Wife, mother, dog owner. Important things in my life, all of them. But I was a lover of words before I was any of those three things, and when my time is coming to an end, I hope I will still be a writer, and lover of words.
I’ll always be a mother, I certainly hope, and if the wife label changes to widow, well it will not be an unexpected thing, sad, but that’s how life often (but not always) goes. And while I plan for having a dog in my life for a long time to come, who knows if that will last until my end? I like trees too, and unicorns, and I hope for many more trees and unicorns in my life!

But the love of words, reading, writing, thinking about reading and writing. Sharing my love of words in as many ways as I can. That will stay with me, I hope. I am a reader, poet, writer of fiction and of non fiction, and an editor. I have eight published books, with an anthology with a publisher and waiting to hear whether they wish to publish it.
I am ‘working on’ a novel, the first in a series of novels, that, if they work, might well be with me until my end too … And if that novel series dies unborn, well at least I had a bit of a go at it. Poetry sings to my soul though. Poetry, those few words, stripped back to just the best words, and nothing more, that I hope will always be there with me too.

Words, writing them, reading them, sharing them, these are the good things I share the most with my friends. I hope my enthusiasm for words, lights a fuse in the lives of others and they shine brighter in their lives, with the glow of their words.
If I didn’t have this focus, these options and ideas, what would my life be then? A sad and dreary thing, I’m sure. Words bring understanding, insight, ideas. I love words, I think words are pretty fond of me too!

you’ve been productive, Carolyn: our love of words is what keeps us writers going: I read about an artist ….. I might post this . Cheers
LikeLike
I try do the best I can, with all there is in life, John.
LikeLike
Have you posted the piece about that artist you mentioned, John?
LikeLike
not yet but I’m working on it 🙂
LikeLike
Good work! I look forward to reading about it! I also look forward to seeing what you intend doing in Gawler at the Prince Albert Hotel at the end of September …
LikeLike
I’ve been thinking about directiing writers to direct their attention to common place objects — like bath, a book of poems, toilet paper, pencils — and demonstrate how one can get terrific poetry from that. I’ll use a slew of my poems to demonstrate and have each person to choose an object and follow their mind as it meanders down the pathways that the object conjures. And at the end to present their draft poem to fellow workshoppers. Should be fun and A learning experience. What do you think, Carolyn?
LikeLike
With the workshop Martin Christmas presented, we looked at photographs for our inspiration for our words, after first hearing two well known poems read by Martin.
With your focus on object, there might well be a greater concentration on tactile rather than visual inspiration, perhaps, or perhaps not …
There might be some similarities some of the ideas in the presentations, but there is scope for that, and still cover a broad range of subject matter. Poetry and creative writing can take on many forms and ideas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks, Carolyn. there might be a place for photographs if we could show in an enlarged form some of the photographic prompts i’ve used for some poems
LikeLike
I think it might be an idea to concentrate on the actual objects to hold, feel, etc, to further differentiate your workshop from Martin Christmas’s recent workshop.
LikeLike
good idea: I will choose objects they are all familiar with
LikeLike
I’m looking forward to being there, John – don’t forget to send details to Alex so he can do his promotional work! Promote early and often, is the best way to go, I’m told! And the person who told me that is an expert in such things, Martin Christmas, with his long time engagement in the theatre, and beyond, promoting shows, and events, successfully.
LikeLike
also Carolyn could you let people know my chapbook ‘Hope is the Helium’ will be on sale for $5 a copy, cash only please ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s on the Gawler Poets at the Pub Facebook page now John.
If you could send your writer bio and details of your workshop to Alex Robertson, he will take over the advertising of the event, and have it all over the relevant spots on Facebook.
LikeLike