And Other Foolish Questions I Have Answered
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My wife gave me some of my memories back today. Being the dear lady that she is, she gave me a couple of small gifts this Easter Sunday. She never has to look far to find some shiny bauble that catches my eye, as I keep a hellishly detailed and expansive list of crap I’d like to have on my Amazon Wish List. I’m always and forever editing it, mainly adding to it but once in a while I remove things that fall into the “seemed like a good idea at the time” category. Usually CD’s that would leave me going “What the hell was I thinking?” were I to actually get it.
I seldom mention anything in particular on the list, as most of it would bore her. However, not many months ago, I got to thinking about Ann Arbor. I spent the longest part of my childhood there, so I label it as the place where I grew up. I’ve lost touch with damn near everyone I knew there when we lived there, but I’ve reconnected with a few. This has done a couple of things to me, fondly (or not so fondly) recalling life there, or struggling to remember things that happened almost 40 years ago.
One of my fonder memories was my 9th Grade English teacher. Her name was Mrs. Rothstein. Her husband probably called her Margaret, as that was her given name, but she was and will remain Mrs. Rothstein to me. She came to mind as a direct result of a post on Emmatree.com about the memories associated with a particular book. Not the book and its content itself, but what was going on around you at the time. Not something I’d really thought about in those particular terms. Naturally, my mind took off with the idea and had a grand time.
I recall very clearly reading Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (complete with a leering Jack Nicholson on the cover) less than a week after getting out of a 33 Day stay in a psychiatric wing of a hospital.
I remember reading “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and laughing so hard in places, my sides hurt. Then calling my friend Brian to tell him he HAD to read the book himself. This was in the day of expensive Long Distance phone calls.
I remember reading “Bristle Face” as a kid and crying my eyes out at the end of the book. I read it again a year later and cried all over again.
I remember wanting to read “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” as a young teenager and only getting about 35 pages in before losing interest.
I remember being swept away by The Canon the first time I read “The Complete Sherlock Holmes” with Preface by Christopher Morley (that I actually read)
And finally, I remember reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the first time in Mrs. Rothstein’s English class. A book I have had a lifelong love affair with as a direct result of that class. (We read “Of Mice and Men” that year as well, another book I adore)
I’d been a difficult student until my 9th Grade year. Plenty of smarts, a decided lack of motivation had kept me from achieving my potential or consistently decent grades. Which is a long winded way of saying, I was bored and lazy. More lazy than anything, I must admit. But not in 9th Grade and certainly not in Mrs. Rothstein’s class. I don’t remember a whole lot of my other teachers, but I’ve never forgotten her.
She wrote a book, titled “And Other Foolish Questions I Have Answered.” I bought a copy, had her sign it and actually read it. And read it again later, I’m sure. However, over the years the book disappeared. Since I was reasonably sure that she’d either self-published or the publisher was a very small press, the book was out of print and I’d be hard pressed to obtain another copy. As a result, I sort of forgot about it. Until I read that article on Emmatree.com
Eventually I caught up with the whirlwind of thought and my mind wandered back to not just ‘Mockingbird’ but her book as well. Amazon came to the rescue and it went on my wish list. Today, it was a gift from my wife. I’ve read over half of it already. It’s not challenging, is well paced, and is compelling.
At one point this afternoon, I did what many people do; I Googled her. And just as Elaine gave me a bit of my past back, I found that Mrs. Rothstein had passed away some years ago. Too young, according to the age listed. I did some more searching, just to be sure but there isn’t much doubt in my mind now. Which saddens me because I wanted to tell her, I wanted Mrs. Rothstein to know that what she taught me in 9th Grade English class has stuck with me. More than just the love of a couple of classic novels, but a joy in reading books that are a bit more difficult, that are classics and judged that way for a reason. She opened my mind to explore books that were outside of my reading comfort zone and as a result I’ve read a lot of books I wouldn’t have considered. I wanted her to know that. Alas…
I don’t know as I’ve wanted to tell her about my writing poetry or not, although I’m sure it would have pleased her. Heck, I don’t even know if she would have remembered me. But, I remember her. And I always shall.
News, Notes and General Jibber-Jabber!!!!
My new Amazon.com Author page is now live.
amazon.com/author/markstratton
I don’t have any idea why I didn’t do this earlier. I should’ve, but didn’t. I don’t do the best job of promoting my books in any format.
Tender Mercies, my poetry collection has collected 9 ratings and 3 reviews thus far on Goodreads.com. The current Rating thus far is 4.44 (out of 5). This is rather heartening to me, and I wish to thank those who have taken the time to add their ratings and reviews. If you’re so inclined, you can add your own for which I would be quite grateful.
There are three reviews for Tender Mercies, the paperback on Amazon, and one for the Kindle edition. Did you know you can get an ePub version of TM from Goodreads? That’s probably because I mentioned it a couple of times and figured you could find it. Problem is, I didn’t put any bread crumbs out to form a trail. I really need to take the bull by the horns and do a better job of alerting people to my printed works. Did you know you can get a Kindlegraph from me? It’s free, cheap and easy!
There are still a few copies of the limited edition chapbook “Postmarks” (only 50 copies put together by me!) [Ordering information here] Kathy, who many of you may know as @alotus_poetry on The Twittah, wrote a wonderful review of said chapbook last month. She’s been taking a much needed break from many of her usual online haunts, but still takes time to write wonderful reviews of some of the poetry collections she’s reading. That she started with mine is an honor and a true gift. I believe her points are well made and I am grateful for the thoughtful feedback she gives. Take a few minutes and give it a read. You can even thank her as well.
I do not like blowing my own horn nor willfully drawing attention to myself. I would like to think the words, the poems, the thoughts themselves would do the trick. I guess I need to get over that a bit, y’know?
Anyhow, if you feel like connecting on Goodreads, I’d love it. If you’d like to add your ratings or reviews there or on Amazon, that’d be swell and greatly appreciated. Again, my thanks to those who already have.
Randall Weiss and His Writing Space
This go ’round, we here from Oklahoma writer Randall Weiss. I’m pleased he shared his writing space and views with us. During the month on April, since I will be playing in the National Poem Writing Month hoopla (a poetic draft a day…ack!), this series of Guest Posts will be scaled back so as not to overwhelm anyone…and now, to today’s Guest Post!
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I enjoy noise. The noise produced by typewriter keys striking a page. The noise filling my local coffee shop. The noise shoppers make at the mall as they drag their children along looking for that perfect sale. The noise other children make when I sit on a park bench with my eyes closed. Noise doesn’t distract me. It inspires. It gives me somewhere to hide and something from which to escape. Noisy places are where I eavesdrop and scribble notes in my Moleskins. I was tempted to take some pictures at my favorite coffee shop, perhaps my favorite noise collection venue, but though the noise gives me ideas, it isn’t where I write.
Writing is what happens when I collect myself away from the noise and turn these notes into poems. If the weather is nice, like it is today, my writing place is back home on my front porch. There’s still noise here, but it’s more passive, easier to move to the background. Young scissor-tailed flycatchers are trying their voices from a nest in my magnolia tree. The twelve year-old girl who lives next door is pacing up and down the street talking on her cell phone about cute boys at school. I’m sitting in a $5 chair that’s 
more comfortable than it is sturdy drinking a cup of tea and rolling cigarette after cigarette, punctuating the sometimes still air with the noise of my lighter’s flint strike.
This is where writing happens. I take notes, pieces and parts of lines, and transform them into poetic form. I call the original scribbles my first draft, the typed notes that I edit as I enter them into my computer the second draft. Then I edit and edit and edit. If I’m out here in the evening, the tea is replaced by Scotch whiskey, the cigarettes by a cigar. No matter the drink, I’m still here, just a writer trying to find words that describe the noise swirling in my head.
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Randall Weiss is an author from Tulsa, OK. His poems have appeared in NAP Literary Magazine and Crosstimbers. He organizes and hosts a monthly poetry reading in Tulsa, takes his Scotch neat, and rolls his own cigarettes.
You can read his blog: http://randallweiss.wordpress.com/
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/randalljweiss
Natasha Head and the Nothing Left to Lose Interview
This go ’round brings us another Canadien poet, Natasha Head. Her debut collection, Nothing Left to Lose is out and you can find it at any number of places, links will be down at the bottom. I appreciate Natasha’s willingness to let us in a little and see behind her writers curtain. We return to another Writing Spaces post next Monday, one I’m really excited about so come on back.
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1. Without naming it, describe for me your favorite beverage?
Rich, deep, caramel brown, it sings to me when I pour it over ice, but has a mind of its own if I let the bubbles get out of control. And god forbid you give it a good shaking…it’ll get you back!
2. Do you believe in Writer’s Block? Why or why not.
Of course I believe in writer’s block…and I’ve personally found the only way to get over it is to write through it! I’ve got notebooks dedicated to babbles written simply for the sake of writing…no craft, no form, just rambling…but you can see the block dissolving throughout the pages, the “craftsmanship” returning. It’s a rather interesting experiment to try if you’re suffering from it.
3. Do you carry a notebook?
At this moment, I presently operate on four notebooks. I am ALL ABOUT THE NOTEBOOKS! I have my day job notebook, filled with appraisal and property information…along with poetry. I have my River Journal Notebook where I keep track of my schedule, interviews, upcoming articles and poetry. I have my personal agenda notebook that I fill with other writing gigs, my blog, reviews, schedules and poetry. And finally I have my poetry notebook…which is poetry ONLY!
4.Who inspires you?
First and foremost, my family. My Mom and Dad are amazing people. They’d go to the ends of the earth to help anyone. They are two of the most compassionate and caring people I know. For all the grief I’ve put them through over the years, I owe them so very much! (Not that I was THAT bad!) I’m inspired daily by so many people, but they top my list.
5. What are you afraid of?
Failure…I’ve had ample experience with it, and it never gets easier. I’m hoping those wonderful life lessons all the guru’s speak of will soon start showing themselves. I also take issue with large spiders, un-fenced horses, and strangers with candy.
6. What makes you laugh and how do you write about it?
Life in general provides me ample inspiration for humorous writes. Sarcasm is my best friend that has gotten me into trouble more than once. I also appreciate a very dry sense of humor. It’s a coin flip on most days, whether I laugh or cry…
7.What is more rewarding for you, the finished product or the writing process?
The process…there is where the true rewards lie. The reward that comes with the finished product is totally different from the gems you unearth throughout the process…I have built and destroyed worlds with my pen…but once they’re posted or printed, the construction stops…
8. How can your art change the world where you live?
I often wonder about that actually. Here at home I am a real estate agent…I’m not sure if they will ever be able to see me beyond that. Not that I won’t try to make them! I think my mission for evolution of mind and spirit is one that could benefit all. (no worries…I’m not serving up any kool-aid!) but I do hope I’m serving up words that will inspire thought, no matter where you might call home.
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Nova Scotian Poet Natasha Head has been bleeding ink since she was a wee lass toting about her scribbler and crayons. Associate Editor of The River Journal and recurring host at dVersePoets OpenLinkNight, Natasha has made it her mission to bring all those hearts carrying the burden of a poem to the light. She challenges you to pick up your pen and let the words fly. Her first individual collection of poetry, Nothing Left to Lose is now available.
“Here’s Looking at You, Kid” – 70 Years Later
When I was 14 years old, I used to grab three sections of the Sunday paper before anyone else. Since I delivered the paper, it wasn’t hard. The three sections were the Sports section, the comics and the TV section. It had the TV listings for the week. Living in Ann Arbor at the time, we were pretty fortunate in having more than three or four stations. We had around 5 stations from Detroit, one from Windsor (that’s in Canada, just across the Detroit River from…Detroit), and some from Toledo, Oh.
Channel 50 was one of my favorites because they showed old movies on weekends. We watched a lot of them. I don’t remember many in particular, just that we watched them when football wasn’t on. I was exposed early to Hepburn, Gable, Grable, Crosby, and Bogie and Bacall. One movie I was on the lookout for was ‘Casablanca’ as I’d not seen it and it had a great reputation as a terrific film. I had to see it. I HAD to see it to be a complete person. Well, at 14 that’s what I thought.
One week during the school year, I think it was in the spring but I wouldn’t bet on it, in looking at the TV guide I saw that ‘Casablanca; was going to be on TV during the weekend. Of course, that was a technicality, as it was coming on at 1 am, in the morning when it’s REALLY dark outside. That 1 am in the morning. After some haggling with my parents, I was granted special dispensation to stay up past Johnny Carson’s monologue and watch the movie. I was stoked. I was so excited.
I ended up quite disappointed. Not because I didn’t like or enjoy the movie, but because I fell asleep about 10 minutes in and woke up to ‘The End’ and the French National Anthem playing. My folks had a good laugh and I did as well. Later, that is. 
Fast forward around 10-11 years and I’d still not seen this great movie. I finally did when it came on American Movie Classics when it didn’t show commercials and really suck. Bob Dorian introduced the film, gave it some context and I got to watch it. Fell. In. Love. Wanted to watch it again, but didn’t tape it and at that time, it hadn’t been released on VHS. That came later, and when it did it was a gift from a co-worker. A high school girl I worked with at Shoney’s found out it was my favorite movie and was amazed I didn’t own a copy. She corrected that at Christmas. Totally surprised me, that gift.
I’ve bought it on DVD, and ended up with an extra copy when my mother-in-law died. I bought the 60th anniversary edition with bells and whistles. In all, I’ve probably watched Ilsa get on the plane at least a dozen times. Probably closer to two dozen times. As much as I might enjoy a movie, I can’t watch the same film over and over and over and over and over and over. I will admit to watching the rest of it if I happen to be channel surfing and stumble across it.
This is the 70th year since its release in 1942. One way I’ve never seen the film was on the big screen, in a theater, with a room full of people. I don’t keep a bucket list as I find the term overused, but the idea of actually watching it in a theater has had appeal for a long time. Turner Classic Movies (which doesn’t show commercials during movies and therefore doesn’t suck!) arranged to show the film, fully restored in selected theaters across the country for one night only. March 21, 2012. When I saw this, I immediately checked and found out it was going to be in town. Here! Where I live!
It was amazing to behold at the theater. The last movie I’d seen in black ‘n white before this was a special screening of Dracula (with Bela Lagosi and a special film score composed and directed by Philip Glass) and before that, the classic Mel Brooks directed/written ‘Young Frankenstein’ which I saw during first release (yes, I’m that old).
What made it special was the group feel of watching the movie in a sold out theater. The lines that were delivered with wit and sarcasm were greeted with laughter. When watching at home alone or with my wife, I seldom would laugh. Smile, maybe but certainly not laugh. Knowing that others around were as into it as I was made it quite special. Watching this, one of my favorite movies ever, with my Elaine beside me made it wonderful.
I hope more classic movies get a theater showing in the near future. It was a great time and I really enjoyed myself. I also had a chance to recall the small thread this film has wound through my life.
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My Book ‘Tender Mercies’
