The dance we call Tango evolved gradually, out of the music and dance gatherings of enslaved peoples brought to South America from Africa who then shared these dances with fellow workers and immigrants. It is literally a street dance,
Category Archives: Arts
How Writers Can Help One Another to be Published
I recently became a founding member of a Poetry Collective. Many people have found this surprising, not the founding member part, but the poetry part. Because when asked about what kind of writing I do, I seldom mention poetry. True enough, I write poems. The majority of these poems, however, are strictly for myself. Poetry,Continue reading “How Writers Can Help One Another to be Published”
Lindy Hop, Swing, The Spanish Ballroom and Learning to Let Go
Saturday night I went swing dancing. I didn’t see any zoot suits, but being that it was St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I saw men in green derby hats sporting suspenders and women wearing emerald glitter headbands, full skirts and short crinolines. We weren’t just anywhere, we were at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo locatedContinue reading “Lindy Hop, Swing, The Spanish Ballroom and Learning to Let Go”
What Does a Mote Spoon and a Red Violin Have To Do With Creativity?
This year’s AWP ( Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference was held in Seattle, Washington and it ran from Thursday March 8th through Saturday March 11th. Even though I wasn’t there, I felt like I was, because my email box kept filling up with notices pertaining to everything that was going on: workshops, readings,Continue reading “What Does a Mote Spoon and a Red Violin Have To Do With Creativity?”
Have The Thought Police Arrived?
Banning books is one thing, but what about rewriting books?
The Joy of Being Published
Writers are writing because they have a compulsion to write. They want to be heard. More important to writers than money, is a following of readers.
Finding The Right Words to say I Love You
It is Valentine’s Day tomorrow and traditionally it’s a day when love is often expressed in the form of a poem. The one, constantly used and overused goes: Roses are Red Violets are Blue Sugar is Sweet And so are You! The original old English version from Gammer Gurton’s Garland published in 1784 sounds aContinue reading “Finding The Right Words to say I Love You”
Writing Tools to QuickStart Your Memoir
I was straightening out a bookshelf and I noticed a gift I’d forgotten about, a large hardback with a floral cover I’d catalogued with the cookbooks. The title, “A Mother’s Journal.” Divided into sections, it has questions such as “Where I lived” and “What I remember about my family home” and “How Your Father andContinue reading “Writing Tools to QuickStart Your Memoir”
Opening Our Minds to Time Travel
We don’t (to my knowledge) have a physical time machine to step into, but perhaps within our own minds we can make a journey.
A GOOD WAY TO HONOR ARTISTS
And the winner is…. Contests and awards usually involve money. But just the idea of being recognized for your accomplishments can be a reward. Enter the idea of the “Annie Award.” For artists supporting themselves on marginal incomes—writers, painters, performers— cash awards are great, but Arts Councils, as nonprofits themselves, don’t have a lotContinue reading “A GOOD WAY TO HONOR ARTISTS”
Close Your Eyes and Make a Wish
The quest to achieve your heart’s desire can make you susceptible to the wiles of snake oil salesmen. Over and over again I see blogs with titles that claim to include insider information for writers peppered with phrases that include: how to get published, insider tips, and editors’ preferences. I plead guilty to putting theseContinue reading “Close Your Eyes and Make a Wish”
Writers, Tired of Rejections? Try Penning a Hermit Crab Essay
A few months ago I started writing a series of rejection letters to myself. Just for fun, to take the edge off my depression over the extensive number of rejection letters from literary publications that arrive in my inbox, most around the beginning of the month. The common wisdom is that you have to submitContinue reading “Writers, Tired of Rejections? Try Penning a Hermit Crab Essay”
What Sunflowers Can Teach Us About Writing
Earlier this week I posted a photograph on social media of one of our sunflowers that had lost its head, literally. One of our recent thunderstorms with high winds must have snapped off the bud. However, this particular sunflower refused to give up. Seeking another opportunity to bloom, it managed to create several tiny sunflowerContinue reading “What Sunflowers Can Teach Us About Writing”
The Chautauqua Experience
A summer camp for adults is how I described where I was going to anyone who asked, because I wasn’t sure if I said to Chautauqua, there’d be instant recognition. How do you explain to someone who has never been to Chautauqua what it exactly is? The word itself originated with the Iroquois Indians whoContinue reading “The Chautauqua Experience”
What are the Best Kinds of Endings?
It’s difficult to finish things. Jobs. Relationships. Home improvement projects. A manuscript. A writer gets a fabulous idea for a story or a character and then they just don’t know whether they’ve said enough or too much. You work and work at something with fervor, and sometimes energy and enterprise fade out. You start askingContinue reading “What are the Best Kinds of Endings?”
Nadja Maril, Writer & Author 