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Poetry as a Public Service …

As I wrote in this post on Medium, getting vaccinated is the way we can all get together again, once enough of us get our vaccination against Covid.

I know some people don’t want to get this ‘jab’, and others aren’t able to get it for health reasons, but I truly believe it is the most sensible way to keep on in the face of a dangerous virus.

The statistics are there, the case numbers are rising in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, most of those who die were unvaccinated … It is a compelling fact.

Get vaccinated. Even though you may still catch Covid, you will be far less likely to die from it, and the effects won’t be as bad as it could be without any vaccination. Even the first needle can help, but full vaccination is the best.

So friends, please get vaccinated, for your own sake, for those you love, and for your greater community.

The name of the poem in the link is simply Covid Can Kill. Read it, share it, comment on it, spread the word. It may save a life. Stay safe, friends, please …

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On Writing A New Poem

New poems don’t happen every day, not for me, anyway. And since I started playing with a new platform, Medium.com, even fewer poems are being written by me …

But today, after something that happened, I wanted to write about it, and I wanted to make it a slightly funny little thing, and so I came up with a poem, and rather than writing the poem then at some stage deciding what to do with it, I wrote it directly onto my medium page.

This is the link to the poem, feel free to go there and have a read of it! https://kittycordo.medium.com/a-brand-new-poem-is-born-3e620c83e03

And after reading that poem, you can read more of what I’ve written over the five months since I joined Medium, and began posting articles there. I’ve been enjoying myself, and actually making money (tiny bits of it, anyway).

Making money, obviously isn’t why I write. If I wanted to make lots of money with my writing, there are other, far better ways to use writing as a money-making thing. I write what I want to write, what I feel like writing, not what someone tells me to write.

And today, what I felt like writing was a rhyming poem, about a mouse that may or may not really exist. A silly little poem, and one that might make me a silly little amount of money. If I earn more than two cents from this little rhyme, it will make me happy, because I wrote it without conscious thoughts of it being a great poem, just a poem I felt like writing, and it made me happy.

And being happy is a fine thing, isn’t it? Having mice in the house doesn’t make me happy, it makes me cross that these creatures invade my home. And having to trap the mice, because having them in the kitchen could lead to tummy upsets from the diseases the mice might leave behind, well that makes me sad as well.

Mice are such cute little things, with their whiskers, and their long skinny tails, and their big eyes, looking at me … But when I saw, or thought I saw, that mouse earlier today, I felt I had to write about it, and that is what I did.

That is a satisfying thing, to have had an idea, a mini writing project, and to complete it. And I might even make some money from it. That two cents I mentioned, may even become four cents. Or hope of hopes, could this poem go viral? (In good ways, not bad ones) I think sometimes about that time, when something I’ve written has ‘gone viral’, but I’ve never had anything look anything like doing that.

I suspect if I was writing about subjects other than my usual ones, something about marketing, or internet protocols, or such things, I’d have a better chance of my writing going viral, but they are not things I know a lot about, and I’m not interested in learning more about them, nor writing about them either.

So I’ll go on writing about creatures, and Nature, and other somewhat diverse things. And if I attract the interest of just one person, who likes what I’ve written, and leaves a comment, well that is enough. And if I can make two cents from a silly little poem, well that’s two cents I would never have had if I hadn’t posted that poem, on the Medium website here: https://kittycordo.medium.com/a-brand-new-poem-is-born-3e620c83e03

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One Book Launched, What Comes Next?

I’m thrilled to say the launch of my most recent book, “Plague Invasion” was a success, with many copies of the book finding new homes, and many more to post to their new homes iin the following week or so.

Self-publishing a book needs so much more than just asking for submissions, putting them together, and then have a launch to give a copy of the contributors present, and actually sell some of the books.

So I’ve done that part now, and as I indicated, it was a successful day, with the money taken bringing me closer to breaking even, if I don’t factor in the time this project has taken, and other related costs. I’m enjoying what I’ve been doing, and so am happy to cover some costs.

And one of the costs is to send out books that have been ordered. I have postal addresses, so today I’ll be putting together the books to post, in Australia and beyond.

But I’ve already begun work on the next Covid-related book. Someone (I can’t remember who) gave me the idea for the title, and I’ve already begun a file on my laptop, with some contributions that didn’t get into this first book.

The second book has the working title of “Are We There Yet?” or possibly the slightly longer title of ‘Are We There Yet? Yeah, Nah …” This second, longer title will, I hope, lend a satirical tone to the project, and assist in bringing in a diverse range of creative writing responses.

I plan on this new anthology being ready to launch at about this time next year, hopefully during the Gawler and Adelaide Plains Festival of Words 2022. So I am in the middle of getting all of these copies of Plague Invasion out, but I am also looking to the next book.

Am I mad? Or am I just enjoying myself with this so much, I don’t want the fun to end?! Maybe a bit of both. But if I can do this without sending myself broke, and give some previously unpublished writers the chance to have their work in a book, without getting ripped off, I’m more than happy to do that!

I have a sponsor (my mother), who I acknowledged in Plague Invasion, and she is one of those people who had their written work published in a book for the first time, and she read the short story she wrote at the book launch, a very prooud moment for her, and for me as well!

My Mum is great! I don’t know whether she will get hooked on this writing thing, and want to be in the next book, but if she does write something, I will certainly consider it, as I did for the works published in Plague Invasion.

I was stunned at the perfection of this book cover, and can hardly wait to see what may happen for the next book. I’ll have to wait and see what works may come in, once I’ve put the call out. Not yet, I need a rest! Patrick Millikan, the young man who created the from cover image has done fine work with this one, that’s for sure!

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I Love Book Launches, Do You Love Them Too?

I have a new book that is going to be launched soon, and I’m getting excited about it! I’ve been to a good few book launches now, and I’ve loved them all, whether they are for my book, or someone else’s book! Bringing a new book out into the world is a beautiful thing!

This is the book that is going to be launched, “Plague Invasion” and it looks like this:

Looks great, doesn’t it?

This book has I think 43 contributors, and while not all of them can be present on the day, a good few of them will be, as will the clever young man, Patrick Millikan, who produced this awesome front cover for the book. And the book launch will be held at the Prince Albert Hotel, a venue I know well, and I’m going to get there early, and have a nice meal first, I hope lots will be there early too!

The actual event will include announcing the winners of the Adelaide Plains Poets poetry competition, then the book will be launched, and talked about, and book sales can commence. Once that is all wrapped up, contributors can read their pieces that are in the book, and after that, the usual Gawler Poets at the Pub will happen. People will be able to put their name down in our little book, and read when their name is called out.

Fun, fun, fun! The day’s event should be all over by 5pm, then people can go home, with their lovely new book to read, and can think about what was said about a possible new book that may come out into the world next year!

Words work well, and I love to bring books into the world, it brings me joy to help make it happen! I look forward to seeing you at the Prince Albert hotel, if you live in South Australia, or hearing from you here, if you’d like to know more about this anthology.

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Give Your Best, To Get The Best …

Life is made up of many different things, and knowing how to get the best things in life, you really do best if you can give back your best things.

I’m a writer, writing books, poetry, articles, and blogging too. I have a good life, with family and friends who like me, and some who even love me! And I like/love them back. I do my best to be a good friend and family member, in the best ways I can.

I share my knowledge whenever appropriate, giving information to my writing friends, for instance, when I see something interesting they may enjoy, or learn from. And on my blogs, I try to give information about the things I’m knowledgable on as well.

I love being connected with my community, and I give to the community when I can as well. My most important communiy thing is to be the Editor of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, a monthly newsletter giving information to the poeple living in and around Mallala.

I’ve been involved with this for around fifteen years, and I’m thrilled when anyone tells me they enjoy reading it every month. I do my best to put out the most interesting newsletter possible, and obviously that is appreciated!

My life gives me good things, so I’m happy to give good things back, in everty way I can!