Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Listening to Authors Talk …

carolyncordon

I love going to authors’ talks, especially when I know the venue and people running the event well, so know what to expect regarding parking, venue. etc. Today I attended an excellent author talk, put on by the Two Wells library. Things were a little different today, because of Covid-related issues, but it all went well, or perhaps even better, as a consequence.

The author was Georgie Brooks, with her first book “A Year in the mud and the toast and the tears”. Georgie spoke well and amusingly as she talked about her year of hell, as a ‘townie’ trying to become a country girl. The problems she faced for that year, some of them anyway, certainly rang bells for me, being a former ‘townie’ who moved to the country back in 1988, with little real understanding about what horrors would be there, waiting for us … I haven’t begun reading Georgie’s book, but if her writing is as good as her talk was, I can see I’m in for a treat!

Learning about what is needed to put on a good author talk, both from the organisational point of view, and the presenter’s point of view, are both important aspects of these things. So that was another reason for me to attend, because I wish to do a lot more public speaking, including author talks such as this one today.

The Two Wells Library was very excited to finally be able to put on this kind of event, which they have often put on in the ‘pre-Covid’ past. They have had training in such things now, Covid Marshall training, so were able to put that training into place, and hold the event with this author, which had previously been planned for March this year.

As I am also a writer, who is quite comfortable about speaking in public, it is important I learn as much as I can about being relevant and interesting too, so that those who may be there to hear me speak, feel I was worthy of their time, and so will be more likely to want to buy my book.

Puss in Boots is my constant companion, when I go to my writing group events

Today I had with me several copies of the newsletter I edit, the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, and I was able to give the copies to people who seemed interested, and also the guest writer present. (Well, I hope I remembered to give her a copy, anyway … hmm, not sure now). Anyway, I put my hand up and spoke, when there was the opportunity to, and now more people know a bit about who I am, and that is always a good idea, if you have books to sell, and when you are looking to get public speaking opportunities!

So all in all, I did well, as a writer and reader. I have a new and entertaining book to read, and I talked about, and handed out the newsletter I edit, as well as talking a little to some attendees about some of the books I have written.

And yesterday, I, with the assistance of my support worker, put copies of my books that are for sale, into the boot of my car, so that now, whenever I go anywhere in my car, I will have my books available for sale, as long as my car isn’t too far away. And if my car isn’t really close, I can easily grab some of the books and bring them with me.

I’m feeling very much the organised writer now, ready for whatever may occur …

Uncategorized

Why is Life …

carolyncordon

What is life? Life is the combination of the things we do every day, to ‘get by’. That includes getting up in the morning, cleaning and feeding ourselves, going to work in whichever way we ‘work’, and connecting with others, workmates, family, friends.

The Why though, that is a very different question, sometimes one never considered, sometimes one that is all embracing, with many different attitudes and answers to this question. And at different life stages, those answers may change, just a little, or in large ways, again with many different ways.

The what is simple, the why, that requires thought, and considerations. And the ‘what’ will impact on the why. Then add in ‘who’ you consider yourself to be, and again, many answers and things to think about there. Who you are, what life is, why you do the things you do, and of course, where you are in your life, whether that where, is a physical place, or the what stage you are at in your life.

My car is my prettiest tool!

The photograph of my new car, is not to show off, but to show, instead. Not having easy access to a car was a challenge for both my husband and me, as we negotiated where and what we both had planned for the week, the day, and so one. We managed it well enough, but being back to having one car each is much better, no negotiations needed, and no missing out for one or other of us.

Think about these things, consider and reconsider your answers. Have you changed you answers recently? Does a big new ‘thing’ in your life – a new job, or a new ‘significant other’ in your life, change any of your answers to the questions. Life is. it’s that simple, you’re born, you live your life, you die.

For some there is more after that end, but the basic thought is there are those three things. And whether you simply live, with no further thought on why, what, where, and who you are, or whether you think deeply on these things, you will live a life, until your time is over, and you die, and that may be the end …

But many of us want more to our lives than simply that. I know I do. I want to go on to be remembered as what and who I am, and why I may have done the things I have done. I feel that many writers write, to go on living in some way, in the world that goes on, around and around the Sun, after the writer has ceased to move.

So I write, to be remembered, but I also write to know what I think, and to share my revelations at times. I’m interested to know why other people write? What revelations have they uncovered?

Uncategorized

Workshop, then Poetry Reading, With a New Book

carolyncordon

Today will be a great day! There will be books, and words, people who are friends already, and perhaps others who will become friends. All happening in my favourite Gawler pub, wonderful, how could this not be a great day!

I’m wearing good clothes, not Covid casual crappy ones for a change, and it feels good! I love helping to run this event, that happens on the last Sunday of every month, at the Prince Albert hotel, where our writing group meet every Thursday afternoon.

Being at that hotel, where we are well known, and appreciated, it makes for an enjoyable time, every time, and I’m excited, yet again, to be going there. The workshop sounds interesting, and I know the presenter will do a fine job of it. The presenter, and Guest Poet for the day, Martin Christmas, is a performer, who always works hard to make things go well.

This event was going to happen in March this year, but had to be cancelled, because of Covid-19, and I’m sure we’re all pleased we are able to get together again, even though we will have to be socially distanced, with no hugs at all, and certainly no kissing!

But words, our words, and the words of others, will bring us all together, close and kind, and I am so looking forward to it all happening, gotta go soon, or I’ll be late, seeya!

Uncategorized

On Hoping For Words …

carolyncordon

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!

Our dog Missy

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.

Some of my books

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!

Uncategorized

Too Much Thinking, Or Just Enough …

carolyncordon

I am a writer, poet, blogger, editor, and I like to think about things, all kinds of things. My most current bit of thinking has been prompted by the seeming avalanche of fake news, false beliefs and so one, constantly to us, presented in the media. There’s hardly any way to escape the lies and mistruths.

Of course, if you do what I’ve done for most of today, and just switch off the media, and with only a limited and careful time on Social Media, you are able to let your own brain feed you with things to consider, without agendas of others.

My own agenda is that I wish to be a very good and considered thinker, in the Stoic mode, working to think my way to wisdom, and being the best and wisest person I can be. It isn’t easy, but then, whoever said doing good things is easy? Sometimes it is, of course, if you ignore the bad dross that is even easier (in the short term).

So today, I saw something on Social Media, that led to some thoughts, and to a little bit more (but different) Social Media … A bit more thinking, considering, and a little researching and voila, a new poem has come into the world. This poem is an interesting poetic style, and I will write a little more about it, after I put the new, my new, poem up. Here it is:

Offering Grace to Fools – an Abecedarian

Amazement in the face of

Bewildering ignorance?

Can you turn it over, and

Discern failure of suitable

Evidence, a holding to

Falsehood, and find inside

Good (a morsel), that with

Help, and wise direction,

It may become, with that

Judicious assistance, a

Kind of wisdom still. To

Learn, to listen, to cast

Mind to truth of a wise few,

Not the rowdy unwise many.

Opening up their mind to

Perception, wisdom, and so

Quitting the easy spoon-fed

‘Reality’ of TV, read widely

Study widely too, understand

Too, that living life widely,

Unashamedly questioning

Various alternative opinions

Will bring new thoughts –

Xpunge stale past untruths

You’re better off without them,

Zero in on truths staying firm!

******************************************

As you can probably see, with this poetic form, the Abecedarian, is a poem of 26 lines, each line beginning with a particular letter, as they are presented in the alphabet. I cheated with the X, as I also often do with another poetic form dealing with particular letters in a particular way, the Acrostic poem.

Cheating, or not, I still quite like this particular poem. I’d love to know if anyone else finds the thoughts there interesting too. It is a part of Stoic thought, that one should try to do the best for the world at large, and assist those who are victims of ignorance, and assisting them to learn better ways is a good and Stoic thing to do.

And if the actions do not injure me, or others, or the world, and there is not a thing I can do to change them, then I will step away, and not trouble my mind with needless worry and stress. I will do my best, when and how I can. Best for the many, not just for me.

So those were my thoughts today. I wrote this poem, as my house was getting its first professional cleaning, first since we moved here anyway. I know this woman who is now my cleaner did a good job, even though the evidence isn’t immediately obvious. I know what she cleaned, and I also know how dirty it was …

Cleaning is not my strongest ability, but I am glad for what I know have, and will endeavour to maintain the some level of cleanliness, in the kitchen, anyway. Having a clean area, and with an inspired idea to assist with one particular ongoing issue, I hope the kitchen will not need such work from the cleaner next time. There are other areas in need of work …

And so that is my poetic work for today, and my ongoing house-work for the future.