Enchanted April
A rabbit nibbles the edge of every new thing. Or my under-the-front-steps chipmunk, Norman, eats the just-bought pansies down to the dirt. It’s sunny and warm one day... then extra windy... then snowing!... then mild again. Such is April.
I’m happy to be here, end of winter, but still longing for warmer weather, more time in the garden, the return to my own mind that, luckily for me, summer offers.
At a recent reading, I read “Too Much Too Soon Too Little Too Late,” the final poem from The Return from Calvary, which includes the line “My pedagogy is rose/bud/thorn, with emphasis on the bud.” After the reading, someone asked what my bud is these days. Summer in Michigan, I said, not missing a beat. I’m trying not to wish away the pretty days right now, but if you’ve ever spent time in Michigan in the Summer, you know — it’s so nice!
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But, meantime, I’m trying to stay focused on the bud that is April, enchanted as it can be — as the novel of that name so well invokes. Enchanted April is, in fact, one of my favorite books (and the movie is good too), and I’m reading (listening) to it again this month and willing myself to be whisked away, at least in mind if not all the way to Italy, as in the novel. At the same time, of course, I’m busy with the (too) many and various end-of-semester tasks. Harrumph!
Speaking of the too-muchness that is often with us... my students in ENGL 313/314, a poetry and nonfiction workshop, have been writing pieces that allow personal experience and points of view to intersect with larger ideas and issues, with past, present, and future. In preparation we read work by Phil Levine (“They Feed They Lion”), Rita Dove (“Parsley”), and John D’Agata (“Round Trip”), among others.
Before writing, my students did free writing to these prompts:
If you could live in another time period, when would it be and why?
Have you ever gone somewhere “famous” and discovered it was different than you imagined?
Who is your most interesting relative and why?
How do you fit into your family’s history?
The news is full, always, of upsetting things, but what, specifically, bothers you?
Any of one of these prompts could lead to good writing. Better yet, combining more than one (or even all of them) could have surprisingly interesting results.
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My students also wrote a poem following this line-by-line prompt:
Line 1: something you saw outside today
Line 2: what you thought first thing this morning
Line 3: something from the news
Line 4: an early childhood memory
Line 5: a particular shade of green — an image for that
Line 6: a sound you can hear right now
Line 7: a fear you have
Line 8: mention someone else and address them
Line 9: your wildest dream
Line 10: what is getting in your way?
Line 11: an animal you saw recently and what it was doing
As always with line-by-line prompts, results vary. You might have more lines. Or, if you write like I do, maybe fewer. But the goal is to move between “here and now” and “then and there,” inside the mind/self and beyond, simple observation and disclosure.
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In my fall poetry workshop in Glen Arbor, Michigan, I plan to encourage students to allow their poems to include everything that is on their minds. We can explore color (the workshop’s ostensible focus) during wellness month (the art center’s overarching fall theme) AND mention things in the news, let’s say. Poetry is big enough — even when poems look quite small — to accommodate all of these things.
As a reminder, that workshop will be Saturday, September 26, 1-3 pm in Glen Arbor, Michigan. Title: A Poet’s Palette — See the World with Fresh Eyes.
I’m also very happy to announce that I’ll be doing a Pop-Up Poetry Workshop on Zoom with Kelly Ritter, dear friend and wonderful poet, on Saturday, June 20, 12-3 pm. This will be a workshop plus craft talks that will be curated (yes! curated! fancy!) just for you. Send me a message if you want more info.
And a reminder about my upcoming weaving workshop in Glen Arbor on Saturday, October 3, 1-3 pm. Title: Hand Weaving on a Round Loom — I’ll be providing the materials (round looms, tapestry needles, warp thread, and all fibers needed), and you’ll get a chance to learn some basic weaving stitches and experiment with a piece of your own design.
To get you excited about weaving, here’s my latest, yet to be titled.
Ok, now, let’s get caught up on some baking!
I recently tried a new and rather sophisticated and absolutely delicious banana bread recipe from The NY Times. This Cardamom Coffee Banana Bread is a keeper. I still love my tried and true recipe, which I’ve mentioned before, but it’s good to have a variation.
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For Easter, I made some chocolate peanut eggs. Easy! These would be a good Girl Scout project. I always think things like that, even though I was a Girl Scout for only a few months way long ago. At some point, I need to post about my collection of Girl Scout Handbooks.
I also made a bunny cake, using the simple recipe that came with the pan. Novelty cakes are never my best work, but cute nonetheless.
One of the real enchantments of April has been watching an owl cam. I love love love this barred owl and I consider her “mine” now, which I’m sure she’d be thrilled to learn.
So much of what’s online is just terrible, but the owl cam... now that’s a good thing!
I should probably mention my owl in a poem, shouldn’t I? Stay tuned.
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And, as always, thank you for reading. Happy Spring, happy baking, write it all into your poems, and keep on the lookout (online and off) for owls and chipmunks and rabbits and things in bloom and fairy houses and every other enchantment you can find. Much needed, all of it, don’t you think?
I so so so enjoy your baking and sharing of recipes!! Blessed Easter, Mary Ann!