Poetry On The Porch

I had the honor of attending 'Poetry On The Porch' at the Alice Paul Institute, organized by Erika Kelly, a poet I met three or four years ago through blogging. She began working with me on my writing as an editor. Then we began to appear in local circles together. She is a wonderful writer in her own right and I am glad to be able to support her. Erika organizes this event-

National Poetry Month is a month-long, national celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets. The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern. We hope to increase the visibility and availability of poetry in popular culture while acknowledging and celebrating poetry’s ability to sustain itself in the many places where it is practiced and appreciated.

The Alice Paul Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It was founded in 1984 by a group of dedicated volunteers to commemorate the centennial of Alice Paul's 1885 birth and to further her legacy. The organization was operated by volunteers for more than a decade. Today, four staff members, as well as volunteers, oversee the daily business and special events at Paulsdale.

After Annmarie Lockhart, Joanie DiMartino, Paloma Amar, and Erika Kelly read I was given the chance to read. I chose a few new poems but decided to read a poem I had written when I was only 15 years old. A memory that stood out in my head still to this day, and had revised it a few times, but the original just works. Most of our mothers and grandmothers did not use dried seasonings, nor did we own any bottles. They used only fresh ingredients bought from the market, or used what they had on hand. It occurred to me my mom seasoned her food with 'Depression', something she suffered from her whole life, up until she passed away.

(Poems are removed after three days...)

Get Sparked, My Round #2

SPARK art from writing: writing from art

This is my second go round in the getsparked.org website, and it can be an up and down ride for ten days. Co-creating, building together, and bringing things to life is satisfying as well.

Let me explain...

You register when they call for artist, photographers, poets and writers. Amy (she is the founder) sends you a welcome email, and explains what SPARK is all about! She then pairs you up with someone. On the day it starts, day one, your partner should have emailed you and said hello.

Whats next...

You send your partner an inspirational piece. Something from your arsenal of work. Published or not. I usually send something fresh, something I just wrote. When you get their work, then you have ten days to produce a 'Response' to their 'Inspirational Piece'.

Fun right...

Here is the 'Inspiration Piece' photograph Christina Brockett sent me, and my 'Response'.

Here is the 'Response' Christina Brockett sent me from my 'Inspiration Piece' poem.

You can view Marybeth Carshaw's 'Inspiration Piece' with my 'Response' here

Then see my 'Inspiration Piece' and Mary Carshaw's 'Response' here


You do not have to be a pro to do this. I am not. Never claimed to be. I enjoy writing. Christina Brockett is a mom, with full time responsibilities just like me. You find time to do this and then enjoy all the work everyone produces together. Its like being in a virtual artistic generated world, but on-line.

Rules of Engagement- Amy Souza, GetSparked.org

Recent Publication

I had taken notice of an online publication GetSparked.org which every quarter of the calendar year pairs up a writer either with a photographer, visual artist, musician, or composer...so I went for it. Receiving my first piece of 'Inspiration' from Mark Owen Martin, a composer called 'Passepied'.

A bit nervous about what to send, I decided to give him an unpublished piece called Texas Skies, and then I began listening to his piece over the next week. See you get ten days to write your final submission.

In that time I thought and thought about what it was I was hearing, and then began to hear what I was feeling. The piece took me to a place I longed for, my grandmothers home and in the room we all gathered each visit- her kitchen. So I thus created 'Feast of the Absent'; its kind of a whimsical fantasy, but says what I feel.

The site has the inspiration piece paired with his final piece, not the other way around I had thought should be, but go enjoy and tell me what you really think (my final piece is with his inspirational).

PS- I am taking down any poetry I feel serious about for publication after a few days, so if you wanted to see something- let me know and I will send it to you personally, otherwise its down for good. - Chef E

...roll on river roll on...

A beef with my head and the van door frame has caused some delays in being able to look at my computer screen for long periods of time in the form of a concussion, and now an eye infection in the only good eye I have...sometimes someone else can just say it better...

Culinary Passion

One of my 'new' writing pass times for the past year is Food Poetry. I an featured on Crop To Cuisine radio program out of Boulder Colorado. Last poem they featured along with a show about Fair Trade and Organic Coffee was my poem 'Barrista'. One day I will do a chapbook of my food poems.

Often it is from passion inspiration, an instantaneous moment of taste bud delight that I write something of this nature. If I ponder too much, the words just take too long to come and I am fickle. My father said it, and he was right.

Well taking a day off from being a tourista, I set my sights on room service, and writing. Of course when I let the urge to order something not planned, but with, and always a quest to find something out- I asked room service if the kitchen could share a secret...here is what happened!

PS- I will post the photo I took in a few days...to see if I conquered poetically...turns out I will be on the road the next few days, so I am adding the photo now...

Bravas!

One by one
five finger slaves take hold

prehistoric- Iberian statuesque mound
Within the eyesight of Toledo hillside

subtle orange-red sky line
blankets history marries cocina-archy

Holy grails, piquant lava spill
stain, sting the soul as it goes down

Archeological finds have been greater
Culinary discovery in due course worth more

than geological religion
10,000 years of cultivated existence co-exist

In common russet shaped craft
traveling shore to shore today

Ceasar Pollo at my side
Porcelain fortresses had no chance

- Chef E

Revision I

After thinking on it a few days, and some suggestions from Jessie Carty's poet suitor, I made a few changes. Hopefully not chopping off too much of this soon to be duet between me and Pasquale Varallo, whose wife died ten days before my daughter did. We discussed this one day at the beach. How we both felt the day watching September 11th take place. I will share his, which will be Twin II. in my book to be published soon- 365DaysXTen.

Twin I.

September 11th, 2001 I sat and watched
as one by one twin towers

were hit by planes
people jumping from windows

still numb from my own explosion
a world no longer spinning- I wanted to jump

Looking at the screen, staring, and thinking
how sad life had gotten; how a tiny heart

held me hostage for so long
the terror of not knowing- certainty unbound

Fourteen years earlier I sat in a similar chair
and watched a space shuttle blow up

holding my new baby- hoping their loved ones
would be okay as I celebrated new life

Love and pain can occupy the same time
space, but are never the same each time around

NYC Here I come!

I am excited to share some new developments in my performing arts career.

Being in the food industry since I was fourteen because it came naturally, there was still this deep passion to write and perform. A way to say things that shy auburn freckle faced girl wanted to say, but...it took years of maturing to get it all out. I still work in the industry, and have some prospects for getting back into being a Personal Chef, but that only pays the bills...so,

People, I am letting it all hang out!

As a published Vox Poetica Poet, I was invited to perform some of my work as 'Red Dashboard' Saturday night in NYC, reads as follows-

Capers Literary Journal and Vox Poetica invite you to participate in, A Literary Evening...


"Editors Lisa Marie Basile and Annmarie Lockhart invite you to have some fancy martinis, listen to wonderful selected readers and participate in a short post-reading open-mic session".

7-9:30 PM (not exactly sure how it is going to roll, but Red Dashboard will be last)


After meeting with Pandora Scooter, yes that is her name. She (in photo above) is a well known Performance Arts Teacher, coach, Activist for the GLBT movement, and performs locally, has for ten years locally and in NYC. She came to my performance at WAMPP, and wanted to take me on as a student. Something I have always wanted to do, get a little theater one on one.

We are working on my range of performance, to get me from sounding monotone, which I hear it in my videos. She and I met this week, I had rehearsal Wednesday night, and Red Dashboard just performed last night at a lounge down south. Was really cool, because before we were RD, they heard Flora and I do a rendition of 'Silk Stockings' before Pandora challenged me to re-vamp it, beef it up, and add some depth to the execution. They got a choice of two different presentations, and picked the second...to come...

She also challenged me to think- not in words, but by how I feel she is experienced, and my thoughts on "What is she going to say to me as a coach thing"- and, "Who am I when I perform, E Stelling, or Chef E"? I thought maybe it is too confusing for people when they hear my friends and work associates call me this, but most have said over the past few days, as well as Pandora- Chef E is unique, so it is...it shall be...

One day until NYC, and I am very nervous, but I find once I am behind the mic, and the lights go low, things loosen up!

Oh, and if you want to come see me...email me and I will give you the location. I do not want any surprise visits from hecklers who will make me even more nervous. It takes time to perfect your work, and everyone has to start somewhere...