Zazakeley the aye-aye
Apologies for no Writer's Block updates over the last few days. I have just spent a few days on the lovely island of Jersey with my mum - it was her birthday treat.
I was also able to visit Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and enjoyed seeing the lemurs there. To be honest a break away was just what I needed as a few days ago I got two rejections on the same day so I was feeling pretty low.
I'd sent email queries to two agents based in America, one said they weren't interested just from the query and the second from my query and first three chapters & outline. Sometimes a rejection is no big deal but once in a while you start to question if it's worth struggling on. Two in one day prompted the latter feeling.
Still I've decided to keep trying and this weekend I'll be putting together another submission package and at least the agents' responses were speedy.
Now if you're wondering what that strange creature at the top of today's blog is, it's an aye-aye a nocturnal lemur from Madagascar.
During my research for Dr Midas and the Pirates I read Gerald Durrell's book 'The Aye-Aye and I' and had a couple of technical questions. I wrote a letter to his widow Dr Lee Durrell and she very kindly replied. As a thank you and because I was keen to support conservation efforts in Madagascar, I decided to become a member of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Since then I have also sponsored a black and white ruffed lemur called Bassett and when that finished I was able to sponsor Zazakeley.
I was able to see the aye-ayes and other lemurs at Jersey along with narrow striped mongooses, giant jumping rats and lots of birdlife from Madagascar. I took lots of photographs and hopefully one or two might be good enough to add to my website www.drmidas.co.uk
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By: Susan Humphrey,
on 6/13/2008
Blog: Writer's Block (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: 11649, 11820, 15185, 15640, 14493, 15638, 15636, 15632, 15642, 15634, 11977, 11970, 15643, 3417, 11799, 15630, Add a tag
By: Kelly Herold,
on 1/11/2008
Blog: Crossover (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry Friday hosting, Czeslaw Milosz, Add a tag
Isn't that wonderful?
You can read the rest of the poem here at Poetry Foundation.org.
------------------------------
It's time to get a few hosts on the schedule. If you'd like to host Poetry Friday in February or March, please drop me an e-mail or a comment.
Today's round up is at The Book Mine Set.
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By: Susan Humphrey,
on 6/13/2008
Blog: Writer's Block (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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By: Kelly Herold,
on 1/11/2008
Blog: Crossover (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry Friday hosting, Czeslaw Milosz, Add a tag
I really love poetry about poetry and the act of writing poetry. For some reason the meta- aspect of the poetic act appeals to me.
Today's Poetry Friday comes from Czeslaw Milosz's "Ars Poetica?":
The purpose of poetry is to remind us
how difficult it is to remain just one person,
for our house is open, there are no keys in the doors,
and invisible guests come in and out at will.
What I'm saying here is not, I agree, poetry,
as poems should be written rarely and reluctantly,
under unbearable duress and only with the hope
that good spirits, not evil ones, choose us for their instrument.
Isn't that wonderful?
You can read the rest of the poem here at Poetry Foundation.org.
------------------------------
It's time to get a few hosts on the schedule. If you'd like to host Poetry Friday in February or March, please drop me an e-mail or a comment.
Today's round up is at The Book Mine Set.
11 Comments on Poetry Friday: Czeslaw Milosz, last added: 1/13/2008
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Great poem, Kelly - and you can put me on the schedule to host - just not Feb 22 or March 21. Thanks
Thanks, Chris. Will do!
Wow, this entire poem is very lovely and so true. Thanks for sharing this one!
And I can host both February and March, if you need.
Have a great weekend!
Interesting second stanza. That "invisible guest" moment makes me think of Rumi, too.
Thanks for this.
jules, 7-Imp
poems should be written rarely and reluctantly,
under unbearable duress and only with the hope
that good spirits, not evil ones, choose us for their instrument.
This one is really interesting! And I love his name -- though I'm sure I'm saying it all wrong!
All poetry that I write is under "unbearable duress," and so hopefully, all the rest comes into line!
That *is* wonderful.
I've got the Selected Poems by Milosz, and I really love them.
Fabulous poem. Great duress spells it out perfectly! Thanks for sharing this.
Kelly,
I'd be happy to host a Poetry Friday in March.
I like these lines the best: "It’s hard to guess where that pride of poets comes from,
when so often they’re put to shame by the disclosure of their frailty. "
I'm not sure I agree that poetry should be written rarely and under duress though. I would tend to say the opposite! Maybe I haven't been trying long enough.
I'd love to host Friday Poetry some time in the next few months. Put me on the schedule please.
I love poems that play with the "meta-aspect" too, Kelly. They're delicious on so many levels. I guess you could argue that writing poetry about poetry could get self-centered and stale, but really, you can read most of them as explorations of the act of creation itself, and how can that get old?
Love this one, although I'm siding with Cloudscome on the "rarely and under duress" issue.