While researching a poem, I found this page about the Holocaust.  Scroll down, and below the main article in brown there is a little red box with a thumbnail summary including illustrative icons.  If you just read the highlighted keywords and their icons, you get "holocaust, systematic, state-sponsored, six million Jews, Nazi."  That's a brilliant nutshell for people who may not be verbal or fluent in English.  While I rarely see it in local-America outside of resources designed for people with special needs, it's quite common in Terramagne, although it usually appears above the main article to serve as a quick introduction.

Tags: activism, cyberspace theory, networking
Current Mood: busy

The Poetry Fishbowl is now CLOSED.  Thank you for your time and attention.  Keep an eye on this post, as I'm still writing.

Starting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open!  Today's theme is "gender, orientation, and identity."  I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.

Click to read the linkback poem "The Emulsification of Humankind" (14 verses, Torn World).


What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?

Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.

In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "gender, orientation, and identity." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things relating to that theme. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.


Cyberfunded Creativity

I'm practicing cyberfunded creativity. If you enjoy what I'm doing and want to see more of it, please feed the Bard. The following options are currently available:

1) Sponsor the Fishbowl -- Here is a PayPal button for donations. There is no specific requirement, but $1 is the minimum recommended size for PayPal transactions since they take a cut from every one. You can also donate via check or money order sent by postal mail. If you make a donation and tell me about it, I promise to use one of your prompts. Anonymous donations are perfectly welcome, just won't get that perk. General donations will be tallied, and at the end of the fishbowl I’ll post a list of eligible poems based on the total funding; then the audience can vote on which they want to see posted.

2) Swim, Fishie, Swim! -- A feature in conjunction with fishbowl sponsorship is this progress meter showing the amount donated.  There are multiple perks, the top one being a half-price poetry sale on one series when donations reach $300.



3) Buy It Now! -- Gakked from various e-auction sites, this feature allows you to sponsor a specific poem. If you don't want to wait for some editor to buy and publish my poem so you can read it, well, now you don't have to. Sponsoring a poem means that I will immediately post it on my blog for everyone to see, with the name of the sponsor (or another dedicate) if you wish; plus you get a nonexclusive publication right, so you can post it on your own blog or elsewhere as long as you keep the credits intact. You'll need to tell me the title of the poem you want to sponsor. I'm basing the prices on length, and they're comparable to what I typically make selling poetry to magazines (semi-pro rates according to Duotrope's Digest).

0-10 lines: $5
11-25 lines: $10
26-40 lines: $15
41-60 lines: $20
Poems over 60 lines, or with very intricate structure, fall into custom pricing.

4) Commission a scrapbook page. I can render a chosen poem in hardcopy format, on colorful paper, using archival materials for background and any embellishments. This will be suitable for framing or for adding to a scrapbook. Commission details are here.  See latest photos of sample scrapbooked poems: "Sample Scrapbooked Poems 1-24-11"

5) Spread the word. Echo or link to this post on your LiveJournal, other blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social network.  Useful Twitter hashtags include #poetryfishbowl and #promptcall.  Encourage people to come here and participate in the fishbowl.  If you have room for it, including your own prompt will give your readers an idea of what the prompts should look like; ideally, update later to include the thumbnail of the poem I write, and a link to the poem if it gets published.  If there is at least one new prompter or donor, I will post an extra freebie poem.

Linkback perk: I have a spare series poem available, and each linkback will reveal a verse of the poem.  One person can do multiple links if they're on different services, like Dreamwidth or Twitter, rather than all on LiveJournal.  Comment with a link to where you posted.  "The Emulsification of Humankind" has 14 verses and belongs to Torn World.


Additional Notes

1) I customarily post replies to prompt posts telling people which of their prompts I'm using, with a brief description of the resulting poem(s). If you want to know what's available, watch for those "thumbnails."

2) You don't have to pay me to see a poem based on a prompt that you gave me. I try to send copies of poems to people, mostly using the LJ message function.  (Anonymous prompters will miss this perk unless you give me your eddress.)  These are for-your-eyes-only, though, not for sharing.

3) Sponsors of the Poetry Fishbowl in general, or of specific poems, will gain access to an extra post in appreciation of their generosity.  While you're on the Donors list, you can view all of the custom-locked posts in that category.  Click the "donors" tag to read the archive of those.  I've also posted a list of other donor perks there.  I customarily leave donor names on the list for two months, so you'll get to see the perk-post from this month and next.

4) After the Poetry Fishbowl concludes, I will post a list of unsold poems and their prices, to make it easier for folks to see what they might want to sponsor.

5) If donations total $100 by Friday evening then you get a free $15 poem; $150 gets you a free $20 poem; and $200 gets you a free epic, posted after the Poetry Fishbowl.  These will usually be series poems if I have them; otherwise I may offer non-series poems or series poems in a different size.  If donations reach $250, you get one step toward a bonus fishbowl; three of these activates the perk, and they don't have to be three months in a row.  Everyone will get to vote on which series, and give prompts during the extra fishbowl, although it may be a half-day rather than a whole day.  If donations reach $300, there will be a half-price sale.


Feed the Fish!
Now's your chance to participate in the creative process by posting ideas for me to write about. Today's theme is "gender, orientation, and identity." I'll be soliciting ideas for QUILTBAG folks, queer allies, homophobes and other identity bigots, boomerang bigots, gender scholars, the oppressed, the misunderstood, ordinary people, outcasts, abuse survivors, the women that men don't see, questioning, debating labels, losing everything, looking in the window, taking people for granted, surviving oppression, hiding in the closet, coming out, upstanding, speaking truth to power, punching up, protesting, telling your own story, bedrooms, classrooms, counseling offices, churches, government buildings, libraries, cities, alleys, bars, parades, liminal zones, self-discovery, self-awareness, QUILTBAG pride, pride flags, other symbols of identity, birth control, reproductive freedom, sex toys, assumed male gaze, same-sex marriage, alien sex/gender dynamics, unpaid labor, self-sacrifice, emotional labor, disruptions, subversive education, humility, humiliation, social evolution, appreciation, identity literature, and poetic forms in particular. But anything is welcome, really. If you manage to recommend a form that I don't recognize, I will probably pounce on it and ask you for its rules. I do have The New Book of Forms by Lewis Turco which covers most common and many obscure forms.

I'll post at least one of the fishbowl poems here so you-all can enjoy it. (Remember, you get an extra freebie poem if someone new posts a prompt or makes a donation, and additional perks at $100-$300 in donations.  Linkbacks reveal verses of "The Emulsification of Humankind."  The rest of the poems will go into my archive for magazine submission.

Tags: #poetryfishbowl, #promptcall, activism, cyberfunded creativity, ethnic studies, fishbowl, gender studies, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

Our theme this month was "Poke ALL the Bigots in the Eye." I worked from 12 PM to 5:30 AM, so about 14 hours 30 minutes allowing for breaks. I wrote 8 poems on Tuesday and another 11 later on.

Participation was enthusiastic this time, with 23 comments on LiveJournal and 108 on Dreamwidth. Woohoo! :D There were 7 new prompters this time: mirrorofsmoke (Bonny), ZB on Dreamwidth, tC on Dreamwidth, beasts_of_homeworld (including Ray and jackie), djbluejay, and antisocialite_forum.


Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"Bienvenue"
"A Branching Path"
"Differently Abled Heroes"
"Grapes of Thorns"
"The Health of the People"
"The Knight of Time"
"The Problem with Pence"
"Serpentooth"
"Some Achieve Madness"
"Without Having to Voice It"

"We Will Fade into You" (standalone, May 2, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl)
"As We Have Created It" (pending)
"The Face of Ruin and Despair" (Officer Pink, April 25, 2017 outside fishbowl)


Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list for June 6, 2017. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.

Currently sponsored poems poems from June 6 have all been posted.  (I have another poem to post.) Donors this time include: ng_moonmoth, janetmiles, Anthony and Shirley Barrette.

The Poetry Fishbowl made its $200 goal, so "As We Have Created It" will be the free epic. We also made the $250 goal, so that's two tallies toward a bonus session.


The Poetry Fishbowl project also has a permanent landing page.

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This is an advance announcement for the Tuesday, July 4, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. This time the theme will be "gender, orientation, and identity." I'll be soliciting ideas for QUILTBAG folks, queer allies, homophobes and other identity bigots, boomerang bigots, gender scholars, the oppressed, the misunderstood, ordinary people, outcasts, abuse survivors, the women that men don't see, questioning, debating labels, losing everything, looking in the window, taking people for granted, surviving oppression, hiding in the closet, coming out, upstanding, speaking truth to power, punching up, protesting, telling your own story, bedrooms, classrooms, counseling offices, churches, government buildings, libraries, cities, alleys, bars, parades, liminal zones, self-discovery, self-awareness, QUILTBAG pride, pride flags, other symbols of identity, birth control, reproductive freedom, sex toys, assumed male gaze, same-sex marriage, alien sex/gender dynamics, unpaid labor, self-sacrifice, emotional labor, disruptions, subversive education, humility, humiliation, social evolution, appreciation, identity literature, and poetic forms in particular.

I have a linkback poem, "The Emulsification of Humankind" (14 verses, Torn World). 

If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week.  (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts.  I am now.)  Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog. 

( New to the fishbowl?  Read all about it!Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, gender studies, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

 bairnsidhe has been writing a setting called Super-Queers.  Check out "Questions" and "Under the Hood."  If you like Polychrome Heroics, you'll probably love this.

Tags: activism, fantasy, fiction, gender studies, networking, reading, weblit
Current Mood: busy

 Also girl-powered.  \o/

Tags: activism, gender studies, news, science
Current Mood: busy

This poem is spillover from the June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by dreamwriteremmy. It also fills the "invisible disabilities" square in my 3-1-17 card for the Disability Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the Shiv thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem contains some intense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It features mental issues, because the inside of Shiv's head is always a warning, reference to past communication challenges, the comprehension gap between nonverbal and verbal languages, rude humor. reference to ugly aspects of history including slavery and death from unavailability of safe abortion care, reference to brain injuries, Shiv is resistant to seeking help or even admitting he's not okay, but he actually manages it occasionally, cape politics, awkward social interactions, reference to lousy hairdressers and discrimination against people with special needs, minimally verbal autistic character wrangling with English when his native language is visual rather than spoken, tense (but not violent) interaction with a police officer, who is a bit clunky interacting with a nonverbal person, frustration over being expected to solve other people's problems, loneliness, regret, threats, and other challenges. It's mostly positive, though, as Shiv fumbles his way toward better coping skills. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, linguistics, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This poem came out of the June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from dialecticdreamer and readera. It also fills the "handicapped heroes" square in my 3-1-17 card for the Disability Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles and Shirley Barrette.  It belongs to the shared world project Schrodinger's Heroes.

Warning: This poem deals with disability. Some characters have a healthier view of it than others, and not everyone agrees on what language is acceptable. Please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, gender studies, poem, poetry, reading, science fiction, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

... would a hospital make a McDonald's its adjunct restaurant.  Think about all the times doctors nag people to eat better and lose weight, and all the people who can't  eat McDonald's due to special dietary needs.  I am just boggled by the loss of opportunity, because this shit is routine in L-American "health care" -- they push people around, but refuse to lift a finger to help.  Hospital food is almost universally slop of exactly the kind they tell people not to eat, and the cafeterias or adjunct restaurants are barely better.  What they should be doing is serving delicious well-balanced meals to show  people how that works, and then doctors should eat that in public, because humans are prone to imitative behavior.  I've read about outliers having an organic restaurant, but in terms of access, that's still a unicorn hunt.  But McDonald's?  Really?  WTF.

Fortunately someone working there does NOT have their head up their ass, and has started a petition to replace it with a restaurant serving healthy food.

Tags: activism, food, networking, safety
Current Mood: frustrated

Here's an interesting essay on disability in SF.  It's not just about representation.  It's about adventure.  We need characters who have serious physical or mental challenges, but go on to do exciting things anyway.

Tags: activism, networking, reading, science fiction
Current Mood: busy

Here is a cartoon about different affect.

I am reminded of fairytales about the fey, who would cry at weddings and laugh at funerals -- and get hit for it, and go home to Underhill because the humans were so horrible. But there wasn't anything wrong  with the fey. They were just different.

So much of therapy is about forced affect. About training people to show what is expected, not who they really are. It doesn't help the way those therapists think it does.  Some people have the same feelings as everyone else, but not at the same times and they may not show it in the same way.  That's okay.  They have the same right to express themselves as everyone else does.

Tags: activism, entertainment, networking, video
Current Mood: busy

This poem came out of the June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from callibr8 and rix_scaedu. It also fills the "questioning" square in my 5-29-17 card for the Pride Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This poem is from the June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from ng_moonmoth and ari_the_dodecahedron. It also fills the "transgender" square in my 5-29-17 card for the Pride Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the Dr. Infanta thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem contains some intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes awkward sex/gender issues, vulgar language, dueling, arson, torture and mutilation, organized crime, police corruption, betrayal, police violence, rioting, insecurity, and other mayhem. The tone is largely upbeat, though. Please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, gender studies, history, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This is today's freebie, inspired by several folks including beasts_of_homeworld. It also fills the "Crazy" square in my 2-1-17 (Love Songs) card for the Valentines Bingo fest.

Warning: This poem incorporates concepts and descriptions from people with various mental issues. Not everyone may feel comfortable with the same terms or choices.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, family skills, fishbowl, free stuff, poem, poetry, reading, safety, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

The Poetry Fishbowl is now CLOSED.  Thank you all for your time and attention.  Please keep an eye on this page as I'm still writing.

Starting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open!  Today's theme is "Poke ALL the bigots in the eye."  I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.

Click to read the linkback poem "We Will Fade into You" (11 verses, standalone).


What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?

Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.

In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "Poke ALL the bigots in the eye." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things relating to that theme. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.


Cyberfunded Creativity

I'm practicing cyberfunded creativity. If you enjoy what I'm doing and want to see more of it, please feed the Bard. The following options are currently available:

1) Sponsor the Fishbowl -- Here is a PayPal button for donations. There is no specific requirement, but $1 is the minimum recommended size for PayPal transactions since they take a cut from every one. You can also donate via check or money order sent by postal mail. If you make a donation and tell me about it, I promise to use one of your prompts. Anonymous donations are perfectly welcome, just won't get that perk. General donations will be tallied, and at the end of the fishbowl I’ll post a list of eligible poems based on the total funding; then the audience can vote on which they want to see posted.

2) Swim, Fishie, Swim! -- A feature in conjunction with fishbowl sponsorship is this progress meter showing the amount donated.  There are multiple perks, the top one being a half-price poetry sale on one series when donations reach $300.



3) Buy It Now! -- Gakked from various e-auction sites, this feature allows you to sponsor a specific poem. If you don't want to wait for some editor to buy and publish my poem so you can read it, well, now you don't have to. Sponsoring a poem means that I will immediately post it on my blog for everyone to see, with the name of the sponsor (or another dedicate) if you wish; plus you get a nonexclusive publication right, so you can post it on your own blog or elsewhere as long as you keep the credits intact. You'll need to tell me the title of the poem you want to sponsor. I'm basing the prices on length, and they're comparable to what I typically make selling poetry to magazines (semi-pro rates according to Duotrope's Digest).

0-10 lines: $5
11-25 lines: $10
26-40 lines: $15
41-60 lines: $20
Poems over 60 lines, or with very intricate structure, fall into custom pricing.

4) Commission a scrapbook page. I can render a chosen poem in hardcopy format, on colorful paper, using archival materials for background and any embellishments. This will be suitable for framing or for adding to a scrapbook. Commission details are here.  See latest photos of sample scrapbooked poems: "Sample Scrapbooked Poems 1-24-11"

5) Spread the word. Echo or link to this post on your LiveJournal, other blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social network.  Useful Twitter hashtags include #poetryfishbowl and #promptcall.  Encourage people to come here and participate in the fishbowl.  If you have room for it, including your own prompt will give your readers an idea of what the prompts should look like; ideally, update later to include the thumbnail of the poem I write, and a link to the poem if it gets published.  If there is at least one new prompter or donor, I will post an extra freebie poem.

Linkback perk: I have a spare series poem available, and each linkback will reveal a verse of the poem.  One person can do multiple links if they're on different services, like Dreamwidth or Twitter, rather than all on LiveJournal.  Comment with a link to where you posted.  "We Will Fade into You" has 11 verses and is a standalone.


Additional Notes

1) I customarily post replies to prompt posts telling people which of their prompts I'm using, with a brief description of the resulting poem(s). If you want to know what's available, watch for those "thumbnails."

2) You don't have to pay me to see a poem based on a prompt that you gave me. I try to send copies of poems to people, mostly using the LJ message function.  (Anonymous prompters will miss this perk unless you give me your eddress.)  These are for-your-eyes-only, though, not for sharing.

3) Sponsors of the Poetry Fishbowl in general, or of specific poems, will gain access to an extra post in appreciation of their generosity.  While you're on the Donors list, you can view all of the custom-locked posts in that category.  Click the "donors" tag to read the archive of those.  I've also posted a list of other donor perks there.  I customarily leave donor names on the list for two months, so you'll get to see the perk-post from this month and next.

4) After the Poetry Fishbowl concludes, I will post a list of unsold poems and their prices, to make it easier for folks to see what they might want to sponsor.

5) If donations total $100 by Friday evening then you get a free $15 poem; $150 gets you a free $20 poem; and $200 gets you a free epic, posted after the Poetry Fishbowl.  These will usually be series poems if I have them; otherwise I may offer non-series poems or series poems in a different size.  If donations reach $250, you get one step toward a bonus fishbowl; three of these activates the perk, and they don't have to be three months in a row.  Everyone will get to vote on which series, and give prompts during the extra fishbowl, although it may be a half-day rather than a whole day.  If donations reach $300, there will be a half-price sale.


Feed the Fish!
Now's your chance to participate in the creative process by posting ideas for me to write about. Today's theme is "Poke ALL the bigots in the eye." I'll be soliciting ideas for bigots, victims, upstanders, ordinary people, the women that men don't see, QUILTBAG folks, people of color, the misunderstood, outcasts, nemeses, bullies, abusers, oppressors, slavers, psycho bosses, troubled relationships, supervillains, superheroes, activists, poking a bigot in the eye, fleeing in terror, picking on people, resisting oppression, speaking truth to power, upsetting applecarts, facing your demons, feeding the right wolf, punching up, protesting, lunch counters, bars, reservations, slums, schools, playgrounds, counseling offices, government buildings, the Oval Office, dark alleys, oceans, liminal zones, mad science labs, The Tower, battlegrounds, graveyards, other places of power, internalized oppression, bigotry, racism, other isms that should be wasms, manifestos, identity literature, picket signs, disruptions, unusual vulnerabilities, minority languages, history written by the losers, radical transformation, the unspeakable, the inescapable, the indestructible, the nature of humanity (or lack thereof), hubris, and poetic forms in particular. But anything is welcome, really. If you manage to recommend a form that I don't recognize, I will probably pounce on it and ask you for its rules. I do have The New Book of Forms by Lewis Turco which covers most common and many obscure forms.

I'll post at least one of the fishbowl poems here so you-all can enjoy it. (Remember, you get an extra freebie poem if someone new posts a prompt or makes a donation, and additional perks at $100-$300 in donations.  Linkbacks reveal verses of "We Will Fade into You."  The rest of the poems will go into my archive for magazine submission.

Tags: #poetryfishbowl, #promptcall, activism, cyberfunded creativity, ethnic studies, fishbowl, gender studies, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: creative

We went to see Wonder Woman today.  It was totally awesome.  Definitely one of the best superhera movies ever.  \o/  Lots of athletic women running around kicking butt.  Also check out the fantastic merchandise.  If you look closely at the dolls, you see they match the actress surprisingly well: reasonable breasts, a little hip, a fairly thick muscular waist, and nice powerful legs.  :D  Also the Amazons mostly weren't willowy.  They were trim and muscular, or beefy.  I lost count of how many times someone said "You can't ..." to Diana, and in the next frame they were looking around for her while she ran off doing it anyhow.  And that's feminism for you.

I have to look pretty hard to find flaws.  I did noticed that Diana's mother was an idiot.  (You made a baby Amazon, not a dahlia.  How could you possibly think she'd be a pacifist?)  It was just generally brilliant.

If you like watching women kick ass, go see this movie.

Tags: activism, entertainment, fantasy, gender studies, review
Current Mood: pleased

This is an advance announcement for the Tuesday, June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. This time the theme will be "Poke ALL the bigots in the eye." I'll be soliciting ideas for bigots, victims, upstanders, the misunderstood, outcasts, nemeses, bullies, abusers, oppressors, slavers, psycho bosses, troubled relationships, supervillains, superheroes, activists, poking a bigot in the eye, fleeing in terror, picking on people, resisting oppression, facing your demons, feeding the right wolf, protesting, lunch counters, bars, schools, government buildings, the Oval Office, dark alleys, oceans, liminal zones, mad science labs, The Tower, battlegrounds, graveyards, other places of power, internalized oppression, bigotry, racism, other isms that should be wasms, manifestos, identity literature, picket signs, unusual vulnerabilities, radical transformation, the unspeakable, the inescapable, the indestructable, the nature of humanity (or lack thereof), hubris, and poetic forms in particular.

I have a linkback poem, "We Will Fade into You" (11 verses, standalone). 

If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week.  (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts.  I am now.)  Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog. 

( New to the fishbowl?  Read all about it!Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, life lessons, poetry, reading, safety, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This is an advance announcement for the Tuesday, June 6, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. This time the theme will be "Poke ALL the bigots in the eye." I'll be soliciting ideas for bigots, victims, upstanders, ordinary people, the women that men don't see, QUILTBAG folks, people of color, the misunderstood, outcasts, nemeses, bullies, abusers, oppressors, slavers, psycho bosses, troubled relationships, supervillains, superheroes, activists, poking a bigot in the eye, fleeing in terror, picking on people, resisting oppression, speaking truth to power, upsetting applecarts, facing your demons, feeding the right wolf, punching up, protesting, lunch counters, bars, reservations, slums, schools, playgrounds, counseling offices, government buildings, the Oval Office, dark alleys, oceans, liminal zones, mad science labs, The Tower, battlegrounds, graveyards, other places of power, internalized oppression, bigotry, racism, other isms that should be wasms, manifestos, identity literature, picket signs, disruptions, unusual vulnerabilities, minority languages, history written by the losers, radical transformation, the unspeakable, the inescapable, the indestructible, the nature of humanity (or lack thereof), hubris, and poetic forms in particular.

I have a linkback poem, "We Will Fade into You" (11 verses, standalone). 

If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week.  (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts.  I am now.)  Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog. 
 

( New to the fishbowl? Read all about it!Collapse )

 

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, life lessons, poetry, reading, safety, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This post asks: "Why is nobody talking to people who have the disabilities these were originally designed to solve?"

Because they don't care, and they don't have to care.  The advantaged group always has the option of harming the disadvantaged group, and will rarely be penalized.  It doesn't matter if fidgets help people with disabilities; abled people have decided to dislike them.  You don't have a right to solve your problems.  You're only there to be pleasing to the important people.

Fuck that noise.  

Spinners make you feel better?  Awesome.  Spin that fucker.  

Just be aware that some bearings inherently make more noise than others.  If it's the noise you find soothing, that may be an issue.  But for most people, it's the spin, and there are quiet bearings.

Tags: activism, networking
Current Mood: busy

This poem came out of the May 2, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from ng_moonmoth, siliconshaman, technoshaman, librarygeek. It also fills the "injury" square in my 4-3-17 card for the origfic_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.

( Read more...Collapse )

Tags: activism, cyberfunded creativity, ethnic studies, fantasy, fishbowl, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy