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the smell of wood, the scorch of fire, a poem … and Your Wednesday Writing Prompt

stumpsthis rough-barked sequoia stump, sitting in majesty
in its coastal home, victim of wildfire, burned down
to its gnarly roots, its nicks, holes and char, eons
of scars, life seemingly cut off, goddess snake alive
inside the concentric circles, the smell of wood and
scorch of fire, at the verge of our infinity, in its truth ~

pristine

rugged

pulsing

haunted by the geometry of limbs, the calculus of green,
the algebraic eloquence of a world within a world  ~

So present.

So essential.

So primal.

it sings to itself in the marrow of our bones

– Jamie Dedes

WRITING PROMPT

In preparation for The BeZine 100,000 Poets (and Friends) for Change

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016

Theme: Environment/Environmental Injustice

This poem was originally written in 2014 for Wilderness Week. There were then and are now a number of fires raging in the western United States. Wildfires are a natural occurrence but since the 1980s they’ve been increasing due to human-caused climate change. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists . . .

Wildfires in the western United States have been . . . occurring nearly four times more often, burning more than six times the land area, and lasting almost five times as long (comparisons are between 1970-1986 and 1986-2003) ….. many of the areas that have seen these increases—such as Yosemite National Park and the Northern Rockies—are protected from or relatively unaffected by human land-use and behaviors. This suggests that climate change is a major factor driving the increase in wildfires.” MORE

We tend to look at these fires in terms of the expense incurred fighting them and the cost of lives, homes, habitat, wild life and so forth. However, there’s one consideration we may forget: Nature teaches us, comforts us, feeds us and is the ebb and flow of our spiritual and physical lives. The loss – the environmental injustice – is profound on more than a material level. This is what the smell of wood, the scorch of fire seeks to illustrate. “Nature” is who we are. Nature is us.

Write a poem or creative nonfiction piece on what the natural environment means to you and perhaps the sense of loss you feel as you note plants, animals, insects and wilderness that you’ve seen damaged or destroyed by climate, industry, overpopulation and whatever else has effected the area in which you live.

© 2014, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved; Photo credit ~Bay Nature.org: “The Bay Nature Institute, based in Berkeley, California, is dedicated to educating the people of the San Francisco Bay Area about, and celebrating the beauty of, the surrounding natural world. We do so with the aim of inspiring residents to explore and preserve the diverse and unique natural heritage of the region, and of nurturing productive relationships among the many organizations and individuals working towards these same goals.” Read more HERE.

You are invited to join The Bardo Group Beguines at The BeZine blog on Saturday, September 24 for 100,000 Poets (and friends) for Change.  Below is a list of more features to provide you with information. We hope you’ll join us.

RELATED:

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SHAHEEN WOMEN’S RESOURCE AND WELFARE ASSOCIATION (India) organized a program for 100TPC with American Poet Dr Neal Hall

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To view the video if you are reading from email, please link through to the site.

Poet Neal Hall’s website is HERE.

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A reminder to join us –  The Bardo Group Bequines – at The BeZine for 100,000 Poets (and other artists and friends) for Change (100TPC): on September 15th for the Zine and on September 24th for the 100TPC virtual event, which is celebrated from our blog.  The themes for both are Environment and Environmental Justice. Since this is a virtual event, you can participate from anywhere in the world.

Priscilla Galasso is the lead for the Zine in September.

Michael Dickel is the Master of Ceremonies for our 100TPC virtual event.

These are worthy efforts to:

  • help steer public discourse in a productive direction,
  • define issues and suggest possible solutions,
  • encourage consensus for the environmental and social good, and
  • connect people and raise the general consciousness.

Please do participate. All work will be archived on site and at Stanford University.

Zine submissions should be sent to bardogroup@gmail.com. Please read submission guidelines first. The deadline is September 10th.

Reader participation on the 24th for the virtual event is by way of the comments section or Mister Linkey. Michael will provide direction in his blog-post that day.

More detail is included in: If We Were Rioting in 120 Countries, You’d See Us on the 6 P.M. news: We’re not, so here’s everything you need to know about 100TPC.

Also of note, Michael Rothenberg, cofounder of the 100TPC global initiative, reminds everyone today that it is not too late to register as an organizer of an event.  While ours is a virtual event, people all over the world in 120 countries are sponsoring 500+ events to be held in homes, schools, places of worship, cafés and restaurants, parks, community centers and other sites where people gather. Link HERE to register.

By way of warm-up, this Wednesday, I’ll post a prompt on The Poet by Day related to the themes. 

In the Spirit of Peace, Love and Community
and on behalf of The Bardo Group Beguines,
Jamie

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THE SUNDAY POESY: Opportunities, Events and Other Information and News

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FELLOWSHIPS

Opportunity Knocks

THE DOROTHY AND LEWIS B. CULLMAN CENTER FOR SCHOLARS AND WRITERS/THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY “The competition for the 2017-18 fellowship is now open. 
The deadline is 5 p.m. EST, September 30th, 2016 for application submissions. “The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers is an international fellowship program open to people whose work will benefit directly from access to the collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building—including academics, independent scholars, and creative writers (novelists, playwrights, poets). The Center appoints 15 Fellows a year for a nine-month term at the Library, from September through May. In addition to working on their own projects, the Fellows engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas within the Center and in public forums throughout the Library.” Details HERE

THE POETRY PROJECT‘s Fellowship Program: Call for 2016-17 Application submissions deadline is Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm. Three 2016-17 ESB Fellows will be announced in mid-October. Details HERE.

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Opportunity Knocks

THE MISSOURI REVIEW “The editors invite submissions of poetry, fiction and nonfiction of general interest (no literary criticism). Please clearly mark the outer envelope as fiction, poetry or essay. Do not mix genres in the same submission. Payment rate is $40 per printed page.” Details HERE.

THE BRIAR CLIFF REVIEW accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art and photography. Deadline November 1, 2016 for the next issue. Details HERE.

THE GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION is accepting applications for fellowships to assist reasearch and artistic creation (U.S. and Canada). Deadline Monday, September 19, 2016. Details HERE.

COMPETITIONS

Opportunity Knocks

THE MISSOURI REVIEW “sponsors the annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize Contest in fiction, poetry, and essay, with a winner and three finalists named in each category. Length restrictions are 25 pages for fiction and essay, 10 pages for poetry. Winners will be published in the following spring issue plus each will receive a cash prize: $5,000 each for fiction, poetry, and essay. Postmark deadline is October 1. A $25 fee per submission includes a one-year subscription. Details HERE. Scroll down.

THE BRIAR CLIFF REVIEW announces its “21st Annual Fiction, Poetry and Creative Nonfiction contest. First-place winners will receive $1,000 in each of the three categories and will be published in the 2017 edition of The Briar Cliff Review. The contest will run from Aug. 1 to Nov. 1, 2016.” Details HERE.

THE AMERICAN POETRY REVIEW publishes original poetry, literary criticism, interviews, and essays. Details HERE.

EVENTS

ALBANY POETS WEEK Monday, August 29 – Friday, September 2 Details HERE.

CowPoets Cover 2008.indd28TH ANNUAL COWBOY CHRISTMAS POETRY GATHERING is December 2-3, 2016, Friday and Saturday, sponsored by The Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce (Arizona) “We invite you to visit our western community for this special heritage event. The Cowboy Reception is on Friday, December 2th and includes beer/wine and appetizers at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, located at 21 North Frontier Street. Several of our featured cowboy poets & entertainers will be performing to give you a small taste of what will be featured at the Saturday Night show. Limited tickets are available for the reception @$10 per person advance/ $20 at the door. The featured cowboy poet’s performance scheduled on Saturday, December 3, 7:00 p.m. at the Wickenburg Community Center, 160 N. Valentine Street. Admission: $15 advance tickets – $25 at the door. Tickets for the Gathering are available from The Chamber – 928-684-5479”

14051764_937555199686407_2398345223503328904_nHEADS-UP BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – Poetry in your neighborhood Take a break from the politicos and war mongers and join with Terri Muuss and friends for an evening of poetry … Thursday, September 8 at 7 PM – 10 PM in EDT
Pacific Standard 82 4th Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11217
The book and poets: “Grabbing the Apple” (JB Stillwater Publishing, 2016) is an anthology of poems by New York Women Writers. Readers will be Terri Muuss and Mary Jane Tenerelli (editors), Gabriella Belfiglio, Teri Coyne, Nancy Keating, Jane Le Croy, Liv Mammone and Stella Padnos. Books will be on hand for $14.00.

KUDOS

Helene Cardona announced the Life in Suspension (Salmon Poetry, 2016) won the Pinnacle Book Award for Best Bilingual Book in Poetry.

TIDBIT

Church Going by Phillip Larkin and read by him in this video

If you are reading this post in email, you will likely have to link through to view the video.

THE POET BY DAY SUNDAY POESY

Submit your event, book launch and other announcements at least fourteen days in advance to thepoetbyday@gmail.com. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.

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ONE WOBBLIE’S LIFE … Joe Hill, labor activist and songwriter

Joe Hill (1879-1915), born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund, Swedish-American labor activist, song writer, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World (the "Wobblies")
Joe Hill (1879-1915), born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund, Swedish-American labor activist, song writer, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World (the “Wobblies”)

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Hill wrote "The Rebel Girl," which was inspired by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn , founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
Hill wrote “The Rebel Girl,” which was inspired by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn , founder of the American Civil Liberties Union

Music – the sister art to poetry – is always an engaging subject and labor rights and history are – or should be –  of serious interest for those of us in the 99%. Hence what a delight to learn that HamiltonSeen, a Canadian film production company, is in the process of exploring the life, work and relevance of Swedish-American labor activist and songwriter, Joe Hill.  In this interview, Zena Hagerty, producer and musician, explains …

JAMIE: How did the project Who Was Joe Hill get started?

ZENA: After finishing our film Harperman: A Dissident Serenade (releasing online in September), we felt  strongly about showcasing the strength that music has in protest and in political movements. There is a power in voices that rise together. Joe Hill was an early American musical hero who brought about real change in the Union Movement and who died under terrible and strange circumstances in front of a firing squad.

JAMIE: How many shows and what kind of content? Why should people be interested and how is Joe Hill’s life and work relevant to our times?

ZENA: We’re going to be creating twelve episodes that explore who Joe was, what shines forward to today from his life, his music, and his legacy, and we’re going to take a hard look at whether many of the same battles for freedom that were being fought in his time are still being fought today. The plan is to speak to the musicians who carry forward his spirit and use their thoughts and words to draw a picture of now through the lens of Joe Hill.

JAMIE: What do you hope to accomplish?

ZENA: Our mission (yes, it’s that important) with every film or series is to shed illumination from a new perspective on a topic that points to the very heart of who we are as human beings. Now, that sounds intense, but what it really means is that in our work we seek to find the emotional core, to enable viewers to connect to the importance of the subject matter.

JAMIE: When is the release scheduled?

ZENA: Our release schedule is very dependent on budget at this point, with a goal of series’ completion by second quarter of 2017. It should be sold for television by that point. We’d love to see it as a weekly series over three months with an online or Netflix release to follow.

If you are reading this post from email and want to view this trailer, you’ll probably have to link through to the site to do so.

HamiltonSeen:
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Producer Zena Hagerty has a long history of community engagement and involvement in the arts scenes of Hamilton and San Francisco and seeks to further strengthen the human spirit with her work. Zena has broad experience in media, including recording albums, performing her own music, radio broadcasting, graphic design, and many others. As director of Sublimatus as a band, an art gallery, and an entity that inspires the creative spirit within all, Zena honed a skillset that includes the ability to drive and complete large projects with expansive intentions.

Director Cody Lanktree is most inspired by dialogue created by the connection between time, beauty, and our personal truths. In the six years since HamiltonSeen’s inception, Cody has guided the company from small commercial production to whiteboxing partnerships with major marketing firms, and finally to the creation of documentaries focused on community and social issues. His vision is one that will not stop at less than fundamentally changing and challenging perspectives and the world.

Jessica Sovie is a journalism student at Mohawk College and intern with HamiltonSeen. As the project lead for The Soapbox, Jessica provides direction, insight, camera operation, and editing skills that are creating a platform for the voice of the public. She is a purebred eccentric, supporter of music and of the arts, and aims to be a champion of the underdog and underrepresented through the use and continuous growth of her skillset.

Photo credits: Joe Hill’s photograph,”The Rebel Girl,” Joe Hill’s signature and death certificate are in public domain; Zena Hagerty’s photograph is hers and under copyright.