Moving site.

Hey everyone. For 2012 I have decided to continue this blog about writing to Tumblr. I love their format and I feel that it's very user friendly.

Follow me here:
http://writecomposescribe.tumblr.com

Happy New Year and wishing you all the best for 2012

Jan 2011: Steven Reigns

1.As a writer, I find that writing about myself personally is challenging. Why did you decide to write an autobiographical book with you as the subject?

My first collection, Your Dead Body is My Welcome Mat, was a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. After the book was published, the nonfictional elements began to feel a bit cheap to me. I kept hearing from readers how much the book affected them and heard stories they hadn’t disclosed to anyone else.
These experiences really shaped my idea of the type of work I want to create. Though an imagined reality can be as moving as real life events, I wanted to have my next collection focus only on my experience. Another interesting thing about Your Dead Body is My Welcome Mat is that I refrained from talking about my parent’s abuse. I hadn’t noticed this until after the book came out. Holding onto family secrets was so ingrained in me that, though I was disclosing about my neighbor and being molested, I didn’t talk about how my parents treated me.

2.I want to know what you feel is both the limitations and the advantages of writing in prose/verse...at least as it pertains to you?

I don’t feel limited by poetry. It suits my temperament. I don’t have the patience of a novelist. My writings for the past ten years have been autobiographical or based on true events. I don’t have a desire to enter into a fabricated or false world. Though I might not be patient, I’m highly attentive. This works as a writer and reader of poetry.
The biggest thing limiting poetry isn’t the form as much as it is the public’s perception of poetry. I think with more exposure, people would enjoy poetry more.

3.Why did you choose to use the real names in the book? -esp Debbie May.

I always get questions about my use of real events and sometimes not changing names. I tried to search for Debbie a few times over the years. Before the book went to print I sent out dozens of Facebook messages searching for her. I couldn’t find her and proceeded without permission. I’d like to think she would be okay with what is said about her in the poem. I think of it as an honoring. I wasn’t innocent, for quite awhile I was the one laughing with the kids who made fun of her. That changed for me the day I reference in the poem. I didn’t feel like I had the “social capital” to stick up for her. My fear was that I was on a par with her; the most hated, talked about, and teased girl in the school. What might feel like I’m dragging people’s real life into my book is really, for me, about my own life and growth.
The people are mentioned because they were a part of my life. I want to write the most emotionally and historically accurate poem I can about my life. I don’t intend on keeping someone else’s secrets but I wouldn’t write a slanderous poem either.

4.What sets your teaching apart from some of the other workshops and creative writing teachers?

I think I have a gift for articulating complexity simply. Mark Doty called my work “plainspoken.” This is accurate for my poetry but also for my teaching style. My teaching style does differ in that I use humor often and I’m forever telling analogies. Actually, I might be the kind of analogies: usually centered around baking, dating, driving, or gardening.
My enthusiasm for poetry and the writing process comes through as a teacher. I have faith in the page and process. I try hard to give that to my students.


5.How has being a teacher helped shaped your own writings?

Teaching has kept me connected with some of the basics of writing and being a writer. The advice I give my classes is the same advice I adhere to myself. It would be easy for me to continually stumble over words and expressions, taking hours to complete a first stanza. But instead, I remind myself what I tell my students, that the creative process and critical process should be separated. Get it out on the paper first, and later on you can reword, reorder, and edit.
Teaching hasn’t shaped my writing but it has shaped my life. I enjoy connecting people with information. Every time I teach a class I’m sharing something I deeply love. Teaching has enriched my life.

6. I love that you write autobiographical. I think it’s brave that you own your past and use it to teach and inspire. Because of you, am I inspired to write my second book of poetry. Any advice?

The first piece of advice I’d give for any writer is to write. So often our perfectionism or desire to “do it right” gets in the way of writing. Our judgment and concern for appropriateness is just another form of resistance. Make sure these don’t get in the way. If you want to write, start putting ink on the page.
Our lives are big and broad. Wanting to write an autobiographical collection may feel overwhelming. Start by writing what moves you, what you find interesting about you’ve experienced, felt, and witnessed. Remember those assignments in school where you had to write what you did on summer vacation? Give yourself such an assignment but designate years, a car you owned, or places you’ve lived. This doesn’t mean you create a collection of poems about your 1983 Honda Accord or about 1366 Solana Avenue; this assignment is designed to help you pull things from your past and reexamine them.

7.I completely agree with how you use Debbie’s name. I had a straight male friend recently who called me after the “It Gets Better” videos went public. He told me that when he was younger he had made fun of a gay kid when he was younger. He didn’t know how to contact him now, naturally, but he called to apologize to me saying I never realized the struggle that gay men and women have. I felt that there was power in his apology – as if perhaps he was apologizing for all those kids that had made fun of me somehow when I was growing up. It’s great that you use your writing as a way to bridge the past and the present. Do you use this when you teach? Share an analogy.

That’s a great story. I’m awed at how quickly the “It Gets Better” videos were created and circulated. I think that’s great but I also don’t want us to just give queer kids a PROMISE of a good future, I want them to have a tolerable present. I’ve taught writing in Middle Schools and to queer youth groups across the country. I was doing this over ten years ago because adolescence can be such a painful and awkward time. I really wanted to connect those youth to books that they could relate to and to the writing process.
Writing about our past automatically brings it into the present. Hopefully, we have gained perspective or insight that allows for enough emotional distance to write about it. Writing in the heat of the moment for me might feel good but it has never produced my favorite poems. As a teacher I’m interested in the experiential. It is okay for students to write about something that is emotionally urgent and possibly create a poem that will never get published. Getting out those emotions, at that time, might offer more of a sense of satisfaction than writing a prize winning poem. As a teacher, I’m happy they are connecting with writing and that they have found one of its uses. If one is only writing poetry to be published, then they have missed out on more than half of the experience. There’s a joy to writing, expressing ourselves, and finding a new narrative for old experiences.

8.What is next for you?

I still occasionally write autobiographically but most of my creative focus has been on a project of narrative poetry that does not involve me or my past experiences. I’ve been enjoying not writing about myself. There’s something about it that feels safer. My life isn’t up on a platter for people to know about or discuss. The joy of writing this new stuff just isn’t about not disclosing, I’m quite happy to have a different subject matter. Always writing about myself can be horribly boring. Only a handful of friends know what I’m working on. I’m keeping this one close to me and not revealing too much. This isn’t out of superstation but out of a desire to protect my vision for what I want. If people were to devalue the idea it would create more doubt. I also think that talking about a project can sometimes take the place of actually doing it.
9.What do you think of encouraging other writers?

Flannery O’Connor has a quote about her wish that more writers were stifled and recently Fran Lebovitz has said something similar. It’s hard for me to find the humor in it. I think published writers laugh at it in hopes it doesn’t apply to them. “If I laugh at this joke, no one will think it’s about me.” Maybe non-published writers laugh at it too. “See, my creative dream was foolish. I should leave writing to the others.” I don’t buy into the elitism that surrounds the literary world. Writers who don’t encourage other writers are self-hating or simply trying to narrow the competition. Why wouldn’t you want more and more people to share in one of your life’s loves. To me, it doesn’t matter that we’re all not going to play on the same court or in the same stadium. What maters is that we’re all participating in the craft and joy of writing. To stifle others is as ridiculous as Lebron James going to a neighborhood basketball court and telling the weekend players they should stop playing. It’s about the joy of doing it, not about where the doing it will lead you.

10.Have you experienced this kind of elitism?

Not recently. For my first book I had a publisher decline it and suggest I wait until I’m in my 40’s and “have something to really say.” That hurt and felt very dismissive. I was tenuous and kept trying to get it published. I’m glad I didn’t listen to her. That means I still wouldn’t have a book out! I’m not so sure what prompted her was elitism. She was an older lesbian and maybe she simply lacked interest in the stories I was telling.

For the most part, I’ve received extreme support from other writers. It’s nice to know that my poems have received such praise. It feels like a great pat on the back.

11.You’ve been busy this year with readings?

Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been invited numerous places. My book release party at Skylight Bookstore in Los Angeles was huge. Inheritance is listed as their 16th best selling book for 2010. It’s the only poetry book on their top list of 25 and it beat out these great writers like Brett Easton Ellis and Juno Diaz. I was awed after reading of my place on the list. I was sponsored by Poets & Writers grant to read at The Atlanta Queer Literary Festival. It was a great event where I shared the stage with one of my favorite poets Collin Kelly. I’ve also read at Saints & Sinners in New Orleans, Different Light in San Francisco, and numerous venues in Los Angeles. I recently read at Antioch University for a talk on Gay Male Identity. I enjoyed discussing how my gay identity inhabits the work and what it means to me to be a gay poet.



12.Are you pleased with the good reception Inheritance has received?

I’m thrilled. It has really been the best case scenario. It’s received many great reviews and I get emails from readers living in towns I’ve never heard of. To me it proves that poetry isn’t dead, this has gotten more praise and attention than some fiction books. I also love the lasting quality of a book. 2010 won’t be its only life. I’ve discovered books long after their initial publication and the late introduction never takes away from the power of the book. I’m in hopes readers find Inheritance for years to come.

13.Do you see yourself as a writer or a teacher?

I don’t think I could have become a teacher without being a writer. One of the best gifts I can give my students is my own experience. I know writing, I know the process, I know how to generate good ideas, stifle critical voices, mix up forms, and I deeply trust the process. I’m an experienced tour guide through the terrain of finding your voice and style.

14.How can someone take one of your classes?

I don’t have any classes to the general public scheduled yet for 2011. The best thing to do is keep checking my website for announcements. www.stevenreigns.com I’ll be teaching a workshop for GLBT Seniors starting in February and later in the year a workshop for people living with HIV. I’m sure there might be something for National Poetry Month.

Jan 2010: Jeffrey Reddick

1) What is the biggest challenge you feel that writers face today?

A) I think the biggest challenge for writers is being at the mercy of an industry run by people who are more focused on the bottom line than creativity. Personally, I think you can write a great film that’s also commercially successful. But the current development process is geared towards making scripts as safe and mainstream as possible. I come from a studio background, having worked at New Line Cinema for over 10 years. And there was a real maverick spirit there back in the day. They weren’t afraid to try new things. But a lot of executives are so afraid of greenlighting a film that fails, that they hire a stream of writers to rewrite the script to death and resort to formulas that appeal to the lowest common denominator. They’ll “dumb down” a script in the name of mass appeal. Or do remakes over original content because it feels safer.

But on the bright side, with the advent of the digital age, it’s a lot easier for writers to get their scripts produced outside of the studio system and find an audience.

2) What has been one of your biggest challenges specifically?

A) My biggest challenge stems from the first question. It’s trying to find that fine line between creativity and commerce. But in regards to a particular project, it was probably writing the remake of “Day of The Dead.” That was a situation where I took the job, fully intending to make a film that appealed to the fans of the original film and brought the story into modern times. But after I was hired, it became clear that they didn’t want to make that movie. So, it was a constant struggle to keep in the themes, characters and set pieces that I knew the fans of the original would want to see. In the end, I lost that fight. Writers just don’t have the clout in the film world that they have in television. I say that was my biggest personal challenge, because it was just about me, but the fans of Romero’s original film. I’m a lifelong horror geek and I knew touching a George Romero film was a risky gamble. But I sincerely thought we could make a film that was reverent to the original and introduce a new audience his classic. And when we didn’t achieve that, I felt like I let down the fans.

3) Where do you find your inspiration to write?

A) My inspiration comes from having a story that I want to tell. The thing I love about the horror genre is that you can touch on so many universal themes and affect people on a primal level. I love scaring people, but I also try and layer in elements to make them think. (I hope that doesn’t sound pretentious.) With “Final Destination” it was the fear of death. With “Tamara” it was a female-empowerment, revenge-of-the-geek story. My latest script deals with the consequences of not helping your fellow man…or woman.

4) What current projects are you working on?

A) I’ve got several projects I’m really excited about. The first is a supernatural TV series I created with a dear friend, David Sporn. Gale Anne Hurd is producing it. She created “The Terminator” with James Cameron and produced it, along with “Aliens,” “The Abyss,” “Tremors” and many other great genre films. So having Gale involved is amazing. I’m also putting the finishing touches on a new script that’s part thriller/part supernatural horror. And I’m close to locking in the financing for my directorial debut.

5) Is horror your favorite genre?

A) Horror is hands down my favorite genre. I started watching horror films when I was a wee lad. In the beginning, it was all about the gore. But over time, I began to appreciate the fact that you could scare people on a much deeper level. My friends, who write comedies, love to hear the audience laugh during their films. I love to hear them gasp and scream.

6) You, of course, are mostly known for the Final Destination franchise. Have your tried writing anything else besides horror?

A) I’ve written one thriller and I had a spooky animated series optioned by The Cartoon Network. Most of my stuff has been horror films or thrillers. But I’ve got a cool sci-fi project I want to tackle someday. And at some point, I’d like to write a comedy. I don’t know how it’ll turn out, but some of my friends say I’m funny. But I think they may just be humoring me.

7) What is your ideal writing sanctuary?

A) I usually write at home or at a coffee shop. Writing is a very solitary thing. I find that if I write at home too much, I start getting stir crazy because I’m not interacting with people. I like the coffee shop, because it’s such a cliché.  Seriously though, I have a lot of friends there, so I can get my social interaction and not feel like such a hermit.


8)Do you think that being openly gay affects your writing?

A) Every facet of who we are, and what we’ve been through, influences our writing. I think one thing about my scripts, which isn’t standard for horror films, is that I like to write strong female characters. And I don’t do it in any kind of fetish way, where the girls are dressed slutty, kissing other girls and then kicking ass. I think that’s more of a straight male fantasy of a tough chick. I’ve always respected the strength of women, mainly because my mom is one tough, Southern broad. And I never write stereotypical gay characters. For decades, gay caricitures in horror films have been set up as the brunt of easy jokes, or as someone that the male lead can recoil from in order to assert his straightness. So, I’m mindful of that.

9) What are your goals/aspirations?

A) My current goals are to set up the TV series and direct my first feature. But in the long run, I would love to be in a position where I can produce and finance films. I’ve seen too many great scripts go unmade…or worse, get turned in to crappy movies.

10) What one piece of advice would you give to aspiring screenwriters and/or filmmakers?

A) The thing I constantly tell writers is do is write. It sounds obvious, but that’s the one thing you have control over. It’s also the only way to grow as artists. All my stuff isn’t gold…but over the years, I have evolved and hopefully gotten better with each script. And one last piece of advice, which applies to writers and filmmakers, is to try and finance your projects independently. The independent route is the best chance you’ll have to see your script, or film, get made right. Studios will market test and second guess the script…changing it at the whim of a director, producer, actor or test group. With all of the advances in digital, it’s gotten affordable to make your own film. That way you can have a product you’re proud of and a calling card to get more work.

Genius is Next to Insanity

So a few nights ago my friend Tony Sago invited me to an advanced screening of Sherlock Holmes with a Q&A afterwards with Robert Downey Jr. This is one of the many "perks" of living in LA and working in the film industry. But as a writer it is also extremely advantageous because it allowed me a small glimpse at an actor, who I believe to be an utter genius on screen.

Now that is a huge statement to make and I know that there are people who will both agree and disagree with me but, to me, it really is hard to deny his talent. Just for the record, I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. My mother introduced me to the stories when I was kid. I'm actually half way through the second book of collected stories (which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't read them.)

I found the movie amazing. I really did. It was funny, clever, well performed, and beautifully shot. It is one of my favorite films thus far for 2009. However, afterwards, was where the real inspiration for me happened: the interview with Robert Downy Jr. Now, I won't say that it was life altering or anything like that. But I did find it inspiring in many ways. None of us are strangers to his past. His drug and alcohol abuse, the arrests. It was hard to see someone we loved on screen for so many years fall so low. But he did the unthinkable...he recovered, became sober, and began acting again and came back with such force. It was like he needed that period of his life to regain confidance or, perhaps, a better perspective on life.

Listening to Robert talk the other night was one of the few moments in life that I will always treasure. He was very witty, charming, and most engaging. He literally took over the interview with fun stories and quips of being on the set while filming the movie, what it took to prepare, how he got the role. There is no doubt that Robert Downey, Jr is zany in real life. It may possibly explain why is presence on screen is so larger than life. And I've just often wondered if Genius is next to insanity.

I suppose that could be so. I mean, look at the late Michael Jackson. He was in scandal after scandal after scandal. Near the end it seemed as if he had become just a caricature of himself. He lived an extravagant life; living in a mansion that he had turned into an amusement park. Strange as it was, we as fans were always intrigued by the way he lived his life. It was, dare I say, almost surreal. But his music, it seemed to speak to so many across the globe. There isn't a Michael Jackson song that no one doesn't know. He was an icon who had reason beyond the stratosphere when he died.

I suppose that you can still be extremely creative as an artist and NOT have to be insane. In fact, I know that you can. But I wonder if there is a fine line between the two and I wonder just exactly how they both truly affect one another.

May '09: Daniel Frank

1) What is the biggest challenge facing writers/bloggers today?
I have talked to a few people regarding their blogs and how they got them started. I would say if you are just getting started writing/blogging the biggest challenge is finding your voice. Your voice is that one hook or angle that makes your writing different and unique.


2) What has been one of your biggest challenges?
My blog is about my experiences in the entertainment industry. Often I have found myself attending the same event every month. When I choose to cover an event multiple times, I find one of the biggest challenges is finding a way to make the repeated event interesting without repeating the same experiences each time. Another challenge is actually being able to go to those events; let's face it, blogging doesn't exactly pay well and living in Orange County instead of LA doesn't too much either.



3) Where do you find your inspiration to write?
This is a somewhat difficult question as my blog is about my experiences in the entertainment industry, usually the stories write themselves. For other things I have written or help create, I find inspiration in isolation or dreams; basically any activity which allows my mind to wander.



4) What current projects are you working on?
In addition to my blog, Hollywood Nobody, I am currently writing two screen plays. Both deal with the same concept or belief of soul mates, but each deals with this idea in different ways. Another project I am working on is tentatively called, "Elementals" which is about a group of genetically altered GAY superheroes; perhaps you know my partner on this project, his name is Michael Coulombe? Currently this project is still in development. In addition to writing, I am also passionate about acting. I can currently be seen in Nick Wauters short film, "Neurotica," which is not a porno. If you go to LOGO Online you can currently watch "Neurotica" as part of the CLICK LIST - BEST IN SHORT PROGRAM. Another project I worked on as an actor, which has recently been released is the Henri Charr feature, "The Border." Unfortunately my footage was cut from the film, but I had an amazing experience working on that film. The third project I can be seen in is the upcoming directorial debut of Chris Fishel, "Chronicles of a Lonely Mind." In addition to those three films, I will begin work on a fourth film, "The Purpose of Apples," shortly.



5) What is the best benefit of journaling in a blog?
I think the appropriate answer would be the ability to look back on an amazing journey and see how I have grown as an artist and individual, but that's kind of a bullshit answer. For me the best benefit is hearing from the readers that they enjoyed what I wrote. Nothing gives me a bigger high then to know that someone enjoys what I am doing. It nice to know that I am doing this for the amusement of other people and not just to fulfill some innate narcissism


6) Have your tried writing anything else?
Yes I have tried writing poems, and song lyrics, but found that I am not that great at writing those. Again that goes back to finding your voice. I also have been working on a few screen plays, but those take forever to write so it's hard for me to remain focused on it for too long...ooo something shiny!!!


7) What is your ideal writing sanctuary?
Normally I do a lot of writing in my bedroom sitting in an uncomfortable office chair with an armrest that continuously pinches my arm because it is slowly falling apart. Other than that I like to go to The Library in Long Beach. It reminds me of the Gay and/or trendy coffee houses back home in Minneapolis; Vera's, Uncommon Grounds, and Café Weird (God rest her soul). By the way I fully expect free drinks from each of those places for the plug.


8)Do you think that being openly gay affects your writing?
Definitely, but not necessarily in a negative way. Being gay myself, I have found that those are the stories that I am interested in hearing, seeing, and writing. I have recently begun to create an idea for a screen play that features a heterosexual lead; however, it's a female with a gay best friend. Hey you know what they say, "write what you know."


9) What are your goals/aspirations?
My current passion is mostly in acting; however my biggest goal, regardless of the medium I use to accomplish it, is to be a positive role model for LGBT people across the nation. I know that's a tall order, but I believe it is an important goal to have. The more positive role models our community has the more we will ourselves accepted for who we truly are. I am tired of reading in the newspaper (or more appropriately on Facebook and The Smoking Cocktail) about 11 year old boys killing themselves because their classmates made them feel like they were worthless and had no other options; there are always other options.


10) How does being an actor affect your writing?
In terms of my blog, if I wasn't for my experience as an actor, the blog itself wouldn't exist. Or it would be about something else. Most likely me being bitchy about random meaningless things. Lets be honest, bitchy is my thing. In terms of writing or creating screen plays, If I am working on an incredibly difficult scene and am struggling with dialogue, I have found that the ability to imagine myself in that scene and/or act it out can help me create better dialogue or even take the scene in a completely different direction then I had previously imagined

Daniel Frank

Poor Man Copyright

So I am struck with brilliance and I sit down to compose my masterpiece to paper (or sometimes to my computer). I know it isn't complete and there will still be many changes but I want to protect my work without having to constantly copyright it, since that can be costly. So, I put the newly written piece into an envelope and I mail it to myself so if I ever to dispute it being stolen I have a dated piece of material dated by a Federal institution: the post office!

Well that is no longer the case. According to the film production law blog a 'poor man's copyright" is a poor solution for copyright protection.'

Check out the article here:

Film Production Law Blog

Unlikely of Places

One thing I've learned as a writer is that talent can come from the most unlikely of places. It works a lot like inspiration in that way. On April 11, 2009 Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of the UK hit show "Britians Got Talent." She is a plain, unassuming woman who is nearly 48 years old. She is unemployed and, as she says when they talked to her, a woman who has never been kissed. She is the kind of woman that people snicker at, evidenced by the audiences reaction to her as she stood there introducing herself.

She started singing at the age of 12 and it was her life long ambition to sing to a live crowd and on April 11, 2009 she finally had her chance. She walked out there, nervous and with a cheeky grin and told the audience "I'll be singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Miserables." The audience was ready to hear warbling half hit notes and the crooning of a woman who had only convinced herself she had talent. What she did though was to win over an entire nation in less than four minutes.

She is endearing, to say the least. I admire anyone who never gives up on their dream. She knew she had nothing to lose and decided, even at the age of 47, to risk everything and give it a chance. To me, that's inspiration. To me, that's a true artist. If anything, we can learn that if you 'dream a dream' then it's never too late to reach for the stars!

Here she is:

Susan Boyle

Star Wars (John Williams is the Man)

One thing I've learned about spending a lot of time writing is that sometimes you have to stop and take a break. Here is something fun and enjoyable I ran across. Hope the music and humor of it inspire you....

April 2009: Steven Reigns

Steven Reigns is a Los Angeles based poet and educator. After earning a degree in
Creative Writing at the University of South Florida, his début poetry collection, Your
Dead Body is My Welcome Mat, was published in 2001. Since then, Reigns has published
two chapbooks, Ignited and Cartography, and taught creative writing workshops around
the country to gay youth and people living with HIV. For three years, Reigns served as
Literary Director for Tampa’s GLBT community center. Currently he is working on
S(t)even Years, a 7-year endurance performance under the mentorship of performance
artist Linda Montano and is also at work on a new collection of poetry entitled
Inheritance. He recently edited My Life is Poetry, an anthology of autobiographical poetry by GLB seniors. www.stevenreigns.com

1) What is the biggest challenge facing writers/poets today?

I think creative people’s challenges have been similar for decades, if not centuries, we wrestle with creating precisely what we envision and feel, we’re in constant exploration and observation of our inner and outer worlds. What’s unique to our time is the changing culture of print and its competition for our attention. Writing poetry, sans a small few, isn’t a viable means for sole income.

As far as the future of poetry, I’m not a fatalist. I embrace technology and feel that we’re in an exciting time. Fifteen years ago we lamented on the dying art of letter writing. It would have been impossible to imagine what we have today—email. I realize it isn’t the same thing but if we embrace the change it’s easier to recognize that more people are expressing themselves with the written word than twenty years ago. I’m confident poetry will have a similar fate. Just last week I was scouring the net and downloading poets into my iPod. Technology or some type of cultural shift is going to give poetry new life. In many ways, I think poetry, with its brevity, has the potential to become favored over novels.

2) What has been one of your biggest challenges?

The first is finding time. I don’t think this challenge is unique to me. I’m so engaged in life and find so many things of interest that it can sometimes be easy to neglect my writing time. The books on my shelf and the blank page have lots of attention competition and don’t seem to cry from neglect.
I’m also not immune to self-doubt. There are times I question the importance of what I’m doing. I even get into the comparing game and think of all of the talented poets out there vying for the same space in journals, publisher’s printing presses, and bookshelves. About two years ago I was flying out of NYC and kept staring out the window. I was like a kid again and awed at how many people were out in the world. My thought wasn’t “There are so many people, I should stop being one.” I felt excited to be on the planet, able to join-in and witness life. I soon began to think similarly about my poetry—I’m joining a pantheon, not battling in the coliseum. There is enough room for all of our voices.

3) Where do you find your inspiration to write?

I think anything can serve as an inspiration to write, we just need to allow ourselves the time to do it. Linda Montano wrote that everyone has a chicken story. The first time I read that, I thought it was ridiculous. Then, when I gave myself time, I realized I had one too.
As a poet, I gather what is around me and inside of me and put it into my work.
Generally to write a poem I like to have two ideas or two sources of inspiration. Sometimes one element doesn’t seem to be enough to sustain a poem. As an example, smells can quickly take me back to a time and place. Smelling the perfume soap my grandmother used could be a poem but I like poetry to be a bit more complex than that. I’d couple that poem with a story about sitting in her beauty parlor or relate the aromatic reminder to my first boyfriend’s cologne.
Inspiration for writing has changed over the years. Good writing inspires me. I’ll read a good poem and get excited thinking how I want to write something as good. I don’t think of this as competiveness, I think of it as almost a conversation. I want to be in that kitchen, cooking with those chiefs.

4) What current projects are you working on?

The biggest “project” I’m working on isn’t directly poetry related. In December I will graduate with a Masters in Family Therapy. When starting the program I wrote supportively in my journal “You’re not leaving poetry behind, you’re leaving poverty behind.” I was tempted to get an MFA but I was unsure about my interest in teaching in academia.
As a poet, one needs to find a way to support themselves; poetry isn’t going to be enough. My course of study, psychology, focuses on the personal and relationships. My poetry has had the same scope. Shortly after starting the program I read the Sigmund Freud quote, “Everywhere I go I find that a poet has been there before me.” Anne Sexton has a poem about the similarities between the professions, “Said the Poet to the Analyst.” If I desired I could even specialize in the emerging Poetry Therapy field. The deeper I get into it, the more surprising the similarities.

5) Do you mostly write in free verse?
I have quite a few poems that are forms but I’m a fan of the narrative block.
I think one of the dangers of form poetry is that the message or meaning gets distorted because the poet tries to push a story or experience into a container that might not be appropriate. It’s important to know what container fits best for ones story. There isn’t a one-size/one form fits all proportion. That’s why it’s important to know forms and what works best within them. In my classes we avoid all end rhyme. It usually makes a poem sound like a nursery book.

6) What else do you write besides poetry?

For three years I had a bi-monthly column in a magazine. I’ve occasionally written book reviews and conducted interviews. Primarily I write poetry. Right now I don’t have an interest in anything else. This is a rarity in Los Angeles where there are so many aspiring screenwriters. I went on a date with a guy who was amazed I only had interest in writing poetry. He thought it lacked ambition and asked annoyingly, “Don’t you ever want to do anything bigger than that?” I told him that poetry is big, it’s the biggest thing in my life and I never tire of it.

7) What is your ideal writing sanctuary?

I’ve long given up the idea of a writing sanctuary. Focusing on the perfect one or how I don’t have one seems like a good excuse to procrastinate or a good reason why I’m not writing. Ideally, I’d write down a poem when the idea comes to me. This isn’t always the case, I’d be a more prolific writer if I were as open to ideas as I was in the past. I was forever pulling my car over and jotting down ideas, stopping mid-shower to write a verse. I still keep a notebook near my bed but the urgency to write down every idea isn’t as strong. Maybe my feelings of needing to immediately write the thought came from some type of starvation thinking. I’m more comfortable with myself as a creative person, I know my output is endless. I believe the strong images will be waiting when I’m ready to write. The challenge currently is setting aside the time to write.

8)Do you think that being openly gay affects your writing?

My flippant answer to this question is that everything affects my writings. However, I know it’s more complex. Such questions are common during queer writing panels and at conferences. What makes a work gay? What is a gay sensibility? I took a weekly pottery class for four years. One night I was looking at a shelf filled with my work, the only gay male, and that of my classmates. I’m not so sure potters talk about the gay sensibility of their work or if their gayness affects their work, they just make it. The same is true for my poetry. I don’t feel the need to represent my community when I write. If I did, I’d be paralyzed with pressure. I’m focused on representing my experience or vision—that’s pressure enough. I hope readers can relate, learn, and empathize with the work but I don’t sit down with an audience in mind.
Gayness and being a writer has always been intricately linked for me. When I first had sex with a guy at age sixteen, I wrote about it in my journal. Later while reading that entry to my friend Stephanie Recht, she encouraged me to write more and I followed that advice.

9) What s your next project?

On April 15th, I’m teaching a free autobiographical poetry workshop at The West Hollywood Library at 6:00 PM that is co-sponsored by Friends of the West Hollywood Library. On April 27, I will perform at Queer Mondays at Highways Performance Space at 7:30 PM. I enjoy teaching poetry workshops and connecting people with the joy of writing poetry and finding a creative outlet. I still teach the monthly autobiographical poetry workshop My Life is Poetry for GLBT elders.
I have a finished collection, Inheritance, which I’m submitting to presses. I’m three years into my seven-year performance piece S(t)even Years. Each year I focus and move my way up to each chakra of the body. There’s a chapbook for each year but these have very small runs and are limited editions.

10) As of right now, what are you most proud of with your writing?

I’m always the most proud of my latest accomplishments. Most of my work is autobiographical and the writings are documents of that time. I think I’ve become a better writer but also a more astute observer and a healthier person. My new work reflects that. The honesty and integrity of my work hasn’t wavered but the pacing, rawness, and immediacy have changed. I’m quite happy with where I am and the direction of my poetry. I look forward to observing where poetry takes me and where I take the poetry.

The Purpose of Apples

So I held auditions for my short film "The Purpose of Apples." It's the story of Ethel and Caden who meet at a bus stop in LA at 8 in the morning.

There were so many amazing actors. Each one of them brought something different to each character. It was nice to see the various interpretations!

So after sitting down with a bunch of head shots and looking through resumes and watching 30 auditions, I have finally reached my oscar winning cast.



Ethel: E Fe



Caden: Andrew McGuinness



Young Ethel: Djakarta




Herb: Mike Wade




Alyse: Jamie Willey


Flower Guy: Daniel Frank

Being an artist

The one thing about being an artist is learning to deal with the frustrating times. For instance, my good friend Andrew is having a moment of what he calls "actor's block." It's sort of like writer's block but only for actors. He's a phenomenal actor but, just like rest of us, had an off day. He had an audtion this afternoon for a play called Carved in Stone. We went to go see the reading last weekend and really enjoyed it. He'd really be perfect as one of the lead roles. He knows, I know it. But he went in for the audition today to be an understudy and just didn't do well. It happens. It doesn't make him a bad actor; it just makes him an artist.

This is something I have to remind myself constantly of when it comes to my writing. It seems for every good thing that will happen that pushes my career forward it always seems there are three things after that drag it backwards.

The one thing I'd like to remind all artists is that there will always be lows for every artist. Even the established ones. It's about remaining positive, keeping faith, and never giving up. I struggle with that myself almost daily. But my love of writing always, always surpasses my desire to just throw in the towel!

"You Can Call Me Eve" Play Reading

Two weeks from today is the reading of my first full length play "You Can Call Me Eve." The story of a latina woman who changes her identity to help deal the pain of her past.

When: Monday, February 23, 2009
7:30pm

Where: Write Act Repertory
6128 Yucca St
Hollywood, Ca
www.writeactrep.org

Update:

The play reading was such a success. I truly want to thank Wil Bowers
Everyone who was there gave amazing feedback. They all seemed genuinely touched by the words. The actors themselves brought so much to the reading as well. People were laughing and crying...it was moving. And sitting there listening to everyone and seeing the looks on their faces made it all worth it.

A few days later Wil told me the Sr. member of the Write Act Repertory said the feedback from the audience, and the actors, and the director was good so they'd like to produce it! So, now I need to take the feedback from the reading and sit down and make the necessary albeit important changes to the play. This is, of course, a great thing. I've waited four (4) years even for this step.

So thank you to my actors:

Eve: Liliana Montenegro
Rosa: Lucia Solares
Danny: Vance Roi Reyes
Carlos: Cameron Bender
Maria: Melanie Cruz
Erik: Tim Bell
Narrator/Danny (14): Casey Dickerson

Thank you

February 09: Bazhe

1) What is the biggest challenge facing writers today?
The readership that is shrinking as the global warming is expending.
The greedy publishers that want only commercial books to sell like soap.
The need of books that readers can read without using their brains.
Simply, the need of books that won't make the readers smarter, yet dumber.


2) Where do you find your inspiration to write?
Everywhere I go I can get inspired easily. I travel a lot and that helps.
I just absorb any details of any place, or of a situation I am in.

3) What current projects are you working on?
I am finishing one fiction book, and one art book.

4) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Many. Currently I read and study: G. Orwell and A. Huxley.

5) What's your favorite genre/medium to write in?
I like to experiment with different genre as I create new work.
I think writing the same way all the time is dull.

6) What is your ideal writing sanctuary?
In a train that goes somewhere, or in my basement.

7) English isn't your first language. How is growing up in Yugoslavia affected your view on the world? How has it affected your writing?
Knowing more than one language can only complement my writing abilities.
I am glad that I am able to use my knowledge of different human systems.
This only enriches my writing, and makes it more powerful.

8) What s your next project?
The book that I am finishing is a Americana-fiction-book.
It deals with the all timely problems that we are facing now.

It deals with: the financial and the healthcare crisis;
the banksters bankrupting America; and
the collapsing of the auto industry.

I write about the heads of these institutions begging for money
and at the same time screwing the American people royally.

It is a satire about the manipulations done by the elite groups
and the people begging God for help.

9) As of right now, what are you most proud of with your writing?
The all great feedback that I received from the readers.
This motivate me to write more and better.

Bazhe

I Am Important

I am important!
I get on my cell phone as I exit the gym
because life cannot wait until yoga is over.

I am important
as I sit contemplating the universe
sucking on a double espresso chai half-caf latte no whip extra foam.

I am important -
my Prada suit,
Armani pure leather jacket,
Donna Karin alligator belt,
and Louis Vuitton handbag tell I am.

I am important!
When I jump in my in my C-class Silver Mercedes Benz
and valet park at the Ivy where I meet my friends for lunch
and dine on eggplant and tofu parmiggean
smothered in a red-wine vinaigrette
followed by a soy-based low-fat vanilla bean ice cream.

I am important.
I arrive fifteen minutes late to Pilates
because there is nothing more dramatic than a grand entrance
and since leaving yoga class early
interrupted my state of enlightment
and I must reach it or my heartbeat will continue to rise
and I will break out into a sweat
causing my grape seed facial peel to counteract
and cause a rash.
I am important.

I am important!
Between Feng Shui and Rhinoplasty -
I am important.
Between Abercrombie & Fitch,
Fred Segal, or Dolce & Gobana -
I am important.
Between movie premieres
or that raging party that was thrown by
my best friend's cousin's sister-in-law's dog walker -
I am important.
Between Lexus' or BMW's;
between Sunset Boulevard or Hollywood;
between auditions or the casting couch - -
I am important.
I am important.
I. Am. Important.

© Michael Coulombe

January 2009: Veronica Craven

1) What is the most challenging thing facing writers today?

The most challenging thing writers face right now the the fact that every time you think you have something original that no one has ever thought of or done before or said quite how you've said it, you find out it has. And better.

2) Where do you find your inspiration to write?
I find my inspiration in my life experiences or fantasies I could never act out other than on paper. There will always be some of my reality in everything I do. I think that's true for most writers.

3) What current projects are you working on?
Right now I am in pre production on a film I wrote called "Zombie King". Michael Norman Mann helped me on the screenplay. It's a post rapture party story of a lonely little zombie trying to hold on to her humanity while going on a 'Wizard of Oz' type journey to find the Zombie King who can 'cure' her.

4) Who are some of your favorite writers?
I love Stephen King. Love, Love, Love him. If I were a man, I would be Stephen King.

5) What's your favorite genre/medium to write in?
I tend to gravatate towards Erotic Horror. My writings have always been dark and pretty graphic. I've had to edit them significantly to fit an outline or treatment.
Now if you are talking about what do I like to use to write with. I have my note pads, shiny pens and pencils. I have tons of notes on scenes or characters, or general outlines. Only when I have somewhat of a complete item, will I use electronics.

6) What is your ideal writing sanctuary?
In my bedroom, or on BART. Love BART for writing. Much fodder for the mind.

7) How has working in cable influenced your writing?
Writing for television is much different than writing for the silver screen or a publication, or even a webzine for that matter. It requires a different skill set, or, rather, the force of you developing one fast! You have to be able to divorce yourself from your 'baby' it is not yours and they will tell you when they want it changed. They always want it changed.

8) As of right now, what are you most proud of with your writing?
Two peices pop into my mind: an horror erotic short titled "Sam Knew Better", it was published in a San Francisco underground magazine last year; and the "Zombie King" script. Those two I am very proud of.

These UnUnites States

My oldest nephew sometimes likes to sit with a journal and compose his thoughts...he read this to me on Christmas Day. I thought it amazing coming from a 14 year old.

These UnUnited States

This word is an overpopulated mental hospital
Everyone walking around like zombies with chains
Everyone is thinking with invisible brains
We have all these
Damn poets who need to play with words to keep themselves sane
Another activity.
Another Activity!
Is what they need
So caught up in their so called work
If they stop they hypothesis that they'll bleed
Another elixar
To stop the contimplation
So stand united in this so called nation
It used to be
Now its just an age old apparation
A ghost
An excuse to boast
From coast to coast
Even the most
Intelligent raise it to a toast!
What will it take
To make this nation true
Its enevidible
Everyone is fake!
Everyone is saying how their so special
What the fuck am I supposed to do
Bake them a cake?
Now we have the government liein'
They're not even tryin'
They say they care but take a look at all the soilders
They are all dyin'
This shithole nation is so caught up in war
The population dont even know what they're fightin for

TJ Baumchen
Dec. 25, 2008

You Can Call Me Eve

I called up my graphic designer Armin and asked him to create a new book cover for me. I've been contemplating the idea of turning my full length play into a book. I am in the process of finding a theater in which to workshop the play and as I research information on the Latino community in the early 80's to sort of bring depth into the play I thought having the cover done could give me the inspiration I would need.

As always he did an amazing job!

What do you think?:

December 08: Erik Powell, Sr.

1) What is the biggest challenge facing writers today?
The biggest challenge writers face is discovery and acceptance of their masterpieces! I tried to skirt snobbish editors and money-grubbing publishers by self-publishing Chicago Love Tapestry. I still had creative differences with them, however, because they wanted a dollar to correct THEIR mistakes! My colleagues at Genre expressed shock at sweet ole Erik chewing nails and spitting battleships with my publisher. I will never use them again and have told them so several times.

2) Where do you find your inspiration to write?
I am inspired by personal pain. That's why I prefer writing comedy--or dramedy: laughing makes me feel evuh so much bettuh. My son told the play audience he believes I should write drama, however, because he knows I can.

3) What current projects are you working on?
I am researching and writing a Civil War novel, Devour the Widow's House, the reason I moved to northern Virginia four years ago. It's about a German-American farming family in the Shenandoah Valley during Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862. It's about disinheritance and ostracism by one's family and by one's government. It's all caused by forbidden love between a planter's daughter and a German farmer, and between two closeted rebel soldiers loved by a discerning belle trying to choose between them. All of them detest the federal government which has displaced them.

4) Who are some of your favorite authors?
I have an eclectic choice in writers. I particularly love the nineteenth century American Romantic era: Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott and Harriett Beecher Stowe. Dickens is a favorite. My favorite popular novelists are my cousin Gore Vidal, Frank G. Slaughter, MD, and Herman Wouk. David McCullough and Stephen Ambrose are top history writers. I can chow down on Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor.

5) What's your favorite genre/medium to write in?
My favorite genre is comedy. Plays are fun to write for the dialogue. Woody Allen and Neil Simon are two of my influences. You can still pack in serious themes via sudden pensive, wistful monologues, like a piece of noisy classical music winding down, before cranking it up again with the fun. The comedy must go on!

6) What is your ideal writing sanctuary?
My ideal writing sanctuary is the bungalow I rented atop a cavern at the northern terminus of Virginia's Skyline Drive. There, I completed Tapestry and began the play within a play for the sequel. What a view: the mountains, the river, the wildlife! The drinking water was from the cavern below me and had so much calcium, it eroded the hot water element at least once a month! My cabin was well-stocked with replacement elements.

7) What s your next project?
My next project is a Tapestry sequel, The Merry Dancers, title derived from the Scottish Highlanders' term for the Northern Lights. Michael's play is performed in song and dance at the Shubert in New Haven, and the minor characters in Tapestry are featured.

8) As of right now, what are you most proud of with your writing?
I'm most proud of a surprise phone call Friday from my publisher, who said they'd gotten a good response from my book appearance at the recent Frankfurt International Book Fair. Consequently, they want to place Tapestry in the major book store chains. I got my first royalty check last month! YAY!!!!

Lit and Music Review

I was published in this month's issue of Lit and Music Review! (page 7)

Get your own - Open publication

When Hate Reigns

Inaugural day.
The crowd gathers; people clamor
as Hate steps up to the podium.
He is calm, collect.
The weather is cool, brisk.
The people are excited and alive from the commemoration.
Hate is poised over the calamity of noise
as onlookers stare up at Him in awe.
Tall, almost elegant with His grand gestures.
His voice thunders in everyone’s head.
He speaks:
“People! People! I am here today –
before you –
as a symbol of a new beginning that is about to take place.
We are on the threshold of a new era,
an era free from the destruction of obscenity;
the infestation of affectivity.
At the forefront of this populace
I shall begin the absolution to freedom.”
And Hate smiled.
And the people cheered
for they had a leader who was brave.

Then there was a dark cloud that loomed above - -
fat and swollen with rain - -
but the people didn’t care
for rain was good
it fed the ground,
which nourished life
so it mattered none that it was murky mysterious rain.

And the rain fell,
and Hate smiled,
and the people cheered
for they had a leader who provided for the people.

Then a might wind rose
and carried with it the spirit of transformation,
the embodiment of change.
The wind was good because it brought change –
change was good because it is fundamental
so it mattered none that the wind eroded the land
that the rain had cultivated.

And the wind blew,
and the rain fell,
and Hate smiled,
and the people cheered
for they had a leader who pioneered growth.

Then the land trembled
and it shook with the force of a thousand secrets never revealed
and the rumbling of truth that none believed.
But it was good because it carried the knowledge of the beginning of time,
so it mattered none that time tumbled away under the roar of the soil.

And the Earth shook,
and the wind blew,
and the rain fell,
and Hate smiled,
and the people cheered
for they had a leader who promoted the sovereignty of faith.

And Hate stood motionless at the pulpit.
The crowd trampled over one another
for a glimpse of His auspicious demeanor,
that flicker of something almost sinister in His eye,
which they knew meant that He was a man of great power.

And Hate smiled
and the people cheered
for they had a leader who would lead them through a revolution –
and the Earth shook,
and the wind blew,
and the rain fell,
and Hate smiled;
but the people
the people quailed from this future
for it was different
it was unfamiliar.
And Hate stepped away from the platform
as the onlookers stared up in awe.
The silence echoed through the heart of each spectator.
This was, indeed, the commencement of a new instigation of life.

Written by: Michael Coulombe
© 2008