[S.R. Little Stone]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself here at Eratosphere. My name is Little Stone and I am a formal poet in my late 20's. I studied poetry in college (Ohio State) and grad school (University of Michigan). By the time I was done with grad school, I felt I had overharvested my fields of inspiration and should let them lie fallow for a few years. During that time, I turned my attention to permaculture and intentional community, which I had deeply desired throughout my time in the education system. I wrote some riddles and lyrics during that time, but have kept it pretty light.

I'm at a point now where I feel ready to get back in the author's seat and pick up my pen again. I can feel the rust that has formed all over my imaginative mechanisms and expect it to take a little time to regain some of the fluidity and range that I had attained by the time I stopped writing. I don't plan on sharing any old work on the forums, though I'd be happy to share some old poems via pm if anyone's curious. I'm going to try to write and post something new this week.

I like honest, direct (though not necessarily "harsh") feedback. I developed a thick skin during poetry workshops (especially with Andrew Hudgins, haha) and see challenging criticism as a sign of investment in my development as a poet.

It's been really nice reading some of the poetry and feedback posted in the forums so far. It's good to see the high level of attention and exploration present among the poets here.

I look forward to getting to know all of you better through your words. I love to talk about sustainability and community, so if anyone is curious about those subjects, please feel free to send me a message any time!

Good tidings and good writings
Little Stone

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

Hey Bud,

Welcome to the Sphere.

It will be good to get to know your work in this forum.

I come from an intentional community background and a permaculture bit as well. Not in my late twenties but on a break from a recent degree as well. Carpenter in Maine and pushing an old farmhouse along toward a homestead.
Gald you are here.

Andrew

[Aaron Novick]

Nice to meet you, Little Stone. I've been greatly enjoying reading your sensitive, careful critiques (including, but not limited to, your critique of my latest). I'm looking forward to getting to read some of your own work very much.

[Roger Slater]

Nice to meet you. I look forward to seeing whatever you choose to post, but I'm especially curious about your riddles.

[Julie Steiner]

Welcome to our community, Little Stone! Glad to have the benefit of your experience and insight.

[RCL]

Welcome again, and it’s a pleasure to hear your imagination was enriched by study at Michigan, my alma mater as well, many long years ago (2 degrees). Ann Arbor is an Eden.

[E. Shaun Russell]

Nice to meet you, Little Stone. I'm nearing the end of my doctorate at Ohio State (focusing on mid-17th century poetry), but I probably started a few years after you left. Funnily enough, shifting to an academic focus on poetry around a decade ago caused my own creative poetic impulses to "run fallow," as you put it, though hopefully I'll have a similar renaissance as you once I'm through. Welcome to the 'Sphere!

[Jim Moonan]

.
Great to have you here! Thanks for the background. It paints a picture. Your words do as well, from what I've read. You are in good company.

Cheers, Jim

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[Sarah-Jane Crowson]

Hi Little Stone,

Lovely to meet you and to read your poetry today. Permaculture and intentional community sound like wonderful things to be involved with.

Co-operative/ alt-narrative models of land use are powerful (my research practice applies the idea of critical radical rural spaces to education) and although I don't enact them in a land-based way I'm trying to explore what these spaces look like in an educational context.

I've enjoyed your work and your critiques and I look forward to commenting very much when the world slows down a bit (it always gets busy when there are interesting things to engage with!)

*waves*

Sarah-Jane