I came upon a hilarious yet on retrospective slightly depressing Buzzfeed article entitled “16 classic children’s books retold for adults. It’s hilarious to see how the view portrayed as children changes as we enter adulthood just sort of sad to see how jaded as adults many people become. So laugh! Enjoy! And if you find yourself relating to this, go out and reconnect with your childhood self 🙂
Two of my favorites are below: 🙂
As I wrap up my short collection of plays, (hopefully) available online at the end of the week, I turn to other projects. I have two projects may require (if I go the indy route) an artist to illustrate.
The first
and one I’m most looking for an artist for, is a comic, Without getting into too much detail, it’s a modern day fairy tale starring Nikola Telsa which deals with issues of corruption and power. This one I’m pretty set on being indy, though I’m open to other suggestions
The second is a children’s story. I will be shopping this around with traditional publishers, but if the right artist came along, I would be open to e-publishing or making a book app.
If anyone is interested you can email me at reestanf@gmail.com I can give you more details there.
BTW, I’ve been told I’m pretty awesome to work with 🙂
Dream away. And keep “dreamin’ til your dream comes true….”
Poetry may be dead, but poets aren’t!
I woke up on Monday with two bittersweet emails. Two of my poems had been accepted for publication in Cool Etc! a few new online journal. One of which was a baby of mine, Loaded Gun, Twice Fired. I wrote this poem about 8 years ago (wow I’m getting old) for a class in poetry. The assignment was to finish the Emily Dickinson poem, My life has stood a loaded gun. I ended up with a poem that I loved that stood a lone or in tandem to the original piece. But after I got out of college, I had a heck of a time trying to publish it, because it was “too traditionally.” I refused to give up, and now, my baby shall see the light of day. It’s an odd feeling though, to be done with a piece I tweaked and changed some many times throughout the year, but greatly satisfying. 
In addition, my poem, The river bed, was also published! This wasn’t a baby of mine, rather a poem I wrote while spending a day walking along the Mackinaw river.
It’s pleasures like this that make a rainy Wednesday much more enjoyable. I hope you liked my work.
….because you sucked all the fun out of it poets and magazine editors in your pretentious quest to make poetry some higher more grand form of art…..
I was reminded of the fact that so many poets (and many artists in general) are pretentious, stuck-up and just rude to new writers. A “friend”of mine a few weeks ago had a status mocking someone that she had rejected for the online journal she started. The sheer joy that she took in mocking another individual was outrageous, especially the other artist friends of hers that joined in.
And I grew angry.
What right did she have to mock another writer? Is she any more qualified to say what is good art and what is bad than anyone else? So what, she paid a few bucks to throw up a website. Anyone could do that. She had a few poems published. Oh well, most writers do at some point right, especially if you are friends with the editors.
And I was reminded of all of the horrible experiences that I have had over the years: the journals who couldn’t even send me a form letter of response, the instructors and other artist who I met that shamed my publications for not being in “good” magazines but then when published in the same or similar journals acted like they were God’s gift to poetry, the professors who told me good poetry can’t rhyme, the journals that said they would accept my work if I paid for their editing services first, the critique sessions I went through where people just tore into each other instead of saying anything productive……
And I was reminded how I hate this part of the art world.
So, as a some-what successful artist, I’d like to say, just stop.
Art is beautiful. Even crappy art. It’s beautiful because someone took the time to make it. And while it may not be amazing, there is always something you can take from it and room to improve.
And art is practice. Most people don’t start off amazing. Give support. Give advice.
Stop making art this grad excessive mountain to summit and focus of the beautiful journey it is.
Also stay tune, this rouge artist just had two more poems accepted for publication…..but I’m sure my artist friends would not be fond of the journal ( 🙂 )
Ok, I won’t lie. This is an amazing idea. Amtrack is offering free residency for one of their long rides. It’s a program which on a rolling basis which accepts promising new writers! The form is quick and easy to fill out (yes I might be filling it out right now! ) so why not give it a try! Maybe you can be the next great traveling writer. 🙂
* Note, as in the comments, it’s been noted that what you submit can be (though may not be) used by Amtrak. I always suggest writing pieces specifically for contests. In short, don’t give a piece that you are supper attached to/don’t want them using. 🙂
I’ve run across one of the neatest sites/resources for story telling, the periodic table of storytelling. It’s an interactive periodic table with all sort of great information for people who want to know the art of story-telling. Warning though, this website is super addictive, and you can spend all day on it!
Enjoy.
In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, I’ve come across a fun little collection of life sayings (from his books) to live by.
I know I’ve posted similar things in the past, but everytime, I come across one of his books or a collection of his work, I am amazed at how insightful he was. And I am amazed at how complicated adults must make things.
Note: sorry this is a few days late. I thought I published this piece but apparently word press had other plans.
hey guys (I’m not dead just been sick this week.) But with being sick, I’ve had the time to just serach the internet and again continue to be amazed with Ze Frank. Check out this video, If you are in a shell, as well as Why Trust is Worth It. You won’t regret it.
Street of Dreams 