Jenn, aka JeSais (I know)

Or maybe just a gardener. I’m not sure what the difference is….  but the fact is that for the first time ever in my life I have a vegetable garden.  And it is so awesome!

I’m growing tomatos, squash, corn, peppers, eggplant, melon, sunflower, basil, cilantro and other various herbs (all legal) Here’s some pictures…

This picture was taken on May 31. The tomatos were planted around the 20th of May.  I bought tomato plants rather than try to start from seeds. There are four different varieties. I also bought the eggplant (to the left of the tomatos)  in 4 in. containers–  two japanese eggplant and one regular.

To the left of the eggplant is the squash that didn’t seem too happy there…  a few did germinate, but they have since been moved.

To the right of the marigolds is cucumber not yet sprouted.

I’ve dug channels around the garden to move the water, though mostly I’m using the buried sprinkler hose to water the soil deeply.

These pictures were taken on June 17. you can see how well they are doing, and the eggplant to the left are flourishing.

I planted sandia peppers (the local chile) and to the right of the tomato you can see how the cucumber is doing, and the large patch of green is cilantro…   salsa!!

Along the back wall you’ll see some spindly plants–  that’s some sunflowers that were started from seed, and left in the tray too long. I’m hoping they will thrive now that they will have some nice rich soil.

In case you don’t know about the Rainbow Family, they are a loosley organized group that gathers every year over the 4th of July holiday to pray for peace.  The gathering history goes back to the early 70s with roots clearly in the counterculture movement of the 60s. In other words, it’s big ole hippie camping fiesta and this year I’m going.

A Little Background….

If you know me, you know I’m really not much of a hippie,  though I did smoke a bit more of the ganga then was good for me when I was in high school.  I attended one small regional gathering in California in the early 90s and also had the opportunity to work as a member of the Please Patrol for the Woodstock #2 in 1994.  That concludes my hippie credentials.

One of my dearest friends Karin, however, is a long time Rainbow gatherer and could probably be classified as a hippie. She pretty much embodies so many of the ideals associated with that culture:  commitment to engaging in community, questioning authority and working for positive change, recycling, love of the evironment, organics…  I’m sure you get my drift. One of the things I love most about Karin is the fact that she lives her beliefs to the best of her abilities.

Karin tried to get me to a Rainbow Gathering (circa 1992) once before… and I chickened out at the last minute.  It was all Fred’s fault, but that is another story all together.

This year The Gathering will be in New Mexico, in a town called Cuba which is not too far from Albuquerque. It is a great opportunity because it is so close– and Karin is coming, and so is The Other Karen.  And so, after all these years of hearing about gatherings, I’m going to go and check it out for myself.  Maybe write an essay or two about my experiences.

One of the things that fascinates me is the fact that there are so many misconceptions about Rainbow family members and what kind of people they are.  From the lens of mainsteam society, Rainbow family members look like a bunch of tie-dye wearing wingnuts.  In terms of mainstream society, many of these people don’t fit in. They are marginalized for a variety of reasons.  But the fact is that many many more of these Rainbow family members do particpate (sometimes more fully than others) and succeed in mainstream society. Karin has a good paying computer job, owns a home, pays taxes and takes care of her disabled mother.  The other Karen is a theater manager turned stay at home mom (and doing a remarkable job with 3 toddlers) married to a doctor. Through Karin I met one long time gatherer who is a  business owner in Santa Fe.  Other Rainbow family members are lawyers, computer geeks, artists, musicians, therapists, yoga instructors,  and even former military. They come from all walks of life, and as is true in any other society most are good, but a few are bad.

The other thing that fascinates me about The Gathering is the fact that there are serious civil rights issues involved, most notably the right to peaceable assembly and the freedom of religion.  If the governement can restrict the rights of the Rainbow Family, who’s next?

I will be going way WAY outside my comfort zone. I don’t like strangers saying “I love you sister.” I don’t like strangers hugging me.  And I’m nervous about the potential run ins with the forest service law enforcement officers–  they have a history of harassment, most notably last year firing rubber bullets at the crowd in kid village which has been documented by the ACLU.

I don’t expect to be hassled personally, but you never know.  Like I said, it’s an opportunity and will be at the very least, an interesting experience.

I love audio. I love radio. I love literature. And I’m a geek…  and, since I don’t have nearly enough to do (HAH!)  I’ve started a literary audio magazine (online only), Writers Out Loud: Literature for the Ear.

A special thanks to Midge Raymond, who eagerly submitted the first piece, The Ecstatic Cry, an excerpt from her book Forgetting English. I’m honored to have a prize winning writer want submit a piece to this new venture.

I’ll officially launch the site after this semester ends–  mid May, and plan to do some full-on media blitzes.  If you’d like YOUR piece to be showcased alongside Midge’s DO submit your work.

I’ve put the call out to some really fine writers I know, and am hoping they will follow Midge’s lead, fire up Garage Band on their MAC or download Audacity for their PC and have fun with sound!

Last week when I was visiting San Diego, my friend Ralph and I toured Flat Stanley around town.

It was a blast.  We hope Stanley comes to visit again.  

The Flat Stanley project is a combination community art project / literacy program / geography lesson that kids in the 1st or 2nd grade do.  Kids get a Flat Stanley to color as they like, then mail him off to a friend or relative that lives in a different locale.

Our Stanley came from Ralph’s seven-year-old nephew Ryan, who lives in Illinois, a town called Huntley that Ralph, who grew up in the city of Chicago, says is the Algonquin word for “way the fuck out there.” Note, it is fifty plus miles northwest of Chicago. 

Stanley enjoyed his tour of San Diego, especially since the weather was sunny, and mid-seventies, while the weather in Illinois was still what could only be classified as The Dead of Winter.  

Check out the photos from Stanley’s San Diego tour here–> be be warned the page will load a little slowly.  Lots of photos.  Lots of megabytes.

According the to the Wikipedia article on the Ladderback Woodpecker, he’s out and about year round. However, I just noticed him for the first time the other day. I did not have my camera, but this little guy was peeking his head up above the fence. A wooden fence. I hope he had a nice little snack.

Although I’ve always said that San Diego does indeed have seasons, they really are more subtle.  Here in New Mexico, there is a surprising amount of spring action going on.  

I feel like a total dork walking around town stopping to closely examine each and every budding plant along the way, to touch them, to smell them.  It’s all so alien to me.  Who knew a desert would be so green!

The trees are budding as I noted a couple of days ago, I’m seeing birds that I’ve not seen, and everyone is sneezing–  juniper and chamisa in bloom and what looks like some fruit trees bursting with pink and white flowers seem to be the main culprits.  

All of the sudden I’ve got the urge to do yard work.   I started yesterday cleaning up a small flower bed in my back yard that has some tiny daffodils peeking out of the ground.  They just really needed to be free of the leaves that had fallen off the big elm tree.  Of course it didn’t stop there….  I had to clean up the leaves in the side yard too.  Raking, sweeping and shoveling leaves.  It felt good to be outside.  To do physical work.  Of course now I am sore, but it feels good.  I am eager to do more.

If only I had more time. 

I finally found a church I can see myself attending on a regular basis– The Church of Beethoven:

• Espresso Bar
• Poetry (by some of the best poets around)
• Music (by top notch real deal musicians)
• Two Minutes of Silence…
• Cool People
• Funky Warehouse Space

Community spirit without the religion. As featured on NPR…. I can’t think of a better way to start the week.

I swear it happened overnight. One day the trees were naught but empty branches reaching for blue sky. And today… green leaves sprouted. I only blinked. What happened?

My friend Karin asked me in an email how it feels to be a rock star. And I have to say it’s quite stressful. I’m coming home for a visit this weekend, and it sorta feels like I’m a rock star, everybody want to see me, spend time with, there’s so much to do, so little time.

Here’s my schedule:

FRIDAY
Arrive 2pm. Pick Up Rental Car (so my sister won’t have to cart me around) 5pm Dinner with Rick. 7pm San Diego Writers Dime Stories Open Mic at The Grove. I’ll be reading an excerpt from a work in progress– piece that began in San Diego sparked from a writing prompt at the San Diego Writers Ink Write-A-Thon fundraiser last year. 9pm drinks after with some folks.

SATURDAY
a.m. Debby wants me to take a pilates class (we’ll see if I get my assouta bed in time for that). The day is reserved for Debby time. Which means I’ll be in a whirlwind all day. 7pm BBQ / B-day party for my roommate…. At last count, the guest list is up to about 20. Not sure. It’s a bring your own meat party (Poor grad student here) I will be buying a lot of lettuce for the big salad I’m making. OH and it turns out my aunt and uncle will be in town too…

SUNDAY
Brunch with a friend. We may do a Flat Stanley day (if Stanley makes it into town on time).
4pm Beach Walk with Friend. 7pm. Dinner. somewhere. with someone. not sure. I’m getting confused….

MONDAY
Day at the office. Yeah! Kooky I know, most people don’t like to go to work. But I miss my office mates, telecommuting and skyping just isn’t the same. 5pm. Happy Hour with the office peeps.
Dinner. somewhere. with someone.

TUESDAY
Half day at office. And I may try to get some homework done. hahahahahahhaahha. Dinner with a friend from L.A. 7pm The Main Event: Dime Stories Showcase at UCSD. I’ll be one of 15 fabulous writers of the mini story. Dime stories are “Equal parts seductive and tiny, DimeStories are funny. They’re heartwrenching… They’re fictional or factual but, either way, they’re all true…”

I’m super excited to have been invited to participate in the showcase.  This monthly event, parts of which are being sculpted into a public radio show, really started up after I left San Diego.  When I realized I needed to come home at least for a few days every semester, I decided to schedule one time when I could attend the Dime Stories Showcase, and when I asked when the next one would be, I was invited to participate.  I am truly honored. It was not my intention to finagle a spot on stage–  I mostly wanted to check out what they’re doing.  Prose readings / open mics are hard to come by. Poets have all the fun….

WEDNESDAY
9 am. (or is it 10am? I better check my ticket) Depart San Diego.  sigh. You can see why I am feeling stress. Rtn to ABQ noonish. 7pm class.

I first met Jill Badonsky back in 2003. Or was it 2002? (I thought eye sight was the first thing to go!). I attended some writing workshops, then a Performance Writing Course that culminated in a performance — me in silver chiffon reading my poem Beautiful Moon Sea– then 12-week course based on Jill’s first book, The Nine Modern Day Muses (etc) –read my book review at Amazon where you can conveniently buy the book. Over the years I continued attending workshops with Jill– especially the Third Thursday drop-in writing group at Bookworks in Del Mar, Calif. I kept going back for more because I always came away feeling like I’d written– sometimes something good, sometimes crap it didn’t matter. And more often than not I ended up with a start to something bigger.

Jill’s second book arrived in the mail: The Awe-manac: A Daily Dose of Wonder which you can conveniently buy at Amazon as well.

I haven’t “read” the book per se (being in graduate school I’ve been super busy), but I have flipped through it and found some amazing bits of inspiration. It’s a great reference book to keep handy, as each day of the year has tips and tricks and prompts and potions to spark your creativity. It’s like having Jill right here with me! AWE-Mazing!

And so when Jill asked if she could drop by as part of her blog book tour, I said of course!

I sent Jill these Questions for my Awe-Musement:

JENN: I see you mentioned my name in the acknowledgements… tell me, exactly how inspirational have I been to you?

JILL: Hmm, that’s an original question. Since you came to many of my writing workshops and test drove a lot of the prompts that are now in the Awe-manac as well as took part in the on-line Writing Club that was the genesis of many of the prompts, I was able to read how the prompts have the potential to be alchemized into really good writing, cuz that’s what you did.

As you know, my own attempts at the prompts were designed to “set the bar low”, to …ahem.. make everyone else’s writing sound real good.

JENN: Where am I quoted in the book?

JILL: January 16 page 35.. write there in black and white., something about nothing.

JENN: Why did you write this book for me? I mean I know we’re friends and all, but really, you shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble. Just to impress me… I’da still been your friend….

JILL: I know, I just was so insecure and all. I didn’t blow did I? I also built you a house. Want it?

JENN: Seriously, I’m in AWE. The amount of information, the drawings, the quotes, the prompts… I feel like I can use your book for inspiration for all my writing (EDITOR’S NOTE: CLICK on the image to the left for Today’s Page and you’ll know what I’m talking about)– where do you get YOUR inspiration?

JILL: Drugs. … well, creativity is my drug. If you can explain where inspiration comes from, let me know. When I have an idea I simply have a compulsive need to get it down.. but it seems to arise from anything from associative thinking to digesting a bean burrito.

I think it’s a matter of getting everything else less important out of the way of my creative ideas. Meditate, walk, shower with only the cultivation of ideas in mind. We are here to be creative and when you’re listening, inspiration is everywhere. Turning the TV off helps.

JENN: Do you ever get tired of inspiring everyone else?

JILL: No. It’s something I was sent here to do so it feeds me too. Sometimes I take in a movie.

And now for the more serious stuff…

JENN: How was publishing the second book different than publishing the first book?

JILL: The first book was already written when I sold it to Penguin/Putnam. Running Press bought the book based on the proposal and on the success of the first book so it was a different experience with a little more pressure. Also, the publisher was much more involved in the second book since it was developing and not already done. But for both my mantra was simply to entertain myself and that seemed to work.

JENN: Are you using the same agent for this book as the first?

JILL: Yes, she’s wonderful.

JENN: Do you have any tips to share on how to find a good agent, and what makes a good agent (from an author’s perspective)

JILL: I found my agent by looking in the acknowledgement section of a favorite book. Authors are usually very grateful to agents. I am. Good agents get back to you right away when you’re insecure and whining. They are resourceful about figuring out who to talk to, and like my agent, they have lunch regularly with all the players in the right places. They also know the ins and outs of contracts and how to negotiate.

JENN: With the changes in the publishing industry… how has that changed what the author brings to the table regarding marketing, for example? (I notice you’re doing a blog tour and not a road tour, was that your idea?)

JILL:  The first publishing house funded a national tour. The second one didn’t and I’m sure the economy had something to do with it, but ironically my second book is doing better because the publisher was smart and co-oped a table so it’s displayed in the front of Barnes and Noble stores. Visibility in the store sells more of my books than book signings and this blog-tour is just a heck of a lot of fun with no hotel and airports hassels. I like it better.

JENN: What advice would you give an author just starting down the publishing road?

Write for yourself, be audacious and believe in yourself, listen to your intuition, write and read often.. the usual advice you hear from everyone.

JENN: Any other comments you want to share??

JILL:  Can I come and visit in October? I’ll be taking The Awe-manac on the road for the 2010 new year.

And visit my website and blog.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jenn, aka JeSais will be happy to host Jill in October!