Anatomy of an Effective Blog Post
‘5 Quick Songwriting Tips’
I was asked recently to write ‘5 Quick Songwriting Tips’ for an American Airlines promotion that is using my music. The tips didn’t end up getting used, but I had fun writing them, so I thought I’d post (a slightly extended version of) them here! I hope you enjoy. 1. Immerse yourself in the…
There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it [on Goodreads].
Bertrand Russell (via pulcherrima-est-vitae)
bookoasis: A book and a cup of coffee are two of life’s greatest pleasures. (Photo by meadbh metrustry)
Five Ways to Fail at Design
- Refuse to change any other part of your business.
- Design outside of your innovation space.
- Try to design for everybody.
- Insist on replicating another company’s success.
- Compartmentalize design into isolated tasks.
5 Models Of Content Curation
- Aggregation
- Distillation
- Elevation
- Mashup
- Chronology
When it becomes unseasonably warm, I remind myself of days like these…
npr: It’s rare in the “modern” world that we can feel forces greater than ourselves. When we think of grand powers unbound, we call to mind images of nuclear weapons — mushroom clouds rising high on nuclear energies released at our bidding. In this age of petroleum-fueled miracles we seem, most of the time, to have vaulted past natural limitations. Most of the time, our airplanes can lift off even as thunderheads fill the skies. Most of the time, our ships can punch through waves even when they form canyons of storm-driven ocean. Most of the time, the intricate systems we depend upon for commerce, for travel, for food and for energy manage to function. And they do so in spite of churnings of the planet’s own internal systems of atmosphere, hydrosphere and exosphere.
And then, out of the blue, the planet’s hidden powers are revealed. We see the scale of its forces and its energies. There is a particular lesson in that vision for our particular moment in history.
-Posted by wrightbryan3, from Adam Frank’s “A Metropolis Stilled: Lessons From A Storm.”
It is the recognition that well-read is not a destination; there is nowhere to get to, and if you assume there is somewhere to get to, you’d have to live a thousand years to even think about getting there, and by the time you got there, there would be a thousand years to catch up on.
Linda Holmes writing for NPR’s Monkey See blog. Her excellent piece is titled “The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We’re All Going to Miss Almost Everything.” Read more. (via powells)
‘I have stood in yellow sunshine…’
From my grandfather’s poetry book, After Every Summer Rain, published 10 years ago. He passed away this past weekend.
I don’t write because there’s an audience. I write because there is literature.
Susan Sontag (via theparisreview)
It seemed, some days, that life was nothing more than a tally of the people who’d left us behind.
The Fates Will Find Their Way (via pageandoven)
Saturday’s Asheville Wordfest poetry events
Yesterday I enjoyed listening to great poets read their work at Grateful Steps Publishing House and Bookshop and Altamont Theater. There are some many wonderful poetry related events it’s a challenge to decide which events to attend. That being said, here’s today’s list of Asheville Wordfest events:
Saturday, May 7
10:00 a.m.
Children’s events at Spellbound Children’s Bookshop10:00 a.m.
Youth Writing Scavenger Hunt at Thomas Wolfe House with Janet Hurley of True Ink9:30-11:00 a.m.
Resilience Panel with Brian Turner, Paul Guest and Katja Esson Explore with poets and film-maker and each other how resilience “works,” what it is and how we develop it.11:00 a.m.
WORDslam highlights at YMI Cultural Center12:00 p.m.
Our Voice: Together We Are Strong reading This event is sponsored by Our Voice and celebrates the voice and writings of survivors of sexual assault, at YMI Cultural Center.1:00 pm
THE DAY CARL SANDBURG DIED at Fine Arts Theatre1-3 p.m.
IMAGINATURE w/ Hobey Ford, Melinda Tennison, Lisa Alcorn, Cindy Bowen, Hal Mahan, Janet Hurley, Heartworks, SisterJ Spiritvoice. A family event where families can move, make art, learn and discover. Convene at Splashville.3:00 p.m.
Poetry Under the Magnolia Tree: Listen to the poems our children write!
The Magnolia Tree is between Pack Tavern and the City Building in the park.4:00 p.m.
William Matthews Poetry Prize Winners YMI Cultural Center7:00 p.m.
Justin Bigos, Rose McLarney, Kwame Dawes, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Linda Hogan YMI Cultural Center10:00 p.m.
Mountain Xpress Poetry Bash w/ beer and music YMI Cultural Center
If you are using Twitter, please use the hashtags #avlpoetry and/or #wordfest so others may follow social media updates. Hope to see you at one of these fine poetry events!
(Source: http://instagr.am/p/C_N0H/)
Today’s Asheville Wordfest poetry events
I just returned from a spiritually energizing retreat of sorts. So, I haven’t been connected to the internet.
This is a big week for poetry in Asheville. Here’s today’s Asheville Wordfest events:
Friday May 6
4:00 p.m.
Britt Kaufman, Mendy Knott and Luke Hankins Grateful Steps Publishing House and Bookshop 159 Lexington Station.7:00 p.m.
Landon Godfrey, Paul Guest, Holly Iglesias, Brian Turner, YMI Cultural Center9:00 p.m .
An Evening of Translation Altamont Theater at 18 Church St. featuring Thomas Rain Crowe, Emoke B’Racz, Nan Watkins, Luke Hankins, Caleb Beissert
Having been away on a spiritual retreat, I need to get back to the grind of work. But hopefully I’ll be able to attend these Friday events. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Update: If you’re using Twitter, please use the hashtag #avlpoetry and/or #wordfest to follow social media updates.
Communicate slowly. Live / a three-dimensioned life
Wendell Berry, How To Be a Poet
The words are making me wonder about the difference reading poetry aloud makes, three-dimensioned, communicated slowly.
Found here communicate slowly – 37days
(via tellingpoems)
I thought of myself as a writer for years before I got around to writing anything.
E. L. Doctorow (via theparisreview)
What inspires your poetry?
It is a question I am often asked after a poetry reading. I usually offer a tongue-in-cheek reply, ‘Metallica, Blind Guardian, and Johnny Cash.’ The deer-in-headlights look I receive is ‘gold standard’ (as one writer puts it). I guess they expect something like ‘Whitman, Ginsberg, and Bukowski’ or some other literary trinity.
Specific books inspire me more than specific poets. During April, 32 Poems blog published poets who offer their list of five poetry books you need to read. I enjoyed reading what other poets offer as recommended poetry reading. But I often wondered if the five books chosen by the featured poets were more a literary bumper sticker proclaiming themselves serious poets or, like indie rock musicians, a list of obscure books that no one knows but should know how important they are.
So, I am not going to offer a list of five poetry books that inspire me. I’ll stick with my initial reply, ‘Metallica, Blind Guardian, and Johnny Cash.’
Thanks to all who attended the May 2011 Poetrio
Today is the Big Love Fest! If you have the chance, support unchained and independent business in Asheville!
Sunday, May 1, Poetrio reading
I am scheduled to read poems with poets Diana Pinckney and Barbara Gravelle as part of Poetrio at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café May 1, 2011 at 3 p.m.
I plan to read poems from the anthology Rooftop Poets (2010) as well as selected published and unpublished material.
Also, I take requests. If you’ve seen something I’ve posted recently as part of the 30 poems in 30 days challenge that you would like me to read for Poetrio, please email me, DM me on Twitter (@mxmulder) or leave a comment and I’ll make sure to read your requests. Hope to see you on Sunday!
Coffeehouse Junkie 