A team going to South Africa for a summer project spoke at last week's Perspectives class. They are starting a t-shirt printing shop (print:relief) in a slum to create jobs — a major need there. To raise funds, they sponsored a "literary rock concert" and at Perspectives, gave information on how to audition. I'm not big on performing, but thought if I was going to make a fool of myself, it was for a good cause! I auditioned Thursday night and found out Friday morning I was in the lineup.
That evening, I showed up to the Dusty Bookshelf and met some of the other literary rock stars — they are amazing and I got to experience some pretty talented work. I read my poem "The Way the Sky Would Like to Touch the Snow." I can't explain how nervous I felt, but Ian and Ren informed me the audience couldn't tell. I didn't end up placing, but that's okay because I got compliments and applause, and that's all an aspiring writer really needs — affirmation. At least until the bills come, hah!
At any rate, listening to some of the other writers really inspired me to get back into writing on a regular basis. I know it's been on my to-do list, but I now have a vision as to what I can write and how to make what I write great. After my creative writing classes, I almost felt like a writer had to cross some sort of "inappropriate" boundary to be considered serious writing. One, I don't want to write about most of that, and two, we learned your best work is writing what you know, and I've never been homeless, done drugs, seen drugs, had a one-night stand, etc., nor am I willing to do any of the above. Enter Devree, married 20-something. She read two romantic poems (she won in poetry and she deserved it) which were beautiful, not cheesy or mushy, and all around quality writing without being graphically erotic or uncomfortable. I am eternally grateful to her for sharing her talent.
So I've dusted off my moleskine. Look out world, here I come!