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Dialogue with my muse |
| I have been carrying on a dialogue for almost a year. During this time we have discussed the progress of my writing, editing, and publishing efforts. Join in to listen to our conversation about my daily writing life and add your comments if you think of anything Calliope and I miss. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I was wondering where you found the title “Notes to Myself” for yesterday's blog. JOE: I was hoping you might know. I went to post it on my site and there was the title. CALLIOPE: Can't help you. JOE: Hmmm. Mysteries still abound. CALLIOPE: Apparently. Did yesterday's outing restore your creativity? JOE: I made stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home from helping my friend with his pool to do some research on web development programs. CALLIOPE: I thought you used Front Page. JOE: It will no longer be honored by my web host after the end of June. CALLIOPE: What are your options? JOE: Get a new program, become proficient in HTML or pay someone to do it. CALLIOPE: How are you inclined? JOE: Microsoft has a program, Expression, which looks like it has possibilities. CALLIOPE: Gilda Radner was right, There's always something. JOE: No doubt. Anyway, I did some painting when I finally arrived home. I'm trying an abstract expression style. CALLIOPE: How did it turn out? JOE: That's not the point. I had fund doing it. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Matching the weather. CALLIOPE: Which is? JOE: Overcast. CALLIOPE: How so? JOE: No particular reason. Sometimes I'm affected by my surroundings. Today is one of those days. CALLIOPE: How do you plan to handle it? JOE: This morning I will be busy helping a friend open his pool. CALLIOPE: And then? JOE: Hard to say. Perhaps I will be in a more creative mood when I get back. CALLIOPE: Does your mood bother you? JOE: No, Sometimes I think a little down time gives me a chance to regroup and return to creativity. CALLIOPE: We shall see. JOE: I'll keep you posted. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good Morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Welcome to a new week. JOE: Thank you. You will be happy to know that I followed through on my art commitment. CALLIOPE: I'm all ears. JOE: I found a brief period to work on drawing and sketched a lighthouse in my handmade paper notebook. CALLIOPE: Were you satisfied with it? JOE: I aimed to draw not to reach perfection. I enjoyed the process and tried not to judge the outcome. CALLIOPE: Good move. Was that it? JOE: I enjoyed it so much that I went back later to practice painting in the style of Linda LeKinff, an artist I have liked for some time. CALLIOPE: Did you stay with the experience here too? JOE: I did and for a longer stretch of time. I also worked with matching colors, not an easy task at least until I get more practice. CALLIOPE: I'm glad you're back into it. By the way, being a Greek Muse, I'm not quite sure about the translation of your blog title. JOE: It means "Art for Art's Sake." CALLIOPE: I thought so. On with the show. JOE: I agree. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| (Big Ben) JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I thought you might take today off in honor or Memorial Day. JOE: No, I'm up early. CALLIOPE: What thoughts entertain you today? JOE: Who, not what. I read Julia Cameron's thoughts about time in her Vein of Gold. CALLIOPE:Tell me about it. JOE: She talked about the excuse most of us find from time to time not to create. “If I only had more time!” CALLIOPE: Sounds familiar. JOE: It is. I tend to wast time wishing I had more of it instead of using the small chunks which come available to create something even on a small scale. CALLIOPE: Where do you lose out the most. JOE: In visual art. I find time to read, write and photograph. Ten feet from where I sit wait my drawing and painting materials, gathering dust while I procrastinate. CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do about it. JOE: Redefine my time requirements. CALLIOPE: How? JOE: By using small chunks of it to create something even if it's only a beginning rather than a finished work. CALLIOPE: Go for it. JOE: I will. Wait for tomorrow's report. |
| (Central Park Lake) JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. It sounds like you had a busy week. JOE: I did. I finally sent in the final draft of Meeting God in Nature yesterday for publication in Christian Schaal's book, Meeting the God of America. CALLIOPE: How was it received? JOE: Enthusiastically. He posted it as a sample from the forthcoming book. CALLIOPE: Can I read it? JOE: Sure. It's posted at http://www.meetingthegodofamerica.com/finding_god_in_nature.pdf . CALLIOPE: Thanks. I'll take a look. What else are you up to. JOE: I planned to organize my desk last Saturday but didn't get to it. Today it's time for another go at it. CALLIOPE: Sounds ambitious. How's the floor coming? JOE: Just about finished. Other laborers were called to the vineyard so I didn't have to work on it last night. I'm on call today if needed. CALLIOPE: Anything else on the agenda? JOE: Church in the morning and then a graduation party in the afternoon. CALLIOPE: I hope you have some time to relax. JOE: I do and have some reading planned. Talk with you on Monday. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What news? JOE: A surprise in my inbox. CALLIOPE: What was it? JOE: An email from William Safire thanking me for my post about the word marriage and welcoming me as a Lexicographic Irregular. CALLIOPE: How nice. Did that make your day? JOE: It did. I have always enjoyed his New York Times language columns but have had difficulty finding them due to limited distribution of the Times in a small town. CALLIOPE: Is there any way you can still find access? JOE: Interesting you should ask. I found a link to notify me by email when he publishes anything. I am looking forward to keeping up with his comments. CALLIOPE: What else is in the fire? JOE: I sent in my column about the word marriage which will appear in Sliding Otter News this Saturday (request a free subscription at jlangen@slidingotter.com) CALLIOPE: What else? JOE: I am finalizing my article on Finding God in Nature. CALLIOPE: Where will that appear. JOE: In a forthcoming book, Meeting the God of America by Christian Schall. I'm trying to be patient. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Were you serious about contacting William Safire or just kidding? JOE: Serious. After some sleuthing to find his email address at the New York Times, I sent him a post suggesting he consider the meaning of the word marriage. CALLIOPE: Do you think he will? JOE: I am sure he has many requests for topics. I always appreciate requests from my readers and usually end up honoring them in one form or another. CALLIOPE: That's a good way to be sure you aren't just talking to yourself or me. JOE: I agree. Although I enjoy our talks, I like it when readers chime in as they have lately on the topic of marriage. CALLIOPE: Are you done with this topic? JOE: Hard to say. My column for Saturday, also to appear in Sliding Otter News, looks at the issue further. CALLIOPE: What feedback have you gotten from your readers? JOE: Some didn't see what the big deal was. Just let everyone choose whatever relationship is comfortable. CALLIOPE: What's the likelihood of that? JOE: Not so great, I'm afraid. Some people feel threatened by people messing with their institutions and cherished beliefs. CALLIOPE: Any other thoughts on marriage? JOE: I guess that's about enough for now. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. You had more to say about marriage? JOE: I did. It seems to me that the word itself is confusing the debate about who should be allowed to use the word "married." CALLIOPE: How so? JOE: Most people don't object to other than heterosexual couples having civil unions. They just object to calling it marriage. CALLIOPE: I see. Civilly, Marriage refers to a legal union regardless of whether there is a religious ceremony. JOE: Right. It also refers to a religious ceremony, regardless of whether it is legalized with the government. CALLIOPE: So you can be married in the eyes of the government alone, a church alone or both. JOE: Right. I think it's too much work for one word to do. CALLIOPE: What would you call it then? JOE: Good question. Reserving the word for people in one set of circumstances is likely to alienate everyone else. Maybe we need several words to make everyone's situation clear. CALLIOPE: Is anybody even discussing this possibility? JOE: Not that I know of. That's why I brought it up. CALLIOPE: Do you think anyone else is interested in the issue? JOE: Perhaps William Safire would be. I'll ask him. I'm not sure anyone else has the emotional energy to enter into such a debate. We shall see. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Raring to go. CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're charged up about something. Tell me about it. JOE: Marriage has been on my mind. CALLIOPE: Don't tell me you're getting married again. JOE: Relax, No such plans are in the works. CALLIOPE: What then? JOE: Yesterday I read in the newspaper more about the ongoing debate over gay marriage and its implications. CALLIOPE: And? JOE: I realized the problem was one of semantics. CALLIOPE: How so? JOE: Civil, legal, societal and religious views of marriage have become entangled the the point where people are talking about different things using the same word. CALLIOPE: I see. What would you suggest? JOE: It's time we had different terms for civil and religious views of marriage and what they imply. More tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I understand there are people waiting to hear our conversation today. JOE: That's what I heard too. I think they want to know about God in America. CALLIOPE: So tell me already. JOE: Yesterday I finished my piece, Finding God in Nature. It's about my path to discovering God. CALLIOPE: I'd like to know more. JOE: I started by wrestling with institutional church teachings, prescriptions and proscriptions dating back to childhood through my early twenties. CALLIOPE: And? JOE: I finally realized I could find God in the mysteries of nature and relate on that level with a God who reached out to me in ways to which I could respond. CALLIOPE: Can you share the whole piece with me? JOE: It's rather long for a blog. Also I wrote it for inclusion in a book. I'm not sure the author would appreciate my unveiling it before publication. CALLIOPE: I understand. Where will your piece be published? JOE: I wrote it for Christian Schall's book in progress, Meeting the God of America. CALLIOPE: I assume there will be other contributors. JOE: There will. He has some but from what I understand is still looking for more. He describes his project at http://www.meetingthegodofamerica.com. |
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Hope they like snow! 
I just tell them to go get a life...
It's a sunshiny 24 here at the moment; 19 in Buffalo.