Monthly Archives: April 2007

Artists and Love: The Way They Look at the Women They Love

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It’s Good Friday. At last I have a week’s break from school. They received their report cards this morning. Happy Easter, kids. This morning I realize how exhausted I am from the grind of teaching high school. It gets worse when I look around at all the chores I have to do to prepare for our Easter Sunday soiree. The warm days of spring have brought yard work back into my life. Someday, I hope I can afford to hire someone so I won’t have to do yard work or clean my own house. That would give me so much more time for my writing.

I’ve been doing some more reading on Rossetti and his crew. I think in philosophy and wildness they must have been much like the second generation of the Romantic poets. They all felt life’s joys and sorrows so intensely. And they definitely were worshippers of beauty. To illustrate, look at this quote I found on the link below.  Rossetti was traumatized when he lost his Elizabeth. The speaker is talking of how Rossetti adored her, the love of his life, and how the way he looked at her was diffirent from the way other men would have looked at her.
http://www.yorktaylors.free-online.co.uk/rossetti.htm

“And yet Elizabeth had been loved tenderly, loved by the man and by the artist, which is to be loved twice, because painters have a tenderness for the creature that suddenly realizes for them, in an exquisite and living form, a long cherished dream, and lavish upon her a gaze that is more thoughtful, more intuitive and, to put it plainly, more charged with love than is possible for other men.”

Long, Long, Time: A Song of Linda Ronstadt

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Sometimes I think I can outline my life and the people I’ve known by certain songs. Several years ago, I gave guitar lessons to a girl who had lived in Tasmania and had moved to Berwick, Pennsylvania, in those dark days when I lived in Yankeedom. She became a decent guitarist and was blessed with a fine voice. I still remember a spring day when I heard her sing “Long, Long, Time” by Linda Ronstadt. She had just been through a harsh, brutal breakup with her boyfriend (a friend of mine) and her heart was broken, full of emotion. Her voice has haunted me ever since, for there at that moment, I realized the depths of emotions that one song can contain. I heard this song as I was grocery shopping at Brookshires last week and remembered Jennifer and decided to post this song. Wherever she is, I hope she’s well and happy.
I found the lyrics here: http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/great1.htm#haste

Long Long Time

written by Gary B. White
Universal MCA Music (ASCAP)

Love will abide, take things in stride
Sounds like good advice but there’s no one at my side
And time washes clean love’s wounds unseen
That’s what someone told me but I don’t know what it means.

Cause I’ve done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think I’m gonna love you for a long long time

Caught in my fears
Blinking back the tears
I can’t say you hurt me when you never let me near
And I never drew one response from you
All the while you fell all over girls you never knew
Cause I’ve done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think it’s gonna hurt me for a long long time

Wait for the day
You’ll go away
Knowing that you warned me of the price I’d have to pay
And life’s full of flaws
Who knows the cause?
Living in the memory of a love that never was
Cause I’ve done everything I know to try and change your mind
and I think I’m gonna miss you for a long long time
Cause I’ve done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think I’m gonna love you for a long long time.

Confederate History Month Essay Contest

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April is Confederate History Month by Louisiana State and municipality proclamation. To celebrate, the Major Thomas McGuire Camp of the SCV is sponsoring its fourth annual essay contest. Here are the rules:

Any Louisiana secondary student is eligible who is 14 – 18 years of age, in private, public, or parochial school. Home schooled students are also eligible. Members of the Major Thomas McGuire Camp will judge all essays. Your essay will be judged on its originality, creativity, enthusiasm, historical accuracy, grammar and evidence of research. Prizes are: First Place: $150.00, Second Place: $100.00, Third Place $50.00
The essay:
1. Must be multi-paragraph prose and not poetry, although it may contain quoted lines of poetry
2. Must contain no less than 500 words nor more than 1500 words.
3. Must be legibly written or typed using only one side of each sheet of paper
4. Must be your original work.
5. Must not be previous work, or previously published work.
6. Must be ‘an original’ not a photocopy.
7. Must have a “Title” or “Cover” Page containing:
 a. The title of your essay
 b. Your name, address, and telephone number
 c. The name, address and telephone number of your school if you are not home-schooled.
 d. A statement that the work is your own, original, writing
 e. Your signature
1. Your submission must be postmarked by May 4, 2007. The hand-delivery deadline is May 7, 2007.
2. The judging process will be completed by June 12, 2007.
3. Notification of winners will be made soon as possible after winners are chosen.
4. You will be notified by mail and by telephone should your essay be a winner.
5. A time and place for making the award will be established (August 14, 2007) once winners are declared.
6. Essays will not be returned. If you want a copy, please keep a photocopy.
7. For a list of winners, should you not win, please include with your essay a SASE.

Send Completed Essays To:
CHM Essay
683 Caples Road
West Monroe, LA 71292

*If you need more information about this contest, email me at rickeyp@bayou.com

White Oleander: A Brief Review

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I just finished reading White Oleander (1999) by Janet Fitch. The novel is gripping, and Fitch has a tone and style that intrigues me. There are so many memorable lines—nearly every page has at least a phrase underlined. After I’ve digested the story, I’ll go back and look at those words and phrases. This read has already sparked ideas for a dozen poems. The story addresses so many issues related to the human condition—survival, motherhood, being a woman in a man’s world, love, art, education, reading and writing, the foster care system, our judicial system, and many others. I’m was so impressed by the novel that I’ve determined to read anything Janet Fitch has written. Her story is touching and compelling, her vocabulary and diction extraordinary. If you love words, you should love this novel. I was led to this novel through the recommendation of my friend E.B. and from watching the 2002 movie version.

Almost as powerful as the narrative, are the letters from Ingrid laced throughout the story. The oleander as a motiff works well. Oleander. A beautiful, hardy, but deadly flower. I’ve decided to plant some in my yard this year. They will be a reminder of this book. I’ll certainly never look at oleanders or many other things in life the same way. To me, this is a sign of good novel—one that haunts you, one you will never forget. To read more about Janet Fitch, go to her homepage herea: http://literati.net/Fitch/

First Episode of the Tudors

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I watched the first episode of Showtime’s Tudors last night. I enjoyed it tremendously, but I wished I had read more of the back story. I’ll be caught up on Henry next week. I wish I had the script so I could analyze it along with my reading of the story of Henry. Here’s the official Tudor site: http://thetudors.fromthefan.com/?L3291
My weekend has flown by. Friday night was spent at Enoch’s, listening to an Irish singer, Gerry O’Bierne. http://discuss.celticgrove.com/stories/storyReader$132  I was out much too late and imbibed too much as well. Saturday was spent helping  a friend with his truck in the morning, recovering from Friday night, and wrapping up business with my Battleground Louisiana project.

Saturday night I went to see The 300. I love the story of the three hundred Spartans, but I did not like this movie generally. I did enjoy some of the actors, many of the scenes, and thought several of the lines of dialogue were really good. This movie was based on the epic graphic novel of Frank Miller, and the movie had the feel of a graphic  novel as well. I’ve never been into the cartoon/digital thing. However, if the movie makes my students interested in Greece that could be a good thing. My freshmen are soon to begin a mythology unit, so perhaps we can discuss this movie.
This week is a four-day work week, as school is let out on Good Friday. We’re having the local clan to my house this weekend, so that means some preparations will be necessary. I’m looking forward to the Easter break so I can get caught up on my writing work. If you’re interested in learning more about Easter’s history and customs, go to this site: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/easter/easter.asp

My Guitars

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I’ve loved and played guitars all my life. The image of my father holding his Fender Broadcaster is probably my earliest memory. He wanted me to learn to play guitar, but he never commanded me to. Yet, when I asked, I knew then that my playing guitar had been a dream of his. Continuing my various writing exercises, I decided to make a list of the guitars I’ve owned in my life and see what memories, feelings, and ideas surface. I began by playing his guitars, then when he saw I was serious, he bought me some. After I started working as a teen I had to use my money of course. I think I got the order right.

1. A blue Silvertone electric. We purchased this from Sears. Strings were way too high and butchered my finger tips, but I played on till I had built up good callouses.

2. A Fender Mustang.
3. A Fender Sunburst Stratocaster. (God, was I stupid for ever getting rid of this!)

4. A red Mosrite guitar like the Iron Butterfly played. (I did see them in concert too.)

5. A red Gibson SG. I sold it to Kenny Bill Stenson when I married. He still has it I believe. (Again, selling it was stupid. I mean, how many times can a man get the dumb ass? Probably a rhetorical question.)

6. An American made classical guitar. It was made of cedar and had a bright, bright sound. This was about the time I began a study of classical guitar.

7. A classical guitar made by Fernando Vera.

8. A white Fender Squire Stratocaster. (slight regression in quality)

9. An old Guild accoustic which I love and still have. This is the guitar I use to perform for small groups.
10. A black Takamine electrified accoustic . This is the guitar I use for most gigs. I quite enjoy playing this one.

When I was playing the Gibson SG, I remember my date saying, “You live in a world of six strings.” Our date was my taking her to hear us play. I think then, guitar was an obsession. Now, I just want to enjoy the instrument and continue to develop as a perfomer. Are there more guitars in my future? Probably, but who knows for sure.