An Artist who Never Cowered from Being his Unconventional Self “Few people in the two centuries since Emerson issued his exhortation to “trust thyself” have countered this culturally condoned blunting of individuality more courageously and consistently than E.E. Cummings (October 14, 1894–September 3, 1962) — an artist who never cowered from being his unconventional self because, in the words…
One month of illustrated short poems by Elizabeth G. Howard Since April I have been working on a 100 Day Challenge to write 100 poems in 100 days. Over the summer there were some distractions and I started to miss some days. As I approached August I decided to approach the month with more focus.…
I prefer to think of “Lack of Motivation” As a quirky town one visits Not unlike The North Pole or Reno, where brick streets Coo under your tires Where coffee cafes Serve decaf in recliners to Where snack waiters weave Through the Lazy Boys with Free samples everything with Cheese, the spreadable Kind with wine,…
“The middle way is wide open, but it is tough going…” Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart One of the loneliest feelings I’ve ever felt is feeling lost in the middle of heartache. That heartache has taken all kinds of shapes in my life. Right now it’s the shape of unresolved family issues. They continue…
A list of things the might happen to you when you read poetry you finish quickly you don’t feel full you encounter nature odd feelings come up you go somewhere else, on a trip of the mind everyday objects reveal themselves language unravels and twists around you feel uncomfortable, but not unhappy about that you…
What inside the podcast In the podcast, Vanessa Aricco tells the moral story her dad told her of the wind and the sun hanging out behind the clouds. They see this human walking down with a jacket on and the wind says: I bet I can get that jacket off him before you can. And…
“Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” – Mae Jamison She is as simple as daybreak. I don’t think she’s ever had a new pair of glasses — not least the frames — in the 13 years I’ve known her. She commutes to work in…
Since I was diagnosed with depression decades ago (age 15), I have had some time to discover a few things that do help me. Some of those things are the usual sort of things: going for walks, taking medication, having a good support system, knowing that my diagnosis is a medical one — that I’m…
It seems we honor Ancient trees much more Than old people.
There’s a lot to be said about social media scrolling– both good and bad. Since I am perennially awake in the middle of the night, scrolling happens. Thank god for artists and Instagram. I follow those artists I know, those I like, and those whose work makes me happy. For me, Instagram gives me a…
Happy International Women’s Day, Bitches! What are we celebrating this International Women’s Day? First, let’s check in with the boys… Raise your hand, fellas, if you — like Gov. Andrew Cuomo — should resign for sexual harassment. Anyone? Bueller? Interesting, considering at least one-third of women have experienced sexual harassment at work. And 81 percent…
You do have to have some peace and quiet One of the truths about creativity is that it takes time. But sometimes, when you work in a creative “workplace,” you find yourself having to be creative, but also under the gun of having to crank shit out. It helps to be good at what you…
Kids. Boy we sure do love ’em. Even people who don’t actually like kids I bet would be pretty quick to acknowledge that kids — although sometimes a pain — are love machines. They make it. They reflect it. They live it. They embody it. They are our teachers in it. So we love the…
I remember you, you Lost soles, you distant loversForgotten from those daysSo long now in those Foreign lands. Everything we Predicted happened– weLost touch. We forgot what itFelt to be connected: first toEach other, and then Through each otherTo the pulsing, quaking potentialOf our shared mother, who isn’tDead yet, but merely laying in wait– Gentle…
Measuring the distance between living, giving, and making meaning It is the soul and curse of the Enneagram 8 to not only know how to live with purpose, but to be unable to avoid it. Having done all I can to resist this label, I have eventually just given in — I have a calling…
