end of the week obsessions 06
a list of thoughts, prompts, art & artists, poetry, and other miscellany intended to shout out some inspirational resources and create conversations.
this week’s obsessions:
1) have you checked out
and Knowledge Lust? it’s quality, Substack real estate. i particularly recommend this post about designing a course of literary study for oneself. free subscribers can read a great deal of the content – certainly enough to decide on a personalized plan. my own self-designed academic year started yesterday and i’ve already altered my design to incorporate some of Rinko’s suggestions into my syllabus.2) i’ve been a graffiti fan for decades. this week, i’ve been looking at the art of Afghani artist, Shamsia Hassani, not because it’s my preferred style of graffiti writing but because i can appreciate her artistry, regardless, and because i’m keenly aware that i have the privilege and freedom to pursue a creative life without being concerned about condemnation or safety.
3) fascicles. particularly the fascicles of Emily Dickinson. i’m also fascinated by her "envelope poems" and, really, anything written on a scrap of paper…especially if it’s been thrown away. my “found” prompt collection includes a manilla envelope stuffed full of notes and lists that people have dropped or discarded. i’ve been known to dig snips of paper out of the garbage because they look interesting. messy, but often rewarding.
4) these pictures from the National Weather Service of a derecho that happened in South Dakota about 5 years ago. i was doing research for a poem on Monday and the rabbit hole led me there. just more proof that weather can’t be trusted.
5) the sheer genius of Freddie and the song it took 7 years to write. (don’t come at me. the man was the Nicola Tesla of music.)
6) the stunning work of Iraqi poet, Abeer Ameer, who is nominated for a Forward Prize this year. i was introduced Ameer’s poetry mid-week and cannot, for the life of me, stop thinking about it. the piece we covered left me feeling numb and tearful. consider this your content warning as the subject is violence (in this case, due to war) in the lives of children. the poem is At Least. a search for more by this poet uncovered work drenched in poignance and heavy mood. it’s the sort of work to which i aspire.
7) this question: who mentors you? does a person need to know that you think of them as a mentor in order for them to be labeled as such? in other words, can a stranger be a mentor of sorts without knowing they inspire you? does “mentor” imply long-term association and directed interaction? (don’t run for the OED…i want your opinion, not a definition.)
it’s no secret that i crave mentorship. i’ve spent several decades with a few million questions and i learn best verbally & kinesthetically. these two learning styles require interaction rather than silence. i also spent 10 years teaching community college, so i’m biased in favor of active discussion/idea sharing. hence, the mentor fetish.
my pal, SS, is a talented poet and a darn fine human. she’s definite mentor material (though she probably doesn’t know it) but if i had to choose between friendship and mentorship, there’d be no contest: friends forever +1.
the poet,
, is someone i’ve figured into mentor status. i’ve been a fan since my first encounter with her Substack, Marjorie's Table. seriously, i’m a complete geek for anything she says. i get up at 2:00 a.m. every Wednesday to attend her Zoom workshop (she’s in Scotland). in fact, she’s currently teaching a 2-week long version of her regular Wednesday class so i’ve been getting up at 2:00 a.m. every weekday this week and i’ll do it again next week. the 30-minute encounter with her is worth a few minutes of lost sleep any damn day. if you’re interested in Marjorie’s remaining week of workshops, here’s the Eventbrite link. the price is reasonable, and her craft notes are BOSS.8) time. do you have any? i don’t think i do. fitting time to write into my week is challenging. during the last bout of insomnia (November 2024 to August 2025) , i started using the middle of the night to write. now, i‘ve trained myself to be awake that early and it remains my best writing time. but it also means that i’m exhausted by dinnertime. how do you make time? do you have a routine or is it haphazard? routine has been my pal for a while now but, as i’ve added more to my plate, i find myself wondering where i’ll find hours 25 through 30 to add to my day. maybe i’ll stop sleeping all together.
9) this quote, from Leo Babauta, about how much we want to accomplish (looking at you, obsession #8).
10) apples. yeah…i said apples. it’s a long story that can be summed up by a childhood declaration that, “someone forgot to put the ‘delicious’ in the apples”. listen, there are bjillions of apples in the world and we get to cronch on the barest smidgeon. injustice! if you need a reason for me to be obsessed with apples, have this and this.
12) and as i finish the list, Gorillaz is cuing up on the official end of the week obsessions playlist. it’s an oldie, but a goodie…
honorable mention: my obsession with
continues. obvi. this is the 3rd time i‘ve mentioned him.---
what are you obsessed with right now? leave a message in the chat and, as always, remember that the Gay Agenda is real. we’re organized and we have extremely exciting vocabularies.