Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
U*Space Gallery Reading
439 Edgewood Avenue SE Atlanta, Georgia 30312
9/18/08 ~ 7:30pm
Dustin Brookshire, Genevieve Lyons, & Greg Gimpelevich!
Dustin Brookshire is the founder and editor of Limp Wrist Magazine, which he is proud to promote as an e-zine with queer sensibility. His work has appeared in numerous online journals, including SubtleTea, ToasterMag, and Atlanta Rainbow Muse. Additionally, Dustin has won awards from two state poetry societies. Besides putting words on the page to create poems, he likes to put words on the page to create awareness of issues regarding our elected officials. He's proud that in 2007 his blog made it the floor of Georgia Senate and his call for action resulted in an invitation to the Governor's office.
Genevieve Lyons made her stage debut at the tender age of eight when she appeared in Mrs. Anderson's second grade class production of "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires." She was The Fire. She thinks the most heart-rending thing ever written might be the spider scene in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." Her favorite insect is the ant, and she wants to visit Antarctica.
Greg Gimpelevich is a 23-year-old, Ukrainian-born Atlanta transplant living in the bitchin' party-town known as Marietta. Having become a graduate, he does nothing relating to his degree. In light of this, he has been disowned by his parents and from the Jewish nation for not having become a doctor and/or lawyer. Although he enjoys writing "Saved By The Bell" fan-fiction in his spare time, riddled with the sort of teenage angst you may find symptomatic of a 14-year-old boy with an unquenchable thirst to see Kelly Kapauski in a two-piece string bikini, he now works as a photographer.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Principle of Least Interest
Waller (1937, 1938), writing in the 1930s after examining patterns of dating
among college students, observed that social status and stratification
heavily influenced dating relationships. The principle of least interest evolved
from his observations that romantic partners usually proceeded at different
paces in their emotional involvement with one another. He argued that if the
differences in involvement became too large, the less interested partner would
be in a position to exploit the other (Waller, 1938). The principle of least
interest predicts, more specifically, “that person is able to dictate the conditions
of association whose interest in the continuation of the affair is the
least” (Waller, 1938, p. 275). Waller acknowledged various sources for the
principle of least interest, including the French epigram cited above. Waller
also gave credit to Edward Ross (1921, 1930) who, in an early sociology textbook,
observed that in a variety of social relationships, the person who cares
less can exploit the person who cares more.
Waller further argued that unequally involved relationships were not
healthy in the long term. A significant gap in emotional involvement could
lead to a situation of one partner taking the other for granted, or an even more
extreme situation of exploitation. When relationships of this type result in
marriage, the results were expected to be unsatisfactory (Waller, 1938). This
suggests that it might be better if romantic relationships with unequal emotional
involvement dissolve before getting to the point of marriage. Longterm
outcomes for romantic couples with unequal emotional involvement,
however, rarely have been examined.
In discussing the principle of least interest,Waller referred specifically to the
commonality of unbalanced emotional involvement and its implications for differential
interest in the continuation of the relationship. In this research, we
operationalize the principle of least interest as relative emotional involvement
and do so by assessing both partners’ perceptions of which partner is more
2 Journal of Family Issues emotionally involved in the relationship. According to Berscheid’s (1983) theory of emotion, emotion is experienced in relationships because of interdependence and interruptions in interdependence. In more highly interdependent relationships, there are more opportunities for emotions to be experienced. However, one partner may be more emotionally invested than the other (i.e., this partner may have greater potential than the other to experience emotions in the context of the relationship and be the partner with more interest in the relationship).
~ From The Principle of Least Interest: Inequality in Emotional Involvement in Romantic Relationships
among college students, observed that social status and stratification
heavily influenced dating relationships. The principle of least interest evolved
from his observations that romantic partners usually proceeded at different
paces in their emotional involvement with one another. He argued that if the
differences in involvement became too large, the less interested partner would
be in a position to exploit the other (Waller, 1938). The principle of least
interest predicts, more specifically, “that person is able to dictate the conditions
of association whose interest in the continuation of the affair is the
least” (Waller, 1938, p. 275). Waller acknowledged various sources for the
principle of least interest, including the French epigram cited above. Waller
also gave credit to Edward Ross (1921, 1930) who, in an early sociology textbook,
observed that in a variety of social relationships, the person who cares
less can exploit the person who cares more.
Waller further argued that unequally involved relationships were not
healthy in the long term. A significant gap in emotional involvement could
lead to a situation of one partner taking the other for granted, or an even more
extreme situation of exploitation. When relationships of this type result in
marriage, the results were expected to be unsatisfactory (Waller, 1938). This
suggests that it might be better if romantic relationships with unequal emotional
involvement dissolve before getting to the point of marriage. Longterm
outcomes for romantic couples with unequal emotional involvement,
however, rarely have been examined.
In discussing the principle of least interest,Waller referred specifically to the
commonality of unbalanced emotional involvement and its implications for differential
interest in the continuation of the relationship. In this research, we
operationalize the principle of least interest as relative emotional involvement
and do so by assessing both partners’ perceptions of which partner is more
2 Journal of Family Issues emotionally involved in the relationship. According to Berscheid’s (1983) theory of emotion, emotion is experienced in relationships because of interdependence and interruptions in interdependence. In more highly interdependent relationships, there are more opportunities for emotions to be experienced. However, one partner may be more emotionally invested than the other (i.e., this partner may have greater potential than the other to experience emotions in the context of the relationship and be the partner with more interest in the relationship).
~ From The Principle of Least Interest: Inequality in Emotional Involvement in Romantic Relationships
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
"Why Do I Write" ~ Julianna Baggott
The world's leading expert on expertise doesn't believe in talent. He's a professor here at Florida State University and I have my grad students read his abstract on talent. In large part, I agree with him. Although I believe in talent somewhat, I know that talent alone has nothing to do with why people write, or better yet, why some people continue to write, feverishly.
I've thought an awful lot about why I write. And, moreover, why some of my students continue on and some give up. It's a brutal business, first of all, but why do some persist no matter what. And is there a way to see those coming? I've tried and I can't.
I only know that my own desire to write is rooted not just in one area of my life. It's not just for self-expression. It's not just because I want my parents' love. It's not just because of money or God. If any ONE of these were the reason, it would be like trying to build one of those stilt houses at the beach on only one stilt.
I have lots of stilts holding up the house -- some good, some bad. I write because it's how I breathe. I write because I was raised Catholic and believe it's sinful to ignore a gift. I have a family and need the money. I want my parents' love, sure. I have something to prove, and always have. I write harder because I believe that other writers can get away with certain kinds of bad writing and, for some reason, I'm not allowed. I write because I was a scrawny child who always had to prove herself in sports. I write because I need to escape. I write because I should probably be doing something else. I write to find some truth. I write because I've become addicted to the creative process. I write to save my soul. I write because sometimes it's easier than speaking. I write because I want the criticism. I want the brutality. I want to earn the praise. I write because I'm a control freak. I write because it's liberating there.
And on and on and on ...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
For You Hookers, I Mean Facebook-ers
I created a Facebook Group titled Fans of Denise Duhamel OR A Group of Duhamalites. If you're on Facebook and enjoy the work of Denise Duhamel, well, you should this group ASAP. The exciting part about the group is I've started Denise's Question of the Month. Members of the group submit questions; one question will be answered each month by Denise, and I'll post the question with answer on the group page. (Cool beans, I know!)
Join the Fcebook Fan Pages I created in honor of:
Limp Wrist
Kim Addonizio
Laure-Anne Bosselaar
Dorianne Laux
Join the Fcebook Fan Pages I created in honor of:
Limp Wrist
Kim Addonizio
Laure-Anne Bosselaar
Dorianne Laux
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
"Cher" by Dorianne Laux
Cher
I wanted to be Cher, tall
as a glass of iced tea,
her bony shoulders draped
with a curtain of dark hair
that plunged straight down,
the cut tips brushing
her non-existent butt.
I wanted to wear a lantern
for a hat, a cabbage, a pinata
and walk in six-inch heels that buttoned
up the back. I wanted her
rouged cheekbones and her
throaty panache, her voice
of gravel and clover, the hokum
of her clothes: black fishnet
and pink pom-poms, frilled
halter tops, fringed bells
and that thin strip of waist
with the bullet hole navel.
Cher standing with her skinny arm
slung around Sonny's thick neck,
posing in front of the Eiffel Tower,
The Leaning Tower of Pisa,
The Great Wall of China,
The Crumbling Pyramids, smiling
for the camera with her crooked
teeth, hit-and-miss beauty, the sun
bouncing off the bump on her nose.
Give me back the old Cher
the gangly, imperfect girl
before the shaving knife
took her, before they put
pillows in her tits, injected
the lumpy gel into her lips.
Take me back to the woman
I wanted to be, stalwart
and silly, smart as her lion
tamer's whip, my body a torch
stretched along the length
of the polished piano, legs
bent at the knee, hair cascading
down over Sonny's blunt fingers
as he pummeled the keys,
singing in a sloppy alto
the oldest, saddest songs.
~ Dorianne Laux
found in Superman: The Chapbook
as well as in
Third Rail: An Anthology of Poetry of Rock 'n Roll
I wanted to be Cher, tall
as a glass of iced tea,
her bony shoulders draped
with a curtain of dark hair
that plunged straight down,
the cut tips brushing
her non-existent butt.
I wanted to wear a lantern
for a hat, a cabbage, a pinata
and walk in six-inch heels that buttoned
up the back. I wanted her
rouged cheekbones and her
throaty panache, her voice
of gravel and clover, the hokum
of her clothes: black fishnet
and pink pom-poms, frilled
halter tops, fringed bells
and that thin strip of waist
with the bullet hole navel.
Cher standing with her skinny arm
slung around Sonny's thick neck,
posing in front of the Eiffel Tower,
The Leaning Tower of Pisa,
The Great Wall of China,
The Crumbling Pyramids, smiling
for the camera with her crooked
teeth, hit-and-miss beauty, the sun
bouncing off the bump on her nose.
Give me back the old Cher
the gangly, imperfect girl
before the shaving knife
took her, before they put
pillows in her tits, injected
the lumpy gel into her lips.
Take me back to the woman
I wanted to be, stalwart
and silly, smart as her lion
tamer's whip, my body a torch
stretched along the length
of the polished piano, legs
bent at the knee, hair cascading
down over Sonny's blunt fingers
as he pummeled the keys,
singing in a sloppy alto
the oldest, saddest songs.
~ Dorianne Laux
found in Superman: The Chapbook
as well as in
Third Rail: An Anthology of Poetry of Rock 'n Roll
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Lingering Question
Why did you lie about that Friday?
It could and would have ended differently if you hadn't lied.
It could and would have ended differently if you hadn't lied.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
LIMP WRIST #2 ~ Partial Info
Poets in Issue 2:
Ellen Bass
Kurt Brown
Nick Carbo
Karen Chase
Jeffrey Conway
Kate Evans
Jessica Hand
Larry Kaplun
Genevieve Lyons
Gillian McCain
Khadijah Queen
Robert Siek
David Trinidad
Timothy Wright
Monday, August 11, 2008
Dolly Filling in for Dottie
OK. I tried to find a decent video of Dottie West's "Lesson In Leaving" because the song is quite fitting for my mood. However, I could only find one video, which was "old" Dottie singing the song. I wanted a video of "young" Dottie.
Since, I couldn't go with "Lesson In Leaving," I have decided to go with the singer who always makes me smile, Dolly Parton. And big-hair-jack-it-to-Jesus Dolly makes me smile even more, so that is what I give you:
Since, I couldn't go with "Lesson In Leaving," I have decided to go with the singer who always makes me smile, Dolly Parton. And big-hair-jack-it-to-Jesus Dolly makes me smile even more, so that is what I give you:
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Writer's Almanac for August 8, 2008
Beautiful Poem!
Migration
This year Marie drives back and forth
from the hospital room of her dying friend
to the office of the adoption agency.
I bet sometimes she doesn't know
What threshold she is waiting at—
the hand of her sick friend, hot with fever;
the theoretical baby just a lot of paperwork so far.
But next year she might be standing by a grave,
wearing black with a splash of
banana vomit on it,
the little girl just starting to say Sesame Street
and Cappuccino latte grand Mommy.
The future ours for a while to hold, with its heaviness—
and hope moving from one location to another
like the holy ghost that it is.
"Migration" by Tony Hoagland
from What Narcissism Means To Me © Graywolf Press, 2003.
Migration
This year Marie drives back and forth
from the hospital room of her dying friend
to the office of the adoption agency.
I bet sometimes she doesn't know
What threshold she is waiting at—
the hand of her sick friend, hot with fever;
the theoretical baby just a lot of paperwork so far.
But next year she might be standing by a grave,
wearing black with a splash of
banana vomit on it,
the little girl just starting to say Sesame Street
and Cappuccino latte grand Mommy.
The future ours for a while to hold, with its heaviness—
and hope moving from one location to another
like the holy ghost that it is.
"Migration" by Tony Hoagland
from What Narcissism Means To Me © Graywolf Press, 2003.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Wordsmiths Books in Danger
Below you'll find a letter from the Wordsmiths Book wesbite.
Thanks CK for bringing this to my attention.
We need your help to save our bookstore.
Beginning today, August 4th, and leading through a weekend fundraising event August 15th-August 17th, I am opening myself to your assistance. It doesn't matter how small your contribution is--with enough help it will all add up in the end. If you want to offer $25, $50, $100, $200, anything at all, it can help. My greatest hope is to not only save our bookstore now, but to offer in return for your help some sense of benefit when we are once again stabilized.
The fact is that Wordsmiths Books is, as an idea and in execution, a great bookstore and it can be so much more given the chance. We are not fighting declining sales, nor are we fighting customer apathy, or even a lagging book market. We are fighting only the debt created by starting in the wrong location. Despite the depths of our need, despite the fact that it leaves me no alternative but to seek your help, we still see the opportunity that lies before us here, on the Square and in the welcoming home of Decatur. We wish to have the opportunity to survive here, to grow and continue to bring to you the same level of entertainment and literary merit that you have come to expect from us. We just need help to get there. We need your help to survive today. If you are willing to help, you can call the store at (404) 378-7166, you can stop by or you can visit www.wordsmithsbooks.com and click on the Donation button on our home page. If you prefer to utilize the mail, then our address is: 545 N. McDonough Street, Decatur Georgia 30030.
There are questions that you have, I am sure. Please ask them. Email me at zach@wordsmithsbook.com, call the store (404-378-7166) or stop by. I am not averse to discussing the matter on any level to anybody. Simply put, we--the entire Wordsmiths Books family--are at your mercy. I will be blogging daily (or as close to daily as is possible) with updates and further information. Again, no amount is too small. We want nothing more than the opportunity to continue to be the bookstore we have been all along. Your help is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten.
Thank you,
Zachary Steele, Owner/Operator Wordsmiths Books
Thanks CK for bringing this to my attention.
We need your help to save our bookstore.
Beginning today, August 4th, and leading through a weekend fundraising event August 15th-August 17th, I am opening myself to your assistance. It doesn't matter how small your contribution is--with enough help it will all add up in the end. If you want to offer $25, $50, $100, $200, anything at all, it can help. My greatest hope is to not only save our bookstore now, but to offer in return for your help some sense of benefit when we are once again stabilized.
The fact is that Wordsmiths Books is, as an idea and in execution, a great bookstore and it can be so much more given the chance. We are not fighting declining sales, nor are we fighting customer apathy, or even a lagging book market. We are fighting only the debt created by starting in the wrong location. Despite the depths of our need, despite the fact that it leaves me no alternative but to seek your help, we still see the opportunity that lies before us here, on the Square and in the welcoming home of Decatur. We wish to have the opportunity to survive here, to grow and continue to bring to you the same level of entertainment and literary merit that you have come to expect from us. We just need help to get there. We need your help to survive today. If you are willing to help, you can call the store at (404) 378-7166, you can stop by or you can visit www.wordsmithsbooks.com and click on the Donation button on our home page. If you prefer to utilize the mail, then our address is: 545 N. McDonough Street, Decatur Georgia 30030.
There are questions that you have, I am sure. Please ask them. Email me at zach@wordsmithsbook.com, call the store (404-378-7166) or stop by. I am not averse to discussing the matter on any level to anybody. Simply put, we--the entire Wordsmiths Books family--are at your mercy. I will be blogging daily (or as close to daily as is possible) with updates and further information. Again, no amount is too small. We want nothing more than the opportunity to continue to be the bookstore we have been all along. Your help is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten.
Thank you,
Zachary Steele, Owner/Operator Wordsmiths Books
Sunday, August 3, 2008
From Blogspot the Other Day
"Your blog at has been identified as a potential spam blog."
WTF?
Spam!?!
If I may say so myself, my blog is delicious.
WTF?
Spam!?!
If I may say so myself, my blog is delicious.
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