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…
Meeting people can be tough. This great landscape of unknown, a gap of nothingness between us to fill with “small talk.” This is a glass is half empty approach to understanding people. It’s the “I don’t know you at all so this is gonna take work” mentality. But every person is the same. It’s easy…
Let me be a jellyfish Brainless and glowing My beauty innate– Unquestionable, even, Since I’ve no amygdala for Shouting orders, no hippocampus Busily collecting Potential threats. Let me be a jellyfish, One of a tribe of Transluscent pancakes Mindlessly ganged around Jews cutting the Red Sea waves or Rubber-tubed tourists — Either way.
I admit that the idea of being “inspired” hits me in a sort of hokey way. I think it’s because, in my line of work (i.e. being an artist), there is a false idea that the end product derives less from skill or fortitude, and more from some magical notion of “the muse.” So if…
Private talkBetween campground showers“You need soap, Karen?”“I caught it!” “I brought a loofa.”Two women sighingOver water pleasure andFriends. Day 10, A River of Stones
When I hit 40 this year, I started to feel strange. Like I didn’t understand who I was in relation to that number. It was a creeping “old and used up” feeling. But I didn’t let that hang around. At some point in our lives, we reach an age that no longer makes sense. The…
