April whirlwind & we're just getting started
The opportunities for readers and writers blossom in spring
I find myself celebrating so much opportunity this spring, and April often rolls in with poetry and rolls out with summer reads.
The tragedy of the Key Bridge in Baltimore had sparked my interest in writing poetry about current events, and I couldn’t get myself motivated to commit, but yesterday’s STANDING ROOM ONLY Poet Palooza II at the Barnes and Noble in Bethlehem Township, Pa., — well, that and the Pennsylvania earthquake we had on Friday— left me feeling inspired.
I wrote five basic drafts of poems between features at the event. Paid subscribers can see an excerpt of my truly rough draft at the bottom of this newsletter. The next event I plan to write about is tomorrow’s eclipse.
Meanwhile, Wayne Sherrer will be chasing the eclipse and spending some time with his family, so if you made note of the reference I made to his visit to Centenary College that will be happening later this month, not this week.
Speaking of the earthquake, that has left our resident emergency preparedness expert Thurston Gill thinking about Bug Out bags and whether or not we’re all prepared for the right things. It’s the disaster you don’t anticipate that might decimate you. He’ll be addressing Bug Out bags and earthquakes in his next newsletter. If you’re not already subscribed to Phulasso Living, you can do so here.
And if you’re interested in a FREE introduction to emergency preparedness, Thurston will be offering a seminar at Barnes & Noble (Southmont Shopping Center), Bethlehem Township, Pa., May 18. An outline of Thurston’s seminar is available to all subscribers at the end of this newsletter.
If you’re looking for poetry to enjoy at home, our assistant editor and one of our poets Nancy Scott recommends The New Yorker’s Poetry Podcast. I’m going to recommend Incorect Poetry and his album release, “uncertainties,” available on Spotify. I’m listening now. Note the spelling—incorect with one r.
If you want to support young poets, let me mention two whom I respect:
Magnus Mateo, known as magsthetic on socials. I received a copy of her debut chapbook this week and after more than a year of hearing her read I am happy to have an autographed, personalized-to-me copy of She’s Jealous of My Purple Sky from Alien Buddha Press.
McKenna Graf, who signed with Parisian Phoenix recently, will allow me to distribute copies of her first chapbook, writing over the word limit, on our shelf at the Blue Flame Events Retail Store at Easton’s Palmer Park Mall.
McKenna’s book will join our already present poetry display at the store, which features Darrell Parry’s second expanded edition of Twists: Gathered Ephemera and Nancy Scott’s chapbooks, Leveling the Spin and Hearing the Sunrise.
Blue Flame hosted its grand opening yesterday with the Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Echo City Capers boys are at Barnes & Noble today, with the wonderful mystery authors Mally Becker and Lori Robbins from Level Best Books. I purchased Mally’s The Paris Mistress, a Revolutionary-era historical fiction that I felt compelled to buy because… Paris. The Revolutionary era is not my favorite, but I could not resist. Lori is a dancer, and her dance-themed mystery Murder in the First Position reminds me of Kathryn Craft and how Kathryn captured her experience as a dancer in her first novel, The Art of Falling.
The Echo City duo will be at the Pennsylvania School Library Association Conference on Friday and launching their newest title, The Ballad of Otto the Oak, at the Barnes & Noble at the Promenade Shops in Center Valley on April 27.
Speaking of school libraries, I visited a local charter school on Thursday and spoke with third- and fifth-graders about what it takes to put a book together and more importantly— how only they can tell their story and that no one can ever tell them that their story is unimportant.
Larry Sceurman will be attending a book club meeting via Zoom with a nationwide group of readers based in Arizona next Sunday. He hopes to get his first edition of his newsletter, Larry’s Stories, out this week. You can find that here.
And in another bit of news, Julian Costa has delivered the first draft of his next nonfiction book, The Audio Visual Teacher. Julian’s first book with us, David’s Little Town, is a memoir by David Scott Campbell about life in industrial town Galion, Ohio, in the middle of the twentieth century. David Campell was an educator, and Julian has an academic interest in preserving the careers and legacies of significant educators. His next book with us is another small but mighty volume chronicling another educator, Hamilton Lee. Look for that to debut this summer.
Part of what I love about working with my authors is sharing their interests and learning about the topics important to them.
So many opportunities to learn, grow and celebrate. Keep reading, keep writing, keep supporting small and local businesses.
And I encourage you— buy one of our books, review it, reach out to us.
As always—
Angel
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
With Thurston Gill
Duration: 1 hour
Learning Emergency Preparedness is important, but let's be real, it can feel overwhelming.
The fact is: that Phulasso empowers you to break down the discipline of emergency readiness into bite-sized steps that can be integrated into your daily routine.
It's all about transforming our mindset to PRIORITIZE our wellness and the wellness of those who depend on us for their safety & security.
This is how we're better equipped to handle emergencies and unexpected situations.
Phulasso highlights the importance of being armed with the faith, protection, skills, and provisions we have in Christ to deal with potentially harmful situations.
Please note: Regardless of faith, Phulasso shares many universal principles that prioritize safety and security for ourselves and the lives of those whom we love and protect.
Topics to include:
- The Importance of Preparedness, Readiness, Response, and Recovery
- The Core Priorities of Survival
- Overcoming the "Overwhelming"
- Small Steps to GET READY!
Learning Activities:
- Area & Personal Threat Assessment
- Bug-Out Bags/Go Rucks and such...
- First Aid & Trauma Kits and Skills
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