Monthly Archives: January 2012

the thing about the body

Poster of a drawing of a young woman smiling with the words, arms wrapped around her body -- it's the only one you've got -- next to her. The words "love your body" have been ripped off of the posterOh, good morning, good morning, out there. Is it quiet where you are? In my head, here, there’s some cacophony — but outside it’s still quiet — no birdsong, no owls.

Last night, at Write Whole, we had this prompt: First, make a list of parts of the body. Got that? Now fit those words into this phrase: “The thing about ___ is…”

You’ll end up with several prompts, depending on how many items were on your list: The thing about hands is…, the thing about backs is…, the thing about shoulders is… You might even chose (as many of us did) to use, The thing about bodies is…

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absolutely first

black graffiti (on a faded brick wall) of a paper airplane in flightIt’s all fog outside my windows this morning, and foghorns, and one owl. The air is greened and thick, and the puppy can’t wait to get out into it.

What’s it like where you are? How are you welcoming this Friday into you?

Here’s an offering for today, from Eric Maisel’s Coaching the Artist Within (pp xviii-xix): Continue reading

unpetalling — and erotic writing workshops coming up

graffiti of a rose, with a heart at the center, black paint on concretegood morning good morning. I haven’t offered a tea report for awhile here — this morning’s tea is wulong with mint and nettle, and some crushed anise and cardamon seed. Thanks to my sister and her sweetheart for the wulong — I’ve been doing a bit more caffeine lately, drinking more black and a lot more green tea. This morning my heart is pounding, but I don’t think that’s the aftermath of alchemical buzz. It’s something different.

What do you do on the mornings you can’t remember your dreams, but you know you had them? Meditation would be ideal, I think, wouldn’t it?

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dreamtime

scrapbooked graffiti -- a newspaper butterfly with the words 'don't pretend' up over the right wingGood (& wet) morning to you out there — how is this Saturday morning (is it still morning where you are?) rising in you?

I’m preparing for today’s Writing the Flood workshop, and getting some writing together to send out to the folks in the Dive Deep workshop. Suddenly, there’s a lot of writing-related work happening in my life, and I’m so grateful for that.

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protest sopa & pipa

Writing Ourselves Whole is participating, today, in the online protest against the internet censorship bills SOPA (pdf) and PIPA (pdf). While I haven’t blacked out the whole site, I’ve blacked out the banner above — sort of like a black armband.

Check out sopastrike.com or blacklists.eff.org to find out more about the strike, how these bills would damage the free internet as we know it today, and how you can help. Here’s a video (put together by the group Fight for the Future) that describes more about the damage these bills would do.

The prompt for today is to write or call your congressfolks if you disagree with these bills and don’t want to see them pass. http://sopastrike.com/strike has language to begin with, if you’re not sure what you should say —

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give from the overflow

graffiti human math equationGood morning good morning, and happy Wednesday to you. How is your 2012 moving in you so far?

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Write Whole starts next week — I know I’ve asked that folks be signed up by Jan 9th, but if you’ve been holding off and have just now decided that you really want to join us, please let me know. We still have a couple of spaces left, and it’d be great to write with you!

Also! I get to read at the first-of-2012 Perverts Put Out on Jan 28, 7:30 pm, Center for Sex and Culture. This is always an exceptional show, and every time I get to participate I’m honored. There’s going to be some excellent and wicked smart dirtiness; just look at this amazing line up: Sherilyn Connelly, Daphne Gottleib, Philip Huang, Juba Kalamka, Kirk Read, Thomas Roche, and horehound stillpoint (and me!). Come on down and join us!

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reading list

graffiti of a cat, tall and long, tail waved up over her headGood Wednesday morning to you — what is the quiet like where you are? Peaceful? Noisy? I woke up hearing the garbage truck go by down a ways in my neighborhood, and thought to myself, “The garbage truck doesn’t come at 4am — dang it.” My 4am alarm was going off, but I couldn’t hear it. I’m having a very hard time moving back into my early morning writing schedule, especially after those ten days on the road. But, here I am at the desk, and it feels good that I get to be here for at least an hour or so before the first day-job work day of the new year begins.

My desk is covered with books and papers at the moment, as I gather materials for the workshops beginning soon. Thank goodness the keyboard is beneath the desk — I might run out of room for it otherwise.

On Monday, New Year’s Day, I went out to the cafe at Book Passage — I picked up a coy of Poets & Writers Magazine, which I often don’t like to read because I feel so frustrated and self-shaming — look at all these people living their writing dreams, and here I am not doing the work I love, I think to myself — a clear sign that I need to spend more time actually writing — yikes!

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diving deep & resolving

starburst graffiti from berkeleyGood morning, my friends — and welcome to 2012! How are you meeting this new year so far?

I have been on some journeys, and am moving into another one with the beginning of this year. Sophie, the Mr., and I all took off on a road trip out to Colorado for the holiday. It’s been two full weeks away from the regular routine, mostly away from the Internet, and during that time, quite a bit has been shaken up.

I’m not sure what I want to say today — there’s so much, and I haven’t been doing enough writing.

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Ready to write? Writing Ourselves Whole offers expanded classes and locations in 2012

Please pass the word! Winter ’12 workshops begin next weekend! xo, Jen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 20, 2011
Writing Ourselves Whole 1645 Mar West Street, #5 Tiburon, CA 94920
Jen Cross 415-608-3398 Jennifer@writingourselveswhole.org

Ready to write? Writing Ourselves Whole offers expanded classes and locations in 2012.

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