how you move the trees
and make a music in their leaves
that eases me
Speaking Out About Sexism and Harassment is a Way for Feminist Writers to Find One Another
The Hairpin recently published a piece by Emma Healy about the subtle and not-so-subtle ways men ignore, negate, and harass women in the world of writing and publishing. Stories like the ones she and her colleagues recount make me feel so much less crazy as I contemplate returning to the world of writing and publishing, an industry I ran from years ago when New Media was the big idea. The Web seemed like an easier alternative to the hermetically sealed world of NYC publishing houses and academic presses. I started publishing my work on my own website in 1996 and haven’t looked back since. On a few occasions, it’s even resulted in literary journals soliciting my work — something unheard of in the more traditional literary world.
Like just about any industry on earth, web development (or web design, or web application development, or interactive design, or UI/UX design, or whatever the kids are calling it these days) is also a boys’ club. In the 1990s, I was a member of an organization called Webgrrls that brought women in the field together, but sometime around the turn of the century its founder Aliza Sherman sold it to a man (!) and it faded into obscurity. That heralded the end of the golden days of the web, a world that’s been co-opted by Silicon Valley startup capital and an increasingly crowded and complex Internet (or the Intarwebs, or the Tubes, or the blagosphere, or whatever the kids are calling it these days). The gender discrimination I’ve faced has been subtle and difficult to name. On the whole, my experience has been less creeptastic dudebro trying to get in my pants and more male coworkers bonding over football and beer and then passing me over for promotions.
Review of Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick is a lyrical, haunting book which I devoured in a single night. It was shelved in the science fiction/fantasy section of my local bookstore, but the novel really defies genre. It’s more in keeping with the Gabriel Garcia Marquez tradition of magical realism than the stereotypical pulp fiction often found in the sci-fi aisle.
I love narratives that challenge the linear nature of time and push at the edges of everyday reality, especially when they incorporate beautiful language and recurring motifs. This novel does all that and more.
Set on the same island in seven different time periods, the novel explores the themes of love and sacrifice as it weaves together characters who recur in different iterations and permutations. “I might be lots of people […] Why do I have to be just one? I am lots of people and I love all of the and they love me.”
Sedgewick drew inspiration from a painting in the Swedish National Gallery called Midvinterblot (Wikipedia link here). His vivid description of the painting and the way he brought its narrative to life inspired me to research it further. This passage from the book echoes its real-life reception, which relegated it to the dust-heap of history until almost a century after its creation:
“Sacrifice. That’s a somewhat… outdated… notion, isn’t it? In this modern world?”
“Outdated?” echoed Eric. Suddenly, he felt very old. He felt that he didn’t understand.
“The theme is old, but not outdated,” he explained, feeling bewildered. “And it refers to the island, whose very name is written in blood!”
“Really?” said one of the men.
“Indeed. People think the name of this island means ‘blessed,’ and so it does, but ‘blessed’ does not mean what people think it does. In the old tongue it was blestian and before that blotsian, and before that, just blod. It means sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice.”
“To bless means to sacrifice, and in blood.”
There is a pause. A long pause.
Then, “Good. Well, thank you for your time here today, Mr. Carlsson.”
With that they left.
[ NOTE: This review was originally published at Goodreads on 7/18/2014. ]
Boston Poetry Readings for the Month of October
If you ever doubted that Boston’s literary scene is closely attuned to the cycles of the academic year, just look at the massive number of readings this month. My personal recommendations are highlighted in bold. Feel free to call out your own in the comments.
Thursday, October 2, 6 pm
Christopher Ricks: “T.S. Eliot and the Second World War”
Katzenberg Center, 3rd floor, CGS
871 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston University
Boston
Thursday, October 2, 7 pm
Mr. Hip Presents: Youth Reads
w/ Guest Poet Harris Gardner
Youth Poets & Q&A
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
Newbury Street
Boston
Thursday, October 2, 7 pm
David Gullette, Carla Schwartz and Frannie Lindsay
Cervena Barva Press
Arts at the Armory (downstairs, basement, in Studio B8)
191 Highland Ave.
Somerville
$3
Friday, October 3, 8 pm
John Nardizzi, Angela Narciso Torres, and Kevin Daley
Dire Literary Series
Out of the Blue Gallery
541 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge
Saturday, October 4, 1 – 4 pm
at the graves of Agha Shahid Ali, Robert Francis, Deborah Digges, and Emily Dickinson
Dead Poets Remembrance Day 2014 in Massachusetts
Rhina Espaillat, Henry Lyman, Toni Treadway, Walter Skold, & Jane Wald (Director of the Dickinson Museum).
Northampton and Amherst
Full details and directions by searching “deadpoets typepad 2014”
Saturday, October 4, 1:30 pm
Heather Dobbins, Gilmore Tamny, and Elizabeth Witte
Arts at the Armory Café
191 Highland Ave
Somerville
Saturday, October 4, 2 pm
David P. Miller, Lee Varon and M.p. Carver
chapbook launch
Cervena Barva Press Stuido
At The Arts for the Armory
Basement, Room B8
191 Highland Avenue
Somerville
Saturday, October 4, 5:30 pm
Launch party for spoKe magazine
with Ben Mazer, Ruth Lepson, Len Krisak, Patrick Pritchett, and Margo Lockwood
Grolier Poetry Book Shop
6 Plympton Street
Cambridge
Sunday, October 5, 1 pm
Catherine Sasanov, Jacqueline M. Loring, Lisa C. Taylor, David Connolly, Melida Arredondo, Elizabeth Quinlan, Preston H. Hood, and Gloria Mindock
James’s Gate Restaurant and Pub
5 McBride Street (Corner South St. between Lee Street & Metcalf Ct.)
Jamaica Plain
Monday, October 6, 7 pm
Miles Coon, Alan Albert, and Ken Lee
Newtonville Books
10 Langley Road
Newton
Monday, October 6, 7 pm
Denise Bergman, Len Krisak, Steven Riel
Harvard-Yenching Common Room 136
2 Divinity Ave,
Cambridge
Monday, October 6, 8 pm
Nick Flynn
Blacksmith House Poetry Series
56 Brattle Street
Cambridge
$3
Tuesday, October 7, 2:30 pm
Edward Pavlic
McCormack Family Theater
70 Brown St.
Providence
Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 pm
Dead Poets Remembrance Day 2014 in Medford
at the grave of John Holmes
The public is invited to come read one favorite poem of either John Holmes, Anne Sexton, Deborah Digges, or John Ciardi at this free community celebration, which will take place at the grave of John Holmes. The event blog has directions to his gravesite: http://deadpoets.typepad.com/dead_poets_remembrance_da/
Full details and directions by searching “deadpoets typepad 2014”
Tuesday, October 7, 6 pm
Susan Howe
Spontaneous Particulars: The Telepathy of Archives
Introduction by Kristen Case
Thompson Room, Barker Center
12 Quincy Street
Harvard University
Cambridge
Tuesday, October 7, 6:30 pm
Tino Villanueva
Cambridge Public Library
449 Broadway
Cambridge
Tuesday, October 7, 8-11:30 pm
Jack Scully and Nancy Cunningham
Music: Ron Cummings, Andy and Judy Daigle
The Blackthorne Publick House
402 Turnpike St. (Rt. 138)
South Easton, MA
Wednesday, October 8, 7 pm
Cindy Hochman and Karen Neuberg
Cervena Barva Press Reading Series
At The Arts for the Armory
Basement, Room B8
191 Highland Avenue
Somerville
$3
Thursday, October 9, 4 pm
Joan Houlihan
University of Rhode Island
Kingston Campus, Hoffman Lounge
60 Upper College Road
Kingston, RI
Thursday, October 9, 5pm
Sandra Lim
West Tisbury Library
1042 State Road
Martha’s Vineyard
Thursday, October 9, 7 pm
Frannie Lindsay
Dudley House
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Harvard Yard
Thursday, October 9, 7 pm
Irene Koronas, Dennis Daly and Michael Todd Steffen
Somerville Library East Branch
115 Broadway
Somerville
Friday, October 10, 7:30 pm
Susan Eisenberg, Joan Houlihan and Martha Collins
Chapter and Verse Reading Series
Loring-Greenough House
12 South St.
Jamaica Plain
Friday, October 10, 7 pm
Denise Bergman
Grolier Poetry Book Shop
6 Plympton Street, Cambridge
(Harvard Square)
Friday, October 10, 7 pm
Ayshia Stephenson and Alexandria Peary
Cervena Barva Press Reading Series
At The Arts for the Armory
Basement, Room B8
191 Highland Avenue
Somerville
$3
Friday, October 10, 7 pm
Andrea Werblin
Book launch for Sunday With the Sound Turned Off
Porter Square Books
25 White St.
Cambridge
Saturday, October 11, 6 pm
Nicole Terez Dutton, David Miller, Carla Schwartz, Kelin Loe, Zeke Russel, Lily Duffy, and more
Musical Guest: Sterling Rhyne
Mr. Hip Presents: Reading Series
UFORGE Gallery
Jamaica Plain
Sunday, October 12, 12 pm
Louise Dery-Wells and January Gill O’Neil
Poetry: The Art of Words/Mike Amado Memorial Series
The Plymouth Center for the Arts
11 North St
Plymouth
Tuesday, October 14, 7 pm
Melissa Buckheit and Amy King
Grolier Poetry Book Shop
6 Plympton Street
Cambridge
Wednesday, October 15, 7 pm
Slavic Voices: An Evening of Poetry and Music with Sylva Fischerova, Dzvinia Orlowsky, and Vera Pavlova
Boston University Castle
225 Bay State Road
Boston
Wednesday, October 15, 7 pm
Michael Daley, Tomas O’Leary
Cervena Barva Press Reading Series
At The Arts for the Armory
Basement, Room B8
191 Highland Avenue
Somerville
$3
Thursday, October 16, 6 pm
Joshua Beckman
Books and Poets: On the Porous Experience of the Book in Physical and Imagined Space
Edison Newman Room, Houghton Library
Harvard University
Cambridge
Thursday, October 16, 7 pm
Diane Lockward, Jennifer Markell, and Tam Lin Neville
Cervena Barva Press Studio
At The Arts for the Armory
Basement, Room B8
191 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA
$3
Thursday, October 16, 7 pm
Molly Lynn Watt and Vincent Dorio
Rozzie Reads in the Roslindale House
120 Polar Street
Roslindale, MA
Friday, October 17, 7 pm
Kimiko Hahn
Grolier Poetry Book Shop
6 Plympton Street
Cambridge
Sunday, October 19, 1 pm
In Memorium: Allen Grossman
Mandel Humanities Center Atrium
Brandeis University
415 South St.
Waltham
A tribute with speakers, music, refreshment, recordings of the poet
Sunday, October 19, 2 – 4 pm
5th Annual Charles Olson Lecture w/ Ralph Maud
Cape Ann Museum
27 Pleasant Street
Gloucester
Sunday, October 19, 3 pm
Daniel Tobin
Concord Poetry Center
Upstairs at the Emerson Umbrella
40 Stow Street
Concord
Sunday, October 19, 2 – 4 pm
Cleopatra Mathis with Betty Buchsbaum
Brookline Public Library, Main Branch
361 Washington St.
Brookline Village
Sunday, October 19, 3 – 4 pm
In His Ecstasy: The Passion of Gerard Manley Hopkins
A One Person Play performed by Poet Tom Daley
Lexington Community Education
Follen Church Society
755 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington
$10
Sunday, October 19, 3 – 5 pm
Nancy Esposito, Kim Triedman and David Surette
Calliope: Poetry Readings at West Falmouth Library
575 West Falmouth Highway
Falmouth, MA
Donation: $5. Refreshments provided
Monday, October 20, 8 pm
Peter Cole and Karina Borowicz
Blacksmith House Poetry Series
56 Brattle Street
Cambridge
$3
Tuesday, October 21, 6 pm
Premiere of Heretofore Unheard Recordings of Wallace Stevens
Opening Remarks by Professor Helen Vendler
Thompson Room, Barker Center
12 Quincy Street
Harvard University
Cambridge
Tuesday, October 21, 7 pm
Sandra Lim
Trident Bookstore and Cafe
338 Newbury Street
Boston
Tuesday, October 21, 7:30 pm
Alison Hawthorne Deming
Stoddard Hall Auditorium
Smith College, Northampton
Wednesday, October 22, 5 pm
Valzhyna Mort
Introduction by Professor Stephanie Sandler
Woodberry Poetry Room, Lamont Library, Room 330
Harvard University
Cambridge
Wednesday, October 22, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm
Nick Montfort
Atrium of MIT’s Building E15 (“Old Media Lab”/Wiesner Building)
List Visual Arts Center
MIT
Cambridge
Thursday, October 23, 6:30 pm
Carla Schwartz, Featured Artist
Tatnuck Booksellers
Route 9 and Lyman Street in the Westboro Shopping Center
Westborough, MA
Thursday, October 23, 7 pm
Susan Bernhard, William Giraldi, Tanya Larkin, Danielle Legros Georges, Thomas McNeely, and Karen Skolfield
Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Commonwealth Reading Series
Cambridge Public Library
449 Broadway
Cambridge
Thursday, October 23, 7:30 pm
Bradford Morrow and Fanny Howe
McCormack Family Theater
70 Brown St.
Providence
Friday, October 24, 7 pm
Grey Gowrie
introduced by Christopher Ricks
Grolier Poetry Book Shop
6 Plympton Street
Cambridge
Saturday, October 25,
Joseph Massey and Laurie Duggan
Cambridge
Details to come
Monday, October 27, 8 pm
Cammy Thomas and Mary Pinard
Blacksmith House Poetry Series
56 Brattle Street
Cambridge
$3
Tuesday, October 28, 2:30 pm
Lisa Robertson
McCormack Family Theater
70 Brown St.
Providence
Tuesday, October 28, 6 pm
Grey Gowrie: “Heaney’s Great Contemporaries” (lecture and reading)
Katzenberg Center, 3rd floor, CGS
871 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston University
Boston
Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 pm
Mikhail Yeryomin and Jim Kates
Cambridge Public Library
449 Broadway
Cambridge
Tuesday, October 28, 7 pm
Sari Boren, Steven Cramer, Joseph Spece, and Sabina Murray
Jones Library
43 Amity St.
Amherst
Tuesday, October 28, 8 pm
Elyse Fenton, Sandra Lim, and Lesley Yalen
Small Animal Project
Outpost 186
186 1/2 Hampshire St
Cambridge
Wednesday, October 29, 7 pm
Anna Ross, Jon Lee, and Greg Lawless,
introduced by Wes Rothman
Suffolk University Poetry Center
Mildred F. Sawyer Library
73 Tremont Street
Boston
Wednesday, October 29, 7:30 pm
Jennifer Bartlett lectures on Larry Eigner
Gloucester Writers Center
126 East Main Street
Gloucester
Thursday, October 30, 7 pm
Rosanna Warren
Katzenberg Center, 3rd floor, CGS
871 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston University
Boston
Thursday, October 30, 7 pm
Carol Berg, Steven Edwards, Anna Ross, Stephen Tapscott, Linda Wertheimer
Back Pages Books
289 Moody Street
Waltham
Garden of Words 