First Draft: Leonardo Likes Gulls: December Greetings!

Dear Friend,

I started this note to you from a writing residency in my favorite haunted cabin in the Pacific Northwest.

When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by the Vice President of the Welcoming Committee. You can tell he's not the president from his little antlers, had he been the president, a daisy chain necklace would have been involved in the ensemble.

While I was at the residency, I stayed off social media and didn't follow the news--I immediately noticed several things--1) how when I first arrived, I kept finding myself reaching for my phone because I had so much extra time, I kept trying to fill it 2) I'm writing letters & postcards again 3) how much more I got done when I'm not online and 4) how much calmer I felt.

I will say, on this retreat being completely removed from life did have its moments of loneliness--I have done these residencies before and rarely have I felt so lonely. I'm still trying to determine where that feeling came from. Maybe it's was autumn and the weather turning and maybe when we disconnect ourselves from distraction we have deep just sit with ourselves, or maybe it wasn't an *always* feeling, but just a *sometimes* feeling. I found when I woke up, I felt the loneliest, but as the day went on and I became more and more engaged in my work, the feeling became just a shadow and the day had more light.

This time of year can be tough on many of us, so be gentle on yourself and others as you head out in the world. Maybe make a point on checking up on anyone who might be feeling alone this time of year, a friend or neighbor, a relative who lives alone in another state. While the holidays can dazzle and shine, they can also remind people of loss and heartbreak.

So I wanted to send some extra love and good energy your way this time of year! May you find moments of love, peace, and connection throughout these darker days...

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Opportunities and Announcements for Poets & Writers:

Poet Derek Annis has created a Submission Calendar to help you manage your deadlines for book prizes and to help you know what journals are open and taking submissions. It's pretty fantastic, honestly. The submissions are organized through Google calendar and it's free to use (he does take PayPal donations, but they are not required). But what an incredible resource for anyone who is sending out their work.

CRWROPPS (Creative Writing Opportunities) is now a blog! Allison Joseph has moved it here. Trish Hopkinson made a helpful post about how to follow this blog and has a great interview with Allison here.

Hawai'i Pacific Review opens for submissions December 1st and is seeking poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, and flash nonfiction.

Still Happening--Two Sylvias Press Wilder Poetry Book Prize for Women Over 50: Deadline Dec. 31, 2019. Looking for a poetry manuscript 48-80 pages by a woman poet born in 1969 or earlier.

Copper Canyon Press is having a Kickstarter event for one of my all-time favorite poets, Ellen Bass and her upcoming book, Indigo! You can basically preorder a copy of her book, but this Kickstarter also funds an entire of seasons of new poetry books including new books from Victoria Chang, Traci Brimhall, Ed Skoog, Leila Chatti, and others! So it's an opportunity to support an extraordinary poet and an extraordinary press. (5 days left!)

What I'm Reading:
Poetry Books:
Look Look Look (stunning debut collection on motherhood and more!) by Callista Buchen
Space Struck by Paige Lewis (magical & engaging)
Hanif Abdurraqib's A Fortune For Your Disaster (full of heartbreak, but also humor--inventive and satisfying)

What I'm Watching:
Joy Harjo, our new Poet Laureate on Super Soul Sunday with Oprah! (full episode aired Sunday, Oct 6th)
Fleabag (Amazon Prime series where imperfect characters do imperfect things and in London)
Blinded by the Light (film) inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his love of the works of Bruce Springsteen--I adored this film.
Echo in the Canyon (documentary), a film that looks at the music scene (think Beach Boys, Mamas & the Papas, Buffalo Springsteen) of Laurel Canyon in the late 60s--also this has some of the last footage of Tom Petty talking music before he died.

What I'm Loving:
iNaturalist App: (free app) This is an app that allows you to upload photos and share biodiversity across the globe. What you upload to iNaturalist becomes the open data to help scientific research projects, conservation agencies, as well as other organizations and the public. I've loved documenting the animals and birds in my part of the world and if you don't know the name of something, you can just upload it (as I did with "deer") and another naturalist will help you out by suggesting a more specific option such as "Columbian Black-Tailed Deer." It's also been an excellent tool in helping recognize migrating birds. It's a fantastic way to learn more about the natural world around you. iNaturalist is a joint initiative by the California Academy of the Sciences and the National Geographic Society.

This poem by Ellen Bass called "Relax" (from her book, Like a Beggar, Copper Canyon Press, 2014).

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Want to work together? Here are some places where I'll be teaching this year:

Putting Together a Poetry Manuscript Workshop, February 1, 2020, 10:15 am - 4:15 pm at Two Sylvias Press in Kingston, WA (from Seattle take the Edmonds ferry & it's a 3-minute walk).

Poets on the Coast: Weekend Writing Retreat for Women Poets - Back to the Beach! Cannon Beach, Oregon - September 11-13, 2020!
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Sending love, light, and inspiration and wishing you the best of all of it!
xo,
Kelli

P.S. I merged my mailing lists, so if you find yourself on here twice, apologies. Just trying to get everyone in the same place.

P.S.S. I hope to be sending out my "Favorite Things" email this month to help with holiday shopping for your favorite creative person(s).

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