Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Seaside Fort- Condado, Puerto Rico)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What news?
JOE: Plenty. Yesterday was busy. I managed to finish and post my column, Rebuilding Our World Standing and Self Respect. I also finished writing and revising my ten reasons for and against reading each of my books. Now I'll try recording them.
CALLIOPE: Good progress. Anything else going on?
JOE: Yes. I had a chance to browse Barnes and Noble yesterday and found Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer's Craft by Natalie Goldberg and Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writers' Manual by Rita Mae Brown.
CALLIOPE: What prompted you to buy these?
JOE: I thought I could use a little inspiration for my writing.
CALLIOPE: I guess all writers can. What are you up to today.
JOE: In addition to working on marketing, I found two challenges.
CALLIOPE: Which are?
JOE: One is a new online group coordinated by Ann Maid for local writers, some of whom I have met. The entrance fee consists of a poem, a genre generally scary for me.
CALLIOPE: How will you approach it?
JOE: I plan to write in dactylic hexameter in your honor since this meter is generally used in epic poetry. Maybe it will end up as an ode to you for your help.
CALLIOPE: I would be honored. And the other challenge?
JOE: Phil Davis suggested I write some entries for "Amazon's So You'd Like to..." I think it has possibilities and I plan to try it. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Relaxed. I spent last night with friends listening to a Coupe Devilles concert and dancing at Charlotte beach in Rochester.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like fun. I'm glad you're continuing to socialize. What's doing on in your literary world?
JOE: I am continuing to work on my revision of Marital Property, changing it to a first person account. The more I do the more comfortable I am with this approach.
CALLIOPE: What do you like best about it?
JOE: The characters are coming to life and all have a chance to share their perceptions on observations. I think it makes for a much richer story.
CALLIOPE: I'm surprised you didn't think of it before.
JOE: Sometimes I need a kick in the pants to see reality. I thank my readers for their incisive comments helping me sharpen the text.
CALLIOPE: I agree that it's better not to write in a vacuum or at least let your story see the light of day for a little airing out. What do you have on the agenda for today?
JOE: More of the same- work on Marital Property and work on marketing.
CALLIOPE: Speaking of which, how is The Pastor's Inferno doing?
JOE: Not so well. I think the book scares many people with its theme.
CALLIOPE: What do you think you can do about it.
JOE: I've been wondering that myself. I have been considering promotional material directly addressing these fears. I think it's at least worth a try. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Aerial sculptures- Charlotte Beach, Rochester, NY)

A Winter's Tale

Now that it is hot, I have been thinking about winter for some reason. One winter when I was a teen, we had a storm in Rochester which kept everyone from going to work or school. I thought it would be a great opportunity to have a neighborhood party. My father worried about the family running out of food. We both thought each other was crazy. I have come to see since that there are people who want to seize every opportunity and those who fear the worst no matter what. With age, I have also learned that their is a middle ground of responding to adventures which present themselves and being careful not to shoot yourself in the foot.

Fear of Poetry

I attended an organizational meeting of a new writer's group last night. I had no idea who would show up. There were writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. I had concerns about whether writers in different genres would have anything to talk about with each other. I learned from others with more experience in such ventures that people writing in different genres provided a diversity otherwise not available. I had not thought of it this way. Still I wondered whether I would be able to relate to poets. I remember being enthralled by Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and Cristobel. Something about these poems drew me in and captivated me. I have tried reading poetry lately and find it hard to connect with it. I even heard myself say last night that I was afraid of poetry. It sounded strange coming from my mouth. I am not sure what I meant, but there does appear to be this undiscovered part of myself.