Well, not quite, but I'd be happy to buy you a drink if we ever find ourselves in the same bar once more.

Good news:

The assisted living facility I work in has received a prestigious award, the exact name of which escapes me at the moment. Anyway, we are THEEEE ONLY assisted living facility in the state of Arizona to achieve this award. There's going to be a media-thingy, and we're going to be in the local news (Internet I imagine), and in the local newspapers.

I'm a grunt. I basically do everything and anything, from washing dishes to cleaning windows to vacuuming carpets to plunging toilets. I'm also a waiter and a busboy, a prep-cook, and was referred to by one happy client's family as "The Dining Room Coordinator", which sounds really snazzy! I essentially do all foodservice/beverage tasks NOT done by the chef, plus 108 (or is that 314?) other things.

It's a small facility, with a maximum of 37 residents. We are a very small team (as you'll see in the photo upcoming, some time soon), but extremely loving and committed to making the facility as much a HOME SWEET HOME, as opposed to a 'home' (if you know what I mean) as possible. And we have evidently succeeded.

I've been in foodservice/healthcare for the elderly since 1989, and it's a career I highly recommend. I've done everything conceivable in the field, from washing dishes to dietary manager, and have even done tube feeding assessments, which are tricky. When I was in my early 30's, I was taking courses, and being tutored by a registered dietician, with the intention of being a Diet Technician.

But that all fell apart, because I'm a numbnuts. (Long story.)

Nonetheless, this is good news. YAY!

I will try to post the media stuff, or link to it, as it comes.

Great news, RogerBob. Congratulations!

Yes, 10 million eyeballs is pretty astounding, Rogerbob. Congrats!

And happy 80th, Ralph!

Lovely news, everyone, and congratulations to many of you for various super-duper achievements. (Too many to mention individually, sorry.)

My good news is that I've just returned from a Golden Wedding Anniversary party, at which I performed some ''close-up magic'' around the tables, which was great fun and went down well with the guests.

(I must be the most unlikely-looking magician anyone ever clapped eyes on!)

Jayne

This thread is encouraging! Congrats to all -- Rogerbob, Jayne, Bill, Ralph -- and to those whose news is further back in the thread.

My own news is that the "Sonnet Crash Course" (beggining/intermediate level) that I taught this morning at the Writers' Center in Bethesda, Md., went very well and was attended by nine delightful students at various stages of writing. They all said they enjoyed it, and several said they're signing up for its sequel next week.

Whenever I teach a workshop, it demonstrates to me once again how much power there is in the musical aspects of poetry, and in the interaction of form and content. Having attended the West Chester University and other craft conferences for more than 20 years, I find it refreshing to see what happens when someone delves into rhyme and meter for the first time.

(Editing in to add: these were all adults who have been out of school for some time, and most have been writing free verse.)

Next week: "Villanelle Crash Course."

Claudia

I posted a while back that my son and his family were moving back from the Isle of Man, to live near to me and the rest of the family.

The final move happened yesterday, and the beautiful 16th century country house my son has bought is only eleven miles away. It means that I will now regularly see my grandchildren, aged eleven, nine, four and two, instead of taking occasional flights to the island in the course of a year.

There must be some more good news out there. Let's hear it! :)

Jayne

I'm a member of our county historical society, and yesterday we received a $200,000 grant! We'll use that much-needed infusion to upgrade and build an addition at the archives-building: http://www.hotsr.com/news/2017/aug/2...istorical-soc/

(The bearded fellow, with a dogwood growing from his head, is me.)

After all that, something a little anti-climactic. I'm having a book of poems published by Kelsay Books. What led me there was seeing so many Sphereans who have done the same thing. I get that their philosophy is we'll print and you (being the famous and widely-read poet that you are) will dispose of many of them at readings, etc. Well, yeah, I'll do that. Was wondering if they sell many books on their own.

Meanwhile, busy editing (the 4.5 inch limit for lines is a problem), getting blurbers deciding what goes on front page. What else should I be thinking of.

Anxious for your encouragement. It's too late to discourage me.

Happy birthday, Ralph. Been there.

The book will look better than any book of poems you have had published before. It will also be taller. What does your front cover look like? The best ones have pictures on drawn by the author (or in my case painted by the author's daughter). How are your painting skills?

Thanks, John. That is good to hear. I have a bunch of drawings on my computer, scribbles actually. I think I'll look for one that might work.

All I have to offer at the moment is some tongue-in-cheek good news :D I received this on my screen today as I opened the Eratosphere web page:

Congratulations!
Dear Ablemuse Visitor,
You are today's lucky visitor for: September 1, 2017.
Please complete this short survey and to say "Thank You" we'll offer you a reward worth over $50!

Which I did. Then this came up:


Here were my choices:

• Tactical Flashlight (Qty Left: 2)
• Virtual Reality Glasses/Qty Left: 5
• Luxury Skin Care Kit (Better than Botox) Qty Left: 3
• Male Testoserone Booster Qty Left: 4
• Visa Gift Card for $100/Qty Left: 0

I didn’t bite. Just clicked out and got back to the business of reading poetry, looking for crits. That's the real good news.

So what are you saying, Jim. You don't need a testosterone booster?

Ha! I'm a raging bull, Edmond. I am the most interesting man in the world.

https://youtu.be/l_9hrV1KIx4

A few weeks ago my website host informed me that my site was taken down because of a malware attack, and that the only practical solution was for me to pay one of their "partners" to fix it. So I went to a different host instead, and I redid my website using Wix, which I found to be superior in every way to my former Joomla site, and even fun to work with. I still have plans to expand the site, and maybe even add a blog, but it's ready to visit now. If you stop by, please click on the "like" button at the bottom. My site.

Nice to hear about your Rilke parody!
And props on your new website.

Cheers,
John

Who is your former web host, Bob?

Roger

Your site is lookin' good. I read, and I clicked like.

for the Sphere generally
 

It's good news for all of us that old Sphereans A.E. Stallings and Wendy Videlock both have poems in Best American Poetry 2017. (You can page forward to the end of the TOC to see which poems made it.)

That is good news, Maryann. It is nice when formalists get a foot in that particular door, and it is good to have such excellent poets represented there.

Susan

I looked at the TOC and noticed that Amit Majmudar is in there as well. Congrats to all three of them!

Nausheen

Good for him, too!

Susan

Well, my new Audio-Technica tri-speed turntable is rolling nicely, playing the greatest vinyls in New York State as they are meant to be played. What a great bit of fresh air! (As often, I have a video link ballast: listen to a real pro. Hi, mom.)

I’ve had a collection of 7 of my translations of Classical Chinese verse accepted by”Metamorphoses: a Journal of Translation” and it looks like we may finally have agreed on editorial matters. Also, I just had the most amazing wine. And my cousin is having a baby.

Great news all round, Alex.

But I'm intrigued by the amazing wine! :)
Red, White or Rosé? Country of origin, or better still, a name.

Jayne

That's wonderful, Alex. Metamorphoses is a top venue for translation.

Congrats Alex.

Just came back from a trip to Japan and now want a hot springs rock pool for my birthday. My husband caught seven brown trout yesterday, and an otter stole one and released two--the rest are dinner. In poetry news, I recently had a request to publish a book that I was wondering where to send...

Lovely to read such a variety of good news. Wise Jayne.

I recently learned that one of my poems in the the next National Geographic children's poetry anthology in 2018 will share a page with a poem by Timothy Murphy, a happy coincidence since Tim was instrumental in encouraging my children's poetry here at the Sphere when I started writing it about 12 years ago. (Both our poems are about North Dakota, which explains their placement).

Congratulations, Roger! I do think children are by and large more open to poetry than their elders, since they haven't yet been told that they don't like it.

Cheers,
John

Thanks, John. It's a tremendous responsibility to be the one to teach children they don't like poetry!

Very true! I do it daily.

Great news, Roger.
Coincidentally I had picked up a National Geographic just yesterday and marveled at how chock-full of information and insight it contains (as I do each time I come across one. They were staple reading material in my house growing up.) I hadn't realized they also publish a children's poetry anthology so I'm looking forward to reading that.

The comments here about how children tend to learn how to dislike rather than like poetry reminds me of the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink it" as it applies to teaching children the lessons that poetry can provide... There is so much more you can do than simply "lead them" to the water!
I prefer a teaching perspective I learned from an educator named Jim Greenman (I always give him credit when it's due - he was a brilliant man). He said, "The question is not, 'How smart is the child?' But instead it's, "'How is the child smart?'"
Whenever I'm frustrated with teaching I remember that important distinction and I'm back on track : )

Jim, the NG anthologies are edited by J Patrick Lewis, who was once a Distinguished Guest at the Sphere. The last one was a book of nature poems (here, where you can see mine if you look "inside the book"). The next one will be a book of poems about places throughout the USA. I wrote one about Teddy Roosevelt's stay in Medora, which is why I ended up on the page with Tim's characteristically excellent North Dakota poem. I also have another poem in the book about the garlic festival in Gilroy.

Roger, I visited the Garlic Festival in Gilroy also - back in those pre-poetry days of yesteryear - so all I got out of it was loads of wonderful garlic and a touch of heartburn. I'll have to look for your poem.

Hi Marly,
It's lovely to hear your good news too, and I hope this thread will form a bit of the legacy I'll [eventually] leave here! ;)

Congratulations, Bob. I became passionate about poetry when I was around seven years old.

My own good news:
This morning my younger daughter, Nina, had an ultrasound scan. She's been married for nearly three years, and one baby is expected; they were sweating it just a wee bit; twins are in the family but she and her husband had a preference for their first child to arrive on its own! :)

Jayne

Jayne, that's wonderful news; congratulations to you and your family!

My good news is that the children's section of a travel company specialising in Safari Africa has launched: https://yellowzebrasafaris.com/holiday-type/kids/

I provided all the written content here: introduction, 11 blogs (one by each of my safari characters), and word searches. The section contains a lot of pictures; these were supplied by a very talented artist called André, according to my instructions (for the most part).

All my writing was scrutinised by a team of children, which was fun. I'm excited about this latest addition to my portfolio :-)

Fliss

Finally I'm getting active in your wonderful community. I hope that's good news.

Well done, Fliss, and welcome Leo!

Jayne

Congratulations, Jayne, congratulations, Fliss, and congratulations, Leo!

Cheers,
John