walking through the dark (for cornshake)

here are some pics of my walk through the dark at the macdowell colony. i'm telling you: it got scary. right, cornshake? i would hear things moving about in the woods. i would see dark shapes dart across the path. in these pics i'm walking from colony hall to my room at the lodge.

tombstones: wood studio: macdowell colony

airport bits

i'm at the manchester airport.
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today was my last day at macdowell.
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i'm stupid. i forgot to leave my studio/bedroom keys at the front office. i noticed i still had them in my pocket AFTER i was dropped off at the airport. i called back the handsome man who gave me a ride and he was kind enough to loop back to pick them up. thanks, scott!!!
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two months spent in the woods. what a gift.
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the macdowell colony will always have a special place in my heart. it was my first colony way back in '06. and this time...i still get emotional when i think about it...forgive me...this time, during my first week in residence, i found out my manuscript had been selected for the yale series of younger poets.
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dreams do come true.
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back to southern arizona for a bit. then a reading in el paso, texas. and then a month-long residency in new mexico.
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thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you

it snowed last night: here's the proof

peterbourgh, new hampshire

bits

today's high? 35 degrees! the wind is blowing and howling. in short, it's cold. and it sucks.
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one week left. a couple of my favorite colonists left this morning. i'm going to miss you, joseph and dan.
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check out these amazing macdowell colony photographs.
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i wish i were pretty.
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there's a herd of deer here. i see them often. white-tailed deer.
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ron slate: nineteen poets write briefly on some of their favorite new and recent collections.
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want

3 pics

Today's breakfast. Two poached eggs, bacon on toasted bread, coffee, oj, and a muffin.

My foot cracking the surface of a frozen puddle. Exciting, no? I hate my rain boots. They have no arch support. My feet are killing me. The minute my residency is over, I'm throwing them away.

Some of the notecards/gifts people have sent me! RJ, thank you once again for Ken!

bits

i have two weeks left!
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my forthcoming book (!!!) is divided into three sections. this fractured corrido is the middle section, the centerpiece.
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i'm reading in el paso, texas in a few weeks. more details soon.
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katherine larson: two poems
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spring is fast approaching. the snow is melting. the pine trees are greener. heck, some of the locals are even wearing shorts!
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love this poem: popcorn and sourdough,/bleached jean and sand.
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i haven't played much ping-pong during this residency. sad, no?
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chickens!
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this week at the macdowell colony i ate...

a moose-shaped cookie!

it was yummy: gingerbread with chocolate frosting.

3 colony bits

less than three weeks left! oh my.
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it's a beautiful day. the sun is out. it's about 50 degrees. i might walk downtown in a few minutes.
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sean singer: The search for identity is pointless; we can use language as a way to learn what we are.
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my interview about the yale is up!

Then my cell phone rang. I walked over to the piano, rested my elbows on it, and answered. After we exchanged a few pleasantries, Carl Phillips asked, Is your manuscript still available for publication? I said, Yes. Then he said, Good, because I've just selected it for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. I honestly don't remember much of the conversation after he said that. But I do remember three things. I thanked him. I asked him to repeat the news. I quietly sobbed while he said amazing things about my poems.

today's lunch

my lunch waiting for me on the porch!

i'm strong! i can lift a picnic basket with one hand!

what's inside?

fishcakes, tomato and feta cheese salad, onion soup, carrot and celery sticks, a cookie and an orange.

colony bits

it's hard not to fall in love with your studio! it quickly becomes home.
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Erika L. Sánchez: Kindness
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confession: i tried to make a fire about a week ago. i thought i opened the flue all the way. i didn't. smoke poured into my studio. i quickly opened the door and the windows. yes, yes, yes: i'm embarrassed.
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where are all the poets? colonies are usually overrun with poets. not this time. right now, three poets are in residence. including me. i adore the two poets here with me. both are sweet and both write amazing poems. it's been a pleasure getting to know them.
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see, i told you i wouldn't drop names!
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i need to do my laundry. today. seriously: my socks are growing beards.
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Today is my birthday! Today it snowed! A lot!

Wood Studio

There are tombstones in my studio. Yes, tombstones: wood boards bearing the signatures of past residents. I always search the tombstones for the names of poets. Here are the poets who have worked in Wood Studio:

Donald Justice
Thomas Lux
Tom Sleigh
Garrett Hongo
Hugh Seidman
Karl Kirchwey
Martha Collins
Jan Heller Levi
Stephen Dunn
Rich Hilles
Melissa Stein
Jennifer Tseng
Xue Di
Geoff Brock
Pamela Alexander
Jennifer Chang
Arielle Greenberg
Patrick Phillips
D. Nurske
Ramon Garcia
Karl Kirchwey
Tess Taylor
Malachi Black
Anna Evans

(Note: the tombstones above are not in Wood Studio. I'll take a pic soon of the tombstones in my studio.)