13 WRITING PROMPTS

Tequila Sunrise

The 13 writing promts by Dan Wiencek (posted at McSweeney's) are the most original I've seen yet. Here are the first three...

1.

Write a scene showing a man and a woman arguing over the man's friendship with a former girlfriend. Do not mention the girlfriend, the man, the woman, or the argument.

2.

Write a short scene set at a lake, with trees and shit. Throw some birds in there, too.

3.

Choose your favorite historical figure and imagine if he/she had been led to greatness by the promptings of an invisible imp living behind his or her right ear. Write a story from the point of view of this creature. Where did it come from? What are its goals? Use research to make your story as accurate as possible.

An Update

Last night's anniversary dinner of scallops in garlic sauce was topped off with gorgeous flowers from husband and a white cake with red roses. Being married definitely has its perks, especially when husband doesn't frown when I eat the icing and skip the cake. Why don't they just make the whole cake from icing? I guess then it wouldn't be cake. Duh.

Since it was our wedding anniversary, I didn't get my usual daily dose of CNN, but I managed to watch some of the speeches the candidates gave on the sad anniversary of Dr. King's assasination. I still cannot belive that John McCain voted AGAINST making Dr. King's birthday a national holiday. How does someone vote against something good? I mean, is McCain against clean air, art museums, and picnics in July? How could anyone be against honoring a man of the greatness, vision, and courage of Dr. Martin Luther King? McCain has spent too many hours in that hot Arixona sun. The man's delusional. This confession will surprise no one, but I wouldn't vote for him if he ran for dog catcher, certainly not for President.

Okay, other news. My poem, "Alaska" appears in the new issue of Tattoo Highway. The image above is from the same issue.

Some other recent acceptances: Kaleidowhirl accepted my poem, "When she Dusts" and Juked has accepted "Speculation." I'll post a reminder when these poems appear.

I never thought I'd make anyone's HOTLIST, but I am pleased to announce that "Tomato Girl" was listed on OVERBOOKED'S hotlist for New and Notable Fiction for 2008. It's a long list, but I'm just glad to be there.

And last, but not least, Dr. Marutham, the Director of the Bharathiar Academy of Tamil Research, has asked for permission to translate some of my poems in Tamil for purposes of teaching his students. Since two of my children were born in India, this is a special honor.

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!

image from Allposters.com


Today is our wedding anniversary!!! Husband and I have been married for 21 years! (I know that makes me sound old, but really, I was still in my training bra and braces when he snatched me. Honest. I swear! HeHe!)

Tonight, it's dinner at the Asian Panda to celebrate....and goodies have already been arriving at the door!!!!!!!!

I recall a co-worker who, upon learning of our engagement, said our marriage wouldn't last SIX months. Hmmm...21 years later...that fool owes me some money!

On Cell Phones and the Dead

image from Kicks 106.9 Cell Pix

This headline caught my attention: Man Believes Dead Wife is Contacting Him Via Cell Phone. Read story here.

This is one of the reasons that I do not-- and never will-- own a cell phone. I simply don't want dead people calling me.

On a somewhat related note, check out playwright Sara Ruhl's quirky comedy, "Dead Man's Cell Phone," reviewed in The Epoch Times. Read review here.

Writers' Group Protests U.S. Barring of Author

NEW YORK–An advocacy group for writers appealed to U.S. officials yesterday to review the exclusion of a British author whose most recent book chronicles his years of heavy drug use and visits to prostitutes

Read the rest of the story in TheStar.com

New Issue of Mimesis!

The forthcoming issue of Mimesis is now available for pre-order! Mimesis is an international poetry journal. Editorial tastes lean "slightly towards the less represented and the more experimental, but in the end we are open to any style. It's the quality that matters."


My poem, "Starving Artists," appears in this issue. I am in great company with Ivy Alvarez, Alison Brackenbury, Sam Byfield, Temple Cone, Brooklyn Copeland, Claire Crowther, Amy Groshek, Jane Holland, Luke Kennard, Rupert Loydell, Amy Newman, Samuel Prince, Christian Ward and James Wood.

Artwork from:

John Warwick (cover), Harmony Becker, Michael Costello and Asad T. Syed.

Interview with Luke Kennard.

Plus: various 'small presses' interviewed.

Just Like a Girl: A Manifesta

Some great news! The anthology, "Just Like a Girl:A Manifesta," is available for pre-order through GirlChild Press. My Poem, "Tomboy," appears in this anthology.

From the Girlchild Press site:

"Just Like A Girl" is a rough and tumble, sassy, kick-ass travelogue through the bumpy, powerful, action-packed world of GIRL. A world where girls and women know how to pick themselves up and brush themselves off. These are the clever girls. The funny girls. The girls who know there is no sin in being born one.