April 16, 2008

Dear Reader,

Well, my mood has been much better today than it was when I made my last entry. I'm really looking forward to Sunday. I'm probably going to participate in The Poetry Bomb, which is something that my pal, Esteban Colon, has organized. Basically, at 3:30 PM in the afternoon, poets all over Chicago are going to recite poetry in a public place---any public place. Apparently, Esteban has grown tired of poets writing and reading only for other poets; he's intent on bring poetry to the masses. Thus, The Poetry Bomb. And later on Sunday evening, I'm off to Loyola University, where the WLUW studio is located. I'm going to be on the radio! If you're interested in listening, you can go to my "goings on" page for details.

I'm also really looking forward to the May/June issue of HereThere. We have received so many great articles from contributors this issue.

I'm getting a lot from acting as Editor-in-Chief of HereThere. Some of the good things I've gotten out of it have had to do with people I've had a chance to connect with as a result of seeking out quality writers and artists. How cool is it that Anais Mitchell, who just happens to be on Ani Difranco's label, Righteous Babe Records, is contributing to the HereThere's music section? On the other hand, some of the bad things I've gotten out of it have had to with the contributor/editor relationship. I've gotten a couple of very strange reactions from a couple of contributing writers. For intance, one writer, who is already contributing to an upcoming issue, sent a second, unsolicted article for consideration, and then, three weeks later, sent a nasty email requesting that the article be removed from consideration since I obviously hadn't appreciated his efforts. I'd promptly responded to his email containing the second article, intimating that I would keep the article on file, as he'd suggested I do, and had left it at that. Never did I expect that three weeks later, I'd be on his bad list. The funny thing is that I can almost understand his lashing out; after all, I've waited for months for editors to respond to a submission, and know what it's like to have to wait and wait for an envelope or an email. But that's the thing! I've waited for months. Three weeks is nothing! And this particular writer is very experienced. An experienced writer should know better than to lash out because they didn't receive the response they wanted at the time they wanted it. I expect editors to be professional, but I'm not at all surprised when they do not behave professionally. I had behaved professionally and appropriately in this instance. I didn't deserve a nasty email.

The great thing about the whole nasty email experience is that because I knew I hadn't been in the wrong, I could honestly chalk the whole thing up to "That's the way it goes." I didn't get flustered and send an equally nasty reply. I sent a calm, even-handed reply in which I actually apologized for any misunderstanding, clarified my position, and then confirmed that the article would be removed from consideration.

What more could I have done?

Bronmin
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April 11, 2008

Dear Reader,

I did a great deal of reading for pleasure yesterday, which is something that I haven't been able to do much of since launching HereThere and Poet's Kitchen. I read a chapter or so of an Anne Sexton biography, then excerpts from a collection of prose by Robert Lowell. I enjoyed the quiet time, and comparing my own views about poetry with Sexton's and Lowell's.

I enjoyed the quiet time, but must also confess that by the time I put the Lowell book down, I felt...heavy. I realized that despite all that I am doing right now, I am not doing enough. I squander my talents, my mind. I don't study enough. Maybe I don't know how to be a writer and be happy. It's easier to distract myself with editing the work of others, or by getting involved in writing-related projects that take me away from my own work, than to try and learn how to write and remain composed and even-minded when it comes to the rest of my life. Would I rather be happier and write less, or be less happy and write more? Why is it that I feel that these are my only choices?

The problem is that if I choose to be happier and write less, all I am doing is making a choice, and making a choice isn't the same thing as finding a solution.

Bronmin
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March 1, 2008

Dear Reader,

If the last couple of months have been a whirlwind, the next couple of months should be a downright hurricane.

I feel so incredibly grateful for the support I've gotten in regards to my new arts e-zine, HereThere. I've been particularly impressed by the support I've gotten from the poetry community here in Chicago. There are some incredibly gifted and community-minded writers and performers living in this city of mine. Charlie Newman agreed to help host the open mic round robin at the HereThere Launch Party. C.J. Laity, author of Disco Hypnotic and founder of www.chicagopoetry.com, posted the announcement for the HereThere Launch Party on his website. A couple of friends and kindred spirits came to my reading at Jaks Tap on the 18th of February, despite the terrible cold, just to lend their support. And Michael C. Watson, who was also at the Jaks Tap reading, offered to have me contribute to his radio show, Wordslingers, at some point in the future. It's all so wonderful!

I don't mean to drop names---unless, that is, doing so means that you'll be inspired to seek out some of these fine people. I'm just so thrilled---even warmed (which is saying something in the midst of a still very icy Chicago winter), by this new influx of support.

I'm not saying that my life is running smoothly, or that every day is a bucket of dandelions. When I say that it's all so wonderful, I mean that I wonder at just how full my life and days are becoming.

You might remember, if you follow my sort of blog, or even just my newsletters, about how I was once moved by a show on PBS that featured a woman who, after a painful divorce, had traveled around the world in an effort to reclaim herself, even though not all of her friends and family had thought it was a good idea for her to do so at the time. I'd caught only the end of the program, but what I'd seen had been enough to inspire me. I was struck by the woman when she said something like, 'It's an incredible thing when your life matches you, and you match your life.'

Not long after seeing that PBS program, I decided to leave my corporate position. I decided to freelance, and to work on more projects that were in alignment with my spirit. I was ready to hear the music of my life played loudly, and often.

Today, I am working, working like a bird building its nest, to make my life match who it is I am. If things go even remotely the way that I hope that they will, there will be, at the very least, more dancing, more lunches with a good friends, more doing in the spirit of things, and less dealing with the wrong sort of hullabaloo. An abundance of cheese plates, flower pots, paintings, and children, wouldn't hurt, either. A little rock-n-roll wouldn't hurt, either.

W.S. Merwin once wrote the now famous lines, "Today belongs to few and tomorrow to no one." I should have those words tattooed on my chest. I should have, as you should have, a reason, or two, or a thousand, to celebrate.

Ah, wouldn't it be wonderful? Shouldn't it all, in one way or another, be wonderful?

Bronmin
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February 5, 2008

Dear Reader,

Guess who got an acceptance letter from After Hours today? It looks as though my poem, "A Poet Rides Out," is going to be appearing in their next issue. I feel like a real Chicagoan!

I also want to mention that I had my Jaks Tap reading date wrong. I'm going to be featured on February 18th. I'd love to see you there!

Bronmin
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February 1, 2008

Dear Reader,

Last Saturday, my friend and producer of Poet's Kitchen, Ellen, hopped in a cab with me and headed over to Marc Smith's apartment to film our very first episode. I was a bit nervous before we got there, and even for a short while after we got there, but we ordered a pizza (because Marc doesn't cook), turned on the lights and the cameras, and shortly after that, I was just fine.

Marc was a very gracious host. I genuinely enjoyed talking to him, and think that it must be something to know him well in real life. He's certainly been around the block. And he's a real Chicagoan. You'll be able to tell when the interview airs in March on www.poetskitchen.com. His accent gives him away before mentions of his life in Chicago do. The transcript of the show will be posted in the Literature section of HereThere on March 1st.

It's late again. I feel as though I've been neglecting this website, and know I've been neglecting this blog. I'm thinking of blogging only once a month now. Between the magazine, Poet's Kitchen, freelance, and LIFE, I just can't give into it the way I want to.

I'm not going to make a decision on that just yet.

Bronmin
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January 17, 2008

Dear Reader,

I feel like a maniac. I've literally been up for over 24 hours, working on HereThere and doing freelance work. I'm so excited about my little e-zine's prospects that I don't want to sleep or eat... I just want to make wonderful things happen. That said, I really do need to go to sleep, and soon.

On top of what is becoming the normal exciting e-zine stuff, I'm also experiencing icing-on-the-cake e-zine stuff. For instance, just moments ago, I was on the phone with a rather famous singer/songwriter. There I was, on the phone, just talking to her. And while yes, I babbled a bit, had to catch my breath here and there, and probably got a wee bit too personal at one point, I ended up with a promise to contribute to an upcoming issue, and more rewardingly, feeling like I had made a friend.

Wait. Is this getting sappy? As I said, I haven't slept in a very long time.

I may be delirious now, but over the course of the past two days or so, I've gotten a lot done. I made big progress on the HereThere website, and also, on the networking side of things. (I know how to network, but I haven't always been comfortable putting my knowledge to use when it comes to my own projects. That's all changing.) Then, I did about three hours of freelance work. Next, I made a few more e-zine connections. Then, I completed the first edits on a contributor's e-zine article, which had, thankfully, been submitted early. Isn't that nice? Next, I wrote a completely new ghost article for a freelance client. Then, I created a new press release for them, and performed routine maintenance on their website. Next, I made up the "working" HereThere Launch Party Press Release. Then, I contacted some potential advertisers and followed up on some interviews and meetings that needed to be arranged. Are you beginning to see a pattern? While all of this was going on, I did a load of laundry, and even managed to clear off the coffee table, which had gotten pretty cluttered. Somehow, I even managed to take a shower.

I'm not manic; I really am exhausted. But in this wonderful and nearly manic way, I've been sort of feeding off of the energy around me. I've been feeding off of it while making it happen. Do you know what I mean? In fact, until I started to get really woozy a couple of hours ago, I was beginning to feel as though maybe I could just keep going at the same dizzying pace indefinitely. But I'm sure my writing here is proving that I cannot!

I have two more calls to make tonight, and then I should be done for a while---or until tomorrow morning, anyway.

I'm so loopy that I can only think to end this letter by saying I love you. That doesn't make any sense, but that's what my fingers seem to want to type.

So, I love you, Chicago! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!

Bronmin
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January 15, 2008

Dear Reader,

For those of you who don't yet know, I've been hard at work on my e-zine, HereThere - A Resource for Creative Professionals Everywhere. In fact, it's keeping me busier than maybe I've ever been in my life.

Or maybe it'sjust been keeping me busy in a different way than I'm used to being busy. When I write for myself, I write for myself. When I put on my freelancer hat, I work for myself and my clients. But when I work on the e-zine---and this is going to sound corny---it feels like I'm working for myself and for everyone out there who's trying to make a living by pursuing their art. It's really different for me in that sense.

Allow me to give you some links related to the e-zine:

HereThere Temporary Home Page
www.heretheremag.com

HereThere Blog
http://www.heretheremag.com/herethereblog.htm

HereThere MySpace Page
http://myspace.com/heretheremag

Please feel free to join me on MySpace and on the blog. I welcome comments and questions! Also, you should know that you can pre-subscribe to the e-zine by entering your email address via the temporary home page.

I'd go on, DR, but t's 3:14 AM, so I'm going to....get some work done. (Ha!) I hope that this entry finds you well.

All the best,

Bronmin
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January 1, 2008

Dear Reader,

Why is it that all of our plans, all of our wantings and needings, tend to boil down to a few truths in one sweet center? Oh, you can rearrange them all you like, all of those flowers in their pots, but the rose will still be the rose, the lily will still be the lily, the yellow daisy---well, you know.

For example, a few nights ago, as I was trying to fall asleep and not think about all that I am trying to accomplish and do in the new year, three words popped up, almost as if they were being typed out in a cartoon bubble above my bed. They were: "I write because..." That's how they appeared---just like that, with the dot, dot, dot, and all. And suddenly, everything I'd been thinking about, my mental lists of tasks and goals, my buckets of weeds and calililies, if you will, dispersed. There were just those three words. That's it.

Moments later, I was in the dining room looking for the nearest pen and piece of paper. Quickly, I wrote down these three statements:

1. I write because if I am unable to find it anywhere else, I can find it there.

2. I write because to not do so would be to mock something of significance that I cannot quite name. God?

3. I write because it is the best way I've found to be rebellious and noble at once.

There will always be thorns and bees to watch out for as Iarrange and arrange the bulbs in my life, of course. I'll have to sweep off the petals and leaves that fall from the growing and dying things. I'll have tend to my garden, as they say in Sunday School. (What they don't usually say is that mostly, this has to be done alone.)

Still, it's a comfort to me that I can always go back to the truths associated with what I do. That's what I have to say for myself, as we approach the new year---that I trust the flowers to be in their pots. I have to, don't I? Oh, I trust, I believe, I trust.

Bronmin