Cue music, and Richard Dawson.
I posted a survey here and on facebook a little over a week ago. I got exactly one response (comment) on the version posted here on this blog. That was my friend Bob, who wrote:
Teaching English in Mongolia, after completing a short certification program–and after visiting your friends and family in North America
In the spirit of your initial list from the previous post, I didn’t give this much forethought either–it was just the one idea on that list that jumped out at me as the type of a thing you should do. Living in Lisbon sounds intriguing too.
This was not entirely unprompted, since a little while prior, I’d posted a possible list (without having planned, at that time, to make a survey).
There were many more comments on the facebook page. Not what I’d imagined, but interesting nonetheless. I’ll meditate on the possibilities, and want to let everyone know (especially Colin, Kray and Jeannine, none of whom I’ve seen since high school and all of whom were close friends in around 3rd-4th grade) that I’m both stunned and yet weirdly comforted that, after all this time, they seem to know my soul so well. Whether I can act on their advice, I can’t say. Colin’s elaborate recommendations are appealing, in a mythical sort of way, though whether I will ever really be a poet… I have doubts (see post of two days ago). But I’m definitely leaning toward Mongolia for next year, after some time back in the states.
So here’s everything that people wrote at facebook:
Wow.. you must have very mixed feelings! I’ll keep you in my thoughts
Karen Choske-Anderson at 5:36am July 4
I know you love to travel and experience the world. If you come back to the States for other than a visit — it will still be a visit…just longer. 🙂 I wish you the best guidance possible while you make your decisions…and I would love to see you if you come through Burbank again.
Colin Brant at 7:15pm July 4
You have just enough time to get your applications in to the artist’s camps (Yaddo, MacDowell…) before you finish school and set off on a hitchhiking trip across Asia, (pack lightly: notebook, pencil, pocketknife, poncho, change of clothes) stopping in Mysore where you will meet an old, wise (wo)man by chance who will be able to guide you forward… Read More from that point. If you don’t meet that person, continue on through the Middle East, pause along the way (probably not Afghanistan) to learn the ancient art of falconry, make your way west and hole up in an obscure quarter of Amsterdam and write an epic poem about your adventure. It will be like a great necklace, looping across that whole region, with ancient and modern historic references, each line a pearl. Pepper the poem with falconry lingo and also words like
“tabernacle” and “pyjamas” for example “I slept at the foot of a sumptuous tabernacle/After dining on wild figs and sweet rice wine/My pyjamas heavy with the monsoon” .
Colin Brant at 7:34pm July 4
Well, I’ll leave the poetry to you! Anyway I recommend taking a lover during this time, perhaps a woman of Turkish or Armenian origin, with black hair and green eyes. She will be a muse, but also knowledgeable about arcane lore from that region that you can use in the poem. Go easy on the hashish unless you really need it, try espresso. At … Read Morethis point you will be hearing back from the residencies (next Spring?) and installed there begin work on editing the thing, making contacts,lining up readings…
First thing you need to do is print out two copies of these suggestions and laminate one, fold the other one up and double zip-lock in case you lose the laminated one.
In short I think you should concentrate on your poetry because you’ve got talent kid.
Kray Van Kirk at 3:18pm July 5
I think Colin has rather pre-empted the rest of us!! :-p
I think you should do an experiment by going insane a la Quixano, making cardboard armor and taking up the Quest Valiant. See what happens.
OR… Read More
Become a climatologist and work to overturn the sad and dreadful ignorance in the US regarding climate change
OR
I really like Colin’s suggestion regarding the Turkish/Armenian woman.
OR
Retreat somewhere for several years of contemplation and study to write a book on Cervantes, write poetry and draw pictures. Again, Colin’s suggestion is also very relevant to this scenario.
OR
Become governor of Alaska. Please. Seriously. Please!!
Colin Brant at 7:20pm July 6
I don’t think you want to clutter your brain with all the hassles being a governor must involve (budgets, special projects, long meetings, oil politics…). Wallace Stevens may have been able to compose poems on his way to a full time office job, but I think you need more space.
BTW I have a friend who is a poet, she’s from Mexico but lives in NY … Read Moreand teaches at Columbia and editor for a magazine called Bomb. She might be interested in seeing your work esp Spanish stuff. Is there a way to post a selection (blog?) so she could check it out?
Jeannine Rossa at 6:27pm July 8
Kray, as much as I love you, I like Colin’s suggestions the best. Besides, we’ll get interesting stuff to read! Can I also add a tiny bit? Before your trip, you fly into Phoenix, AZ and pick up your nephews for a camping trip in the Sangre de Christo mountains (I mean the name alone says GO! plus you should train for mountainous Asia) which … Read More becomes epic b/c you all get stuck up there in a snowstorm (freaking out your sister) but you’ve got plenty of food, so you teach the boys some Korean (thereby procuring forgiveness from sister) and tell long, drawn-out stories, which they’ll remember for the rest of their lives, and when the storm is over, you return the nephews, and then fly off into the horizon for adventure and poetry as described earlier by Colin.
Don’t go to L.A.
Being an artist or writer is hard, tedious, pointless work and nobody cares, but it can also be immensely rewarding and sometimes seems like the only work that does matter. It does involve taking risks and putting your personal work out where it becomes vulnerable, maybe there could be a small group you could start with- something nonthreatening? I don’t know about your soul, but I do knw you have an extremely interesting imagination and you have interest and skills with writing and language… You can’t start with the thought of future failure, self fulfilling prophesy.
I’m sure teaching English is challenging and satisfying, but I think you’ve got a lot more going on and it would be interesting to give it a shot.
My two cents!!
Oh, I have a good feeling about Lisbon. I was there once many years ago and think back fondly now and then. Great people, beautiful city.