Reviewsday: tea@elevensies

Good writing makes writers want to write well. Tongue-twisters are also very inspirational.

I’ve known Charlotte of tea@elevesies since we were on the editorial staff of our college newspaper together. We connected over a love of The Office and home-run derby and subtly making fun of others. We also had several classes together, as we were both English majors. One of us got a degree. Since then, we’ve kept in contact here and there via Facebook and Twitter, but not ever on any sort of regular basis until I found her blog and started putting more effort into mine.

In very little time at all, tea@elevsies became one of my favorite blogs to read. Charlotte and her friend Ashley had decided that living half a country away from one another was no reason not to collaborate on a blog celebrating anything they find inspirational, funny or interesting. And thank God for it.

One of my favorite staples on the blog is Favorite Thing Friday, a weekly tribute to something one or both bloggers have a soft spot in their heart(s) for. (This will look familiar, as it is the idea which I ripped off when I started Tuesday Reviewsday here. Don’t plagiarize, kids. It’s a bad thing.)

A special nod to Charlotte, who completed her own 50,000 word novel in the month of November. According to Twitter, she wrote just under half in the four days after Thanksgiving. Leave it to a journalist to give a writing deadline that kind of beat down.

I highly encourage anyone in the mood for a fresh new bit of writing and blogging to head over to tea@elevnsies and just sit and hang out for a while. Stay for a second cup, even. Charlotte and Ashley love having company over.

Filed under: Blogs, Media Review

Reviewsday: Christopher Thomas Writes

Writers who blog are one (or a combination) of three things: private, nonexistent, or just plain bad. Taking networking into consideration as a key point in supporting the content I post on my blog, I set out to find people who were trying to use their blogs – as I am – to promote their writing. I came up empty handed. This frustrated me.

However, Christopher Thomas is a blogger and a writer who eases my frustration. In the face of a blogosphere dominated by tech blogs, celebrity gossip, political rants and theological debate, Chris has the gall to say, “No sir, I’m gonna write some damn good poetry.”

And that’s exactly what he does.

Working within the constraints and rigidity of scholastic poetic structure, Chris stretches the boundaries from within, skewing the discipline into a morphed-sort-of-beautiful rendition of poetic (dare I say) brilliance. Take, for example, Indian Summer

When popes canonize saints they
first require a miracle like a
corpse in a crypt that does not
rot, and believers buy relics

I had believers once, though
no saint, pupils, maligned
by most, I advised, in some way
but I left the lectern today

and some took pity, felt loss, others delight
as I darkened the room, and vanished from sight

In December, Chris will be “Adventing” 25 Sonnets (some of which written by yours truly) to creatively commemorate a time-honored Christian tradition.

Chris is also completing the first draft of his debut novel, “Stilleto” and compiling samplings of poetry and short fiction for a creative writing collection by Wagon City Press due out in early Spring 2010.

Happy Reviewsday, Christopher Thomas. We salute you.

Filed under: Blogs, Media Review

2010: The Year of Betterment

I stated in a recent post that there are things and ideas that I want to be and embody. For one, I struggle a lot with anger issues and anxiety as well as a general bias against anything or anyone I may not be familiar with. These things and others are what I will be focusing all of 2010 on.

Each month, beginning 1 January, I will begin a new phase of the experiment that is The Year of Betterment as well as continuing the last. So, basically, the first experiment will last all year, the second from 1 February to 31 December, the third from 1 March to 31 December, etc.

I’ll be chronicling my journey here and have weekly posts detailing the progress (or otherwise) I’ll be experiencing.

I’ll go more into depth when I introduce each experiment, but here is the rundown:

1. Catholicism (12 Months)
2. Letter Writing (11 Months)
3. Vegan (10 Months)
4. Book a Week (9 Months)
5. Exertion (8 Months)
6. Time Tithing (7 Months)
7. Water Only (6 Months)
8. Clean Air/Clean Lungs (5 Months)
9. Car Fast (4 Months)
10. Green (3 Months)
11. Writer’s Market (2 Months)
12. Wireless (1 Month)

The twelve things listed here are each an experiment in themselves, as well as single facets of one big experiment in self-discipline. Each month I’ll begin partaking in something I either have a bias against or am scared of, or ridding myself of something I feel I’m too dependent on.

Please note: I do not hold the belief that any one (or combination of) these things will make me better just by partaking in them. However, the experience of doing/ridding myself of something will be – fingers crossed – greatly beneficial to me.

So if you care to follow my journey of betterment of mind/body/spirit, here is the place to do that. It’s going to be hard, and I won’t be able to do it on my own. So lend any encouragement, tips, friendship you can muster and float it my way.

Start the countdown: 42 Days to Betterment

Filed under: The Year of Betterment