Conversations with Calliope- Brain Optimization

(Wedding Conversation)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Thinking.
CALLIOPE: About what?
JOE: Yesterday I worked on search engine optimization (SEO), what it is all about and how to do it.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: As I was considering what to write this morning, the term "brain optimization" popped into my mind.
CALLIOPE: What do you mean by it?
JOE: How should I know. I've never heard these two words together before.
CALLIOPE: Then speculate?
JOE: Fair enough. I found a definition of SEO yesterday, "altering and improving the natural search listings that will be returned for various keywords and phrases."
CALLIOPE: Sounds rather stodgy to me. How could it apply to brains?
JOE: We could arrange our brains to respond to others by giving something important to them.
CALLIOPE: Interesting.
JOE: I think we often tell people what's important to us and forget about their needs. Something to work on. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Suicide Bombers

(Storm Clouds)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Wondering about suicide bombers.
CALLIOPE: What brings them to mind?
JOE: A program I happened on this morning on TV about the psychology of suicide bombers.
CALLIOPE: What was the jist?
JOE: Sometimes cells of people with similar thinking form bonds not necessarily at the behest of al Qaeda or other influence.
CALLIOPE: How do they get to suicide bombing?
JOE: They seem to form tight bonds beyond consideration of family or even strangers and depersonalize others. The group bond becomes the only thing in their life.
CALLIOPE: How does the suicide part fit it?
JOE: If they explained that, I missed it. The program stressed the importance of the group bond but did not address other motivation.
CALLIOPE: Does it make sense to you?
JOE: No. But then I'm not a suicide bomber. It's hard for me to even imagine.
CALLIOPE: Perhaps it is too complex to understand. Once people explode themselves it's too late to explore their motivation.
JOE: I agree. Another of life's mysteries at least for now. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Fallow Fields

(Belly Flop Contest)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: I went to bed last night mad at myself for not accomplishing much.
CALLIOPE: How did that come about.
JOE: First I woke up tired after going to bed late Sunday night. My store of energy was nowhere to be found.
CALLIOPE: How did you spend the day?
JOE: Watching television in the morning and doing yard work in the afternoon.
CALLIOPE: Was it a total loss?
JOE: I realized this morning that it wasn't. The exercise of course was good for me. On TV I watched classic movies and studied their approach and technique. I also looked at the many commercials from a marketing point of view.
CALLIOPE: So you did accomplish something.
JOE: I didn't produce anything but did recharge my creative batteries much as a field is rejuvenated by being allowed to lie fallow for a time.
CALLIOPE: Is your field still fallow?
JOE: Not this morning. I plan to get back to work exploring several projects on the coals.
CALLIOPE: That's the spirit.
JOE: Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope_Musicophilia

(Columbus Circle Statues)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready for another week?
JOE: I am.
CALLIOPE: What have you been up to over the weekend?
JOE: I started reading Oliver Sacks' book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: A provocative line toward the beginning raising a question about what use music is and why does it exist and enchant us. Then I spent Saturday evening enchanted by the Dady Brothers, Roxanne Ziegler and Irish Dancers.
CALLIOPE: To what end?
JOE: I reached the conclusion that sometimes words fail us and we must think and communicate in other ways.
CALLIOPE: As a champion of epic poetry, I must remind you that the arts were originally ways of relating our heritage, ideas and culture.
JOE: No doubt. But there is something else too. Even writing does not just convey information. It touches our souls and hearts and brings us together.
CALLIOPE: So you see the arts, including literature as a way for our minds and souls to communicate?
JOE: I do. I'm not sure I can explain it any further. Maybe it is something to contemplate without words.
CALLIOPE: Perhaps so. Let's both meditate on it.
JOE: Agreed. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Social Networking

(Columbus Circle Sculpture)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Quite good.
CALLIOPE: What have you been up to?
JOE: My major accomplishment yesterday was completing a critique of a friend's new book. I also posted my Sliding Otter News newsletter to my mailing list although I still need to post it to my website.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you have been busy.
JOE: I have. I also found some good information in internet marketing and development of keywords. Steve Weber also sent me a very useful link for small business resources at http://www.monstersmallbusiness.com.
CALLIOPE: So you social networking is paying off.
JOE: It is. Also Writers Digest recently opened a site for writers at http://writersdigest.ning.com. It is already quite active and appears to be a very promising online community. I'm excited about it.
CALLIOPE: It's about time you got excited.
JOE: I agree. Sometimes I seem to just plod along. It's nice to have some enthusiasm.
CALLIOPE: Use it to good advantage.
JOE: I will. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- All Systems Go

(Astoria Station)

JOE: Good m0rning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. Everything seems in order and I have no distractions facing me today.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear it. What do you have planned?
JOE: Getting back to work.
CALLIOPE: Specifics please.
JOE: I have been gathering materials about search engine optimization and plan to start using them to my advantage.
CALLIOPE: Anything that still puzzles you?
JOE: I received a post from Ezine which listed search terms which their visitors used to find my articles.
CALLIOPE: Interesting.
JOE: I thought so. If I could find such a listing for terms visitors to my web site use, I would be quite grateful.
CALLIOPE: Where could you find such a list?
JOE: I'm not sure I could. So far I don't know how to look other than using a trial and error keyword program through Google keywords.
CALLIOPE: Something to explore.
JOE: There's always something. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dealing with Distractions

(Seaside Setting)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you thinking about today?
JOE: Distractions. I have been reading what Julia Cameron has to say about necessary surroundings for writing.
CALLIOPE: What does she have to say?
JOE: Among other things that there is no ideal writing environment. Even if there were, it would not guarantee that our writing would be any better than in the midst of distractions.
CALLIOPE: What do you think?
JOE: I think she's right. I sometimes dream of an ideal writing environment. Before you ask, it would be a seaside villa in the Caribbean with a breeze strong enough to rustle but not rumple the pages I am working on.
CALLIOPE: Have you ever had that experience?
JOE: I've been in such an environment, but found it too peaceful to bother writing. There's something about the bustle of everyday life which stirs me to action.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Everyday events give me topics for my columns and also a context for other writing.
CALLIOPE: Don't they distract you as well?
JOE: They do but the also keep me from getting bored with long hours of writing.
CALLIOPE: I guess there is no ideal context for writing.
JOE: Not that I know of, but I keep plugging along. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- The Mystery of Suffering

(Cognac Still)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's on your mind today?
JOE: Suffering?
CALLIOPE: Please elaborate.
JOE: I'd be glad to. As I attended Laney's wake and funeral, I kept thinking of all the suffering he endured over the last few months.
CALLIOPE: Did you have any particular questions?
JOE: I wondered about the point of all his suffering. Was it for any particular purpose?
CALLIOPE: You're not the first person who has puzzled about this issue?
JOE: I know. I have heard quite a bit about it over the years but nothing which adequately explains it.
CALLIOPE: You know that pain signals that something is wrong and needs corrective action.
JOE: I do. Where I get stuck is if nothing can be done.
CALLIOPE: Maybe the answers are just not evident yet and pain is an invitation to the medical community to keep searching.
JOE: That makes some sense. But it doesn't seem to be much benefit to the person suffering.
CALLIOPE: I can't argue there. Somethings are beyond our understanding.
JOE: I realize that. I guess it's just one of life's mysteries at least for now. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Beyond the Self

(Crawford Creek)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. I wondered where you where.
JOE: I was attending the aforementioned funeral.
CALLIOPE: How did it go?
JOE: As well as can be expected for a funeral. Nothing I didn't expect.
CALLIOPE: Did you finish your article about weddings and funerals?
JOE: I finished it this morning. I wasn't quite sure what I would say but woke up this morning and found the title as well as the gist of it on the tips of my fingers. All I had to do was type it.
CALLIOPE: Strange how that just happens sometimes.
JOE: Don't be coy. I know about you muses and your ways.
CALLIOPE: Glad you appreciate us.
JOE: I do. I try to keep paying attention but sometimes my mind wanders.
CALLIOPE: Keep doing your best.
JOE: Another interesting thought. Sometimes I wonder how good I am but then I recall what Julia Cameron said about doing your best regardless of what you think about yourself.
CALLIOPE: Authenticity usually comes through somehow.
JOE: So I have come to understand. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Marriage and Death

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. That seems like an odd title for you entry.
JOE: I suppose it is But those are the two events which kept me busy this weekend.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Families get together quite often for marriages and funerals. Sometimes they are the only places I have seen some of the people I know.
CALLIOPE: What else do they have in common.
JOE: I was just thinking about that for my Saturday column.
CALLIOPE: What did you come up with?
JOE: Both are significant way stations in life. Birth is the other major one but I didn't have one to celebrate this weekend.
CALLIOPE: Anything else.
JOE: The ideas is still percolating. Let me think a moment.
CALLIOPE: Not too long. You have work to do.
JOE: Right. Marriage is an occasion for a couple to join their lives and for their community of friends to join in support of their union.
CALLIOPE: And death.
JOE: Death and funerals provide families with a chance to remember the life of their loved one, say goodbye and comfort each other. I guess that's my theme. Talk with you tomorrow.

Christy Pinheiro, EA ABA: Why Do You Blog?

Christy Pinheiro, EA ABA: Why Do You Blog?

Conversations with Calliope- Back in Business

(Fall Foliage)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I hope you are doing better than you were yesterday.
JOE: I must admit I was discouraged and frustrated with my technology but I got it figured out.
CALLIOPE: How?
JOE: Strange you should ask. In trying to use various FTP programs, I kept seeing a troubleshooting question asking whether my web hosting had expired. I thought that was ridiculous.
CALLIOPE: But?
JOE: Well, I called my internet service provider who checked and discovered that my web hosting had expired since I had not paid my bill.
CALLIOPE: On purpose?
JOE: Of course not. I just forgot it and like everything else, the service stopped when I stopped paying for it.
CALLIOPE: How was it resolved?
JOE: I paid it and had my services turned back on. I was then able to update my websites and was back in business.
CALLIOPE: You have to be more careful.
JOE: It would save me some trouble. But I tend to be more the artistic than business type.
CALLIOPE: At least you realize it.
JOE: I do. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- The Best Laid Plans

(Water Over the Dam)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How's your organizational plan going?
JOE: I got through one day and started yesterday on some changes to my website.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Technology tripped me up again. My FTP program updated and then I was unable to log into my server.
CALLIOPE: Did you get it fixed?
JOE: No. I'm still stuck and will ask for some help from my internet service provider.
CALLIOPE: Sounds frustrating.
JOE: It is. I worked on that and a problem with one of my e-mail accounts. Neither problem is resolved yet.
CALLIOPE: I take it that means you didn't get to work on your writing yesterday.
JOE: You take it correctly. So much for that plan.
CALLIOPE: You sound frustrated.
JOE: I am. Just when I start taking technology for granted it rears its ugly head and reminds me who's in charge.
CALLIOPE: I hope you get some answers and get back to work today.
JOE: I hope so too. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Getting Organized

(Organizing Pigs)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How's the writing coming?
JOE: I'm working on getting organized.
CALLIOPE: How are you going about it?
JOE: I am trying to keep up with marketing and writing and find myself flopping around like a fish on the shore.
CALLIOPE: How will you unflop.
JOE: Organization. I decided to split my day. In the morning I will work on correspondence and marketing as well as related activities.
CALLIOPE: And the afternoon?
JOE: I will devote it to working on my writing and reading.
CALLIOPE: Have you started yet?
JOE: I tried it yesterday and it worked fairly well. But I think it will take practice to get in the habit.
CALLIOPE: Everything does.
JOE: I can't argue with you there. Today I will work on plans for revising my websites in the morning. This afternoon I will continue working on my audio recordings and later read to restore my spirit.
CALLIOPE: Best of luck with your plan.
JOE: Thanks. I'll report back tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Score Internet Marketing

(Workspace)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: I missed you yesterday.
JOE: My apologies. I was off early for a workshop on Internet marketing.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: Mary Anne Shew, president of Business Vitality, presented an all day SCORE workshop on Internet marketing.
CALLIOPE: What did she have to say?
JOE: Plenty. I left with my head full. I'm still digesting it all. I have been working for quite a while to make sense of the topic with little success. She brought it all together in a comprehensive and simple way which clarified the process for me.
CALLIOPE: So now you've mastered Internet marketing.
JOE: I didn't say that. Not by a long shot. But now I have a road map of how to start and where to go next.
CALLIOPE: What did you like best about her workshop?
JOE: Her "Idea Collector" where she invited us to write down ideas as they occurred to us during her presentation along with specific applications and expected results. I came away with two pages of specific actions, how to do them and what to expect. No one ever suggested that to me before. As a result what I learned got lost in my pile of papers.
CALLIOPE: What do you think will be your biggest challenges?
JOE: The two which come to mind are search engine optimization and implementing e-commerce.
CALLIOPE: Big topics.
JOE: I need something to work on. They will both keep me busy for a while. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Spiritual Wisdom

(Boston Twilight)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was your weekend?
JOE: Excellent. I spent it communing with nature and with people I enjoy being with.
CALLIOPE: Taking a break?
JOE: Not really. It's my way of refreshing myself and reconnecting with what really matters.
CALLIOPE: How does that affect your writing?
JOE: It gives me a sense of perspective on why I do what I do.
CALLIOPE: Could you be more specific?
JOE: Without a larger perspective it is easy to become lost in details and spin my wheels.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about your perspective.
JOE: I think we might have talked about it before. It has to do with my spiritual focus or context for living my life as well as for my writing.
CALLIOPE: I see.
JOE: My focus is on understanding life, my own and that of others, and sharing insights which occur to me.
CALLIOPE: Is that what you mean by wisdom.
JOE: Precisely. Now back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Wisdom Project

(Cabin in Oramel)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's up today?
JOE: I'm resting from all I did yesterday and plan a day trip to the Southern Tier of New York after I finish this post.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like fun. What did you get done yesterday?
JOE: I am working on becoming more familiar with the recording technology including my microphone and the editing software I found. I am beginning to feel more comfortable with it.
CALLIOPE: What else?
JOE: I found a source of free royalty free music I can use on my CD's at the beginning and end. I was able to download some clips successfully.
CALLIOPE: What about content?
JOE: Ah. The crux of the matter. I started brainstorming about the content and decided on a number of CD's for various age ranges.
CALLIOPE: Where will you start?
JOE; With seniors. They have had the most time to become wise.
CALLIOPE: What will you offer them?
JOE: Stories about wise seniors, definitions of wisdom, quotes through the ages, and some of the writings I already have. I will supplement these with thoughts of other writers.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like more than you can fit on one CD.
JOE: I realize that. I will start with one and then develop others depending on the response to the first. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- The Writer as Transmitter

(Ship Communication Tower)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Energized.
CALLIOPE: On what account.
JOE: I'm proceeding with my latest project.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: A series of recordings on wisdom for various ages.
CALLIOPE: Sounds interesting. Where are you with it now?
JOE: Back to working on technology. I found a good microphone and editing software as well as a company to reproduce and distribute CD's.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like the mechanics are coming along. How about the substance?
JOE: I have been wondering whether I have enough to say. Then I read Julia Cameron's wisdom in The Right to Write. She sees creativity as a process of listening, recording and transmitting rather than trying to think everything up yourself.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a humble stance.
JOE: It is but I can identify with it. I often wonder where I get ideas. Then I realize that if I pay attention they come to me. My job becomes a simple task of taking dictation from my experience.
CALLIOPE: Interesting way to put it.
JOE: It's a lot less responsibility and more fun to boot. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Between Me and the River

(Between Me and the River- Cover)

JOE: Good morning Calliope. I have a book review to share with you today.
CALLIOPE: Great. Let me see it.

Between Me and the River by Carrie Host

In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron observes, "My body which carries a knowledge deeper than my mind, has answers for me as an artist and a person." In her new book, Between Me and the River, Living Beyond Cancer: A Memoir (Harlequin, 2009), Carrie Host chronicles her encounter with the river of cancer, sometimes paddling along, sometimes caught in the rapids and sometimes grasping desperately for the shore.

Her account reminds me of Dante's Divine Comedy, especially the Inferno with its River Styx and the Purgatorio where her body, mind and soul are purified. She never quite makes it to the Paradiso, although none of us do in this life. From the start of her account, I wanted to push or pull her boat to safety or paddle with her.

Before her encounter with cancer Carrie wrote poetry. She learned to watch, listen, smell, touch and taste the joys, frustrations, fears, defeats and victories punctuating her voyage. She shares with the reader her poignant observations, thoughts and feelings as her body experiences them. You will share with her the sting of each setback and the glory of each victory. As Julia Cameron says, "We store memories in our bodies. We store passion and heartache. We store joy, moments of transcendent peace."

Carrie's book shares her perspective on wrestling with cancer, from the loneliness of facing it alone inside her body to the loving support of her thirty-eight muses who helped write her story. She starts writing with the goal of finding an ending to her story. Eventually she does, "Radiating pure light, I've surreptitiously come to a place with winter clarity along the banks of a magnificent river, its roar a vague whisper, a place with all words sleeping."

Conversations with Calliope- Fall Fling

(Fall Fling)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Feeling productive.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: I finished my current column about the Fall Fling.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: A community event hosted by City Church in Batavia. They had booths providing information to needy people on services available in the community. They also gave away an enormous amount of food, clothing and household goods donated by businesses, agencies and individuals.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like quite an experience.
JOE: I found it heartwarming. I have become somewhat cynical about how much people even notice struggles their neighbors endure.
CALLIOPE: That's a nice feeling.
JOE: It helped restore my faith in humanity and caring for fellow members of our human community.
CALLIOPE: Do you think selfishness is on the wane.
JOE: I don't think so. But at least there are corporations and individuals who do care. At least there is hope.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: It's time to keep reminding people of their struggling neighbors and to do what they can. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Getting Personal

(Moonflowers)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Thinking about yesterday's post and realizing I shared more personal information than usual.
CALLIOPE: Is that why you had to think about it a while before posting?
JOE: It is.
CALLIOPE: How do you feel about having done so?
JOE: I think it's a step in the right direction. Writing in generalities keeps my writing impersonal and harder for readers to feel a personal sense of contact.
CALLIOPE: I think you might be right. What's leading you in this direction?
JOE: I'm still reading Julia Cameron's book, The Right to Write. She has been quite an inspiration to me.
CALLIOPE: How specifically?
JOE: She shares quite a bit about her personal life especially as it affects her writing. I feel a kinship with her I would like to establish with my readers.
CALLIOPE: Ah, she's setting a good example for you.
JOE: Exactly. I hope to learn more from her. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Ravages of Mental Illness

(Statue- San Juan)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you on Saturday.
JOE: I learned that some experiences are like some books. They need to be chewed and digested. I needed some time before addressing what happened Saturday.
CALLIOPE: Sounds rather dramatic.
JOE: It wasn't so much dramatic as profoundly affecting me.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: Okay. I met a woman I had once loved and had not seen in ten years.
CALLIOPE: What happened?
JOE: She was a shell of her once vibrant and bright self. Only faintly glowing embers remained of her personality.
CALLIOPE: What happened to her?
JOE: Mental illness ravaged her and she almost disappeared.
CALLIOPE: Did finding her in this state surprise you?
JOE: No. I knew what to expect. Still it is sad to see the remnants of a once promising life now tenuous at best.
CALLIOPE: Sorry to hear it.
JOE: I have known it all too well as a psychologist but it's still hard to accept. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Visit to the Real World

(Paphiopedilum)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's on your mind this morning?
JOE: I was just reflecting on yesterday's field trip.
CALLIOPE: Where to?
JOE: Spiritus Christi Mental Health Center in Rochester.
CALLIOPE: What prompted that?
JOE: Several things. I had wanted to see what they were doing. I have considered volunteering there. Mostly I went since I committed myself to doing so as part of my involvement in the Mental Health Board in Genesee County.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: A unique undertaking. As far as anyone knows, they are the only such operation in the country.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: They have two full time employees. All of the psychiatrists and therapists volunteer time to see patients. They are funded by Spiritus Christi Church donations and a second hand furniture shop. They don't have to deal with any of the state, federal or insurance company regulations and treat uninsured and underinsured patients for free.
CALLIOPE: I never hear of such a thing.
JOE: Neither have I before discovering them.
CALLIOPE: Are you still planning to volunteer?
JOE: I want to see how things go with Americorps first. But that's a story for tomorrow. Talk with you then.

Conversations with Calliope- Writing Freedom

(Riverboat)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still feeling good about my writing decisions.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Writing for money or with an agenda confines my writing. I become responsible for finding what to write.
CALLIOPE: As opposed to what?
JOE: Letting my observations of life and the human condition guide me.
CALLIOPE: Is that a new approach for you?
JOE: No. It's where I started when I began writing. It's more a question of getting back to my roots.
CALLIOPE: Could you elaborate?
JOE: At the beginning I saw myself as a channel for observations rather than being in charge of deciding what to write.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you chose to follow your muse rather than try to force anything.
JOE: Exactly. That's how our conversation started in the first place.
CALLIOPE: I'm happy to lead you where life takes us.
JOE: Glad to have you as a guide again. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- The Right to Write

(Giant Caterpillar)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Quite well thank you.
CALLIOPE: What transpires?
JOE: I'm continuing to take stock of my writing and its place in my life.
CALLIOPE: A big order. How are you going about it?
JOE: I recalled that I had quite a few books on writing and decided to peruse them?
CALLIOPE: Find anything interesting?
JOE: Yes. Julia Cameron's book, The Right to Write.
CALLIOPE: Oh?
JOE: Years ago I read her earlier book The Artist's Way and found it quite helpful in directing my writing, focusing on its joys.
CALLIOPE: Isn't this a book for beginning writers?
JOE: Both books are actually. But I have learned that I am always a beginning writer if I approach it with a child's mind.
CALLIOPE: I've heard that expression. What do you think it means?
JOE: To me it means approaching a task with no preconceptions and being open to the experience on its own terms. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Writing and Meaning

(Allegheny Sunset)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I wonder about your wisdom project and why you chose it.
JOE: Good question. I think it sprung from my mother's recent ninetieth birthday. It made me stop to think what's important to me at this point in my life.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: First, I discovered what's not so important. I have been pursuing marketing as a way to make money.
CALLIOPE: Something wrong with that?
JOE: No, but to do justice to the Guerrilla Marketing I have been reading about as a path to making money, I would need to devote the bulk of my time and energy in the pursuit, pushing writing meaningfully to a secondary importance.
CALLIOPE: I see.
JOE: I am starting to see what's important to me. I think more money would be nice but would also distract me from my goal.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: To help other see the value of the collected wisdom of the ages and live in tune with our earth and its community rather than selfishly grabbing what we can.
CALLIOPE: A tall order.
JOE: I know. It's not one I can do alone. Others have gone before me in the effort, others are active now and I am sure others will follow. But I want to do my part.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you want to make your contribution to living meaningfully.
JOE: Correct. Now to do it. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Wisdom Project

(Allison and Joey)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I've been scratching my head all weekend.
JOE: About what?
CALLIOPE: About the new project you alluded to.
JOE: Oh, yes. It's about wisdom.
CALLIOPE: You mentioned that Saturday. Tell me more.
JOE: I haven't settled on a title yet although that might be better to decide later anyway.
CALLIOPE: And the focus?
JOE: It seems to me that each time of life has a store of wisdom.
CALLIOPE: Do you mean from childhood on through old age?
JOE: Exactly. Although our culture tends to focus on immediate gratification, Each season of life also has its own perspective and contribution to make to better ways to live.
CALLIOPE: I can't argue with that. How do you plan to go about it?
JOE: I have begun searching what has been written so far. Books on the subject don't look overdone.
CALLIOPE: So that's where you are now?
JOE: I am. After my research I will plan my strategy and develop an outline. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- New Project

(Apple Umpkin)

JOE: Good evening Calliope.
CALLIOPE: I had just about given up on you for today.
JOE: We expect rain here for the rest of the week. I made hay while the sun shone.
CALLIOPE: Doing what?
JOE: Visiting the Apple Umpkin Festival in Wyoming.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you finally got here. You said something about a new project.
JOE: Indeed I did.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I have been trying to find a way to integrate marketing and writing. I think I may have found one.
CALLIOPE: Go on.
JOE: I am exploring the possibility of a series of books on wisdom, building on a theme I have followed for years.
CALLIOPE: So you will not be starting from scratch.
JOE: No. I already know my theme and also have become associated with it through my previous writings.
CALLIOPE: A kind of platform.
JOE: You guessed it. It's still in the infancy stage but I have started doing some research into what has been written in this area and will continue exploring it next week. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Directions

(Letchworth)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How goes it today?
JOE: Other than a leaky faucet the day's off to a fairly good start.
CALLIOPE: Did you tend to the faucet?
JOE; I got it diagnosed. Next is surgery, but it's in the works.
CALLIOPE: How about literary matters?
JOE: I'm continuing to work through Guerrilla Marketing for Writers.
CALLIOPE: What do you think so far?
JOE: There's enough here to keep me busy for years.
CALLIOPE: But?
JOE: But I don't want to spend years marketing.
CALLIOPE: So?
JOE: My current thought is to make room for marketing efforts in my schedule but not let them take over my life.
CALLIOPE: Sounds sensible. Back to balance.
JOE: Indeed. Now to do it. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Rural Travels

(W.G. Handyside Gallery)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Did you sleep in?
JOE: No. I was busy writing and doing my yoga.
CALLIOPE: I see. What news?
JOE: Yesterday my son and I lunched at the Mennonite bulk food store in Warsaw (NY) and stopped by W.G. Handyside Gallery of Fine Arts in Wyoming (also NY) to visit with the owner Diane Burnham.
CALLIOPE: Learn anything interesting?
JOE: We chatted quite a while about running an art store, the state of art and public resp0nse.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: Her opinion was that people are not as interested in owning art in rural areas as they are in big cities.
CALLIOPE: Does that have to do with income?
JOE: It seems to be more a matter of values. Folks here would rather visit art than own it.
CALLIOPE: Does that apply to books too?
JOE: Hard to say. She does carry a few books, mine included, but has not done as well with them as with art, supplies and lessons.
CALLIOPE: Did she have any suggestions regarding writing.
JOE: She thought there was more market around here for audio and video materials than written ones. I had been thinking of exploring putting some of my writing on CD's and DVD's. I'll give this more thought. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- My Mother's Life

(Mom's Birthday)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you coming with the column about your mother?
JOE: It's done and ready to post.
CALLIOPE: No trouble writing it?
JOE: None. I had a good idea what I wanted to write and wrote it.
CALLIOPE: Were you able to incorporate major historical events as you planned?
JOE: Yes. It flowed easily with a little help from Google.
CALLIOPE: The things we take for granted.
JOE: Right. I recall hours of library research to find anything useful when I attended college.
CALLIOPE: Did you get a chance to interview your mother?
JOE: I did.
CALLIOPE: Any surprises?
JOE: Just one. When I asked her if she had any regrets about her life, she thought a bit but couldn't think of any.
CALLIOPE: I wonder how many of us could say that.
JOE: Precious few I would guess. Certainly not me. That's one thing that makes her her. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Ninetieth Birthdays

(Dunkirk Sunset)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Full of ideas which flooded me throughout the night.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: My column is taking shape for this Saturday. I decided to write about my mother's ninetieth birthday.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to approach it?
JOE: As usual I have only 500 words. My greatest challenge will be to contain myself to the allotted space.
CALLIOPE: What about content?
JOE: At first I thought of writing what I know of her life. Then I recalled the secret lives of some of my relatives of which I was not aware until after they died.
CALLIOPE: Do you plan to change that with your mother?
JOE: Yes. I will interview her and, rather than making it a tribute to her, I will tell her story in her own words, or at least the highlights.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good. Anything else?
JOE: I thought of including some of the things that have happened in the world since she was born. But this will depend on whether I have room for them. We shall see.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good plan.
JOE: I think so. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Writing Adventures

(Searching for Coney Island)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Ready for another week.
CALLIOPE: What's on your plate today?
JOE: Continuing to plan my future.
CALLIOPE: How much of that do you think you have?
JOE: Obviously none of us knows. My mother's ninetieth birthday yesterday reminded me that I don't have forever to live.
CALLIOPE: Unless you are a muse. Have you come to any decisions about marketing?
JOE: No, but I did find Levinson, Frishman and Larsen's book Guerrilla Marketing for Writers on my bookshelf as I was perusing it for something to help me.
CALLIOPE: Did it?
JOE: Yes. They present quite a few approaches which cost little or no money and don't involve spending your whole life in the pursuit.
CALLIOPE: Where does that leave you?
JOE: I'm still reading it but it suggests to me that I can incorporate marketing tasks while keeping my focus on writing.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're working toward a balance.
JOE: I am. I'll let you know how it's coming when we talk tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Creativity and Business

(Moonflowers)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Where were you this morning?
JOE: Carol and I walked to the farmers' market and then drove to Batavia for my grandson's Pop Warner Football game.
CALLIOPE: A busy start.
JOE: Yes, but fun.
CALLIOPE: Did you think about your priorities with business and creativity?
JOE: Yes but I didn't reach any conclusions.
CALLIOPE: How will you approach it?
JOE: Hard to say. It's not something I can quantify. Making a list of the advantages of each does not seem like it would help.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I recall Napoleon Hill talking about a man he once met who took time each day sitting for ideas. Maybe I'll try that.
CALLIOPE: You're not in any rush?
JOE: No one will starve to death or go homeless based on what I decide.
CALLIOPE: I guess you don't have to force a decision.
JOE: No I don't. If you feel like dropping me an inspiration, please do so. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Creativity or Business

(Columbus Circle)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's afoot today?
JOE: Decisions, decisions.
CALLIOPE: Of what sort?
JOE: Tuesday I learned quite a bit about business plans and marketing at a Score workshop.
CALLIOPE: So what's the problem?
JOE: I'm not getting any younger. Where to put my effort keeps nagging me.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more about the conflict.
JOE: Do I spend my time writing, developing my business skills or look for a balance of both?
CALLIOPE: Maybe you need to decide what's important to you.
JOE: As usual, you hit the nail on the head. I find more satisfaction from writing but would also like to earn more money from my efforts.
CALLIOPE: How will you decide?
JOE: I don't know yet. But I will put on my thinking cap, talk with some friends and consider the possibilities. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Next to Normal

(Astoria Figs)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Welcome back from your travels.
JOE: Thanks. We rode a whirlwind through Manchester, Connecticut to New York where we settled for a few days.
CALLIOPE: Tell me the highlights.
JOE: As for simple pleasures, eating fresh figs from Mike and Joe's patio fig tree.
CALLIOPE: Anything more complex.
JOE: We saw Next to Normal, a musical about the effect of mental illness on the family.
CALLIOPE: Sounds strange.
JOE: It sounded that way to me too. But then music, better than writing, portrays emotions and relationships which can sometimes elude words.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: The show showed musically the struggle of a woman with her emotions and the effect of her illness on her daughter and son in very immediate and graphic, or should I say musical, terms.
CALLIOPE: Words sometimes struggle to show raw emotion.
JOE: I agree. Music seems to do a better job.
CALLIOPE: Something to consider for your writing.
JOE: I will remember that. I'm not quite sure of the implicati0ns though. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- George and the Pigeon

(George M. Cohan and the Pigeon)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's up today?
JOE: Packing.
CALLIOPE: For what?
JOE: I'm headed for Connecticut and New York City to visit friends and relatives.
CALLIOPE: Do you feel like you need a break?
JOE: I've been working pretty hard lately getting out Conversations with Calliope and tracking down information on marketing. Yes, I'm ready.
CALLIOPE: What have you discovered about marketing?
JOE: It quite complex. I have found endless information and now need to sort through it and settle on a plan.
CALLIOPE: How will you do that?
JOE: I am attending a workshop on business plans next Wednesday and expect that will be a chance for me to finally get focused.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good. What will you do in your travels?
JOE: Catch up with old friends, solve the world's problems and relax a little.
CALLIOPE: When will we talk again?
JOE: I will contact you on September 16 and tell you about my trip.

Conversations with Calliope- Decisions, Decisions

(On the Beach)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: No complaints. How about you?
CALLIOPE: I have one. You told me yesterday that you would share your column idea about seventh generation decisions and you didn't.
JOE: My apologies. The idea came from an Iroquois tradition which formed part of their Great Law.
CALLIOPE: Which was?
JOE: "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation."
CALLIOPE: An interesting thought. Tell me more.
JOE: I have been concerned and written before about the cult of immediacy. We need to have everything right away and don't stop to consider the consequences.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: Destroying the earth's resources and leaving a pile of toxic garbage in our wake.
CALLIOPE: Have you been reading about it?
JOE: Yes. Lester Brown lays out the problem and proposes solutions in his book Plan B 2.0.
CALLIOPE: I'd like to see what you have to say about it.
JOE: You can read my thoughts in this weekend's Sliding Otter News at http://www.slidingotter.com/sliding_otter_news.html. Talk with you tomorrow

Conversations with Calliope- Getting Organized

(Work Space)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready to go again after the Labor Day weekend?
JOE: I am. I started my day yesterday with an organized list of things to accomplish.
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: Very well. I finished my two top priorities, writing my Seven Generations column for this Saturday and finishing Plug Your Book by Steve Weber.
CALLIOPE: Anything else?
JOE: I also explored Barnes and Noble's e-reader which I think has possibilities.
CALLIOPE: What's up for today?
JOE: Getting organized. I have too many piles of papers. I've lost track of what they are about. I did start putting them in files so I can find things, but have quite a bit more to do.
CALLIOPE: That should keep you busy. Anything else on the agenda.
JOE: I plan to visit the web sites and groups which I joined but with which I have not been very involved lately.
CALLIOPE: I hope you are enjoying all this.
JOE: I don't enjoy the process of getting organized but work much more efficiently when the process is done.
CALLIOPE: Good luck with it.
JOE: Thanks. I'll talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Seven Generation Decisions

(Dancing)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good Morning Joe. I missed you Saturday.
JOE: I wanted to stop by but was worn out from wrestling with my computer all day Friday.
CALLIOPE: Over what?
JOE: E-mail post and general slowness.
CALLIOPE: Is all back to normal now?
JOE: I hope so.
CALLIOPE: So what's up this week.
JOE: Yesterday I set a list of priorities for the week and began working on them.
CALLIOPE: What's on top of your list?
JOE: This week's column on making decisions in light of how they will affect the next seven generations.
CALLIOPE: Where did that come from?
JOE: The Great Law of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy.)
CALLIOPE: Sounds like quite a context for our decisions. Why did you choose that topic?
JOE: Because of our society's trend toward making decisions based on the next seven seconds. I'll report my progress tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Online Book Marketing

(Vigo Herb Market)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. Yesterday I talked with you about getting serious about the business aspect of writing.
CALLIOPE: Was that just talk or did you do something about it?
JOE: I did something. First I signed up for two workshops through Score in Rochester on Writing a Business Plan and Marketing on the Internet.
CALLIOPE: Good start. anything else?
JOE: I started looking for what I could find on Internet marketing in the obvious place, the Internet.
CALLIOPE: What did you find?
JOE: Lots of things, mostly advertising for expensive programs. I started wading through some of the offerings.
CALLIOPE: Did you reach any conclusions?
JOE: No. I felt overwhelmed and had to take a break.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: Then I looked through my bookshelf to see if I had anything useful.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: Steve Weber's book Plug Your Book: Online Book Marketing for Authors, which I read a while ago. I realized that most of what I have done so far to market my book was based on his excellent suggestions. I started reading it again and found a treasure trove of ideas I did not explore before. I'm excited about the find. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Business Plan

(Oatka Creek Bridge)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Where do things stand today?
JOE: My computer seems back to normal and functioning well. I finished posting online announcements of our book, Conversations with Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good progress. Now what?
JOE: My friend Dick has pointed out several times the advantage of a business plan. It's like taking a trip without knowing what transportation you will use or what roads to take or how much it will cost.
CALLIOPE: Is that something new to you?
JOE: No. I have had plans for my psychology business and have made some cursory attempts at a business plan for my writing.
CALLIOPE: But?
JOE: But I don't like to think of what I do as a business.
CALLIOPE: What are the associated consequences?
JOE: I enjoy writing but am not making any appreciable money.
CALLIOPE: And you think you could with a good business plan?
JOE: I don't know of any businesses which make money without one?
CALLIOPE: Where does your reluctance come from?
JOE: I think from living in a monastery for a while with a vow of poverty. Maybe I haven't gotten past it yet. But I guess it's about time. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Back to Work

(Lifting Fog)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Better.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: Whatever was wrong with my computer isn't any more.
CALLIOPE: What was the problem?
JOE: I wish I knew. I don't even have a guess.
CALLIOPE: How did you fix it then?
JOE: I kept cleaning it and deleting everything I didn't need until it was back to normal.
CALLIOPE: That's a relief but also a mystery.
JOE: Right on both counts. Now back to work.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: Finishing my announcements for Conversations with Calliope- the book.
CALLIOPE: Anything else?
JOE: I have a new idea which I'll tell you about tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Earth Connections

(Orange Butterfly)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: A little frustrated.
CALLIOPE: Not with your writing I hope.
JOE: No. My email program is acting up for some reason and refused to cooperate.
CALLIOPE: I assume you are working on the problem.
JOE: I am but I don't like all the time it takes from something productive.
CALLIOPE: Like what?
JOE: Lately I have been thinking about how our issues with the economy tie in with concerns about the environment and with how we treat each other.
CALLIOPE: A big order.
JOE: It is. I have been wondering just how they fit together, what we can do about our world and relationships and what I can contribute.
CALLIOPE: That's quite a bit to think about all at once.
JOE: I agree, but I don't think any of our earth problems can be resolved in isolation.
CALLIOPE: I expect I will hear more about these ideas.
JOE: You will as I am able to digest them. Talk with you tomorrow.