Month: December 2021

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The Deed Not Yet Done, But At Least Begun!

carolyncordon

Yes, finally, on this, the final day of the year 2021, I have finally begun the process of putting together my next Anthology. I hope this book may be ready in time to be launched at the 2022 Gawler And Adelaide Plains Festival of Words. But given the fact I haven’t even put the call out yet, who knows whether that will be possible …

But today, I am putting out such a call, asking for submissions of poetry and/or prose, that refers to this anthology, to be titled “Climate, Change, Climate Change”. I require learned pieces on the subject of both Climate and Climate Change, and about the trials and tribulations of going through various changes in life.

I am not an expert in the first two mentioned subjects, but I have certainly had a broad exposure to various aspects of ‘change’. But that first one, ‘Climate’ may be not scientific, but rather a less particular aspect, and referring instead to ‘the climate of a room, when somebody drops a clanger’ for instance …

And really, anyone with any exposure to the news, will surely have some ideas about climate change, what it is, and whether they are or might be affected by it. I remember hearing something recently on the news, about islands being flooded out, causing people to leave their homes, and heading for the mountainous regions, up higher than the invading waters.

Whether a believer or denialist, strongly held ideas, presented interestingly are required to make this anthology everything I hope it can be. So scientist, or lay person, your thoughts and ideas, presented as poetry or prose are needed and any of all of these three subjects.

And if you happen to be an expert in Climate Change, I wold love to hear from you, with the idea of possibly writing the introduction of this new book. And if you aren’t an expert, but know own, an introduction to them about this idea, so they may write said piece would be extremely welcome!

rising waters, or a needed holiday?

What I need

So, I am calling for up to three pieces of poetry and/or prose, with poems to be up to thirty lines, and prose to be up to up to 2,000 words. Because there will be three parts of this anthology – Climate, Change, Climate Change, all with two further sections – Poetry, Prose, I ask the submissions have in the subject of the email the writer’s own belief about what is the most important subject of their piece, it it refers to more than just one of the subjects.

For instance, if you are writing a piece that talks about the way we change governments, based on their attitudes to Climate Change, put whichever is most important, as you see it. When it comes down to it, if I as the editor have a different idea about which is most important, we can have that discussion at a later stage, before the anthology is published.

So I am asking for submissions from now, until early May 2022. Submissions are to be sent to me at kittycordo@gmail.com, and indicate the subject of your piece in your email.

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There Are Many Different Kinds Of Writing …

carolyncordon

Some of them I’ve had a go at, others don’t interest me, or not at the moment anyway, and others, well there are definitely others I’d love to try, sometime …

I’m nothing special to look at, but my head has many things happening inside of it, interesting things! (writer’s photo)

I wrote a bit about this issue recently, this is the link to it, on Medium.com. I’ve been writing on that online platform since April this year, and while I quite enjoy putting my word out there, at this new (to me) writing place, it isn’t up close and personal presenting my words to a keen audience.

And that idea, of doing ‘a show’ where people are interested enough to buy a ticket, just to see me do something interesting, amusing, exciting, or inspiring, well that idea really appeals to me …

My involvement with using my writing as a connection to others, and expressing myself to them through my writing, as so far been limited to Poetry Readings, and talking to groups about my books, or my life as shown in my books, two in particular. I certainly enjoy doing that, and would enjoy doing a lot more if it, if only I could get my head around the hows of getting such gigs.

But as I haven’t actually done all that much about promoting myself as a writer, that isn’t particularly surprising, is it? If only I had an agent to do the work of spreading my name as a good one to have for an event! It’s a bit of a catch 22 – to get an agent, I’d need to be better known, but if I was better known, I’d have people calling me, to do a show with them!

Anyway, as I set out in the article on Medium.com, I’ve been thinking about the idea of going up on the stage, but realised I probably have enough going on, writing wise at the moment, and there are other possible reasons why living my life as it is now, is probably more than enough.

I have a poetry collection coming out early 2020 “Leonard Cohen Is Dead” to be published by Ginninderra Press. Having been had my poetry published by Ginninderra previously, I am very much looking forward to being able to have this new book launched, and showing the world how my poetic abilities have been getting better and better. I definitely this is my very best poetry collection so far!

So yes, Poetry is my best and most favoured style of writing, but who knows what I may end up doing. There’s still the novel I’m writing, and the idea of being a stand up comic is still hovering around in my head! A sit down/stand up comedian with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), how funny, right?! But that spot was stolen for me by Tim Ferguson, who is much practiced at the comedian thing, having worked with the Doug Anthony All Stars and done great work, and then telling the world about his diagnosis with MS.

And Tim Ferguson has MS much worse than I do, so he gets the sympathy card as well, whereas my MS is cruising along well, and I don’t even look like I’m sick at all, unless you see me at my worst, which hasn’t actually happened for ages. Damn my medication! Haha, just joking. I’m thrilled to have an effective medication, that allows me to live a near ‘normal’ life …

Now, where was I? Um I forget … I think I’ve said enough, and if I remember, I may do an update. The main point is that I’m still doing writing stuff, and enjoying it. And I just remembered what was maybe going to me next, but that will need to be a post on its own, I think, so you’ll have to wait.

Don’t complain, waiting is good for you, and it’s better if you have to wait for it! Or is that your dinner? Something like that. Cheers friends, thank you for reading!

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Turning Japanese? No, Just Appreciating Some Japanese Things …

carolyncordon

I’ve been enjoying writing for the Medium.com online platform, especially exploring different subjects to write articles about. This one that I posted today is relevant in part to this blog, and another two of my blogs as well, I suppose. But this ‘Writer’ site is the most relevant one to the Medium piece.

If you’re interested, this is the link to it: https://kittycordo.medium.com/senryu-haiku-or-just-short-three-lined-records-of-moments-f5b238e78364

I included two Japanese-style short poems in the article, and cover a little about Bonsai and Japanese food too. I like my Bonsai trees, may they continue growing for a great many years into the future! And while I don’t eat Sushi, I do enjoy Tempura and Yakitori!

Obviously there are things about the Japanese culture of which I am ignorant, but that could also be true of other countries, and probably unless you live it, and perhaps were born into it, you can never truly understand what really goes on …

I enjoyed sharing those two pieces I wrote about our dog, Missy, one about last night and her fearful reaction to the electrical storm, with lightning and the scariest part, the thunder. This is I think the third time Missy has had such an extreme reaction to thunder, and I was so sad, seeing her trembling the way she was.

That’s why I was so happy to see her curled up on her lounge chair, peacefully snoring, with ‘not a care in the world’ as the saying goes. I really hope we don’t have too many more such storms, poor Missy wouldn’t like it, not at all. And at the age of fourteen, Missy has had enough time to learn about what she does and doesn’t like, that’s for sure!

Fourteen, times by seven to find her age in human years? That makes for a very old dog indeed! But when you do the calculation, you can see the folly of paying too much heed to that one. Missy is sound still in mind and body, eating well, and while she loves her naps, she’s still an interested hunter, when the opportunity arises …

Missy is certainly not a Japanese dog, her breed, the Pharaoh Hound is thought to be from Malta. But of the Japanese breeds of dog to choose from, I’m not all that taken with the larger breed, the Akita – the small breed, the Shiba Inu is a cute little dog though. I don’t know anything about their temperament, but I never saw any signs of nastiness from one, back in my dog show days.

If we get any more stormy weather, may Missy snooze through it all, so we don’t have to worry about her, like we did last night. Oh, being a dog owner can be troublesome sometimes … The good times, though, are excellent, and I’d hate to be without a dog. Dogs, gardens and books, lovely!

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Physical, Mental, Spiritual – Words Connect Them All

carolyncordon

I am a writer, that is who and what I strongly feel I am. I write things, publish my writing in a variety of ways, and share my writing as well, to interested ‘audiences’. Those audiences may only be members of my writing group, most of the time, but sometimes it may be a larger audience than that.

I am currently having two new people, support workers, who visit me most weeks. One of them is involved with helping me to more safely get out and about in the community, working on my physical issues. The other helps me get out and about by actually taking me there, and having a fun time with me when we get there, wherever ‘there’ is.

Spiritual, ah, this is the one I do alone, at home. From my favourite sitting spot, and looking out of the window over to my left, I can see the trees, flowers, sky, and birds, all doing their things while I watch. Nature is the thing that speaks deeply to my ‘soul’ if that’s what it is, that warms my heart and soothes any troubled thoughts.

I’ve written about all of these things, but really, not enough about all that Nature means to me, I suspect. Nature is all of the good things that happen, and the reason I hold to, to move forward when the bad things happen. Nature builds up after it has destroyed, and it brings along new options, in the face of troubled times blocking the usual ways of doing …

Nature is my ‘god’, my big unknowable reason for everything. The dark sky at night, the seasons that come along, one after the other as they always have. Nature is … everything.

I can walk because Gravity holds me up, and I also crash to ground if I have a trip and fall. Nature has given me a chronic illness, that adds to these falls too, I suppose, but the many benefits I get from Nature makes it forgivable.

Thinking about these kinds of things helps me to organise my mind, and sort out what are the good things in life, mine and the loves of others. And further thought, especially looking into /stoic thought has enabled me to learn to let go of the things I can do nothing to change.

No point worrying if there’s nothing I can possibly do, I’m far better off delving more into the things I actually am able to do. So reading about such matters, when I find writers whose outlook on life meshes with mine makes for an effective way for words to help me become the best I can be, Physically, Mentally, Spiritually.

Thinking, writing, speaking, all need words, and being able to use those words is an awesome thing.

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WordPress Is Annoying Me …

carolyncordon

I did something a little bit different to my WordPress blog, this one, and now my WordPress Blog has done something a little bit different back at me.

C’est la vie I tell myself. It will sort itself out, and the reality is that while I enjoy blogging, there are more that just that one form of writing to get my word out to the world. I can write things for the newsletter (Mallala Crossroad Chronicle), I edit, produce, have printed, and distribute every month, or I could write more poems for another possible collection. Or I could write one of the two books I’m currently either working on, or thinking about.

So if I wanted to, I could do any of those other things, and there are so many other things I love or at least like to do, that have absolutely no need for me to proficiently use WordPress, or even have a bog of any description.

I prefer actual people more than the internet anyway, real people who laugh, drink coffee, write wonderful words, or no words at all! And plants, the blue sky, those clouds up there, no need for any blog, to be able to enjoy any of those things.

So a message to WordPress, you may have beaten me over this particular issue, but I am much stronger than you think, and I will work out where I went wrong, eventually, and get it all sorted out.

But right now there are many things that I am much more interested in than that! So instead of letting this minor annoyance build into anything bigger, I will leave this blog post, and have my lat lunch and read an actual book!

So nyah, nyah, nyah to you WordPress – you can’t beat me, I have books, and coffee, and yummy food!