I’ve been reading Mark Twain’s Letters from the Earth, a series of short pieces edited by Bernard DeVoto. In the title story, Lucifer goes to Earth and writes about his observations to the other angels; he is shocked to discover that humans praise a concept of heaven that includes everything they do not like on … Continue reading Letter from Earth
creativity
Decide
This little poem is a kind of riff on a much more beautiful piece, called The Guest House (by Rumi). And it's this week's entry in Project Create. Today's guest is guilt; followed by shame, who will knock tomorrow. The only thing left is to decide, not each day or each week or each year But … Continue reading Decide
A river flows
Project Create, Week 8: Here's a little meditation on time, rivers, and owls. I had intended to write about something completely different. I guess the owls had other ideas. A river of time A river flows, they say, so that you can never step in the same one twice. There is no way to know … Continue reading A river flows
Creation: It’s contagious (Project Create)
It is, as a friend of mine said, contagious. This idea of committing to doing something crazy and wonderful, like writing fifty-thousand words of a novel in thirty days, or publishing a new demo song each week for a whole year, or walking a labyrinth at least once a day, or getting a short story … Continue reading Creation: It’s contagious (Project Create)
Write your congressperson
Okay, that's a trick title for this post... although, after reading it, you still might decide to write your congressperson, and I would wholeheartedly support that. But I wanted to warn you, I am going to get on a soap box. (Metaphorically, of course. There is no soap box in my house that would support … Continue reading Write your congressperson
While I was indoors…
While I was inside a hotel conference center for four days trying to find a home for the novel, some other important stuff was going on in the world. Those days saw some of the most beautiful summer weather the Seattle area has seen since, well, it feels like since the last century. Early August … Continue reading While I was indoors…
Something worth sharing
As I get closer to arranging my work life with more time for creative projects, and less time for paid work (all donations, contributions, alms, etc accepted with deep and humble gratitude, and I'll spend them on something worthwhile, I promise, no really, I will), I find it's important to support other artists who are … Continue reading Something worth sharing
A beautiful book
So the same day I finished reading the rough draft (nearly complete) of my book, an experience I can only describe as ridiculously, tear-inducingly satisfying, I picked up a new book to read. It's a beautiful book called The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, published in 2006. The very first sentence took my breath away. … Continue reading A beautiful book
The Lovely Quotes
We write what we don't know we know. -Grace Paley Art is transferring feeling from one heart to another. - Tolstoy Only truth can do that. - Andre Dubus III, the author and teacher, probably best known for his novel The House of Sand and Fog, at tonight's compelling and hilarious opening keynote of the Pacific … Continue reading The Lovely Quotes
The Maldives of summer
This is the worst concert review you’ll ever read. The band is the Maldives (pronounced Mall-deeves), introduced by a guy in the crowd as “the best band in Ballard.” Ballard being a Seattle neighborhood of about forty thousand people and more taverns per square mile than any other Seattle neighborhood, that’s saying something. I’d heard … Continue reading The Maldives of summer
Elizabeth Fountain, Author 