tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38766905502862331452024-02-07T18:31:09.884-06:00Magdalena Lamont - Poetry From the Other SideA online poetry magazine.<p>
For poets who don't have a MFA from an elite university, aren't beloved of the progressive movement and NPR, and who don't want to write poetry that rants the standard socialist rants....<p>
And for readers that want vivid words and explosive images but maybe don't care for the worldview of some of today's poets...
Magdalena Lamont is here for you.
Published semi-occasionally.
Edited by Nissa Annakindt, poet, Aspie & cat person.
</p></p>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-82231948394606232692015-06-10T10:54:00.001-05:002015-06-10T10:54:05.703-05:00Yes, this IS a poetry magazine....Or it is going to be.<br />
<br />
The first official issue of Magdalena Lamont is going to be coming out later this year (September? October?), and we are accepting submissions starting NOW.<br />
<br />
You don't have to be an already-published poet to submit. We welcome poetry beginners and even kid poets (with parental permission).<br />
<br />
In between our issues, the editor of Magdalena Lamont will be posting such things as poetry prompts and such to keep up the reader interest (since the primary readers of poetry are poets themselves).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-82154342170340490012014-09-29T09:45:00.000-05:002014-09-29T09:45:08.341-05:00Poem: socks are underwear, after all!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtf_BtKlTVjxTJrvF-ob99m0tPfjfOTZRDeRwwsx_Q_B2B2GLjegpQLk8tKoSxI0njHX_F2UhRvVwTmscw9R83c_5RmX8bZXPo49ME7dQFHg3BJlI0ml3U9r_uvVsjzl-vIWvWD-Aehn3/s1600/texture_248+surly+petunia+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtf_BtKlTVjxTJrvF-ob99m0tPfjfOTZRDeRwwsx_Q_B2B2GLjegpQLk8tKoSxI0njHX_F2UhRvVwTmscw9R83c_5RmX8bZXPo49ME7dQFHg3BJlI0ml3U9r_uvVsjzl-vIWvWD-Aehn3/s1600/texture_248+surly+petunia+ebook.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>socks are underwear, after all!</strong><br />
eating spaghetti with a cattle prod<br />
the small byzantine child asks<br />
mother may i keep this fish head<br />
it followed me home<br />
& the mother<br />
a neophyte carpet prostitute, says<br />
yes but only if you<br />
drink your opium<br />
all gone<br />
<em>1990</em><br />
<em>Nissa Annakindt </em><br />
<br />
<i>Recently I self-published a poetry chapbook called 'surly petunia', a collection of 24 short poems. This is one of the poems from that collection. <b>surly petunia </b>is available as a free e-book at Smashwords in epub format: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/480237">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/480237</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's also available for Kindle at Amazon.com, but they make me charge 99 cents. </i><br />
<i>Amazon US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NZ96EYE">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NZ96EYE</a></i><br />
<i>Amazon UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NZ96EYE?*Version*=1&*entries*=0">http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NZ96EYE?*Version*=1&*entries*=0</a></i><br />
<i>Amazon India: <a href="http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00NZ96EYE?*Version*=1&*entries*=0">http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00NZ96EYE?*Version*=1&*entries*=0</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>This e-zine needs poetry submissions. </b>Here are the guidelines: <a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/p/submit-poems-here.html">http://linalamont.blogspot.com/p/submit-poems-here.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>The editor's Facebook writing page:</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-33325043146361620592014-09-14T04:51:00.000-05:002014-09-14T04:51:13.440-05:00#PoetryPantry: remembrance of persian opium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9gpcKo0bkqeI_uOJVM5i-Rlf2XvGEQWXmb_PfHlpzk-O8WvuAWPF_XbFcr3Y45aOGav54RGzbX5LdOuGA0sT-mJ4xVIN0zE56UVg7jv4w2POJqPbKCISOhnubIX3sHh95yn6tvvVxf3F/s1600/james-foley-beheaded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9gpcKo0bkqeI_uOJVM5i-Rlf2XvGEQWXmb_PfHlpzk-O8WvuAWPF_XbFcr3Y45aOGav54RGzbX5LdOuGA0sT-mJ4xVIN0zE56UVg7jv4w2POJqPbKCISOhnubIX3sHh95yn6tvvVxf3F/s1600/james-foley-beheaded.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Apple Garamond"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>This is a post for <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2014/09/poetry-pantry-218.html">Poetry Pantry #218</a>. For more poetry or to share your own poem, click on the link.</i></span><span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 600;"><i> </i></span><span style="color: #010101; font-family: "Apple Garamond"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>There are also some lovely pictures of Italy on the page this week.</i></span><span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 600;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 600;">remembrance of persian opium</span><i><span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i><br />
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">the northern inhabitants cannot </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">behead the profane so proficiently </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">lack of practice i expect </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">the machete maddens them </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">altho impudent, we eat plasterboard on request </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">against the dread of the dossier </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">still the annihilation so devoutly to be wished </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">escapes us, tho the usual intoxicants attempt discretion </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt;">in quiescence is contraband schizophrenia </span></div>
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">1990</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: 'Apple Garamond'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">(c) Nissa Annakindt</span></div>
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<br /></div>
As you can see from the date, this poem was NOT written as a response to the recent epidemic of ISIS beheadings in the Middle East. It may have had something to do with the goings-on in Iran-AKA-Persia. But then again, it may not have.<br />
<br />
This poem is one of the many included in my book, Where the Opium Cactus Grows. The current edition of the book won't be available for sale for much longer as I'm going to be putting out a revised and expanded edition shortly. After that, I'll be working on a second volume of poetry to be titled 'Waiting for the Poison Shot'.<br />
<br />
<b>About this blog:</b><br />
This used to be my main blog, before I migrated to Wordpress. I decided to turn this one into a poetry e-zine. I don't know how that's going to work out.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>My Facebook writing page:</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-48534838772400629932014-09-12T10:14:00.001-05:002014-09-12T10:14:32.300-05:00Poetry Friday: The Classic Tradition of Haiku<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrPVmAsIUgUBlnsG2pY3sH3Xr2QMMKVK5Q_zLwH4p-3E0ZwQTWm9JsFRj7mClHOAjJqtIDYHFtVhMro1OwN9AGjRZ6W2eZw8nJD8_eQ6oH5Sv4N72lC6WkYb8mceb-HzTmSZdYYaJtN6w/s1600/ClassicHaiku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrPVmAsIUgUBlnsG2pY3sH3Xr2QMMKVK5Q_zLwH4p-3E0ZwQTWm9JsFRj7mClHOAjJqtIDYHFtVhMro1OwN9AGjRZ6W2eZw8nJD8_eQ6oH5Sv4N72lC6WkYb8mceb-HzTmSZdYYaJtN6w/s1600/ClassicHaiku.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<i></i><br />
<i> </i>Since 'The Classic Tradition of Haiku' is a Dover Thrift edition, I knew it would be cheap. What I didn't know was that it would be good--- better than many a higher-priced haiku book.<br />
<br />
What's so great about it? First of all, each haiku is given not only in one or more English translations, but in the Japanese original, transliterated into our Latin alphabet.<br />
<br />
The transliterations can be used to evaluate the sounds used in the original haiku, and to count the syllables. Though what Japanese poets are counting when they write haiku isn't exactly a syllable as we understand it.<br />
<br />
There are over 40 haiku poets included in the anthology. The earliest one is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dgi">Iio Sogi</a> (1421-1502). He was known as a renga poet. (Haiku are a part of renga.)<br />
<br />
Here is an example of Sogi's work:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>ayafuki kuni ya</i><br />
<i>tami mo kurushiki</i><br />
<br />
and will the land not fall in ruin<br />
with its commoners in distress<i> </i>
</blockquote>
This haiku is 7-7 rather than the common 5-7-5, is not about nature, and lacks a season-word, and so is different from what we normally think of as classic haiku.<br />
<br />
The most recent poet included is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaoka_Shiki">Masaoka Shiki</a> (1867-1902), last of the four great historic haiku writers. Here is an example of his work.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>harusame ya</i><br />
<i>kasa sashite miru</i><br />
<i>ezoshiya</i><br />
<br />
spring rain<br />
browsing under my umbrella<br />
at the picture-book store</blockquote>
<br />
This is more like the haiku we are used to, though by my count it's 5-7-4. It does have a season word, however.<br />
<br />
This little book is a delight. Useful not only to the haiku poet and haiku fan, it's also a great book for a homeschooling mom teaching a poetry unit, or for a school teacher.<br />
<br />
This is how I am using the book lately to learn to write haiku: each day I copy out one haiku into my composition book. I then use it for a model--- or just for inspiration--- to write one of my own. Here is one I did using the above haiku by Sogi as a model:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
when tranquil deer mouse trembles<br />
the whole field jumps at shadows<br />
<br />
<i>(c) Nissa Annakindt 2014</i></blockquote>
<br />
This is a post for Poetry Friday. Visit the others here: <a href="http://www.nowaterriver.com/a-child-can-be-the-poetry-friday-roundup/">http://www.nowaterriver.com/a-child-can-be-the-poetry-friday-roundup/ </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>The Editor's Facebook writing page:</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-43632593746140611572014-09-11T11:29:00.002-05:002014-09-11T11:34:40.927-05:00Poem: Don't Look At My Face<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKHpELTq_nPhVImi-Cb077SSfigsRJQ7OuCGyPceTEbZYdp8zCnR6Hfemaserlg2JolZ8UEZBH-HLd_c69dZACqtkg9HcxlWpRkudJjg3zZKvwGuLGEFNxkDxZSOBSYpSc8hgavtQlmv2/s1600/dontlookVioli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKHpELTq_nPhVImi-Cb077SSfigsRJQ7OuCGyPceTEbZYdp8zCnR6Hfemaserlg2JolZ8UEZBH-HLd_c69dZACqtkg9HcxlWpRkudJjg3zZKvwGuLGEFNxkDxZSOBSYpSc8hgavtQlmv2/s1600/dontlookVioli.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Don't look at my face.<br />
No change, just large bills.<br />
One wrong move will be your last.<br />
<br />
<i>(c) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Violi">Paul Violi</a></i><br />
<i>haiku</i><br />
<i>Found in 'Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years', edited by Jim Kacian, Philip Rowland, Allen Burns. </i><br />
<br />
Review: The poetry book 'Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years' is a fine collection of English-language haiku from Ezra Pound and Wallace Stephens onward. This poem is actually found in the Authors' Foreward.<br />
<br />
<i>This is the first poem other than my own to be featured in this blog. Since it is one I found in a book, this post is officially a review of that book and a sample of the delights to be found within.</i> <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Visit the Editor's Facebook Page:</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-87468851546350098222014-09-10T04:30:00.000-05:002014-09-11T08:47:20.051-05:00Poem: Cry of Cicadas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIJRbs-wDPm9Qc_gcaGJp014-dlFOSYDYKlqti6UEo33xRjHjeiQx35CJdt5VZpyzWLRwe5dk_wu-qel7ZPAxgw9WEhH6SUDLUhJRuUdqzkovoDO9rz-Kwiz_8tRWJFPkszjmS_4RF-TG/s1600/CryOfCicadas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIJRbs-wDPm9Qc_gcaGJp014-dlFOSYDYKlqti6UEo33xRjHjeiQx35CJdt5VZpyzWLRwe5dk_wu-qel7ZPAxgw9WEhH6SUDLUhJRuUdqzkovoDO9rz-Kwiz_8tRWJFPkszjmS_4RF-TG/s1600/CryOfCicadas.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Cry of Cicadas</b><br />
cry of cicadas<br />
cover the sounds of the knife<br />
slayer in night fog<br />
<br />
<i>9/6/2014 – haiku</i><br />
<i>5-7-5, autumn season words (cicada, night fog)</i><br />
<i>(c) Nissa Annakindt </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>My book:</i><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-The-Opium-Cactus-Grows/dp/0557939135">http://www.amazon.com/Where-The-Opium-Cactus-Grows/dp/0557939135</a><i><br /></i><br />
<i>My Facebook writing page:</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-34447068781591004722013-09-30T18:46:00.001-05:002014-09-11T08:32:32.511-05:00Markets: Alban Lake PublishingYou know those market books that every writer is supposed to have? Writer's Market, Poet's Market, those guys? Well, sadly, my most recent market book is a Poet's Market from 2010. Since I don't have enough money to buy the new book and my local library certainly won't have it, I decided to check out some of the old markets that had an online presence.<br />
<br />
I made a list. The first one's site is now something in Japanese. My next two were a couple located at www.samsdotpublishing.com, The Fifth Di... (SF & F fiction and poetry) and Scifaikuest (SF & F haiku & similar). Alas, I got to the site and found the guy who started it had passed away (eternal rest grant unto him...).<br />
<br />
I googled Scifaikuest and found out it is still around at a new web site, <a href="http://www.albanlake.com/">http://www.albanlake.com</a>. They are a small press and do books as well as periodicals.<br />
<br />
Their magazines:<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://albanlake.com/guidelines-scifaikuest/">Scifaikuest</a>: Scifaikuest publishes original scifaiku, haibun, senryu, tanka, and
horrorku and other minimalist forms, and articles about these forms. <i>In their guidelines, they even mention sijo, a poetic form I am abnormally fond of. </i>The online edition of their magazine (very short) is here: <a href="http://albanlake.com/scifaikuest-august-2013/">Scifaikuest August 2013.</a><br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://albanlake.com/guidelines-illumen/">Illumen</a>: Speculative poetry is one result of the application of imagination to
reality. In speculative poetry, one’s “vision” often is taken from a
different angle, from another perspective, perhaps even from another
time and place. Speculative poetry is usually tinged with one or more
of the genres. Thus, in speculative poetry you find hints of science
fiction, fantasy, folklore, myth, the surreal…and yes, even horror.
Good speculative poetry will awaken a sense of adventure in the reader.
That’s what we’re looking for: good, original speculative poetry.<br />
<br />
3. <a href="http://albanlake.com/guidelines/">Outposts</a>: Outposts of Beyond publishes original science fiction and fantasy short
stories, poems, art, articles, reviews, and interviews. Preferred are
adventure stories, space opera, and magic opera [like space opera, but
fantasy]. Also preferred are stories that take place on other worlds.
Stories must have the following: characters the reader cares about,
plots and subplots, and settings that draw the reader into them. Must
have. Outposts of Beyond considers stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words long. Outposts of Beyond considers poems between 12 and 100 lines long.<br />
<br />
And more. You'll have to check out the rest on their site. It does seem though that there is more than one that I might consider submitting to. If only I had the money for the print versions of these zines! I'd buy myself one as a birthday present but I already bought a brand new used copy of You Can Write Poetry by Jeff Mock (after 20 years of being a mad, self-taught autistic savant poet, I'm entitled to start learning how it's really done.)<br />
<br />
Since they do accept e-submissions--- all I can afford, mad autistic poeting doesn't pay well--- I'm going to submit a few after I've read through their online editions. I'm particularly considering Scifaikuest, even though I don't write haiku. Yet. Maybe they would be open to some scifi-sijo instead of scifaiku for a change. ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a><br />
Red Explosions Poetry Group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898/</a> <br />
Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/366357776755069/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/366357776755069/</a>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-24410146218500262013-09-29T12:02:00.001-05:002014-09-11T08:47:44.480-05:00Poem: nuclear sainthood profits/Writing Poetry Benefits Prose Writers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLYnvl0XRmoThYQvkIuRB-oi7wmASqgvht7xEPeIodnYhkn96GdVNZl-tabHWZg7YO7nJfj_AyBAqkAPx8hr7MeDdzsPyNOF5ASYfX0MTxzomtHgIcmS3uaQxWZWHf6zxujQCbb4u8qMh/s1600/IM000921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLYnvl0XRmoThYQvkIuRB-oi7wmASqgvht7xEPeIodnYhkn96GdVNZl-tabHWZg7YO7nJfj_AyBAqkAPx8hr7MeDdzsPyNOF5ASYfX0MTxzomtHgIcmS3uaQxWZWHf6zxujQCbb4u8qMh/s320/IM000921.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> nuclear sainthood profits</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
wages after the labour, we beseech you, o limited nuclear war<br />
a son is given to us, testing increasingly smaller warheads<br />
if this limit is overshot, ground zero will accumulate debris<br />
o mary conceived without sin, detonate a nuclear weapon<br />
in the presence of mine enemies<br />
<br />
behold, a virgin shall declare war on the soviet union and china<br />
the market price of our pope, our bishop, and all true believers<br />
included mutual assured destruction when wages and prices are high<br />
and large numbers of intercontinental ballistic missiles<br />
now and at the hour of our death<br />
<br />
<i>(c) 1990 Nissa Annakindt</i><br />
<br />
OK, thing one. This is not one of those dreary anti-nuclear poems with a Very Important Message. It doesn't have a message. There is also no intent to be disrespectful of the Catholic faith, since such disrespect is also too dreary for words.<br />
<br />
I used the juxtaposition method,<i> </i>using an angsty book about nuclear war, a Catholic prayer book, and something dull by Karl Marx as the source of the words and phrases. I like it. It amuses me. It makes me think strange thoughts. Which is all I ask of it. There is also no intent to be disrespectful of the Catholic faith, since such disrespect is also too dreary for words.<br />
<br />
Shared at: <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2013/09/poetry-pantry-169.html">Poetry Pantry #169</a><br />
<br />
<b>Writing Poetry Benefits Prose Writers</b><br />
<br />
I read once about some sci-fi writer who warmed up for his writing sessions by reading poetry. It helped him appreciate beautiful and/or powerful language or something.<br />
<b> </b><br />
Writing poetry is also of benefit. It helps young/new writers get started producing writing, it helps writers whose work is not winning the attention of editors and the public, and it helps experienced writers who feel they have gone stale.<br />
<br />
Poetry is about powerful and memorable words. Because bland poetry fades away into nothing before the reader's eye is finished with it. The skills used in writing poetry can help to avoid writing dull prose.<br />
<br />
Poetry is a way to get into the groove of producing writing regularly. It helps build confidence in the neophyte and jump-starts a writer who is getting blocked or bored with writing.<br />
<br />
Because poetry is not appreciated in our society in any financial way, there are no high stakes to intimidate you. Suppose you write a poem, and you learn something in the writing. If the poem sucks, probably no one will publish it and they certainly won't pay you money. If the poem is utterly brilliant, probably no one will publish it and they certainly won't pay you money. It kind of takes the pressure off.<br />
<br />
<b>New! </b>Free Online Poetry-Writing Class: <a href="http://linalamont.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-class-in-writing-poetry-for-new.html">http://linalamont.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-class-in-writing-poetry-for-new.html </a><br />
<br />
<br />
Red Explosions Poetry Group:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898"> https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898 </a><br />
Facebook page:
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-16930226306787525402013-09-28T08:55:00.000-05:002014-09-11T08:37:46.863-05:00A Class in Writing Poetry for New Fiction Writers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwVEkY5njwLjJdi4FNJluV9eSDTGMrXmfsVqsTCzNIXc-aK6_y1FRIzn34kjihTPtmrIQuGz0dfAW65J_dLYgDjpu-FDHRksbUKIx6CahddAi-Umx2_QquHaPPGfTMjertP_fkIG2IBNJ/s1600/IM000949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwVEkY5njwLjJdi4FNJluV9eSDTGMrXmfsVqsTCzNIXc-aK6_y1FRIzn34kjihTPtmrIQuGz0dfAW65J_dLYgDjpu-FDHRksbUKIx6CahddAi-Umx2_QquHaPPGfTMjertP_fkIG2IBNJ/s320/IM000949.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheney the Election Day cat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i> </i>I've decided to teach a class in poetry writing. Since there is not a lot of enthusiasm for poetry out there, I've decided to aim it at young/new fiction writers who want to learn the craft through writing poetry. I think poetry writing, done write, is a cure for the bland boring prose so many churn out at first. And writing poems is less of a time commitment than, say, writing epic novels.<br />
<br />
It's going to be an odd class. You see, I never officially learned how to write poetry. I'm more of a mad, self-taught autistic savant poet which I think is a great qualification for teaching a poetry class. Better than being one of those English majors who knows all about how to dissect dead poems but nothing about how to make poems live.<br />
<br />
The class will be free. That's what I know at this point. I'm not quite sure how other people do online classes--- do you know or have experience in this? Please tell me!<br />
<br />
If you might be interested in the class, make a comment, here or on my Facebook page (link below). Do you have questions? Ask them.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: </b>I'm still planning to do this. Soon. As soon as I finish turning this blog into a poetry e-zine. I also need to buy a couple of poetry books in the Dover Thrift Edition line, to use as textbooks. <br />
<br />
<i>Please consider 'liking' us on Facebook.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-23050520339781579702013-09-22T10:15:00.001-05:002014-09-11T08:48:11.007-05:00Poem: The Steam Cranes/Why Novelists Read Poetry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0DWvLm9VOPJpfRsTbE_gcI66VpuLaIVIy1rPY-nqe5gw61koNq6L2u47-fEefb3MmRsOnYJXqwBbC4vumfktjxxYWRXYKU5-T3y1jYY-VswcFIRXlyhO0G5LtC6r5jjKtl2lforrKwXb/s1600/steam_crane_side_view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0DWvLm9VOPJpfRsTbE_gcI66VpuLaIVIy1rPY-nqe5gw61koNq6L2u47-fEefb3MmRsOnYJXqwBbC4vumfktjxxYWRXYKU5-T3y1jYY-VswcFIRXlyhO0G5LtC6r5jjKtl2lforrKwXb/s320/steam_crane_side_view.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><b> </b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>the steam cranes</b><br />
<b><br /></b><i>a sijo</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
a team of steam cranes, hydraulically<br />
lifting brownish-gray metaphors<br />
quarreling over work methods<br />
and over who has a bigger engine shaft<br />
<br />
but what good are industrial efforts<br />
in the days of nuclear rains?<br />
<br />
(c) Nissa Annakindt 2012<br />
<br />
Shared on <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2013/09/poetry-pantry-168.html">Poetry Pantry #168</a><br />
<br />
This is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sijo">sijo</a>--- a Korean poetry form. The topic was chosen by opening one of my encyclopedias at random. This poem is NOT included in my poetry book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-The-Opium-Cactus-Grows/dp/0557939135">Where the Opium Cactus Grows</a>, which is available on Amazon.com.<br />
<br />
<b>Why Novelists Read Poetry</b><br />
<br />
Some time I read about the working habits of well-known writers. One writer, whose name I do not remember, started each writing session by reading poetry. It helped him use sharper and more meaningful language in his novels.<br />
<br />
Poetry is not much appreciated these days, and 'therapeutic' poetry which consists in someone's prose whines arranged as if it were free verse is considered of equal worth with the greatest poems ever written.<br />
<br />
I don't claim to be expert in knowing the literary value of a poem, like the experts who think Nikki Giovanni's poem about 'n-gg-r can you kill a honkey' is the work of one of the greatest poets of our age. But I do feel I have a grasp on what poems are 'strong' and thus useful for the novelist reading to improve his prose. It's the language--- vivid images, strong and meaningful words, combinations of ideas which are unexpected, and strong attention to the sound of the words--- and, yes, that can include rhyme and alliteration even in modern times.<br />
<br />
A novelist's reading list of poetry will include the great poets of the past like Robert Burns and Friedrich Schiller, and it will include something modern. In the case of modern poets it is perfectly acceptable to reject vast numbers of poets and schools of poets that don't speak to the reader. The verdict of literary history has not yet been passed on these works.<br />
<br />
I would also include poems in translation. In college I read poems translated from Russian and Chinese and quite enjoyed them--- even though my experience in reading German poems in the original and then in translation made me aware that poems, like everything else, cannot really be translating without losing something.<br />
<br />
<b>Poets: If you are on Facebook</b><br />
<i>please consider joining</i><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898/">Red Explosions Poetry Group</a><i> </i><b> </b><i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Visit my author page on Facebook. It includes kitten pictures, Doctor Who stuff, and other things to take your mind off me and my writing.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-58996855212318460502013-07-21T10:10:00.000-05:002014-09-11T08:48:37.093-05:00Poem: paper dragons<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QaGB96QRBO-kfrzUZ5arjjqM5kxHK5lf9YkCEuHd770a8qS0LS8hief-jCKoxh9FD1QbliuF8ZZGR6CkBfjGG8ewvHFOI6MK6RyQB6adLyjlra_WUNXzEu10RfIohpyQXjh3kudLizv7/s1600/popecat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QaGB96QRBO-kfrzUZ5arjjqM5kxHK5lf9YkCEuHd770a8qS0LS8hief-jCKoxh9FD1QbliuF8ZZGR6CkBfjGG8ewvHFOI6MK6RyQB6adLyjlra_WUNXzEu10RfIohpyQXjh3kudLizv7/s320/popecat.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>paper dragons</b><br />
<br />
blue & yellow folded paper dragons<br />
sail away in an indigo Tintenfaß<br />
dragons dangerous yet delicate<br />
for they cannot breathe fire<br />
and live<br />
<br />
(c) Nissa Annakindt 1990<br />
<br />
<i>The word 'Tintenfaß is German for 'inkwell'. The funny letter at the end is pronounced like 's'.</i> <i>This is the origin of the poem: one day I was looking through a mail order catalog from Dover Books and came across several advertised books about Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper. One of the book descriptions must have mentioned that it gave instructions for making Origami dragons. And so this poem kind of poured out as poetry often did in those days. </i><br />
<br />
<i>This is one of the poems in my poetry book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-The-Opium-Cactus-Grows/dp/0557939135">Where the Opium Cactus Grows</a>. Shared in <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2013/07/poetry-pantry-159.html">Poetry Pantry #159</a> over at Poets United. </i><br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<b>Poetry Group, Poetry Zine</b><br />
<br />
For a couple of years, some time ago, I used to edit a zine. It was something I liked to do and wasn't half bad at. But the printing and postage cost a lot.<br />
<b> </b><br />
When I self-published my poetry book on Lulu.com, I first began to get the idea that Lulu.com might be a great way to publish a zine. But it took me a while to get to the idea of doing a poetry zine.<br />
<br />
The advantage of doing it as a Lulu.com book is that the 'zine' will be a nicely printed book with a cover, and it won't cost me a fortune making that happen. I wouldn't be able to pay in contributors' copies--- the poets would have to buy their own copy/copies.<br />
<br />
Now, the hard part would be to find some poets who write what I could recognize as quality work. So I thought of starting a Facebook group for poets. Here it is: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898/</a><br />
<br />
Both the group and the future zine are called 'Red Explosions'--- a line from an old poem of mine--- because it expresses what I want--- poems with something vivid, explosive, strange, or interesting. Not a bland collection of words as in:<br />
<br />
my girlfriend<br />
dumped me,<br />
I feel<br />
like sh*t<br />
and want<br />
to<br />
die<br />
die<br />
die<br />
<br />
(If you want to see further examples of what I, perhaps due to a lack of mental health, think of as poetry, you might go to my book on Amazon.com and look at the free preview there at some of the poems I've written.)<br />
<br />
While I am not accepting submissions just yet, if you are interested in submitting to the zine, you might do well to join the Facebook group so you can share poems there. If I like your stuff enough, I will probably ask you to submit when the time comes.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: </b>the zine has become an e-zine. This one right here. <br />
<br />
<i>Please consider 'liking' us on Facebook.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-66934506727814148302013-07-14T00:20:00.001-05:002014-09-11T08:49:11.004-05:00Poem: See, a Fishing Junk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiY6DgZ3cZdx_JrUiym8S7HVioetG9wgyBBEcwXmSutZZ5Y65qJp-7jCU_UdDwFdWYwILXmSgKMl0SXvPF_rqK8VSNF-Kz1kfbjUs1PqSCKVnLjp7HQOP0OgtpZ7vz4zuoQIR9arnxzyl9/s1600/kittengarbage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiY6DgZ3cZdx_JrUiym8S7HVioetG9wgyBBEcwXmSutZZ5Y65qJp-7jCU_UdDwFdWYwILXmSgKMl0SXvPF_rqK8VSNF-Kz1kfbjUs1PqSCKVnLjp7HQOP0OgtpZ7vz4zuoQIR9arnxzyl9/s200/kittengarbage.png" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>See, a Fishing Junk</b><br />
<i>a sijo</i><br />
<br />
See, a fishing junk floats to Kowloon<br />
& I saw a typhoon drinking the harbor.<br />
Stop, I said, do not drink all the water<br />
For the sake of the fishing junk.<br />
<br />
But the typhoon drank on<br />
For the sake of relative humidity.<br />
<br />
(c) Nissa Annakindt Dec. 13, 2012<br />
<br />
<i>One of my more recent poems, and thus not included in my book
When the Opium Cactus grows. I will probably be sharing it in the poetry
group Red Explosions Poetry Group: </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898">https://www.facebook.com/groups/479819908761898</a> Please consider joining the group if you write poetry.<br />
<br />
Shared on <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2013/07/poetry-pantry-158.html">Poetry Pantry #158.</a><br />
<br />
<i>The kitten in the picture is Anthony, who decided to take a nap in the garbage can the other day. He is named after Saint Anthony, who found kitten Anthony and his sister when they went missing for a week. </i> <br />
<br />
<i>Please consider 'liking' us on Facebook.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt">http://www.facebook.com/NissaAnnakindt</a>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-42500465319823775582013-07-07T01:23:00.001-05:002014-09-11T08:51:14.520-05:00Poem: malison d'etreAs I may have mentioned, I'm doing most of my blogging on Facebook these days, at the link given at the bottom of the page. But I still want to post my poem for <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/">Poetry Pantry at Poets United</a>, and so I posted the poem on my Facebook and added my poem to the Poetry Pantry linky. And I thought I'd better post links to the poem here. Click on the poem title to read the poem.<i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/nissa-annakindt-writer-aspie-cat-person/malison-detre/170074936497237"><b>malison d'etre</b></a><br />
<br />
<br />
jonathan is a bat out<br />
of hell<br />
which explains his crispy singed<br />
wings<br />
and his<br />
expression of perpetual exasperation<br />
and why he sleeps<br />
hanging over the heat register<br />
on cold nights<br />
he's working on a PhD<br />
in social work<br />
but what he really<br />
wants is to<br />
be a rock star<br />
like michael jackson<br />
& madonna<br />
strangely enough he cant stand baseball<br />
or hippoptamuses<br />
<br />
<br />
(c) Nissa Annakindt 1990<br />
<br />
<i>This poem is included in my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-The-Opium-Cactus-Grows/dp/0557939135">Where the Opium Cactus Grows</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Please consider 'liking' us on Facebook.</i><br />
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Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-89321715057521644402013-03-21T08:51:00.000-05:002014-09-11T08:52:57.418-05:00Poem: Catsong: for Niki<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nMRJUJ9PR7qDmQc_bVy2un9sCu-KSQLPezjM5GoQXkX00B8AP8TL13_O9zHebs34rtEhD6ezw3JU35l44tQe92RIJIQ_s9SxdU2UwqZ4BCQ42h9QBVYlPXRKGcB0q86LnpQjvdct6MDx/s1600/IM000904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nMRJUJ9PR7qDmQc_bVy2un9sCu-KSQLPezjM5GoQXkX00B8AP8TL13_O9zHebs34rtEhD6ezw3JU35l44tQe92RIJIQ_s9SxdU2UwqZ4BCQ42h9QBVYlPXRKGcB0q86LnpQjvdct6MDx/s200/IM000904.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>This is one of the poems that will be in my new, expanded edition of Where the Opium Cactus Grows. Written in honor of my nine-year-old cat Niki, it is a sijo, a form of Korean poetry somewhat similar to the haiku. It was composed using an ancient Korean sijo as a model/inspiration. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Catsong: for Niki</b><br />
<i>a sijo</i><br />
<br />
what if my heart is too long or too tall?<br />
what if my cat is too light or too small?<br />
<br />
this calico tabby is mine<br />
no matter that her nails are too sharp<br />
<br />
the chill moonlight is mine also<br />
to collect in alabaster jars<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>This is one poem of mine with which I am satisfied--- not that I think it perfect or even good, but I feel that it is as good as I can make it, and any time I might spend fiddling around with it would be better spent writing new poems. Other poems I've written I make endless revisions, sometimes achieving a better poem, sometimes only a new arrangement of the deck chairs on my poetic Titanic. Strangely, in my earliest poems this sense of satisfaction came more easily--- and I continue to be satisfied, for the most part, with these poems still. Today this sense of satisfaction is harder to find.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Note: I am planning to list this poem on Poetry Pantry over at <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/">Poets United</a> this Sunday. If you have a blogged poem to share, or just want to read some poems, please visit their site.</i><br />
<br />
<i>The poem will also appear in the revised version of my book, Opium Cactus, on which I am still diligently working. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Last week with my Poetry Pantry poem undercover lesbian I got some valuable feedback which, strangely, I may actually use. Thanks to all my visitors from last week. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Update: I have indeed shared the poem on <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2013/03/poetry-pantry-143.html">Poetry Pantry #143</a> and am having fun looking at the other poems, seeking treasure. I've already found some, my favorite so far being <a href="http://kerryoconnorpoems.blogspot.com/2013/03/and-bells-will-ring.html">And Bells Will Ring</a>. </i>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-53861490583280876252012-12-09T11:25:00.001-06:002014-09-11T08:55:13.120-05:00Poem: advice to the shopwornthe truli modern poet will<br />
<u>always</u>!!! carry a beeper<br />
///in case/// of poetry emergencies<br />
GLeeMing down the stairs at 3 am<br />
*to insert a radon paradox<br />
(or) delete a rude cauliflower*<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(c) Nissa Annakindt, never you mind what year.</i></span><br />
<br />
<i>A poem from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-The-Opium-Cactus-Grows/dp/0557939135">Where the Opium Cactus Grows</a>, which is soon to go out of print. This was written during a phase of my life as a poet in which I did a lot of monkeying around with peculiarities of typesetting and spelling. Some of my poems from this period have to be altered before posting online because they turned out to do weird things to HTML</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>This poem was shared at <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2012/12/poetry-pantry-127.html">Poets United's Poetry Pantry #127</a>. </i><br />
<br />
<br />Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-18045241247464291412012-04-19T19:23:00.000-05:002014-09-11T08:56:12.412-05:00What is an anti-hero?There seems to be some confusion over the writing term 'anti-hero'.<br />
<br />
An anti-hero is exactly the same as a novel's hero, except he is made out of antimatter. The hero is made of matter.<br />
<br />
If an anti-hero touches a hero, the universe blows up. There was a Star Trek episode that proves it. It featured the cute brother from 'Here Come the Brides' with a weird beard.<br />
<br />
Blowing up the universe is usually a bad thing, unless you are the Doctor and are hanging out with Amy Pond. However, if you happen to have a hero and an anti-hero and just the right sort of jar, you should be able to channel the power of the resulting matter-antimatter explosion in such a way as to make a starship go really, really fast.<br />
<br />
I'll bet the Mythbusters could do it with enough duct tape. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKELDxCPBn6lEwsofESxdJryuGAOYjQt5IkJXFaLJMAkQa-uPsS4LHC7EFddvgmSE-UbIMQoOC1jBK4ZSrdelV_S73Y7mW1h8X0BIXEO9C6rsj8ksK78ezpaz2O1sjikZ5HKaU9FCIcy7/s1600/Lazarus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKELDxCPBn6lEwsofESxdJryuGAOYjQt5IkJXFaLJMAkQa-uPsS4LHC7EFddvgmSE-UbIMQoOC1jBK4ZSrdelV_S73Y7mW1h8X0BIXEO9C6rsj8ksK78ezpaz2O1sjikZ5HKaU9FCIcy7/s320/Lazarus.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't touch him, he's antimatter!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-44216280128525078452012-02-17T07:32:00.000-06:002014-09-11T08:56:46.558-05:004 Online Resources for Korean Sijo PoetryThis blog is publishing a lot of sijo lately and so I thought I would share some sijo resources.<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://www.sijopoetry.com/">Sijo Poetry website</a> A website by the Sejong Cultural Society, with pages on various sijo-topics. A good place to start looking.<br />
<br />
2. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sijo">'Sijo' at Wikipedia, the Liberal Encyclopedia</a> --- gives examples of classic sijo and also tells the history of English-language sijo.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.ahapoetry.com/sijo.htm">Sijo at ahapoetry.com</a> --- gives a great number of classic Korean sijo.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/sijo.php">Sejong Cultural Society Sijo Competition</a> for students below college level --- Gives examples and explanations about the sijo. Entry deadline for the contest is March 31st this year.<br />
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Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-31594649024711780502012-02-05T20:35:00.000-06:002014-09-11T09:00:33.652-05:00Poem: Buy! Buy! Buy!<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy! Buy! Buy!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">at a dealer near you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the only leading brand</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">recommended by more doctors and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">handpicked by juan valdez</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">for confidence that lasts</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and whiter washes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">anything else is just a</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">no sugar added</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">all natural</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">wimpywimpywimpy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">brand x</span><br />
<br />
(c) 2010 Nissa Annakindt<br />
<br />
<br />
One of the poems from 'Where the Opium Cactus Grows'. It is a species of found poem as the phrases are from advertising.Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-31114499173093708902012-02-04T12:25:00.000-06:002014-09-11T09:02:28.530-05:00Poem: On the Creation of Found Poetry<span style="font-size: large;"><b>On the Creation of Found Poetry</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In a dismal pile are found</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">stray words from many sources</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">thrown in a blender, tortured with forks</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and aged six years in wooden casks</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">then inscribed by persian slave</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">calligraphers upon the floor</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>(c) Nissa Annakindt</i> </span><br />
<br />
<i>Another day, another <a href="http://www.sijopoetry.com/">sijo</a>--- this one from my book 'Opium Cactus'. The topic is a totally different form of poetry--- <a href="http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5780">found poetry</a>. In the simplest form of found poetry you simply take someone else's prose words and arrange them like a poem. There was one alleged poet who came out with a whole book of 'found poems' from the words of a government spokesman he didn't care for. This type of found poetry raises for me an issue--- is it really my poem if Bill Clinton composed the words and I just arranged them to spite him?<br /><br />But there is also found poetry where the poet has the work of not only finding the words/phrases but putting them together from different sources, working with them to express the poet's vision. I find this kind of found poetry very satisfying. I also use the method of finding the words/phrases as if for a found poem, but using about an equal amount of words of my own to create the final effect. <br /><br />As to why I used one poem form--- the sijo--- to describe another--- the found poem--- I'm just weird that way.<br /><br /><b>Poetic prompt</b>: write a poem about a poetic form that you like--- or one that you hate. </i>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-8143678242763597572012-02-02T09:45:00.000-06:002014-09-11T09:04:44.928-05:00Poem: catpoem/claudius<span style="font-size: large;"><b>catpoem/claudius</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To my cat Claudius</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">there is a military force</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">at the nervous crane.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>(c) Nissa Annakindt<br /><br />NOTE: Poem from my book Opium Cactus. </i><br />
<i> If modern poetry is drawing words out of a hat, this is the high-tech equivalent--- a Babelfish poem. Babelfish poems are created by writing an ordinary sentence, translating it into an exotic language (Asian languages work best) using Babelfish. You then cut-and-paste the Babelfish translation back into the Babelfish window, and re-translate it back to English. Or some other language. You use the resulting word-salad as source material for your poem.<br /><br />'catpoem/claudius' came to be when I wrote the sentence 'My cat Claudius has a neurological disorder' and translated into-out of Korean using Babelfish. The translation it spat back is exactly what you see here, I only had to arrange it into haiku form. <br /><br />My cat Claudius, by the way, was the best cat ever invented. He had a neurological condition and walked crooked and stumbled a lot. The vet advised me to let him live in the house. When the house cat Cheney had kittens, Claudius managed to stumble into the kitten basket and became the official kitten-sitter. One of the kittens, Germanicus, became his best buddy for life. Both Claudius and Germanicus died, I believe from drinking some antifreeze from a bottle that was cracked.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4PL_sVjRouwbz5WCOXdaBF7l65mwGhc3hTHOYarGAoVm375x9iTbMo0A1r8ufh5jFPH0SSyvb5QbVMPzSUV63U58_ar9YL15O7THx8A7jqNIFbi1gsmy646fdPkzwD5SZfg7rxU4MkI/s1600/claudius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4PL_sVjRouwbz5WCOXdaBF7l65mwGhc3hTHOYarGAoVm375x9iTbMo0A1r8ufh5jFPH0SSyvb5QbVMPzSUV63U58_ar9YL15O7THx8A7jqNIFbi1gsmy646fdPkzwD5SZfg7rxU4MkI/s200/claudius.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claudius as a kitten</td></tr>
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Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-21488742968292866622012-01-29T10:32:00.000-06:002014-09-11T09:05:29.966-05:00Modern Poetry: Picking words out of a hatToday on the program 'Bookmarks' on the Catholic television channel EWTN, they lamented loss of things like rhyme and meter in today's poetry, which they compared to picking words out of a hat.<br />
<br />
That is so exactly right! To be a modern poet you need to pick words out of a hat. To be a GOOD modern poet, you need to have the right words. And the right hat.Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-90300481522681824432011-12-19T10:01:00.000-06:002014-09-11T09:09:30.775-05:00Poem: paper dragons<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0kXSKRPZ600U2JKB1Kp-eIAG7wForBq0DL6_p9KoXte9mLXG6lidhlcwZLAjyEkznGTUXwaplGb-hqOqUhDkxderMi33dXEa62ePtJXfdCqKt6VPguW7qh345TqzEIxpBICf8TSJ_8w/s1600/paper+dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0kXSKRPZ600U2JKB1Kp-eIAG7wForBq0DL6_p9KoXte9mLXG6lidhlcwZLAjyEkznGTUXwaplGb-hqOqUhDkxderMi33dXEa62ePtJXfdCqKt6VPguW7qh345TqzEIxpBICf8TSJ_8w/s320/paper+dragon.jpg" height="183" width="275" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>paper dragons</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">blue & yellow folded paper dragons</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">sail away in an indigo Tintenfaß</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">dragons dangerous yet delicate</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">for they cannot breathe fire</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and live</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>(c) Nissa Annakindt<br /><br /><br />Poem #4. The word 'Tintenfaß'--- German for inkwell--- is particularly fine, adding that needed note of strangeness. From </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-Opium-Cactus-Grows-Annakindt/dp/0557939135?ie=UTF8&tag=moreovthedogw-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Where the Opium Cactus Grows</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=moreovthedogw-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0557939135" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<i>Shared in <a href="http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2012/02/poetry-pantry-is-now-open-86.html">Poetry Pantry #86</a></i><br />
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Origami instructions for making your own paper dragon:<br />
<a href="http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-dragon.html">Origami Dragon Folding Instructions</a><br />
<br />
Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-40610856675767286672011-10-06T07:32:00.000-05:002014-09-11T09:10:06.676-05:00Happy Birthday to Who?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N9_QOIZqi1Y" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Amanda Borenstadt shared this with me on my birthday yesterday. The Doctor and Weird Al--- totally the best present I got! Way better than the mammogram that my new doctor's office inflicted on me on the day (that's why you should never get poor, they schedule your appointments without asking you and then get huffy when you say you have plans....)Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-7389144287038753112011-08-17T18:10:00.001-05:002014-09-11T09:11:23.464-05:00Apostrophe Atrocities<script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1">
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<br />
"John has three cat's, a mother cat and it's babie's. One of the kitten's is real cute but the other ones face looks like the hind end of an as's."<br />
<br />
This is an all too common example of apostrophe atrocity. As a peaceful prolife Christian, I think people who write like this should be killed. With wood chippers.<br />
<br />
Well, that might be a _bit_ harsh. But there is no excuse for anyone who is an aspiring writer to write like this. Not even in an email or Facebook post. Not even if you are dyslexic or don't speak English or just had your brain eaten by a zombie.<br />
<br />
If you think you may have committed an apostrophe atrocity, get thee to the English grammar confessional at once. Your penance will involve an intimate encounter with the first page of your Strunk and White.<br />
<br />
Strunk and White? That's short for 'The Elements of Style' by William Strunk and E. B. White. Every household that doesn't have a copy wedged next to the other household essentials (The Bible, Webster's Dictionary, The Catechism of the Catholic Church (or your denominational equivalent), and The Star Trek Concordance by Bjo Trimble) is probably inhabited by sister-marrying illiterate hillbillies, rather than the literate cousin-marrying hillbilly type that most of us strive for.<br />
<br />
Correct version of above sentence: "John has three cats, a mother and its babies. One of the kittens is real cute but the other one's face looks like the hind end of an ass."<br />
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And now, for no apparent reason, a picture with cats.<br />
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<br />Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876690550286233145.post-32746444228939603902011-04-05T16:04:00.002-05:002014-09-11T09:12:41.538-05:00Using Babelfish to write poetry<script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like font="" href="" show_faces="true" width="450"></fb:like> <br />
<br />
I have an unnatural obsession with machine translation. I have a great time using the various internet sites that provide computerized translation from one language to another, like Babelfish.<br />
<br />
Since I am a person that actually knows about languages (during my Pagan days I translated a Pagan booklet from German into English) I know that computer translations usually suck. They are helpful if you already know the language you are translating into well enough to catch mistakes, but otherwise they can be trouble.<br />
<br />
But while Babelfish and her sisters may not be able to solve the world language problem, they do have another use. They can write poetry.<br />
<br />
You see, one day I was testing Babelfish to see how well it could translate into Korean. I know next to no Korean, so what I did was I wrote a test sentence: "My cat Claudius has a neurological disorder", translated it English-to-Korean with Babelfish, and then cut-and-pasted the resulting unknown Korean sentence into Babelfish and did a Korean-to-English translation.<br />
<br />
This is what Babelfish spit out at me:<br />
<br />
To my cat Claudius<br />
there is a military force<br />
at the nervous crane.<br />
<br />
Who knew Babelfish could write a haiku? So, anyway, I slapped a title on it ('catpoem/claudius') and added it to my collection of poetry written. It is now included in Where the Opium Cactus Grows.<br />
<br />
In this first case I liked what Babelfish did enough to keep it pretty much as it was, I just arranged it into three lines.<br />
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Most of the time Babelfish poetry is more work. You might have to run it through a couple of languages (Asian languages seem to work best), and pick-and-choose the best results and do a lot of rewrites. But it produces some pretty cool imagery and can help to fire up those creative juices on days when you just don't feel like writing anything.<br />
<script src="http://www.reddit.com/r/writing/buttonlite.js?i=1" type="text/javascript"></script>Nissa Annakindthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289000116822109714noreply@blogger.com0