Jen Knox

2012-05-04T20:07:00.003-05:00

Types of Circus, published in Fwriction : Review, made Wigleaf's Top 50 List for short fiction. A list of phenomenal work here, check it out: http://wigleaf.com/

Heading to Dallas

2012-04-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

If you're not busy Friday morning, come to the Eastfield College Arts & Literary Festival. I'm reading in the morning, which should be interesting for all involved.

http://www.efc.dcccd.edu/al/festival/JenKnox.asp

The final movie

2012-03-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

I've heard that a person's life story flashes before her eyes in the last moment of life. If this is true, I'm all about making that final movie phenomenal. I think I've already had enough conflict for a good story arc, so yeah, I'm all in for the sappy, happy, and lengthy ending. That's what I'm shooting for.

And what makes me happy is writing.

I'll be updating this blog only a few times this year because I've decided to focus the little free time I have to work on the novel, and also, possibly, add to and rewrite Musical Chairs--I'm inclined to do this every five years, Montaigne-style, adding new realizations and perspective with time. And because my contract with All Things That Matter Press expires in 2013, I figured this was a good time to work on it. I haven't yet decided. What I know is that I need to write, and so I'll be here less often, but I wanted to check in to say that my wrist is healing. I have a little nerve damage that I'm working to correct with physical therapy and a slightly modified lifestyle that means less time roaming the virtual landscape. So, I'll be back in full effect next year. In the meantime, Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. Have a beautiful year, and I'll be checking in.

Adrenaline

2012-01-26T17:36:00.002-06:00

Cracks the stem,

removes breath

in waves of red,

nerves unpinch.

The cherry breaks

concrete thought,

loosens the band,

releases grip.

And so I attempt poetry again (don't laugh). As the tendon in my hand and wrist slowly heals (yes, it's a long, long journey), I've been going to great lengths to assist the natural process that will restore strength, and I wanted to share what's been working for me. Adrenaline, when focused properly helps, as does diet and meditation.

The first thing I've been doing is focusing my breath. One exercise I've found especially useful is the sixty second breath in which I sit comfortably and inhale slowly for twenty seconds, hold for twenty seconds, then exhale for twenty seconds. This exercise is a meditation in of itself.

I have also been taking a variety of herbal and vitamin supplements that are said to help strengthen the tendons or reduce inflamation:

Tumeric

Cardamom

Glucosomine and Chondroitin

Vitamin B Complex

More: I've eliminated artifical sweeteners from my diet which is harder than it sounds because food manufacturing companies sneak Splenda and the like into a lot of products so that they can market processed foods as "healthy alternatives". Anyway, the point of this is that I've gone to great lengths to modify diet, along with a regimen of stretching, hand exercises, and ice/heat treatments. And, I've read that artificial sweeteners can actually build up in the joints. I don't want to take any chances.

I'm not sure which or if it all has helped, but, for what it's worth, the combination has done the trick. I'm on the mend. In fact, I'll be writing like a mad woman again soon. One thing I've learned about pain, in the meantime, is that it can be trumped. I've learned to see pain as a sort of blockage that can be loosened with perseverence and, more, patience.

2012: Literary Foursomes

2012-01-08T07:18:00.004-06:00

A resolution I forgot to add: Get with the times, and collaborate more. So far, so good.

My first publication of 2012 is all about the collaborative nature of modern literature. Thanks to Meg Tuite, who contributed, edited and masterminded this beautiful anthology.

Each story in here is written by four authors, and there are lots of stories. So, 4 * Lots + Duces = 37 individual authors. Good authors. So many good authors I won't list them all. Let's just say, some wild word concoctions in here.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T08:26:00.005-06:00

Who out there has resolutions in place for 2012?

I asked a dozen or so people yesterday whether they were making resolutions for the new year and every last one of them said no. There seems to be a negative connotation to the word for many people, but for me, the new year is a chance to reevaluate and wipe the slate clean. It's a time for renewal and to set goals.

Here were my 2011 resolutions:

1. Write some stuff.

2. Stop using smiley faces. :)

3. Continue to workout to those horrid Jillian Michaels tapes. I love/hate her.

4. Continue drinking coffee in abundance, but spend less money (i.e. less Starbucks)

5. Don't fall asleep in my contact lenses or on a bus.

6. Get Chris to workout by any means necessary.

7. Read as many books as I did in 2010, even if I find full-time work.

8. Say no every now and then just for practice, so it's not awkward when I really need to say the word (this will be fun).

9. Come up with a bad-ass pen name so that I can write vampire erotica without anyone knowing. (I'm open to suggestions.)
10. Blog regularly.

So how'd I do?

1. Done
2. Working on it
3. I did this until May, when I pulled a tendon and had to modify my workouts
4. Utter failure until, rather recently, my car battery died in the drive-thru of Starbucks, which I took as a sign to man up and renew this goal.
5. Only a few misses here
6. Utter failure
7. Sure enough read as much as possible. I'm currently reading The Marriage Plot and will have a lot to say upon its completion.
8. Did it, and yes, it was fun
9. This may or may not still come to fruition
10. Semi-regularly

Okay, so I didn't hit on quite a few of those but I'm in no way, shape or form discouraged. In fact, I feel like I have all the more resolve for the new year. After some reflection and reevaluation, I'm ready to begin again.

2012

1. Tell the best possible story each time I write

2. Do not write to publish but simply write, then publish

3. Vary my workouts and avoid backbend push-ups, no matter what

4. Eat just a little better than last year

5. Don't fall asleep in my contact lenses or on a bus (this one is worth the carry-over)

6. Make trips to see my family despite finances

7. Be patient with my loved ones--let them make their own resolutions

8. Pay outrageous student loans without cursing, stomping feet or looking up to the ceiling and screaming, "Why?"

9. Find either a) an agent and/or b) a fellowship that will bridge the gap between the larger literary world and my working life

10. Smile more (this one's weighted)

11. Get in the habit of turning my cell phone off at work and on when I get home (a biggie)

If you have resolutions, I'd love to hear them.

Photo credit: Sarunyu_foto

HAPPY 2012!

Is it Possible to Recreate an Experience?

2011-12-27T18:36:00.000-06:00

I've had a wonderful holiday season with my husband; we've had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun, but nothing has gone the way we planned. Because I started a new job in late September and we've been kind of low on funds, we weren't able to travel. So, we decided to make our holiday season romantic, to recreate an experience we shared when we first moved to San Antonio.

Shortly after moving to here, Chris and I planned an evening on the Riverwalk that included staying at a historic hotel, which was chosen primarily because we read many positive reviews online, it was right next to the Alamo (which I had yet to see), and the hotel allows dogs, which meant we wouldn't have to find our Blue Heeler a sitter.

We went to the hotel restaurant without expectations, hadn't even planned on eating there. We sat at the bar and received two long menus with few but promising options. I ordered soup and a mixed green salad with goat cheese and sweetened pecans. Soup and salad doesn't usually excite me, but the food was amazing! I savored every bite. The server, a woman in her forties, was attentive and kind; she welcomed us to the city and gave us some good tips about where to go and not go in the city. Our energy levels were high, and we were ready to explore our new city, the promise of our new life together.

The list we compiled thanks to our waitress was invaluable; it felt as though we now had a sort of treasure map to the city that included warning signs and places to avoid at all costs. If this woman could have only foreseen our experience this year, she might have said, "Oh, and don't come here again, expecting the same." Because that is exactly what we did--we went back to the hotel this year expecting the same. And we had an entirely different experience, one that would be equally as memorable.

This year, we decided to recreate our night at the hotel. We got a room on the 14th floor. This time, we were familiar with the Riverwalk and so we had an agenda. We even planned to play tourist and so Chris bought a Riverwalk boat ride. But when we arrived, I came down with a horrible headache and had to rest awhile. Chris waited patiently as I took a short nap, trying to shake the pain before a beautiful evening. We were looking forward to unwinding, eating good food then taking a romantic boat ride.

When the sharpness in my head finally settled into a dull ache, I said I was ready. There was a holiday buffet set up, so we were excited to sample more of the restaurant's memorable cuisine. We dressed up and positioned ourselves at the hostess stand, this time wanting the entire restaurant experience, a nice table, perhaps a bottle of wine... We stood a long time. When we were finally seated, the hostess announced that she would be our waitress as well and the buffet was $$.$$ per person. We asked for menus and were told that we were not supposed to get menus. "I'm really supposed to push the buffet," the server said, "but fine." We smiled, said we'd check out the buffet. Chris ordered a bottle of wine, and the server said they were out, but they had the more expensive version, which was a little better. We declined. She returned and said she'd found the original wine we'd ordered, but it would not be chilled. Hmn.

As we went to check out the buffet, thinking our upselling-happy server wasn't going to ruin our evening, we found food that didn't look as fresh as it could. The chicken and tilapia seemed to be melting into the metal trays that were set out, and there weren't very many diners. We decided to order off the menu. My husband ordered a White Russian, and it arrived incredibly light. He took a sip and his face puckered.

We waited to tell our server, we watched the ice melt and started to talk about our evening. We still had the boat ride and a night on the Riverwalk to look forward to. We had a nice bed and easy day tomorrow. We would relax: heaven. I tried to ignore the fact that my head was screaming again.

The waitress never appeared, so I took the drink to the bar and asked the tender if he could put some Kahlua in it. "My husband says it just tastes like milk and vodka." He said he'd look for Kahlua but had used the last drop in the drink, so I returned to the table. Soon after, too soon after, my salmon arrived complete with a frozen middle and the waitress, who seemed annoyed that I didn't wait for her to return the drink, rolled her eyes and asked if something was wrong.

My husband never got his Kahlua, and the salmon was still frozen on a plate in front of me, and my husband's food wasn't good, he said, so we decided to just get out of there. What followed was an incredibly long wait for the check and an aloof goodbye. We heard the bar tender laughing with another server, as they "sampled the wine."

We went back up to the room, ready to get going, but there on the 14th floor was a roach feasting on what looked like a graham cracker. I was jealous he seemed to be enjoying his meal so much. "Let's get the hell out of here," I said, still eager to walk along the river and get out of the hotel for a while. But, when we arrived at the front desk, planning to mention the lackluster service we received at the restaurant, we were rudely told that the ticket my husband purchased for the river tour was invalid.

"We don't do that anymore," the clerk said. They must not have updated the website. "Whatever money you paid won't show up on your bill. Rest assured."

"Why was it still on your website?" my husband asked.

"I don't know." We figured now wasn't the time to discuss our restaurant experience, since this man didn't seem too helpful.

After a few conversations with other hotel guests, Chris and I realized that our service was nothing personal. Many of the people staying there seemed rather unimpressed, and one that had tried the buffet told us to be thankful we hadn't tried it. A lady on the elevator, who said she was in love with our dog, told us that the hotel was haunted, which might explain the inconsistent service. "This place used to be a hospital, so now it's just riddled with ghosts. Maybe they're messing with you." What did she mean? The workers were possessed by spirits? Another man, who I met outside the exercise room, said he was getting rather shitty service, and he figured it was just because it was a holiday.

Whatever it was, the night proceeded in much the same way. My head ached to the point that I didn't want to do anything more. My stomach growled, my husband paced the room saying he wanted his money back. I just wanted to sleep. We ended up spending the evening watching a reality television show about restaurant cleanliness as a well-fed roach rushed around somewhere outside our hotel door.

Ultimately, the night was laughable. It was the sort of night that might make a family vacation movie plot starring Chevy Chase, but it was hardly romantic. Perhaps our trouble wasn't so much bad holiday service, a headache and a haunted hotel but the fact that our expectations were so high. What we'd wanted, to recreate an experience, might have been misguided. After all, there's so much out there to see and so much to experience, so what's the point in trying to recreate the past? After laughing about our effort, the trip we'd been looking forward to for weeks, we wrote the hotel to no response and decided to merely move on.

This wasn't the first time that I've failed miserably at recreating an experience. It makes me wonder if it's possible. Perhaps the secret to a good time--a time worthy of sealing itself in the mind--is an utter lack of expectation. After all, when there's no pretense, there's only the full experience. And there's still so many treasures out there to find. In 2012, one of my resolutions is to have as many new experiences as possible. For now anyway, the memories aren't going anywhere.

I wish you all a Happy New Year. Time to add to those resolutions!

2011-12-22T17:18:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays, everyone!

This year has gone by quickly, and it has been filled with its share of challenges and opportunities. I can't believe it's Christmas time. Already! I wish everyone out there has a magical holiday, one that is filled with hope and love.

I made a video message here, but as you'll see the audio quality is rather lacking. I probably need to upgrade something. Anyway, the sentiment is what counts, right? -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa5s0vxkDmw

2011 - Rough Writing

2011-12-17T09:27:00.009-06:00

It's been an interesting year. Not too prolific on the blog here, I must say, but I've done my fair share of writing. I've pounded out quite a few words over various projects, but unlike other years, when I've found or made the time, 2011 has been a tough year to write. In fact, it proved damn-near impossible.

- June 2011 -

Between a slow-healing hand and wrist injury to a tendon that still lingers to this day if I have pen in hand for too long (typing is far easier, but still with its limits), a robbery, and a bout of unexpected underemployment that lasted right up to September at which point I became hyper-employed (needfully, thankfully) and began a 40hr/week copy editing job on top of teaching, my writing presence (especially online) has been suffering. Yet, I have continued to write. Because no matter the loss of use of a hand or time or resources, we writers write. We're a touch crazy like that--addicted to making the intangible tangible. So, I wrote a sentence here and there. Here's how: I used voice recognition software, I wrote with my left hand, on breaks, in the in-between time, the waiting-in-line time, any time I could for as long as I could.

Writing is something I always took for granted to be there for me. But after this year's obstacles, I've reevaluated the value of my writing time. I've realized what a luxury it is to write. And though I'm not yet where I'd like to be in the literary world, I've recently remembered why I truly do what I do: I love being part, if in some small way, of the literary conversation that occurs between writer and reader. I enjoy being on both sides of it, exploring this insane world through a series of strings of words. Clinging to this urge, I'll continue on without taking anything for granted.

And if I get a break here and there, I'll aim to be more active on this blog. I plan to post about a forthcoming story soon, and as for book three... I'll post again in the new year.

**I received a beautiful thank you note from http://www.1800runaway.org/, for the donation from the sales of Musical Chairs in September. I plan to donate any royalties from the sales of this book again in January. I'd love for the amount to be higher this time. In fact, this time I will match my royalty sales and donate that amount. If you're interested in buying the book, please purchase it from Amazon, either in Kindle or paperback. If you purchase it from Barnes & Noble or outside of the U.S., notify me here as these sales post later with my publisher so that I know to count the sale toward the total.

A Guest Post by Emily Matthews

2011-11-22T16:58:00.000-06:00

I've been unproductive as a blogger for the last few months, so when an up and coming writer asked me if she could contribute an informative piece about the AWP conference here, I said have at it. I'll be back to blogging in 2012, so in the meantime, curtains back. Please enjoy the following article by Emily Matthews:

Networking at the AWP Conference

The AWP conference is one of the major ways you can network your writing career. AWP or the "Association of Writers and Writing Programs" is a group that focuses on helping out the careers of writers and writing programs across the country. They support 34,000 writers, 500 writing programs and 100 writers conferences and centers.

Their conference, held in Chicago this year, brings together both amateurs and major names in the literary world. Past attendees include John Irving in 2008 and Tim O'Brien in 2006. It focuses on finding outstanding authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centers, and publishers, and is one of the best means of networking outside online forums or masters degree programs. Participation requires registering to exhibit your work. The cost of registration varies but costs anywhere from $40 for students to $225 for non-members who’d like to exhibit works, and you can buy tickets now to save as much as $40 per person.

Events include readings that give writers a chance to hear the writing of professionals. Hearing this published writing helps writers understand what is publishable and gives them tips on where to publish. Panel discussions focus on a wide range of important writing and publishing ideas .

Panel discussions are one of the major sources of networking available at the AWP conference. Speaking at the panels and expressing your opinion can show that you are an intelligent writer with a solid understanding of the business. Bring business cards!

Meeting with publisher representative and getting names, numbers and other contacts is another way to network. These names help expand your network of possible contacts. Make sure to reciprocate networking information with others as this expands their network and makes you a trusted source of information in the writing world.

Another major way to network at the AWP conference is through reading your own writing. Buying a ticket gives you an exhibition table. Reading your writing to interested passerby may spark an interest in your work. Ask them to pass your name around and to tell others about your work. Reciprocate this action by listening to other writers and passing their names.

Simply chatting with people in the cafe during a break is a great way to network. The casual nature of dining will help people relax and be more willing to open up about contacts and networking information. The AWP conference has a large dining hall that makes this a much easier task.

Writing can be a lonely business, without the same 9-5 camaraderie you can find in another position. Visiting the AWP conference can help to foster both business contacts and friendships for years to come!

Emily Matthews is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington.

For My Grandfather

2011-10-27T06:34:00.000-05:00

I have a new piece up at Narrative Magazine, a true story about my grandfather: http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-2011/columbus-ohio

This story appears in To Begin Again.

Time

2011-10-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

I haven't had much time to keep up with my blog, but in my mad quest to pay down bills, I've kept my baby toe in the literary world. Lucky me, I was invited to speak with Meg Tuite, the remarkable fiction editor at Connotation Press. Check it out: http://www.connotationpress.com/fiction/1090-jen-knox-fiction

Intermission

2011-09-21T18:36:00.004-05:00

I was thrilled to do an interview with the good people at Independent Ink Magazine. It was fun teasing out my thoughts about the changing publishing world and how my life as a writer began.

Check out the magazine! It's amazing.

Expect Part V the first week in October. I'm a little behind since I started a new job this week (yes, I'm still teaching too), but I won't leave you hanging if you've been following along.

The Next Frontier - Radio Time!

2011-09-15T16:53:00.002-05:00

The radio interview happened!!! It will air on The Next Frontier on Thursday, September 16th, 2011 here: http://www.theradiator.org/drupal/ (WOMM-LP 105.9 FM) from 6-7PM EST.

Here's the radio program archive link: http://www.livingtheautismmaze.com/radiator_091411.html

I haven't listened to the show myself because I'll cringe about anything I didn't say in quite the right way. But you are free to listen at either link. My gratitude goes out to Anne Barbano, who was a generous and kind interviewer.

Intermission

2011-09-13T12:44:00.001-05:00

Last week's intermission sucked. Sorry about that. The good news is, I should be making up for it this week. We're currently in talks to reschedule the radio show, which I'd like to do in September while all Musical Chairs royalties are going to the National Runaway Switchboard.

I'll definitely post a link, and chances are that it will be soon. In the meantime, I found this last week and wanted to share -> 20 Greatest Memoirs - Mental Illness. Musical Chairs (#12) is the only small press book on that list. Furthermore, it is a list that was compiled for the benefit of its message rather than literary props (which, for this particular book, means more than anything).

Hmn, okay, back to business...

I may be a little late posting installment four because it just might be the last installment. I'm really writing this as I go, so we'll see. Why the hell did I ever decide to write this live? This is as unpredictable for me as it is you, which makes it fun and nerve-wracking all at the same time. Either way, Part IV is coming at'cha before the 23rd (at the latest).

Intermission

2011-09-02T06:38:00.002-05:00

Interrupting my serial story with an, urm, story. Check out "Needy Kids" at Bluestem Magazine.

(Part II is in the works.)

Cereal

2011-08-27T07:55:00.001-05:00

Um... I mean serial. But cereal seems more interesting as a title right now because It's early, and I'm hungry.

OK, so, my hand is all better (just about), and I'm writing again. The problem is I am now boring because I've been inactive these last few months due to constant pain and whatnot.

So, I plan to revamp this blog for a while. In other words, I will no longer discuss me or my writing life here. Instead.... I will post fiction. Yup. Original, unpublished fiction. It's a serial story that I will be writing as I go, and I hope you enjoy it. I'll post the first tonight Saturday 08/27/11, and the plan here is to add to this story each weekend.

I am undecided as to whether I'll leave up the archives. Perhaps I'll make up my mind as I go, depending on whether my mom is the only person who logs in to read this story. What I have now is a premise. I will write today and post later tonight. We'll see where it goes. And who knows? Maybe my life will become interesting again soon, and I'll go back to the navel gazing.

Hope you join me!

Brand New Story

2011-08-11T09:59:00.006-05:00

Click this BIG link to read my latest short story "Types of Circus" in fwriction : review ...

http://www.fwrictionreview.com/post/8777878403/types-of-circus-by-jen-knox

Ass-backward hibernation

2011-08-09T08:57:00.001-05:00

Well, it's official, I'll be in charge of the San Antonio College Writing Center again. Only this time, it will be just me and one other coordinator running the show. I can't wait to get started. I have so many ideas, and I feel truly privileged to have the opportunity. This is a supplementary position to teaching, so I'll still have two classes and my freelance work. I just hope I can keep up with everything.

Ironically, I haven't been able to do much of anything this month, and I'm having a tough time with it. There, I said it. No sugarcoating. If you follow this blog, you already know that I have a ruptured tendon in my hand/wrist. The injury is preventing me from using my right hand to do just about anything. And it's a constant, dull pain. I've been doing my best. I use voice recognition software for email and social media, and sometimes, like now, I just type left-handed.

Here's the thing: Writing is my Prozac. It's my therapist, my mirror, my stress relief. It's how I work out needless worry and manage necessary concerns. And I miss it. I've been going through a lot of emotional distress lately, and sure, much of it has come from the pain. But I think most of it comes from simply not being able to write. And though I know that this will pass, the injury will heal, right now it sucks.

I'm a strong believer that illness is often my body's way of telling me to slow down. Forcing me, rather. And slow down I have! With the new position, I'm sure I'll need it. In the meantime, I'm healing, hibernating, storing up ideas and reorganizing old work. I'm preparing myself for a lot of wonderful things to come this fall. It's so easy to forget when in the middle of it, but the pain does pass. I should know this by now.

Check out To Begin Again, an award-winning collection of short stories & Musical Chairs, a memoir about rebellion and reinvention.

New Work & Interview

2011-08-03T08:21:00.008-05:00

Here's the latest publication. I wrote this a year or so ago. Also, if you'd like to read about my writing process (part of which I am still doing daily, despite my injury), check out my interview in Black Fox Literary Magazine. It's a debut issue and very well done. I'm thrilled to be a part.

*More good news (and another plug for the collection)! I found out that To Begin Again is now a finalist for the Readers Favorite Competition as well. I'll find out soon if it placed. If you'd like to read the review of the book, go here: http://readersfavorite.com/review/4015

I love you all. Hope to be back in action soon. In the meantime, if you write, write extra for me. :)

End of July

2011-07-24T11:16:00.007-05:00

As my hand continues to heal at the pace of a snail swimming backwards through molasses on a humid day, I'm concentrating on non-typing things. One is a series of podcasts that I am creating for my creative writing courses (craft/inspirational stuff) and to share samples of my short stories. Here's my first go...

Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to upload audio to Blogger yet, so in the meantime listen to "The Probability of Him" (from To Begin Again) here: http://www.jenknox.com

Also, check out brand new fiction in The Criterion: An International Journal in English.

back in action

2011-07-18T12:27:00.011-05:00

Okay, so here I am blogging. But not in the traditional sense. Today is the first day that I've used voice recognition software, and so far it seems to be working pretty well. The fact of the matter is I don't have a choice. It's either rest my hand completely or risk permanent damage, so here I am dictating… and it feels damn strange.

I'd like to make a plea to all the writers out there—take care of your wrists and hands. Consider this: I didn't really start writing until I was 18. So even though I have written quite a few words during this time frame, I've really only been writing for 13 years. Yet, here I am with a serious repetitive strain injury (RSI). Given the fact that computers are currently being first used by toddlers as opposed to teenagers (as was the case on I was younger), I wouldn't be surprised if everyone suffers from some sort of computer related RSI injury in the future.

One of the most valuable things I've learned from getting tendinitis is that it is often caused by improper positioning and unnecessary tightness around the wrists and hands (I also learned that I have a remarkably low threshold for pain, but that's another story). If you notice any tightness when you write, or if you hold your hand in the same way—especially if you allow it to hover over the keyboard in a rigid position—check out the following exercises: http://www.handhealthresources.com/Solutions%20Pages/Exercises.htm

They help a great deal, both for preventative care and during the healing process.

It's been rather unbearable to not be able to write. In a way, it's really made me realize how valuable writing is to my life. I underestimated how often I sit down at the computer and write despite the fact that I don't have a regular routine. Personally, I've always tended to write whenever I find the time, which is usually in between other activities. But these in between times really add up. Having not had the ability to write over the last two weeks, I have damn near gone crazy. Luckily, my writing is supporting itself in that I got a few award checks this month that paid for this software. I'll keep you up to date as far as how everything goes, but for now it seems to be going okay… the only way to heal tendinitis is through rest, and unfortunately I'm not a to point my life yet where I can take off of work for a long period of time so for now voice recognition will have to do.

It will be interesting to see if I can complete creative work using voice recognition. I will say, it does feel quite a bit different. Something about the process of recording my thoughts seems somehow off... if nothing else, this is the way to get the rough ideas down.

In writing news, I have just received my hard copy of Short Story America. To share the pages with such talented writers is a distinct honor. I want to thank Tim Johnston and recognize the other authors in the anthology; it's a beautiful work, physically and content-wise. Also, I'd like to thank Dawn Herring for providing some great links that helped me to put together the workshop and provide a set of resources for the participants of the Journal Writing workshop at the San Antonio Public Library. I had an amazing time teaching this workshop. I was surprised and delighted by the wide variety of ages and backgrounds—from seasoned writers to those who had never before considered keeping a journal—which made the event truly magical. I have been invited back to teach another workshop in the fall, and I will be announcing the details about that event on my website very soon.

Thank you for hanging in there with me. I hope to be more active on this blog soon as I get used to this software, and hopefully find a full recovery within a few weeks thanks to the rest that will allow. For now, I'm tired of listening to myself…

Broad Strokes / The Poetry of Place

2011-07-06T13:15:00.023-05:00

Ohio:

When I think of my hometown, I see the small cow pastures that I would drive by on my way to work, that signaled the edge of OSU’s agricultural school on Kenny Road. It was one of the first roads I ever drove, long and straight, leading from Grandview to Upper Arlington. It was the way to my mother’s apartment, the way to avoid 315. It was the way to Half-Price Books and Caribou, where I first felt the privilege of being a college student with my very own laptop and homework to do. It was the road to the apartment I would share with my husband before he became my husband, when we owned a small blue parakeet—the muse for my first published essay.

Vermont:

The benefit of silence. The mountains were so beautiful that it seemed ridiculous I could awaken to them every morning. The drastic differences, American lifestyles that could sell the dream. Vermont is where I found myself overstimulated as an MFA student, where I studied literature and writing for two years. Here were people who lived in nature, with so little concrete, without loud screaming and sirens and men hanging out car windows asking 'to get that number'. Artists. Trust funds to student loans. Remarkably talented people. ABCs. A professor who asked me how I possibly got in; I never stopped asking myself that same question. (I had catching up to do.) The mountains helped, close and unlikely friendships helped. The beauty of it seemed so distant from me, and yet now a part of my memory—a thing that can’t be taken, memory. Enlivening.

Texas:

Building a life with my husband, working harder than we imagined we’d have to in order to pay off student loans: the next bubble. Texas is filled with memories of Ohio; calls to family. Pictures from Vermont; emails to friends. A community I feel slightly unable to understand. A town hall meeting that condones guns for self-defense. Volunteer work. News stories of border wars. The honor of teaching. The students who amaze and inspire, who constantly challenge.

The longing to go somewhere else, where I’ll better fit; the bills that keep us here. A beautiful family that makes location matter less. A husband, who encourages me to write. Friends who teach me about astrology, fiestas and magic. God peddling couples at my door each weekend. The best food of the three states; a second language; breakfast tacos; a proud town of transients, traditionalists, soldiers, students and those looking for work. A nice stop.

The promise of somewhere new.

Written for "The Poetry of Place" -> hosted by Walter Bjorkman -> language / place carnival

Recovery

2011-07-01T09:34:00.005-05:00

Ha! I don't know if I'm getting better at writing with my left hand; it looks as though I've plateaued, but the good news is that I've been doing some stretches and exercises that seem to be helping along my recovery. Hopefully I'll be back in full swing before August. (It's officially a bad case of tendinitis.)

Writing News:

To Begin Again is now available on NOOK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-begin-again-jen-knox/1030146397?itm=1&fmt=200&usri=jen%2bknox.

"The Code" (a story I've been reworking for some time) was picked up, and it won the Global Short Story Competition for May. Read it here:http://www.globalshortstories.net/maywinners2011.pdf

Thanks for hanging in there with me! I'm still writing, just v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

Poets on Art

2011-06-29T07:40:00.009-05:00

"scars"

Image by Mark R. Knox http://www.knoxworx.com

Writer's interpretations:

Space, Time, and the Goddess of Sunlight

R. E. Smith

An inch of space and time reserved for each individual's ponderings. Words, a first breath of knowing sighs reach the soft neck of understanding, to live in the curve of soft tissue until the cathedral of harmony settles in the ear of every attentive soul.
R. E. Smith Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

ENDLESS

Marta Moran-Bishop

Gently the rose falls from the hand,
Goddess of sunlight burns brightly,
Time moves through eternity,
Endlessly recycling.

The Gold light darkens with the night,
Repeating itself forever,
Never the same each day new,
Dawn to dusk, then dawn again.

With renewal there is a change,
Ever so slight is the movement,
No petal or fold the same,
Ceaseless this circle of life.

Copyright Marta Moran-Bishop 2011 All Rights Reserved

"forest"

Image by Mark R. Knox, KnoxworX Multimedia

Despite Beauty
(reprint)

Jen Knox

I looked to her for definition. The artificial. The perfect. She redefined delicacy when she found her place in nature, in images around my home. She held my own rough image, magnified, enlivened, so that I only wanted to close my eyes in front of the mirror, hoping for smoother lines. Fragile, younger then, I looked to her, to art, to the place of light. I look still. And sometimes the light peeks out, around the trees, above the moist and fragrant ground. It begs reflection, tells me to seek other forms of beauty. Look to the whole, it says, redefine.