The Colors of Beau Fleauve

One of my best Christmas presents was the "comic" (really a set of stories and impressions rendered in watercolor) by Charmaine Wheatley, whom I met at a party a few months ago. She was a total delight. (You can buy it at Talking Leaves in Buffalo, and probably Rust Belt Books.) I've been enjoying it for days, while wrapped in my crocheted shawl (thanks, Mom) and listening repeatedly to Pete Townshend's Gold (thanks, Postey).


I was also blessed with the visits of some old friends, and a lovely Solstice with my crew of Crows. Another highlight of the week was skating with Denise and Anne at the Rainbow Rink in North Tonawanda, possibly the best location for a girls night ever.


I am packed, the car is washed, plants watered, dog stuff packed up, directions printed, MetroCard in wallet--NYC, here we come!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Empress Celia the Imaginary of Hope End Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Update

I've been teaching and working like a mad thing. Not used to being so busy, but it's mostly good.

Going to NYC over New Year's, to see Patti Smith and attend the St. Mark's Poetry Project marathon, which inspired Urban Epiphany so many years ago.

When I return, I will begin as a part-time reference librarian on staff at Canisius College. I am really excited about this opportunity.

Solstice and Christmas have been a light, joyful thing this year, and I haven't suffered so much from the darkness. Thank you, Goddess! For this and so much more.

Times Beach, December 2006.

"By words, the mind is winged" - Aristophanes

Patti Smith gives some advice about travel and flying. I love this tone of hers; I dig her advice, too. (She's big into dental care these days.)

Thanksgiving was relaxing and very nice. Then, I spent a lovely day with divinetailor, having soup, looking at collage, talking. Today, I attended a very beautiful wedding, of a couple who have been together for 25 years. Tommorow is empty and quiet--I'll have breakfast with The Musician, do some work, take Mariah to run around somewhere.

Things are very calm. Money, nutrition, teaching schedules, Lennon tribute on my mind.

Just stuff

I joined Biznik, "radical self promotion'...it's business networking, but more.

Special plans afoot for the Lennon tribute, at Nietzsche's on November 30. Be there or be unenlightened.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Congratulations, Jim Whitford!

My friend and neighbor, local musician Jim Whitford, was recently inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. I love Jim's songs, and he is unfailingly humble (don't let him fool you; he's great!). Gusto had a nice interview with him tonight, and then I got to see him play with one of my favorite local groups, The Possums, who only play about every 18 months. If ya missed it, I know you're sorry.

(This shot is from a gig at Sportsmen's Tavern in December, 2005. That's Jim, Rob, and Joe, l-r.))

YouTube Favorites

A career-motivating film, from 1947 or so, on becoming The Librarian. (via LipstickLibrarian)

Patti Smith performing "Don't Smoke in Bed."

Sesame Street, "The Golden An." And the classic "Lowercase N." (A song Ookla the Mok should cover.)

Vintage Fleetwood Mac: "I'm So Afraid" from 1976.

Post-Storm

The storm really took its psychic toll on me, as for many of us, I'm sure. This week I've been getting out again, like seeing Petra Haden and her acapella group The Sell Outs, perform some of The Who Sell Out as well as Bach.


I also spent a day with friends at Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, looking at all the cute and useless stuff and buying none.



This afternoon I went to a reading of Olga Karman's Scatter My Ashes Over Havana. I've known Olga since I was 12, mostly as a poet. Her work of prose is an amazing thing, vivid and moving and often very sad, describing her leaving Havana, Cuba, at age 20, losing all contact with her family and friends, and returning 37 years later to find a very different place. (Ginger, if you think you might be interested, I'll share my copy with you.)

Coming Up:
The Possums at Nietzsche's, happy hour, Friday November 3.
Joe Rozler and Mary Ramsey at Classics on Elmwood, UU Church, Friday, November 10. A rare and special event, indeed.
My cousin, Ken Schlimgen, in a production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience, at Theatreloft, also that second weekend of November.

Help the library, please

Buffalo Libraries are campaigning for restoration of their budget, decimated by the crisis a fewyears ago. Please help by writing a letter or email to your representatives.

The BECPL page gives a rundown of the situation. Here's how to contact your legislator.

Here's my simple letter (feel free to use my text; the library page also has sample text to borrow):

I'm writing to ask that you restore full funding to the Buffalo and Erie County Library system in the 2007 budget. I write both as a librarian and as a citizen concerned about literacy and simple access to information in our city. Library services are vital. I'm sure you know how difficult the library situation has been since the Red Budget crisis; I ask that you do what you can to rectify the situation on your watch.

Six Melodies

I'm watching The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill for the 8th time, hot water bottle on my belly, hanging in chat, shaking off a cup of yarrow tea (boy, that stuff really *is* mildly psychotropic!). I had a bath, listening to John Cage, read a chapter of a book about Brian Eno, and wrote my busy sweetheart a love letter.

What are you doing?

Day 3, I guess, of October Storm 2006. I have taken in a houseguest. She, like about 300,000 others, still has no electricity. I've been checking updates at the National Grid site, about every 4 hours, and their numbers of folks who still need service seem actually to be rising--230,000 to 246,000 between 12 and 4 pm.

On my own street, I can observe after dark that around 1/3 of the properties have no power. The street is definitely a hazardous zone--sometimes the parking lanes are blocked, sometimes the sidewalk. The dog is perplexed by our circuitous route.

Walked up to Richmond Avenue just now, to check out what the trucks were doing--scooping up tree limbs and loading them out. I wish that the city would give some direction about how citizens could help with tree debris--this, at least, is not a highly dangerous or technical job. Do they want limbs piled in one direction, or criss-cross? We could handle this task.

My prayer tonight is that the workers find all the magical connections possible--one wire which can restore awhole block or even neighborhood to humming, a solution to the puzzle which is the map at present. I'm grateful to the crews which have come from Ohio and elsewhere to staff trucks and positions. Thinking good thoughts, and thank you.

Buffalo: blogging disaster

I added some more pics to my set. Also check out the Buffalo set at Flickr. This is a day when I desperately wish Buffalo had a true web infrastructure--there's almost no information online about road conditions, power restoration, or closings. Radio and tv news are up-to-date, though.

The horror which is the Buffalo News website has one story. One.

As far as I can tell, driving bans are in effect everywhere still, due to limbs and downed power lines. The power companies are talking about it being a week before power is back on for everyone. As far as I can tell, no customers have had power restored as of yet (this storm began about 25 hours ago.)

It's hard not to think of other poorly managed disasters of late.

We're still fine, but most folks I talked to by phone today had no power or heat. We're lucky that the temperature is 47F at the moment.

The New York State Thruway's Closed, Man. (--Arlo Guthrie, at Woodstock)

No, it's not Woodstock. Western New York got a freakish 17 inches of snow yesterday. I commuted to Orchard Park and back in hail, thunder and lightning. They had rain. When I returned to the city, every tree along Forest Avenue had some branches down. Like, full limbs of trees.



It's the earliest October snowstorm ever recorded. A quarter million people are without power. Many cars have been damaged by falling limbs. Travel ban is in effect. We won't be dug out and humming for a few days, I think.

See more photos here.

October Update

Love getting new incense; the little holder in the top of the box. Flick, click, light, peace.

Driving south, the sunset light on the brick of the buildings, my harvest, pretty as any tree line.

Tonight after the poetry reading (where I mostly heard the names of plants, the register of light), splashy rain in the dark of Allen Street, and wind. Leaves blown into the entry way of the bookstore, the bar. (Poems by Martin Clibbens, Ethan Paquin; art by Dana Scott, Jeff Vincent.)

Chickweed is coming up everywhere in my yard, where it never was before. Matthew Wood's Plants as Medicine and Alice Notley's Alma, or The Dead Woman in the mail today.

Hats from all over the world to be sent to the cancer center in Ottawa.

Many small, interesting jobs. A little work on the novel. Gomasio, apple pie, dog romp in cemetery, disheveled mornings watching the squirrels from second-floor kitchen window.

Paid off my credit card.

Media count

CDs: 286
casettes: 378
LPs: including those for sale, probably 400.
VHS tapes: 105
DVDs:18.

Have never counted books; have 3 bookcases full.

Need new ways to arrange these things, and better access to my turntable.

I have a great many 33 1/3 LP records For Sale...

Email me if you should want more details or to make an offer.

Louis Armstrong – The Authentic Sound of Louis Armstrong in the 30s (RCA Victor) decent

Ray Anthony – Dream Dancing Medley (Capitol) scratched

Count Basie - One o’clock Jump (Columbia) fair

Ray Charles – Greatest Hits (ABC) poor

Ray Charles & Cleo Laine – Porgy & Bess (RCA) 2 records, mint BOX

Buddy Clark - For You Alone – Orchestra under the direction of Mitchell Ayres (Columbia) decent

Nat King Cole – At The Sands (Capitol) excellent

Bing Crosby – Der Bingle (Columbia) decent

Bing Crosby Songs from “Mississippi” Decca scratchy, no cover

Bing Crosby – Bing : A Musical Autobiography with Buddy Cole (Decca) excellent

Bing Crosby – A Legendary Performer (RCA) excellent

Bob Crosby - The Best Of (MCA) 2 record set, good

Bob Florence Big Band – Live at Concerts By The Sea (Trend) fair

Eddie Condon’s Treasury of Jazz (Columbia) good

Erroll Garner Popular Piano Classics Set 3 (Quality) decent

Jimmy Dorsey – Dixie by Dorsey – (Columbia) scratchy, no cover

Dorsey Orchestra – A Toast to Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey (Crown) poor

Tommy Dorsey – That Sentimental Gentleman (RCA) 2 records, excellent

Benny Goodman Orchestra – The Golden Age of Benny Goodman (RCA Victor) excellent

Benny Goodman – Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert Vol. 3 (Columbia) poor

Benny Goodman – King of Swing, Vol. 1 (Columbia), very good

The Glenn Miller Story – (Decca) decent/very scratched

This is Glenn Miller (RCA Victor) good

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra – For the Very First Time 50 Never Before Released Original Performnces (RCA Victor) booklet and 3 records; good BOX

Norman Granz’ Jazz at the Philharmonic voume 8 and10? scratchy

Robert Stolz - Viennese Memories – (Decca) good

Richard Strauss Stadium Concerts Symphony Orchestra of New York (Decca) decent

Paul Smith – Liquid Sounds (Capitol) good

Billy Daniels – Torch Hour (Mercury) poor condition

June Christy – Something Cool (Capitol) good

June Christy – Fair and Warmer (Capitol) fair

Ramsey Lewis – Back to The Roots (Cadet) excellent

Stan Kenton – The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton (Capitol) poor

Dinah Washington – Dinah ’62 (Roulette) good

Vienenese Zithers (Capitol) fair; no cover

The 5^th Dimension – Stoned Soul Picnic (Liberty) good

101 Strings - Camelot (Somerset) good

Jackie Gleason – Gigot (Capitol) like new

Jackie Gleason – Music to Remember Her (Capitol) decent

Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra – Fiesta! (Capitol) good

Horst Kudritzki – Berlin bei Natch (Capitol) good; one scratch

Tiroler Ensemble - Tiroler Abend (Bellaphon)good

Moody Blues – On The Threshold of a Dream book

Das Orchester Karl Loube – Das ist Zunftig (Polydor) good

Longines Symphonette – The Memory Years (Gold Mdal) excellent; sleeve only, no cover

The Bickersons – The Bickersons Rematch (Columbia) 2 discs; good condition

Sandler & Young – More & More of Sandler & Young (Capitol) poor

Learn a Language: German (Lessons 1-10) no cover; poor

Carl Millocker – Der Bettelstudent (Electrola) excellent

Lee Oskar (UA) good

RCA Broadway Strings and Velvet Voices – No, No, Nanette (RCA Victor) good

The World of Your Hundred Best Tunes Vol. 8 (London) excellent

Art Van Damme – Music for Lovers (Harmony) good

Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Symphony for Tommy: A Tribute to Tommy Dorsey (Somerset) fair

Johnny Desmond – Blue Smoke (Columbia) fair

Vic Damone – On The South Side of Chicago (RCA Victor) good

The Kingston Trio – Sold Out (Capitol); 3 copies, good condition

Abbey Lincoln – People in Me (Inner City) good

Herbie Mann – Brazil Once Again (Atlantic) good

Chuck Mangione – Chase the Clouds Away (A&M) good

Chuck Mangione – Feels So Good (A&M) good

Erroll Garner – music from “A New Kind of Love” (Mercury) good

The JATP ALL Stars - Perdido (VSP-Verve) good

The Fats Waller Legacy (Olympic) very good

Sammy Davis Jr. – Starring Sammy Davis Jr. (Decca) poor

Vince Guaraldi and the Conte Condoli All Stars (Crown) good

MFSB - End of Phase 1 (CBS) good

The Sound of Christmas, Vol 2. (Capitol) fair

George Shearing Quintet – Touch of Genius (MGM) poor

George Shearing with Billy May strings – The Shearing Touch (Capitol) excellent

George Shearing and Nancy Wilson – The Swingin’s Mutual (Capitol) excellent

Jack Jones – Wives and Lovers (Kapp) fair

Jack Jones - The Impossible Dream (Kapp) 2 copies; fair

Jack Jones – For The “In” Crowd (Kapp) fair

Jack Jones – Lady (Kapp) good

Jack Jones and Billy May – Shall We Dance? (Kapp) good

Matt Monro – This Is The Life! (Capitol) good

Matt Monro – Close to You (Capitol) good

Matt Monro – These Years (Capitol) good

Dick Haymes – The Best Of Dick Haymes (MCA) fair

Roy Hamilton – Soft N’ Warm (Epic) good

Cleo Laine- Born on a Friday (RCA) good

Cleo Laine – Live at Carnegie Hall (RCA) good

Cleo Laine & James Galway – Sometimes When We Touch (RCA) good

Cleo Laine – Gonna Get Through (RCA) good

Funky Finger sex records: Midnight Cowpoke, Humpingville, USA, The Dirtiest Sluts in Plainsville, Hired Stud Will Travel

Peter Nero – If Ever I Would Leave You (RCA Camden) scratchy

The Mills Brothers – Sixteen Great Performances (ABC) fair

The Ink Spots – America’s Most Popular Quartet, Vol. 2 (Colortone) poor

Ella Fitzgerald – The Cole Porter Songbook (Verve) 2 records; good

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Sings Gershwin (Decca) fair

Ella Fitzgerald – The First Lady of Song (Decca) scratched

Ella Fitzgerald – The Rodgers and Hart Song Book (Verve); 2 records, fair

Ella Fitzgerald – Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers (Verve) good

Ella Fitzgerald – Sings the Gershwin Song Book Vol. 2 (Verve) excellent

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella in London (Pablo) good

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – Masterpieces by Ellington (Columbia) good

Dexter Gordon – A Swingin’ Affair (Blue Note) good

Oscar Peterson Trio – At the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland (Verve) scratched

Oscar Peterson Trio & One Clark Terry (Mercury) excellent

The Best of Arthur Prysock Number 2 (Verve) excellent

Red Norvo Jazz Trio (Allegro) excellent

An American in Paris soundtrack (MGM) poor

Original Soundtracks and Music from the Great Motion Pictures [1962] (UA) very good

Orchestral, Etc

Andre Previn piano and orchestra – Like Love (Columbia) good

Andre Previn – With Voices (RCA Victor) excellent

Vienna Festival Orchestra - Grieg, Richard Strauss, Debussy (?) fair

Berlin Philharmonic, Andre Cluytens conducting – Beethoven The Nine Symphonies, Coriolan and Egmont Overtures (Seraphim) 7 records, excellent BOX

New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting – Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36; Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 (Columbia) excellent

Philadelphia Orchestra with Rudolf Serkin, piano and Eugene Ormandy, conductor – Beethoven Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 73 (“Emperor”) (Columbia) good

Vienna State Opera/Austrian Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (Remington) poor

Johann Strauss Operettas (Die Fledermaus; A Night in Vencice; Der Zigeunerbaron; Waldmeister Overture (Capitol) scratchy

Vienna Philharmonic – Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra (London) excellent

Der Zigeunerbaron (Electrola) excellent

Arthur Rother Orchestra of the Nerlin Municipal Opera – Johann Strauss Overtures (Telefunken) scratchy

The Best of Charles Aznavour (Polydor) excellent

Morton Gould Orchestra and Band – Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture (RCA Victor) good

Austrian Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy (Remington) poor

Eileen Farrell – Puccini Arias (Columbia) decent

Ted Heath - at the London Palladium (London) fair

Ted Heath - Shall We Dance? (Decca) excellent

Der Orchester der Hamburgischen Staatsoper – Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (Somerset) good

The Longines Symponette – The Memory Years 1925-1960 (MGM) 5 records, mint BOX

Vienna Tonkuestler Symphony Orchestra – Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto in C minor, op. 18 (Plymouth) fair

NBC Symphony Orchestra with Arthur Rubenstein, pianist and Vladimir Golschmann conducting – Rachmaninoff Conerto No. 2 on C minor, Op. 18 (RCA Victor) poor

Arthur Rubenstein – Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2; Liszt Concerto No. 1 (RCA Victor) excellent

Arthur Rubenstein and Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 (LM) good

Accademia di Santa Cecilia – Puccini La Boheme (London) fair

Viennese Symphonic Orchestra, Felicitas Karrer, pianist – Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, Opus 16 (Masterseal) excellent

Toscanini Plays Light Classics (RCA Victor) 2 records, good

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – Strauss (RCA Victor) poor; sleeve only, no cover

TAKING NOTE: A JOURNAL WRITING WORKSHOP [510001]

'An inner life, cultivated, nourished, is a well of strength, the inner structure we need to resist out catastrophes and errors and injustices.'-Anais Nin; Every area of your life benefits when you take time to reflect and listen to your inner voice. You don't have to be an accomplished or aspiring write to benefit from journal writing. In this workshop, particpants are invited to begin or deepen their experience of journal writing. Use of the journal as keepsake book, memoir, problem-solving tool, safe space, and starting place for creative writing will be discussed. In-class writing and homework assignments will be given and some sessions may feature use of artistic materials. NOTE: This is not a group-therapy session in any sense. Students will not be required to share the contents of journals. Monday, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM; 6 sessions starting October 16, 2006, ending November 20, 2006
Cost $41 - Available Discounts Instructor: Celia White Location: Williamsville - Williamsville North High School

Interested? Go here.

Thursday's Thrills

I made up a song about Goldie Gardener and Frank Lloyd Wright to stop the baby crying tonight while babysitting. (That's right, it's Pledge Week on Ch. 17!) I might also note that Norah's world has trees, catalogs, shoes, walks, kitties, books, friends, yogurt, and country songs (all sung to the tune "Elmo's World").

Bought some fabric remnants, French barette clips, and notions today. Need some project, besides re-typing the novel.

Summer Pierre has finished 30 days of one-word writing/drawing prompts: a great inspiration.

Not so thrilling:

Quite sad about the Montreal shootings, and the general state of attitudes in the world. (Mine not excluded.)

Weekend

(Me and the Kreepy Dolls at Buffalo Arts Studio)

This is the art I saw tonight: Kreepy Doll Factory, work by Jeff Vincent and Thu Tran and Dan Baxter.






Been resting.


And I went to see Redheaded Stepchild the other night; pictures here.

Debuting...ProfessionalResearchServices.com


I am extremely happy to announce the launch of my new website, Professional Research Services. As some of you know, I've been running my own home-based research business since 2002, specifically serving the tobacco control/public health community. I've decided to expand my services to include answering the research, writing, archival needs of organizations and individuals.

Do you know anyone who needs assistance organizing a collection, writing a history, fact-checking, or in-depth research?

I hope you'll think of me.

Tags: business, library, professionalresearchservices

Tech-Cred Screed

I'm a little afraid to admit it: I'm thinking about letting my domain expire.

Celiathepoet.org was a gift (thank you, Sean) and a perfect one for 1999 San Francisco. I'd had webpages of sorts before that, though I was as happy as anyone to see hand-coding go its way in favor of blogging and templates. I was also happy to support the ultra-cool Eskimo.com. (As you can see by their page, they're about as interested in updating a web site as I am.)

But, as you've probably noticed, if I write at all, it is via my blogs. Also, there is the expense, considerable as I cut all corners. And the fun of FTPing. This, perhaps, I shall recover from.

I guess I am just wondering...am I less of a "person" online without a domain behind me? In what way should I care? Who shall mourn if I sink into blogging obscurity? It is no more or less shallow than CTP.org allows now.

I feel vaguely Shakespearean (tragic? comic? O, I am slain?) about it all.

The Dreaming

My dreams are exceptionally vivid. It's been this way most of my life, but lately I am finding it both exhausting and annoying to absorb every little detail. I dream my dog is dognapped, and I get her back and flee for hours through the Parisian subway, enjoying opera, farmer's market, and cave paintings along the way. Every segment is chick full of visual and meaningful detail.

Last night I dreamed I attended the secret wedding of Ralph "Bucky" Phillips, a local fugitive
who has successfully eluded state troopers all over Western New York since he escaped from prison and shot a trooper in May. The wedding took place in a sunlit church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the young woman I befriended showed me all over the church, prior to its evacuation due to flooding.

Tired. I am going to try putting some thyme by my pillow; it is said to reduce vivid dreaming.

Technorati Rat Tech Pack

Blogger doesn't officially support tagging, but...I love tagging. Starting now, tags will append most blog posts.



Tags, technorati, Blog

Hidden Beach

Went to my favorite beach today. Lay down and rested, deeply. Realized I always feel profoundly good at the lakeshore; happy childhood feelings suffuse me.

At Hidden Beach.

Spent summers of my early childhood staying in a trailer my father built, at a place called Guenther's Grove, in Port Colborne, Ontario. There was a compound, where many people stayed all summer long in their mobile homes, with an enormous willow tree in the center. There were outhouses; I remember old Guenther and his sons digging them out. Across the road, there was a formidable hill of sand, over which we had to climb to reach the beach. A challenge for tiny legs. There were stairs on one side of the hill, but my brother and father often would race each other up the steep slope. The best fun was running crazy down the other side of the hill.

Asleep in the trailer, 1973.

It was a happy time.

Dog Days

Actually, I am loving these cool summer days. Tinges of Fall.

Mariah at Delaware Park.

Today was busy; I spoke on a panel, did library research, shopped, made corn relish and granola from scratch, and took the dog with me to happy hour.

Delicious accomplishment.

The Season of My Path

Today I pulled weeds, talked to my moonflowers, harvested parseley and basil to make pesto, and I planted Russian sage (Perovskia). Love her.

Have been reading regularly at Wise Woman Forums. This post moved me.

"{{Some plants have the ability to give signs; they can mark our path. As a woman of power, you need only learn how to follow the trail.}}"

Plants give us so many signs, I do not know if I can think of all of them at one sitting;
They mark the seasons of our paths
Changes Past, Present and Future
Protection birth dying rejuvenation transformation
Creation Harmony Magic .....

They don't have anything to undo; they can proceed directly.
Plants are one my directional elements in many aspects of my life.
Plants Give Signs of their sacred dialogue Speak and show me;
the path
the way
you're my ally
the direction of the sun
water
how to heal
how to pray
how to listen, be still
how to receive knowledge
compatibility
changes
forgiveness
how to talk to spirits
dreams
face of gaia
that you are my brothers and sisters
how to be a gatherer
draws sustenance
vision and power transforming one element into another the spiral of life
release of my wildness to be a wild woman

- Kalunyaha: Wi

Smitty's Book

Buffalo novelist Susan Smith's first novel, Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is being rereleased by Bold Strokes Book on August 30, 2006. The story of a divorced English professor who falls for a young, charismatic drag king, Smith's first novel offers realistic and likeable characters, unexpected love and a touch of pagan magistry.

Sound interesting? Feel free to check out the Press Release or visit Smitty's website for other things s/he's written, notices of upcoming readings and a link to Smitty's personal blog.

You can order the book on Amazon or ask your local bookstore to consider carrying it if they don't already...

Book Description
A sultry, mystical novel of love and destiny, of leather jackets and cigarettes, Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate will draw you into its passion, power, and magic, leaving you spellbound. Rosalind, a college professor, moves to Buffalo for her first job where she meets Taryn, a young butch drag king, and they set the harsh upstate winter ablaze with their intense attraction, but find out it is so much more than that--all the world's their stage, and they must act on the demands of fate, or lose everything. Smitty's eloquent prose lures you with its beauty and captivates you with its unashamed honesty; its intensity will overwhelm you and make you beg for more as the words burn into you. Rosalind and Taryn will reside in your heart and soul long after you've read this book for the 20th time. You will find the meaning of life, you will be entranced in the sublime, and you will be grateful for the moment.

And keep your eyes pealed for the sequel, Burning Dreams, to be released in December 2006.

(via Johnny Class)

Hennaed!

Aurora Borealis, Candlelight, Dreaming, Evening, Firelight...

Harvesting: Comfrey (dry and vinegar), basil, parseley, chamomile, mint, orange mint (newly identified, growing wild), mullein.
Hennaing: my long hair with Rainbow henna, medium auburn, mixed with red wine, olive oil, and raspberry zinger tea.

Working: why yes, rather a lot. Is this why I haven't been going out? Yes. And tired from working. I've attended none of the Infringement Festival, Shakeapeare in the Park, Pine Grill Reunion, Juneteenth, Jazz at AKAG, Gusto at the Gallery,

Carousing: I did make it to happy hour Friday to see Five-to-One, this week featuring Abigail Unger on vocals. It was a City-Honors-laden crowd, happy indeed. Also attended a librarian-dense gathering at jennimi's.

Speaking: On Tuesday, August 15, at noon, I am speaking on a panel regarding The Rise of the Creative Class, moderated by Chuck LaChuisa. Note: I am not planning on doing any poetry readings for awhile. Forfending burnout, and storing it up for performances when my book, Letter, comes out this Fall.

Eating: popsicles, pesto, blueberries, oatmeal, Hippie-Thai-Pasta. Recent meals at Shango (awesome), Lone Star Fajita Grill (eh), and Somali Star, the new food stand at Grant near Lafayette. I love their sambusa! I bike there, scarf one with some Mango Explosion drink, then site down and slowly savor a second pastry, full of tasty meat and whole spices, onion. I am completely happy with this new business.

Drinking: A rare amount of white wine. Hendricks and ice. Lemonade.

Watching: Allen Johnson's Another You DVD, A Scanner Darkly, I'm Your Man, Bring It On.

Shopping: I spent a few hours at the mall on one of those very hot days. I took a lot of notes and bought nothing. Then I went to Amvets and spent $28 on 5 pairs of pants, three shirts, and a scarf. Perfectly satisfied. This week: trying to figure out what to buy to spend $50 on groceries, in order to use my $50 off Tops coupon.

Dodo Green

Word on the street is that Dodo Green passed away, today. This great jazz singer will be missed at the Anchor Bar tonight, and for a long time to come.

Upcoming: a post about my visit to Washington, DC. But I have lots of work keeping me busy at present (hooray!) so you'll have to wait.

Yard Sale, Yard Sale, Yard Sale! Everything Must Go!

Multi-family yard sale Saturday 9-5 on the block of Norwood between Bryant and Summer. Baby clothes (boy), toys, motorcycle helmet, computers for parts, women's clothes (S-M), household items, books, and much more.

***

In preparation for this weekend's yard sale, I put on gloves and tackled a job that has probably never been done before in this rented residence--cleared out the basement.

3 broken fans, 2 broken chairs, 20 cans of paint, and 10 water-damaged empty boxes--out they went. There's also a couch I can't move, and a variety of "house" stuff the landlord must deal with. It's filthy and dark and still too full.

But my yard sale stuff is on the porch, the trash is full, too, and I feel righteous.

***

Further notes of a frugal nature:

* T@rget brand Magic-Eraser is not as good as the Mr. Clean original.

* Dandelion greens are practically the most nutritious food ever, and are so delicious boiled with carrot, cooked in garlicky olive oil, and served with pine nuts.

***
I harvested comfrey for drying today, and put up a batch of mineral vinegar--apple cider vinegar with dandelion and comfrey leaves in it. In six weeks, tablespoon of this stuff will deliver more calcium than a glass of milk.

Righteous, indeed.

On Being Broke and Rich

Money has been scarce around the Poet's Garrett lately. While the situation is improving, thank the goddess, I have had plenty of time to both suffer and enjoy living without money.

Things got quieter. I stopped cable service, watched less crap and more of my own choosing: movies I hadn't seen in a while, borrowed from friends or the library. Yoga.

More openness in the head. What to do? Take a walk--no, a longer walk. Make dinner slowly. Read more. Clean something different. Research something you are wondering about. Writing practice.

Getting rid of stuff feels like getting money. I don't know why this should be, but I feel an almost giddy joy when I let go of something I don't need or use. And making a meal from just what ou have on hand is a pretty cool challenge if you have cupboards like mine.

Learning is free. I have been researching: herbs, flowers, nutrition, sewing patterns, Buffalo trivia, Alice Notley.


***
I'll be in the DC area in mid-July. Will you?

***

Here are two plants in my garden which I identified through online research. Very proud of myself.

Lunaria, aka Money Plant, Honesty Plant. In the fall, the plant puts of papery-coin-like pods--very lovely.










And this crazy thing is Comfrey! I had no idea. What an abundance of this powerful plant I have! Need any?

infogasm

I am totally loving Google notebook. Already I have notebooks on Evidence-Based Medicine Portals, Rhododendrons, the Erie Canal, Money Management, and travel in Mexico. I seriously think it could replace internet bookmarks for me.

Google, man. Much like Snoop Dog, they come up with funky new sh*t, like, every single day. Is there anything they can't do?

On Having No War
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." - Jeanette Rankin

A truly thoughtful and excellent article on the art of making a stronger anti-war movement.

Here are some statements I agree with:

"The anti-war movement lacks organization. There is no central leadership, or mechanism to effectively muster and control resources."

"The anti-war movement needs to develop a centralized intelligence operation, not a spy organization, but rather a think-tank that produces sound analysis based upon fact that can be used to empower those who are waging the struggle against war."

"It needs to grasp the pro-war movement's decision-making cycle, then undertake a comprehensive course of action that learns to pre-empt this cycle, getting 'inside' the pro-war system of making decisions, and thereby forcing the pro-war movement to react to the anti-war agenda, instead of vice versa."

**

I spent the weekend celebrating Bob Creeley's birthday. (More on this soon.) I think of my many friends, especially my company of poets and artists, and I cherish you all.

Happy Birthday, Bob Creeley!

I remember Robert Creeley's 70th birthday celebration, a slightly chilly and rather academic event held at UB in 1996. Warmer, of course, for Bob's very presence. That was the only element missing from this past weekend's party, held this past weekend at two locations here in Buffalo: The Church, and The Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

The evening began with rememberances and readings by Debora Ott, Pen Creeley, Will Creeley (fantastic to reconnect with him, as I hadn't seen him since he was my student at City Honors ten years prior), Ansie Baird, Carl Dennis, Paul T. Hogan, Robin Brox, Kyle Schlesinger, Jonathon Skinner, David Landrey, and more.

Then the visiting poets commenced. Tom Raworth, all the way from England, delivered fast and funny poems and ended by feeding a piece of paper--Bob's epitaph punched out in holes--through a tiny music box, twittering out a little discordant, sometimes sweet, stuttering song.

Joanne Kyger spoke, entwining quotes from conversations with Bob from Bolinas days with her poems. Amiri Baraka followed, as ever powerful--political, musical, just about the time the champagne was being poured for the midnight toast.

For me, it held the elements of my favorite times in Buffalo--warm feeling among strangers and friends, a poet in every other seat, people who care. For Love, I laughed, shed tears (particularly at the screening of Diane Christian and Bruce Jackson's film Creeley), delighted in the power of poetry and good company.

Bob, you are both missed and very present. Jimmie Gilliam and I agreed, it's not time yet to speak of you in the past tense. Happy birthday. Onward!

Weekend of festivity, and fever

I was social, sick, social, and so on. Jennimi, congrats on your MLS!

I liked this so much, I thought I'd share:

Seven Rules of Motivation (from here)

#1 Set a major goal, but follow a path. The path has mini goals that go in many directions. When you learn to succeed at mini goals, you will be motivated to challenge grand goals.

#2 Finish what you start. A half finished project is of no use to anyone. Quitting is a habit. Develop the habit of finishing self-motivated projects.

#3 Socialize with others of similar interest. Mutual support is motivating. We will develop the attitudes of our five best friends. If they are losers, we will be a looser. If they are winners, we will be a winner. To be a cowboy we must associate with cowboys.

#4 Learn how to learn. Dependency on others for knowledge is a slow, time consuming processes. Man has the ability to learn without instructors. In fact, when we learn the art of self-education we will find, if not create, opportunity to find success beyond our wildest dreams.

#5 Harmonize natural talent with interest that motivates. Natural talent creates motivation, motivation creates persistence and persistence gets the job done.

#6 Increase knowledge of subjects that inspire. The more we know about a subject, the more we want to learn about it. A self-propelled upward spiral develops.

#7 Take risk. Failure and bouncing back are elements of motivation. Failure is a learning tool. No one has ever succeeded at anything worthwhile without a string of failures.

***

I cancelled cable a few weeks ago, and I don't miss it. "NBC will place the new drama from Aaron Sorkin, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," in the middle of its Thursday night, at 9. Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment, said yesterday that the show had both the high quality NBC seeks on Thursday night, and enough comedic elements that it can work in what has been NBC's prime comedy period."This is truly exciting.

Basil and spinach are in the ground in the garden. Plenty more to do, but this satisfies.

3 cycles of acupuncture now. I do not percieve a change. What next?

I won!

I won Best Literary Artist from Artvoice. Thanks to all.

I split the party directly after--my god! it was crowded and, my god! I do not like crowds. I did have some tasty sushi (Tsunami) and ravioli (LeBro's) and pastry (Dolci) and I hugged Gabrielle and then I went to Nietzche's, where it was poet-bartender and jazz and hockey game on mute. I had good talk and BBQ corn chips and hello's in the hall and Susan Peters gave me a pink flamingo with whirring wings for the garden.

I shall call him Sal.

Urban Epiphany Images

We wre lucky this year to have UE documented by a couple of image makers. aDub videoed the event for us (results still in process) and Jennimi made images--really gorgeous ones--which can be seen here.

Wowed

I can hardly believe it. I've been nominated for yet another award. Thanks, Artvoice readers!

May 1 is City Honors Day!

My alma mater, City Honors High School (where I also taught both as a sub and afterschool poet-in-residence) has been named the #4 high school in the country by Newsweek. It is a richly deserved honor, and both teachers and students share in making it so. And CHS Rugby Girl Girls are 2006 Division 1 State Champions!

For me, May 1 is the Day After Urban Epiphany, and I am wicked tired. In the end, we had exactly 100 poets reading for 6 hours straight (with one very short break). So many themes, so many styles...and today I am out of words for describing anything. It was said several times to me that Urban Epiphany is a true community event for the poets of Buffalo, and I am very proud of this, indeed.

Saturday afternoon was spent with Jennimi and aDub visiting the Grant-Ferry Association "Taste of Diversity" Fair. This area, which in recent years has become home to many Bantu people from Somalia and Ethiopia, had previously been a mostly Hispanic and Italian neighborhood. The fair offered some of the most delicious cuisine I've ever had, every bit of it made by people in the community--food from Sierra Leone, Puerto Rico, Somalia, and about 8 other countries for $1 a bowl. I had a fantastic Sambusa, and renewed hope for an Ethiopian restaurant in Western New York someday. We were also treated to dancing and singing from groups from local schools and local legend Emile "Papa" Lattimer and the African dancers with whom he has been performing over the years.

More photos here.



Happy May Day, and happy Beltane to all.

Presenting me as Artist of the Week. Thank you, Artvoice!

And, here's me with my Buffalo Spree Award. Sorry I look so crazed. It was time to get the heck out of there.

Into the--

At the Robert Duncan conference on Saturday, a speaker handed out a photocopy of Jess' collage, "A Panic That Can Still Come Upon Me": Salvages II. I'd come in late, so just caught the last rattle of his meaning, but when he mentioned Pan, I drew a square around the Pan in Panic and made a list of "pan-" words. Comment if you think of more.

pander
panel
panties
pan-ffried
pan-American
paneer
pants
pang
panic
pandemonium
panacea
panting
pantaloon
pangaea
pansy
panalopy
panko
pane

A happy week so far! I had a most enjoyable birthday, celebrated quietly in the company of a chosen few, and was sung to by the jazz band late last night.

The interview Debbie Ridpath Ohi conducted with me for her lovely site PoetryFAQ, is up, and makes me proud. Unbelievably, this appears the same week as I finally have my moment as Artvoice's Artist of the Week, an honor I have been coveting for some time. Link coming soon.

In other news, I just watched SuperSize Me and I feel a little sick, more than I did reading the grisly details in Truman Capote's incredible In Cold Blood. (This from the girl who would rather hear orgasms than gunshots on the tv.)

Happy Face

Eighty-seven local poets are signed up to read at Urban Epiphany on April 30. I am pleased.

I just submitted an article for publication in Buffalo Rising Magazine, profiling the Just Buffalo Literary Center, which I've been a part of for 20 of its 30 years.

I've got some leads on work, which will ease the stress of tax-time and general income crisis time.

This blog post is very dull, and I would probably be of more use folding laundry or reading In Cold Blood. But the moon is void of course today, this first day of Sun in Taurus (hooray!), and I am feeling mighty lazy.

Good News, Good News

I went to hang signs offering my services as a librarian (yes, I do professional-level research for anyone, for a reasonable fee) and had a call by the time I got home!

Meanwhile, I traded in some CDs at New World Record and got enough store credit to grab the new Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood.

I have some poems in the most recent issue of Not Just Air: http://www.sundress.net/notjustair/issues/issue4/NJA4.html

I've been nominated for a "Best of WNY" award in Buffalo Spree magazine....will find out more soon.

The fifth annual Urban Epiphany is coming up, April 30, with over 70 poets signed up to read so far. http://celiathepoet.org/urbanepiphany.htm

Enjoy National Poetry Month....

Crocuses are Up

"I must have done good for God to grant me
this world of flowers."
--Agha Shahid Ali

On Imagination

In my writing group in February, beloved teacher Jimmie Gilliam asked us to go and return with this assignment: to think about imagination. We might write an imaginative piece, or a meditation upon imagination, or imagine what the Age of Imagination might be like when it finally arrives (JG believes it is imminent. And will save us from the lies. Yes.)

I wrote a few raw paragraphs on this, and they were recieved deeply at group last Saturday. I am sharing them here, and watch for them on a possible broadside around Epiphany time...

There is no creation without imagination.

Imagination is an integral part of making something possible: cooking, invention, art, love. Adhering to reality at all times is not especially good for us. It doesn't make us safer. Imagining makes us more free.

I would like the child I was, the poet I am to grab an umbrella on a windy afternoon, take a run and take off into the air. As she lifts above the gray city sidewalk, she has this feeling: I knew it.

It's the imagination which knows.

Let's see.

I am putting together stuff for the publication of my first collection of poems, Author photo, blurbs, spiffy bio. (Anyone want to provide any of these?)

I am trying to sell some Dansko shoes.

Most people adore these shoes; they just happen to cause me to twist my ankles, probably because my feet are too narrow. Size 7/8 - Med (1 3/4'' to 2 3/4'') heel. $65. Contact me with questions: celia dot white at gmail dot com.

Well, who am I to buck a trend?

I joined myspace. Sigh. Please link to me if you are similarly sheep-ed.

I got a postcard from Seville!

There is Karma soap in my future, and National Poetry Month is imminent.

That's good.

Molten

Nickel City afternoon, cold and alluring. I went to check out the iron pour at Buff State, where radiators and other items were melted down and then poured into molds created by artists at the college and from other places, too. The liquid fire was so beautiful, and the rough smell is still in my hair.

Then I went to Rust Belt Books to drop off some canning jars I wasn't using to Lea Prentiss. Lea--poet/student/worker, was wishing for a breathalyzer on her computer, which seemed to be collecting poetry from her fingertips while she was less than aware. Eh, could be worse. For my effort, I have applesauce and tapenade coming my way at some point.

Home, I put together a tomato pie while listening to the mix CD Kristi Meal made for me (again an exchange, for a Patti Smith live show bootleg). The Musician and I had several hilarious exchanges contemplating whether the CD was called "06" (for the year) or "Ole'." I think it's the latter, but hee anyway.

I have 18-inch tall irises, a few more hours of solitude, a patched ceiling.

Ann Arbor

Jennimi gave the highlights of our trip brilliantly.

Here are some pictures:

State and Moon.
























I got a great used copy of Italo Calvino's Cosmic Comics at the Dawntreader. I also loved the category listing, which essentially provides subject location by aisle.





























Wizziwyg lacked Afro Ken paraphenalia. *cries*




















Cafe Zola.














The conference itself was great. Wireless in gorgeous Rackham Auditorium, conference blog, and excellent thinking on all things digital library. Man, it made me want to get back in the game.




Adam Smith of Google.





More photos.

You are an Encouraging Analyst.

About You

You are an Analyst

Your attention to detail, confidence, sense of order, and focus on functionality combine to make you an ANALYST.

You are very curious about how things work, delving into the mechanics behind things.

Along those lines, how well something works is usually more important to you than what it looks like.

You find beauty and wonder mainly in concrete, functional, earthly things.

You are very aware of your own abilities, and you believe that you will find the best way of doing things.

Accordingly, problems do not intimidate you, as you believe in yourself.

You trust yourself to find solutions within the boundaries of your knowledge.

You don't spend a lot of time imagining how things could be different—you're well-grounded in the here-and-now.

It is important for you to follow a routine, and you prefer the familiar to the unknown.

You're not one to force your positions on a group, and you tend to be fair in evaluating different options.

You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

You much prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute. Your decisions are well thought out, and you're not the least bit impulsive.

You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.

The control you feel over your life is empowering to you-- you believe in your abilities and acknowledge your shortcomings. Explanations of the world that focus on destiny or fate don't really interest you. You take responsibility for what goes wrong in your life, and also for what goes well.

If you want to be different:

Try to embrace the imaginative, creative part of your personality more often.

Try moving beyond the things that you find comfortable—open yourself up to a broader range of experiences.

How You Relate to Others

You are Encouraging

Your outgoing nature, understanding of others, and directness make you ENCOURAGING.

You want others to do well for themselves, and you generally believe in their abilities.

You often know what's good for people because of your caring nature and your worldview.

When you care about someone, you don't keep it to yourself: you are good at letting people know that you're thinking of them.

Because you trust people, you take violations of that trust very seriously.

You thrive in large groups of people, and even though you know who you like and who you don't like, you can interact well with many different types of people.

You have a healthy respect for people who have earned what they have, and you strive to be similar to successful others.

You are a loyal friend, and a good listener.

If you want to be different:

Sometimes, in the course of being encouraging, you can be a bit judgmental—this can make it more difficult for others to follow your advice.

While you are an expert at getting the most out of the world and taking advantage of many experiences, you might gain some insight by taking the time to be alone, reflect on things, or just observe the goings-on in the world.

Your Personality Chart

»Glossary of Traits

This chart shows thirteen personality traits. Each bar indicates the percentage of test takers who entered a lower value for that trait than you did. For example, if Confidence is at 80, that means that 80% of people entered lower values for confidence questions than you did. Based on a sample of 30,000 users.

Confidence	LowHigh	84
Openness	LowHigh	14
Extroversion	LowHigh	68
Empathy	LowHigh	84
Trust in others	LowHigh	86
Agency	LowHigh	100
Masculinity	LowHigh	4
Femininity	LowHigh	84
Spontaneity	LowHigh	2
Attention to style	LowHigh	32
Authoritarianism	LowHigh	28
Earthy/Imaginative	ImaginativeEarthy	70
Aesthetic/Functional	FunctionalAesthetic	40