"Fab Blogs for Your Reading Pleasure"

This whole blogging craze could take up a person's entire life just in reading the numerous epistles out there. I often wonder if anyone even sees mine or gets anything out of what I have to say. However, as it happens, many friends have stated that they have looked at it and I have shared out the link to other blogging sites, so I suppose that'll have to do. Cyberspace is a big place. Although, I wonder, where is cyberspace anyway? "Can you tell me how to get . . . how to get to cyberspace?" (he,he)

Speaking of cyberspace, here's a couple of addresses you all should check out on your travels:

1. Miss Charlotte
2. greengrl

"Thinking about the Creative"

Over the weekend, I picked up the biography of Virginia Woolf written by Hermione Lee. This text, which is the size of a collegiate dictionary, is filled with every anecdote and known fact about the celebrated life and work of Virginia Woolf. I'm only a short way into the book but what is most interesting to me thus far is Lee's discussion of the creative forces behind Woolf's work. She takes great lengths to show how Woolf's life influenced her writing. Lee draws connections between people Woolf knew in life and how they may have, directly or indirectly, influenced characters in her stories. Through this reading, I began thinking about the creative forces in my own life and that which influences my own writing. Of course, it's much the same. People I know and experiences I've had. Somewhere between Woolf's life recounted by Lee and my own thoughts on the creative, I came up with the following poem.

creatrycks

The demon other dominates from within.
Its impish thoughts pitch and fork my dagger
pen, lacerating the page, to free the blood of Judas’
kiss, a succubian dream of dark night tales.

This feast, my bounty, expression of succulent distaste,
possesses my heart, mind, and hand in serpentine madness
weaving a woeful tune. I cry and laugh and pace the floor
lost in a Dantian circle as the sweat drips in cadence.

Wyrd words, like incantation, effuse a delicate gesture of up
and down from the scratches of my desperate hand. I watch
transfixed, behind my eyes, buoyed by the heat of creation
as immoral machination unfolds a story imitative of life.


~Michael Staples

"Stepping Up"

With all of the turmoil going on in the world today on a global and national scale, it's sometimes hard to see the changes that are going on right at your own front door. I live in a very diverse community on the far north side of Chicago. In fact, this community has been dubbed the most diverse in the country. It's called Roger's Park and is home to about as many different kinds of people as they are. In any three block radius you can find about five different kinds of churches, restaurants, stores, and community centers. It's a rare experience and the people have worked hard to keep it stable.

Of course, it isn't idyllic. We have our squabbles amongst our neighbors. There are some gangs here and about. And, because of the diversity both in race and in economic levels, the wealthy and the poor often live right in the same block. Unfortunately, I think the instability in our world is having reverberations right here in my community. Recently, I've noticed increased gang activity right on my own corner. The tenets of my building suddenly have to deal with imposing youths camped out on our doorsteps. The noise levels of screaming kids has increased throughout the day and into the evenings. Vandalism has been blanketing our neighborhood, my building, and our cars that we park near our homes. Honestly, I've always accepted that these things happen but I've never done much to try to change it. However, the times have not only focused my energies on a national and global scale, but have also focused them on a community scale. I've made visits to my Alderman's office and the local CAPS office to find out what I can do, what other community members are doing, to keep our communities safe for all.

On the national scale, we exercise our right to vote and protest. Here, in the community, we must work together. Although, isn't working together what we have to do on any scale if we want better and safer lives? We all have to "step up" at some point or resign ourselves fatally to whatever situation we may be in. I choose to step up.

"Under the Substandard"

It's hard to be a liberal Democrat anymore. Have any of you been listening to all the crap that's been going down in New York via the RNC? I can't believe (actually it sadly doesn't surprise me) how they've managed to suppress so many people's civil rights. The way they've rounded up protestors and confined them in jail-like settings aptly named Guantanomo (sp?) on the Hudson a.k.a. Pier 47. I listened to a story yesterday on public radio about a father whose son had been apprehended in a peaceful protest on Friday night. This young man was caught in a literal wide web of nets that the cops threw out over the crowd and gathered them all in. By law, people are not to be held for more than 24 hours but this father has not seen or heard from his son since. He's gone to the point of posting signs in the park that state "Son, if you read this, call me at #, Love Dad. Is this really happening? Yes, it is!

Isn't it interesting how ever since Bush came to power there has been controversy surrounding him, his administration, and his legitimacy. Every time he opens his mouth, we have to protest the crap that comes out. Who is he working for? Not the American people. Not the millions of people who knew the war in Iraq was ill fated. Not the soldiers who have lost their lives, for what? For fucking what? For nothing. If it was for oil, it wasn't worth it. I know it wasn't for security. We all know that now for sure. How are the actions of this administration any different from those of other dictatorships? The suppression of the people. The loss of civil liberties. The underhanded way they pass anti-American legislation. I've said it many times throughout this blog but it bears repeating:

WE ARE ALL AMERICANS! That's what America is about. We are many different kinds of people with many different views. We allow everyone to express their opinion. We allow our citizens to live fruitful and peaceful lives. These are the reasons people want to live here and the reasons people in other countries dislike us. Because of our blessed freedoms.

Look, I'm a gay, liberal, Democrat. My parents are Protestant, conservative, Republicans. Do we agree with one another's views? No. But we're family and we respect them. In some countries, my views and lifestyle would be reason enough for my father to have me killed, legally. That's not the case in America. So why is our current President working to suppress the civil liberties of people like me? I'm educated, I work, I pay taxes, and I live within the law, and I'm a goddamn American. What's the problem?

The only problem I can see is the man in the White House. All of the other problems stem from him and trickle down. It's his job to set the standard. Under his standard, he's increased anti-American feelings worldwide. He's made hard working Americans lose their jobs. He's sent our young troops to a senseless war and lost lives. He's increased the national debt to unbelievable highs. And he is actively working to suppress the civil liberties of the GLBT community. American citizens, in case it's been forgotten.

Mr. President, who are you?

"Dilemma"

This morning, as I was laying in bed and dreading going into the office, I was thinking about my current dilemma and the idea of dilemmas in general. My handy, paperback dic defines dilemma as a choice between two equally balanced alternatives. However, I think we often encounter dilemmas in situations where the choices are completely unbalanced as well. Consider the choice of giving up a destructive addiction. On the one hand, there's a productive and healthful life. Then, on the other hand, there's a viable escape from the daily hell some of us seem to live in. Perhaps, at least in my mind, these two alternatives are equally balanced. Anyway, I was also thinking this morning about a scene in an episode of AbFab. It was the episode when Patsy's sister Jax had come to visit one New Year's Eve, much to the dismay of Eddie. The visit effectively ruined Eddie's New Year's eve and placed Patsy in a moral dilemma. Her sister Jax had asked for her help but it would be at the expense of her friend Eddie. When Patsy tells Eddie that she is in a moral dilemma, Eddie simply tells her she has no morals and therefore no dilemma. Where am I going with this? Oh, so my current dilemma is this. I've been living in Chicago for thirteen years (jesus god!) and over the years I've acquired a lot of cool shit like furniture, expensive art, electronics, and books galore! My dilemma is, I want to get the fuck out of the Midwest and all my shit is waying me down. The question is, can I give it all up? I know I don't have the funds to move it, or not most of it. Maybe some of it? Maybe I'll sell most of it and move the rest in a one-way U-Haul. I don't think I have a dilemma any more. Hm. Thanks for listening!

"Keep it Sacred, Bitch"

hearts, originally uploaded by little michael.

A few years ago, I met an amazing person named Jennie. She's one of those people with the kind of self determination that propels themselves through life and always improves their mind, body, and spirit along the way. When I met her, we were both working for this educational publisher in Evanston, IL. The work was pretty dull, basically data entry, and I knew Jennie as a member of my department but I didn't really "know" her then. I've always been kind of shy when it comes to meeting people for the first time, unless I'm introduced, so I broke the ice with her by playing Tic-Tac-Toe. I created a template on the computer and would e-mail it over to her after each move. That's how our friendship began. Later, we played tennis for a summer, meeting early in the mornings. Then, I lived across the hall from her. She went on to form a rock band and I was putting myself through school. During that period, we didn't see that much of eachother but friends like us remain true. Recently, she moved away to Boston and, in many ways, we are closer now than when she was right next door. I plan to see her and her girlfriend in NYC at the end of the month, and Jennie and I will meet in LA at the end of the year. I don't know if I believe in destiny, but I do know our paths will always cross.

The title of this post: "Keep it Sacred, Bitch" is what our tattoos state when placed next to eachother. It's a great philosophy to live by and I think it's really cool how our friendship reminds us all to keep it sacred, bitch.

"The Oyez Review"

I recently received a call from my former grad studies advisor and we got to talking about the university lit journal I helped to edit and publicize during my last year in the program. The journal is called the Oyez Review and is published annually, usually in either late December or early January. The university usually holds one to two public readings and distributes it throughout the Chicagoland area. They do not currently have a distributor per se, so it is a task the editorial staff (which was me) takes on themselves. Currently, interested people in Chicago can find the journal at: Oyez

1. Both the downtown and Schaumburg Roosevelt U. bookstores
2. Both the Oak Park and Wells locations of Barbara's Bookstores
3. Both the Chicago and Evanston locations of City News
4. Quimby's
5. The Armadillo's Pillow
6. The Heartland Cafe
7. Women and Children First

I also helped publicize the journal at this year's AWP conference, which was held at the Palmer House Hotel. What a fantastic experience for anyone interested or involved in small press publishing. I had the opportunity to see and meet the editors behind many of the lit journals I have read about but hadn't been able to find locally. There were additionally many panels on all things concerning writers, writing programs, and publishing. I would encourage anyone interested to go to future conferences. The AWP also publishes the quarterly magazine The Writer's Chronicle. You can find out more information at their website: AWP

Anyway, the Oyez Review is comprised of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and fine art. The breakdown is roughly 60% fiction, 30% poetry, 5% creative nonfiction, and 5% art. You can check out the latest issue, review former issues, and find out how to order or submit to a future issue at the following link: Oyez Review

Keep writing!

"Friends"

No, not that sappy TV show. Sorry to any fans of the long running sitcom but I was never a fan of it. What I'm thinking about this morning are the genuine article. Over the past couple of weeks, I've had to rely on my own group of friends as I tried to deal with the pain and confusion of an unstable relationship. I've been thinking about how when we first become involved with someone on an intimate level, we tend (of course, this is not an inclusive idea) to pull away from our friends. I believe we (or I) do it as a defensive measure. In the beginning of a relationship it would be too much pressure to have your friends sizing up your potential mate before you've had a chance to do that for yourself. However, if the budding relationship should crumble, I have to say you really understand the importance of your friends and who they truely are as you try to cope with the volatile situation. Anyway, the following prose poem, though the title and content may lead readers to think it is about one thing, it is more importantly about one's friends.

stoned poem

Once we had
had what was waiting behind us. We were like peace babies, stoned all the time. Lisa leaned forward and made lipstick before the smoke, as if there were gaps as they never occurred in life. At least to me, a measly of the stuff and then space. Yeah. We drove because it seemed longer, and I knew I might. I remember looking down as we sauntered oddly a block, then pulled the lipstick case. A hand gesture as if what would be a more interesting world. We were leaving, and returned felt, and had hoped it had been longer. Still, it was. Yeah. Smiles and laughs taking the place of the who we would be. My sight failed before me and she, as if everything had turned in two. Hands against the wall to relieve some, alone, and almost as suddenly the whole nothing. I heard nothing. I became nothing. I laid their faces down and faded as dots clouded, appearing happily stoned. Looking up, a head haloed by the streetlight, and a voice with the feeling that it cared. Giggles, just so. The others were avidly against the wall, sitting next to me, and everyone laughed, thinking. The wall, the ground, the air, up just this much. Yeah. To feel better I looked at my watch. Jim said it was Lisa's. She unwrapped something and said, "What this boy needs is some sugar." So I had
and I really began.

~Michael Staples