ON A WRITING JAG: While I've been on my performance hiatus, I've been trying to write new and revise old poems. The revision process has been successful, including a couple that are now ready for "primetime," as in submission to lit journals. On the new writing, it has been a mixed bag this month. I've written some very rough drafts that might eventually work, and then I've written some god-awful shit.Last night, I was struggling to finish a poem that will be used in the program for the Blended Heritage Festival in Fayetteville, GA. later this month (see www.collinkelley.com for details). I've written the "themed" poem for this event every year since it began, and it's always difficult. Writing to order is not my bag, but I always do this for my good friend and muse Christeen Snell because the Blended Heritage Festival is a hot-button event. As I mentioned in other blog posts, the festival has received much media attention, mainly from angry black people who have accused Chris of being a traitor to her race for holding a "blended heritage" event during Black History Month. Chris has ignored them and the evening is always a big success with a standing room only audience. She also manages to get great authors on board like Ferrol Sams and Robert Burch.
So, in racing to finish this year's poem (which is called Pentimento -- I'll post it on the blog next week) I also seemed to release a blockage I wasn't even aware I had. I wrote two poems tonight and did a second draft on a shitty one written last weekend. I'm fairly happy with all the work! Very rare for me. Now the poems have to sit -- to marinate -- for a few days before I come back and give them a sniff test to see if they are worth further revision. One of these is about Barney Rubble saving the life of my parents and me...yes, Barney Rubble from The Flintstones. How could a cartoon character save our lives? You'll see.
Comments
Glad to hear you are on a writing jag.