When Life Hands You Lemons, Make....

....Poetry!

Our beloved son checked into rehab 6 weeks ago for problems with alcohol, drugs and severe anxiety, which he was self-medicating with the aforementioned substances.

It has not been a totally negative experience, I am happy to say. He is at a very good treatment center, which specializes in co-occurring conditions, so the anxiety is being treated, as well as the addiction. Also, my dear husband and I attended a fabulous parents' weekend, where we learned a lot about addiction (no distinction is made between alcohol and drugs...it's all addiction) and how to parent a child with this disease. And it IS a disease. All kinds of evidence exists of pre-disposing genes and brain hard-wiring that also makes the addicted brain different from the "so-called" normal brain (is any one of us really normal?).

Of course, writing has kept me sane during this episode in my life. Journaling and writing poetry. It's just what I do. And it does make me feel better, along with prayer and going to Alanon meetings and working my own 12 step program (yes, we parents get addicted to the child who is addicted to a substance). We, too, must learn that we are powerless over substances and our lives have become unmanageable.

Fortunately, my angst over this has yielded some decent poetry. I'll share one poem with you all.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers...and keep writing, you never know when it will really come in handy and save your life...or at least your sanity!

Using

You never said, “I’ll take a shot
of alcoholism on the rocks
followed by a swig of depression,”
when you made your Faustian bargain.

Alcohol was your drug of choice,
mixed with reefer, speed,
Benzodiazapines, even cough syrup.
A crazy cocktail of isolation.

For months, you chased that first high:
A mad marathon of numbing
shades of grey haze,
en route to blackouts.

We pray your soul will still be
at the baggage carousel to reclaim
when you are once again sober.

Blessings,

Anni

I have Been Remiss

...in not writing.

Much has happened since last September when I posted "life without power."

To hit on the highlights:

I have had 6 poems accepted for publication....

A retreat in November went swimmingly.

I attended a writers intensive in England in January...lots of fun and learned a lot.

My Women Writing for (a) Change class in Traverse City last fall nurtured my teaching skills.

In November, I moved back to Cincinnati and took a full time job in Marketing Research due to the economy.

I am still writing and TAKING classes at Women Writing for (a) Change in Cincinnati (the mother school).

Retreats in Michigan will continue to be offered twice a year, in July and November at the Augustine Center in Petoskey, MI.

And that's been my life....

Of course, I am still writing. Here is one of the poems that is being published:

The Apocalypse

We are all tourists,
passing through,
collecting souvenirs:
flamingo toothpick holders
demerits for venal sins.

War is fought daily
over minutiae, fodder
for the wrens’ nest.

Life is not all
black and white,
soon we shall all be
the color of strong
coffee with cream.

God spends her
capital on the
most wretched:
homeless vets
hooked on booze,
mothers who
commit infanticide,
paranoid schizophrenics.

Freed, they will lie on beds of
cottonballs and down
when the final evening falls
as the rest of us succumb to
endless meandering, collecting stuff.

Cheers, please write...

Anni

Life without Power

Dear Writer Friends:

Life in the 21st century without power is an interesting thing.  Right now, I am at a Panera Bread Company location because power is out at my house, which went black last SUNDAY because of a windstorm from the remains of Hurricane Ike.  

Frankly, life in the 18th century is getting old, though I am grateful that the toilets work and we actually have hot water.  It is scary how dependent we are upon electricity, but it also got me thinking about the poor people in Baghdad who have power only intermittently and live in a much hotter climate!

My daughter and I have been reading, doing crosswords ad nauseam, playing Scrabble, going to the movie theater (they have power) and otherwise occupying ourselves with out the technology of TV and the internet.

It's also a great time to write!  I have been making journal entries to remember this time (where were YOU when the lights went out for 4 days in '08!).    I am also writing a poem about the ordeal-- great fodder for poetry in this.

Generally, I have been very impressed by the consideration people are showing one another.  At dead stop lights, people are treating them as four-way stops, letting each other go in an orderly fashion.  At Panera, the guy with the power strip is letting people use it to connect and charge their computers.  It is restoring my faith in man and womankind!

Duke Energy says that 85% of power will be restored today, but I have a funny feeling that the tree that downed the power lines for our little neighborhood may not be a high priority! So I won't be surprised if we are in the 15% who don't get their power back.   And if that's the case, we'll deal.  Fortunately, I snagged the last 2 battery operated lanterns at Meijer the other day and we can see. We have extra batteries and candles thanks to my best friend, whose power has been restored (stores are out of all necessities, including ice for the ice chest!).

Once we get power restored, I'm going to fix up at special "Power Out Kit" to put in the basement, with everything we need.  Next time, instead of scrambling, we'll be prepared.

Good writing to you all. Wishing you plenty of fodder for your work, but hoping it's not due to a natural disaster!

Anni

Dear Readers:

Have you ever wondered if you are a "real" writer?  Well, here is a quiz for you to take to judge.

Yes No 1)  You keep a journal.

Yes No 2)  You love everything about words...definitions, origins, new words...

Yes No 3)  You own at least one book on the art of writing.

Yes No 4)  You've entered a writing contest (3rd grade counts!).

Yes No 5)  You love word games (and hate Sudoku).

Yes No 6)  When you start writing Haiku, you can't stop.

Yes No 7)  You have The Writer's Almanac in your bookmarks/favorites.

Yes No 8)  Your friends have accused you of using big words to confuse them.

Yes No   9)  You keep a notebook by your bed in case something comes to you.

Yes No  10)  You have written a poem (even a bad one).

7-10 Yesses -- Oh Boy, are YOU a real writer!

4-6   Yesses -- You are a real writer!

1-3   Yesses -- You may be a writer who is just getting started, keep it up!

0      Yesses -- You might want to stick to math or sports!

Blessings,

Anni Macht Gibson

Creative Writing Tips - How to Develop a Discipline

Hello Fellow Creative Writers:

I'm often asked how best to go about developing a creative writing discipline.  Sad to say, there is no "one size fits all" in this realm. But I do have some tips for those of you who want to write more.

1 - Write when you are at your best.  Don't try to be creative when you've spent the day ferrying kids to activities, doing housework or have put in a full day at the office and are exhausted.  Write when you are fresh.

2 - Prepare your writing space.  Write someplace where you feel good. It could be a window seat, in the kitchen, in your bedroom.  Surround yourself with pretty things. Light a candle. Put yourself in a good mood and the ideas will flow.

3 - Make Writer's Appointments. Use your calendar to carve out time for writing. Make this time sacred.

4 - Start Small.  Don't take on the great American novel until you have some experience.  Many women begin simply by journaling every day.  Afterwards, scour your journal for phrases that can jump start a writing piece.  The will be there.

And, of course, if you are in N. Michigan, join a Women Writing for (a) Change Up North class.  Classes start on Aug. 30th, 2008. For more information on classes and free samplers classes on Aug. 2, 9, 16, and 23, see the website pages.

As usual, I'll leave you with a poem:

How to Change the World

First, do no harm.

See what others cannot.

Persist in the face of obstacles.

Be self-reliant -- it's up to you.

Battle bureaucracies like a fire-breathing dragon.

Let your idea posses you.

Do it backwards, upside down and inside out.

Start small and learn, then spread out.

Be child like in your desire to change the world.

Never take no for an answer.

Blessings,

Anni

Improved Website

Dear Readers:

You may have noticed some changes to our website!  I've been busy writing about Women Writing for (a) Change -- our values, our practices, our retreats -- to help you learn more about us before you give us a try.  

Check out the new articles on confidentiality, values and practices in creative writing classes and retreats, diversity of writing, why I (personally) love creative writing, what the "change" in Women Writing for (a) Change is all about.  I invite you to read about us, confident that you will be intrigued by what we have to offer.

I am still on a natural high after our wonderful retreat.  In the next few days, you'll be able to check out writing from the retreat on the site.  I hope this writing will inspire you to try your hand at some poetry, creative non-fiction, fiction, memoir or journaling.

Right now, I am preparing for the FREE sampler classes I will be holding in Traverse City at Just Imagine Creative Arts Center at 225 W. 14th St. each Saturday in August.  Our weekly classes begin on Saturday, August 30th from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., also at Just Imagine.  

If you have any questions about Women Writing for (a) Change after browsing the site, contact us via email (anni@womenwriting.com) or call me at the phone number on the website.

As usual, I'll leave you with a poem, this time a short poem inspired by the  Vietnamese Monk Thich Nhat Hanh:

compassion

cleansing open wounds,

tendrils of the heart unfurl

mindful of the pain

Blessings,

Anni Macht Gibson

Great Retreat!

Hi, Fellow Writers:

We had a terrific retreat this past weekend at the Augustine Center in Petoskey, Michigan.  Six women writers got together to inspire and encourage one another, to write and to share writing with each other.  We had a terrific time....there were serious moments of sharing and lots of laughter, too.  I drafted several new poems and some of the women were inspired to write late into the night.

The Augustine Center could not have been more hospitable and we offer our thanks to Sister Barbara who is the retreat center Director and Megan who ably prepared our meals and served them.

I always come away from retreats on a natural high from the terrific writing and the camaraderie of being with other creative writers.

Meanwhile, back in Cincinnati we have moved to our condo. Boxes await me down there as we finish moving in and making it homey.

But before I leave for Cincinnati, I am enjoying another beautiful, cool Michigan summer day with the sky a cerulean blue and the brilliant green of the leaves on the trees and bushes.  I'll eat some fresh cherries for each of you and wish you happy creative writing.

Blessings,

Anni