My Interview on Write On! Online

Thanks to Debra Eckerling and her Write On! Online support group for probing into what makes me tick...or, rather, write...in this special Mother's Day interview.

I am NOT writing this weekend; I'm bookfesting at the Blue Ridge Book & Author Showcase tomorrow, then spending Sunday frolicking with my big, brawny boys. Had hoped to go for a hike in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, but my right knee feels like someone wrenched it in opposite directions, so I'm thinking that's probably not a good plan. Instead, I'm settling for stuffed French toast at IHOP after church, then a lively afternoon at Hollywild. (Please, God, can we have just three hours of sunshine?) I know there are people who think keeping animals in captivity is immoral, but if I were a beast, I think I'd take three squares a day, a roof over my head, free medical care, and ongoing adulation over struggling to stay alive in some steamy jungle any day of the week!

Speaking of beasts in captivity, have you seen that news show on TV of elephants who paint? Here's a YouTube video, and here's a post with some additional information. I swear the elephants seem to be enjoying themselves--and given that their previous job was dragging logs around a Thai forest, I imagine they are! Elephants are like gorillas to me, in that they have eyes that seem to reflect great emotional depth and intellect; I have no problem imagining them being very much aware and appreciative of the aesthetics of their surroundings.

To mamas everywhere--be you elephant, gorilla, human, or otherwise, have a wonderful weekend. A loving mother is the greatest advantage a child can ever have, so if your mama is still around, tell her how much you appreciate her...and carpe matriarch!

If You Were 18 again...

...what would YOU want for graduation? Inquiring minds want to know! Seems like there's a bumper crop of high school graduates this year; all us middle-aged mamas are wondering what to give to honor the occasion. Yes, we know cash is always nice, but that's sooooo not creative. And, yes, we know the latest/greatest techno toy would be welcome, but that's soooo not affordable! Most of us who graduated in the 60s and 70s received baby doll pajamas (remember those? my big sister got 22 pairs!); I'm thinking that may not be on the Top Ten list for today's grads.

So tell me: what's the coolest graduation gift you got? Speak up! Only a few more shopping days!

Farewell, April

So sad to see Poetry Month come to an end. But this year, the adventure will continue! Fans of my annual event, Wordwoman's Scintillating Springtime Parade of Poetry, have convinced me to continue my work as a poetry missionary through a new venture called "Your Daily Poem." Still working out the kinks, but stay tuned for details. Good times--and good words--ahead!

Fun Stuff to Share

Dogwood, azaleas, half a month of Poetry Month still to go, my garden underway; can life get any better? Well, having my oven AND microwave not die on the same day would be an improvement, but why whine about the petty stuff?

Let's focus on the positive: here are links I've come across recently that I simply must share. The first is a video of a "grammar rap" by two sisters who have had it up to HERE with erroneous use of the English language. Teachers, you'll never find a funnier way to fuss about bad grammar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tt-WIdmCVQ

And this is a provocative essay from a choreographer with a clever idea for Wall Street to consider--exactly the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that makes artists so invaluable to society.
http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2009/03/a_proposed_job.php

So what's your idea for making the world a better place this week?

Smitten by Spring

If God was going for perfection today, He achieved it. Perfect temperature, perfect sky, perfectly beautiful everywhere I looked! I spent my lunch hour outside in the sun, sitting beside the Peace Center waterfall and a flowering cherry tree, its pinky-white petals trickling all around me in a delightful spring "snow." I had a club sandwich from my friend's restaurant, the Hot Dog King (open for business again and looking great, with new 11-7/Mon.-Sat. hours, and new menu items underway; Greenvillians, gotta support the HDK!), Pamela Duncan's wonderful book Moon Women (Pamela is now up there with Lorna Landvik as my favorite author of women's fiction), and a half hour all to myself to sit there like a happy lizard lazing in the luxuriousness of it all. To top it all off, my Poetry Parade spectators loved today's poem from John Stanizzi. (I knew you would.) And I'm three for three in my efforts to meet Robert Brewer's write-a-poem-a-day challenge for National Poetry Month. Yay, me! Yay, poetry! Yay, spring! (Yay for all these blessings that helped me get past the fact that both my oven AND my microwave bit the dust last night. We don't realize how spoiled we are till our modern conveniences cease to function; life with no microwave is HARD!)

Today, a UPS Man. Tomorrow, a Spider

I am nothing if not diverse in the array of poems I showcase in my Poetry Parade. Today's selection was from Maine poet Alice Persons--an ode to her U.P.S. delivery guy that was particularly enjoyable for those of us who saw "Legally Blonde: The Musical" at the Peace Center last week! Tomorrow's poem is Walt Whitman's "The Noiseless, Patient Spider," and truly, does that not describe spiders to a tee? They're the most silent little critters there are--especially the long-legged, big daddy types. Good poetry does that: it ratchets down your focus to those miniscule, magnified details, then sums it all up in a handful of perfect words.

Coming up in the parade is a heartbreaker from Ellen Bass about marrying off your daughter, John Stanizzi's beautiful love poem "Cardinals," and a poem from a student at Harvard that put the U.S. Navy on notice. Don't miss the fun! Sign up at www.jaynejaudonferrer.com.

Oh, the Excitement! It's Poetry Month!

I do believe the anticipation of National Poetry Month is almost as thrilling as Christmas Eve--for me, at least. If you're not a lover of poetry, you might fail to appreciate the thought of thirty days of intense exposure to an art form that's been around since Hector was a pup, to borrow an old Southern expression. I read poetry all the time anyway. I write it for a living. (Well, sort of. The number of poets since the beginning of time who've made a living at it can likely be counted on one hand.) But in April, I read LOTS of poetry. I go in search of new poets. I look up old favorites I've ignored. I go off on poetry treasure hunts, tracking down sources of snippets that sound enticing. I even write more poetry; this year, I'm hoping to rise to the challenge of Robert Brewer's poem-a-day taunt. (Care to join me?)

I poet a lot more than I blog, because if I manage to find time to write, it seems logical to me to spend it on that which brings me the most pleasure (not to mention, occasional income). But this month, I can blog about poetry--with no remorse and to my heart's content--so you'll find more from me in this space for the next thirty days. Drop in often. Share your thoughts. Leave a favorite poem. Sing the praises of your favorite poet. And if you don't have a favorite poet, this is the month to find one--and I'll be happy to help. Stay tuned!