Poetic License

Come out, come out, wherever I am!

It has been awhile since I was here on Poetic License. Lately, I’ve been focusing on writing my memoir, and all the things that go along with that. I’ve participated in two writing conferences and made contact with three agents, all of whom want to read my work. But during the conferences, I received some feedback on my first few pages, so I have had to put some serious effort into revisions that are, thankfully, improving the first chapter.

Aside from the writing, I’ve had some ups and downs in other areas of my life, but I’m okay. Just some bumps in the road like we all have. I’ve started several posts on here and left them hanging in draft stage. Because they were time-sensitive, I might revive them later, if and when it makes sense. I passed through what would have been my daughter’s 40th birthday, and then the 15th anniversary of her death. Those were rough, but I’m alright. Putting it all onto the page while living through significant anniversaries did hurt, though.

During this lull, I’ve also been supporting some friends who have needed the support as they go through job loss and other such transitions. Life can be very tough. It’s easy for me to sit here and say, “You hated that job! This is life kicking you in the pants to get you to something better!” But generally, I don’t say anything like that, even if I’m thinking it, because losing one’s job just sucks. Some days you just feel the suckage; other days you can see the silver lining. Similarly, other life transitions require friendship and support. Sometimes my friends just need to talk. Listening is something I can do. I’ve been through enough garbage in my own life that I know I don’t have all the answers. Even if I did, those answers might not be right for everyone. And sometimes, a person just wants to feel safe to say things out loud to another person whol will just sit still and let them dump it all out there.

In between writing and conferencing and working, I’ve tuned in to a few shows. I rewatched The Sopranos, along with the companion podcast, Talking Sopranos. If you’re a geek about all things film, television, and the acting craft, I strongly recommend the latter. Michael Imperioli and Steve Schrippa are pretty brilliant.

After OJ Simpson died, I decided to watch OJ Simpson: Made in America. To be 100 percent clear, I believe he killed his wife and Ron Goldman. The posthumous pictures of those two victims in that docuseries are more graphic than any I’ve seen before. Brutal. To look at those pictures, you have to know that the person who killed them was full of abject rage, and you don’t summon up rage like that to kill random strangers. You don’t simply wait outside someone’s front door to attack them and then to destroy someone who showed up to bring back a pair of glasses. That takes connection and purpose and a feeling such as rejection. She had rejected OJ. She had decided to file for divorce, which was the ultimate rejection of him. Should you decide to watch that docuseries, be prepared to be more angry than you remember being when it was actually happening.

As far as movies go, after the Academy Awards, I decided to watch Oppenheimer (spectacular), Napoleon (spectacular in a different way), and Killers of the Flower Moon (still on my list, though I haven’t watched it. I had already seen Barbie (loved it). I will probably also see American Fiction and maybe a few others. I’m interested to hear about what you’re watching or have watched.

As far as books go, it’s still slow going for me due to problems with my eyes. I picked up my copy of The White Plague (Frank Herbert, 1982) but made it as far as page 10 before my right eye began to cross, so I pulled up the audiobook on Audible, where it was free. I’ve been listening to it, but I don’t hear the same voice that I hear in my head when I’m reading the book. That’s my number one gripe about Audible. Give me choices of several different readers, with different reading styles. Don’t just stick me with one.

You can imagine how much fun work and writing are with my eye problems. But we play with the hand we’re dealt. We do the best we can.

Now I’m off to do some more work. I hope you’re well.

And yes, I’m still eating nothing but plants!

Namaste, Jude