[Jim Moonan]

Aaron N: "I read some of my poetry on Tuesday and, for the first time in my life, I don't want to die immediately upon hearing my recorded voice."


The Hemmingway Cafe Summer Poetry Series sounds like a very cool venue.

Your voice comes across really well! I cringe at what I would sound like. The poetry, too, is impressive. The imagery pops!

I think the key to reading poetry aloud in front of an audience (as opposed to reading aloud alone in a room, which is also important) is for the poet to carefully craft a brief introduction to each poem and give some insight into the poem’s intent. It helps the audience. It’s no longer a poem on a page. It’s performance art.

Great work, Aaron.

[Aaron Novick]

Thanks, Jim! I give credit to my decision to memorize my poems, rather than read them off of paper—I felt more comfortable with them (plus I could hide any tremors in my hands).

[Jim Moonan]

Aaron, yes memorization is key!

[Erik Olson]

Aaron N: "I read some of my poetry on Tuesday and, for the first time in my life, I don't want to die immediately upon hearing my recorded voice."

As if some puppet’s, our own voice plays back
(the pitch is canned, the base a hollowed crack)
most blush. Not so the Narcissist-in-Chief:
His love for his voice is the hearers’ grief
in parallel. The world hears yours as fine,
who overlove their own as asinine.
d

[Julie Steiner]

Speaking of voices, I am excited to be helping to co-ordinate the San Diego hub of this multi-location project:

Big Sing California--a free, statewide choir concert on Saturday, July 21, 2-3:30pm

The six main hubs are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, and Riverside, plus a bunch of smaller hubs. The San Diego location will be especially fun because Comic-Con International will be happening here that weekend, too. Costumes welcome!

[Edited to add: Check out "Bring Me Little Water, Silvy" if your day could use a blast of joy.]

[Jayne Osborn]

I've just got back home from my first ever visit to The Magic Circle in London (it's great, but nowhere near as impressive as The Magic Castle in Los Angeles), for the Stage Magician of The Year 2018 competition.

The President of the magicians' club I belong to was one of the seven entrants and, although he didn't win, all of the acts were fantastic to watch and it was a ''magical'' night out with my husband and a group of friends.

Jayne

[Jayne Osborn]

Today I looked after my 4-week old grandson while my daughter did some errands in town. She's now driving again after her C-Section, which has made life easier.

It's the first time the baby has been left with anyone, and he was as good as gold... Was that a smile he gave me? OK, it was probably just wind, but I'm choosing to believe it was a smile of contentment as he looked up at me.

Don't worry, I promise I shan't be doing the doting grandmother thing again... just this once, if I may crave your indulgence!

Who else has something happy to tell us all? (Preferably not Accomplished Members stuff; there's a separate board for that kind of good news, but it's uplifting just to hear little snippets of things that have made people feel cheerful.)

Jayne

[Robert Pecotte]

https://twitter.com/dodo/status/1012003372835074048

Animals getting their first taste of freedom. Quite beautiful. A bit of the life they were meant to have by their Creator.

[Aaron Novick]

After a very dispiriting year on the academic philosophy job market, today, at the eleventh hour, I was offered a post-doctoral position at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

[Jim Moonan]

Great news indeed Aaron! Nova Scotia rolls off the tongue and is a serene, beautiful place to boot.