Good news. I received a contract from Quattro Books to publish my novella in the Spring of 2017 (my poetry book with Guernica Editions is coming out this Fall). Another publisher sent a response that made me feel that rare thing, understood as an author, and I consider it my first review: "We found your formal experimentation with "S*'s" characterization highly appealing, in the way it plays at the boundaries of poetry to reflect the sensuousness of experience. Overall, we felt it was an accomplished work."

My book has found the right home. Lovely to join the Quattro family!!!
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Still working on my performance videopoem, Split Mask. It's subtly complex visually and the editing program is on overdrive. I kind of like this drawing/crop I did in Photoshop - it took hours to figure out, with lots of trial and error and starting over and over, drawing with a stylus, and so it is a digital drawing more than anything.
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This is kind of a cool nanosecond in my upcoming performance videopoem, Split Mask.

The line:
"The mask,
a paper image
burning."

[Aftereffect: Ten minutes later, finding it too bright,  I went in and keyframed the opacity of the flames, and so the moment as it appears here no longer exists in the videopoem.]
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Another 2 second image from my forthcoming performance videopoem, Split Mask.

I've performed this poem a number of times around the city in features and on open mic in the mask, which I made in the Spring of 2013, and which insisted on a political poem, that was begun in the Summer of 2013 and completed in the Summer of 2014, and then they insisted on a 5' square painting, which I painted in a mad frenzy over 3 days at the very end of 2013 for a solo show at Urban Gallery in January and February of 2014, and now the mask, the poem, the painting are insisting I finish a videopoem, begun in the Fall of 2014, and not yet complete.

If I get the performance videopoem done this year, if, it will be a 3 year project! From 2013-2016. All begun with a little image in my consciousness that wouldn't go away and which I had to make: the split mask.

Oy ya, what's a gal supposed to do? Ganged up on by my muse, I am.

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A photo in my upcoming videopoem, Split Mask. This has 3-5 seconds on screen, a mere blink. The line is: "Focus
 on where
 we are falling apart."
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Toronto Hydro rates are not only beginning to skyrocket, but their billing is a total mess right now. I have only electric heat and never turn on the baseboard heaters - yeah, it's cold! I try to keep my Winter hydro rates under $1.00/day. Crazy, right? Shudder me long-johns, but I manage, somehow.

But look at these screen grabs of what's been happening in my account for the past few weeks. Toronto Hydro originally estimated their Dec charge for me would be $335,635. when in reality it is about $44. And then I got some "alerts" in my email with incorrect data and estimates. I'm keeping a close eye on it and will not be over-charged. But I want to point out that Toronto Hydro's billing right now is insane!

       
    


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Reading some eBooks from Toronto Public Library on my device. These books disappear after 3 weeks - you can renew for another 3 weeks if the book isn't on hold. All eBooks I've borrowed are on hold. Apparently, publishers grant the library a license that costs say $80. for 4 copies for a year, after that year the library has to renew the licence and pay all over again. Seems like a sweet deal for publishers.

Because of the way publishers charge libraries for eBooks, and the very limited number of copies of each book that there are, you can be waiting up to 6 months on hold for an eBook.

Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez has been on my "a" list forever. It is factual, humane, and the poetry of his writing is magnificent!

Here's a sample of soil writing:

Soil, dirt. Stuff I love! The base of our organic lives and our food. "Soil is a living system, a combination of dirt (particles of sand, clay, and silt) and decaying and processed organic matter. It is created by erosion, fracture, and the secretion of organic acids; by animals and plants like beetles (saprophages) and mushrooms (saprophytes) that break down dead matter; and by the excretions of earthworms. It draws in oxygen like an animal, through myriad tunnels built by ants, rodents, and worms. And it is inhabited throughout by hundreds of creatures---nematodes, mites, springtails, and soil bacteria and fungi." Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams (screen 85/1127 on my device).

 
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez


1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

I am finding this book long, in the way that poets do. But I am amazed at how many resonances with my own life I am finding in its pages. It is well researched and well written.

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Determined to draw on NYE, crazy idea, I attempted... lol! NOT a night to draw! Full of delicious food, too much wine and the warmth of great company! Sharing anyway 'cause what the heck, it's a NEW year! Bring it on, 2016!!!

WISHING ALL OF YOU LOVELIES the BEST year ahead, full of wonderful surprises, health, prosperity, accomplishment and so much love, warmth & friendship you feel every day is pure blessing.

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Woman Making Her Way. We'll all make our ways into the New Year!

A sketch from maybe 2014.
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Because I was asked for 300dpi images in black and white, I decided to re-shoot what I had. That took awhile, and processing was forever. Then I hunted through old hard drives and actually found some images well over a decade old, all as blessed Photoshop files except for one jpeg. And those old hard drives still run, how great is that?! All in all, I think it's about 30 images, and they have taken a solid 15 hours of work. I had finished coffee by the time I began at 9am, and it is now past midnight! Dinner was some frozen and defrosted leftover turkey that wasn't very good. Lol! The book won't be out until Fall 2016, but there are deadlines... and I want to sweep the old year out with a flourish. Done, just in time for for the New Year!
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