine
and marvel in its healing rays

i will stay up late
and awaken at the last possible moment

i will go for long lazy stolls through wooded areas
and let my thoughts ebb and flow,
as easily as the oceantide

i will exalt over the bounty of the season
reveling in the sweet taste of fresh summer fruit, freshly caught fish
and the occasional oh-so-necessary ice cream cone

i will recline as i see fit,
and Do Nothing,
and Not Bother

i will accept every invitation
without reservation
or hesitation
to go forth and recreate

so i can gather these happy, tired
sand-encrusted, SPF-scented memories
and recall them in the deadness of my winter

yea, though i walk
through the valley of the shadow
of No Accrued Vacation Time,
i shall not fear

  

 i will seize each day
and let each day seize me!

 

a frosty july treat

 

“Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions.
 
Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe.

 Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea.”

thanQ for this set of photos and blurb to my babybrother ed, who is finishing up his 2nd year as a med student at the american university of the caribbean…and will soon be close by as he begins his residency in new yawk!

mother nature never ever fails to amaze and astound me, as do all the wonders of the incredible physiology of the human body. i am all at once humbled, overcome and in breathless awe…

isn’t life delicious?

bewilderness

 

 

a single rose
reveals itself today
in the twilight

confused by this early
humid, heavy heat…
beautiful and fragrant,
perfect in its loneliness

not unlike the girl
tiny, wandering
in the vast bewilderness,
the ambiguous landscape
of an ill-defined union

a tear trickles slowly down
her cheek
and she turns her loving
grateful gaze upwards…

as the word
hope
forms in her heart.

carpe diem

seize the day…

…and let the day seize you!

image copyright 2008 ~ y.e.a.

frequent flyer

looks like i’ve found a new place to hang out on the internet! i bookmarked “the free dictionary” long ago, when i had a dispute with an arrogant friend over the correct spelling of a seldom-used word.

recently, while re-editing some Fresh Whyvonne, i needed a synonym so as not to repeat the same adjective thrice in a paragraph…and re-visited the site. i am not entirely certain whether the page had been updated, or i just summarily dismissed all the clutter the first time ’round.

have a look for yourself! the page content is customizable; there is HANGMAN {i can never resist!}, a SPELLING BEE with easy, hard and expert words {although i disagree with the audio~dude’s pronunciation of some words}, WORD OF THE DAY, a WORD LIST {you can personalize and track recent search items}, MATCH UP, ARTICLE  OF THE DAY, THIS DAY IN HISTORY, QUOTATION OF THE DAY…

i am impressed! it certainly kick’s yahoo’s “word of the day”‘s ass six ways to sunday! {huh?} plus it’s just a handy on-line reference…

i plan on visiting often. go see for yourself…

my girl

rastafarian jewel sings her lovely “kiss the flame”…

please, love, let’s make
no imparital vow…
let all fall away
that’s not crucial now

i want a brave love
one that makes me weak in the knees
i want a crazy, crazy love
one that makes me come undone
at the seams…

‘coz i’m tired of all these pilgrims
these puritans, these thieves
of all these unbelievers
who whittle love down
at the knees

let these swift roads destroy themselves
let the world fall into its sleep
for we shall be spared, we shall be left standing
to face what’s left of concrete and honey…

kiss the flame
let’s run with the hunted, the untamed
kiss the flame
embrace the faceless, the unnamed

there are nightmares on the corner
there are jokes on t.v.
there are people selling thougtlessness
with such casualty

where for art thou, romeo?
where have all the brave men gone?
show me one man who knows his own heart
to him i shall belong 

kiss the flame
let’s run with the hunted, the untamed
kiss the flame
embrace the faceless, the unnamed

please, love, let’s make
no impartial vow…