Putt Putt Productions' Soap Box....

She Lit the Candle: A Holiday Treat

2009-12-24T21:38:52Z

One last Christmas vlog as I found a Christmas story I had forgotten I had written. So, here you go and Happy Christmas! Merry New Years! And ALL THAT STUFF! Hope you enjoy!

To see the other Christmas vlogs, check out my YouTube channel here.

Four Vlogs of Christmas: Week Four - Homemade Rosewater & The Story

2009-12-21T06:10:40Z

This week I don't have anything left to read that I wrote that's Chrismassy, so instead I read something that was published last year at this time in the Winter Issue of Electric Velocipede. I recommend checking them out when you get a chance. I also share with you some of goodies I have made for the holidays because I can't seem to get anyone around here to enjoy them with me, so maybe you can enjoy them with me virtually. Because sharing things is more fun than hoarding them for yourself. I think, anyway. Or as Pooh says, "it's much more friendlier with two." So, hope you have a great time sharing the holiday with others, especially your loved ones.

To see the vlog for Week Three go here.

To see the vlog for Week Two go here.

To see the vlog for Week One go here.

Norman Bogner, Mystery Bookstore and other writerly things...

2009-12-20T04:53:52Z

My life has been a tad busy since oh, about mid-November. This is a good thing, though I was hoping it would slow down enough for me to put up decorations and the tree for Christmas. I dragged the boxes of Christmas stuff out of their cupboards and hidey holes the day after Thanksgiving, wishfully thinking I would have time to put it up that weekend. That didn't happen.

It is a good thing I'm busy. It's work. It's connections. It's what I do. When my e-novella came out November 9, I floated the entire week, in between finding places to advertise it for sale since the sale-ability of a Christmas book is fairly limited to a brief 6 week period. Then there was work to do, Thanksgiving and a trip to prepare for and then more work to do. And it hasn't slowed down since. And now here I am, six days before Christmas and I still have boxes on the floor, no tree up (but I do have a wreath up!), Christmas shopping done, but presents sitting dejectedly in piles waiting to be wrapped and sent to their future homes, plus a couple of major projects and a few minor ones that really need to get done now.

In the middle of this my friend, Norman Bogner, tells me he's having a book signing of his recent release, 99 Sycamore Place, and could I come and bring some of my friends? Of course I say yes! If you've ever had a friend who is doing a book reading or signing when their book comes out you go and show support. It can be a long lonely haul sometimes and, who knows, you might need them to show up at your book signing sometime soon, right? We can only hope.

So, though I'm busy and behind I go. And despite my negative grousing to myself about the whole thing, I have a grand time. And I mean it. It was great! It was like God and the Universe were telling me to STOP and pay attention. And I'm glad I did.

The signing was at The Mystery Bookstore, one of the last indie bookstores in L.A. It's tucked away on Broxton, just off of Westwood and north of Wilshire. It's a great old bookstore. It has PERSONALITY. The staff are great folk and engage you and know stuff and are intelligent and literate. And the store itself is great. They specialize in mysteries, of course, but they have other fare there as well. At Christmas time I have a special yen for Christmas murder mysteries - both short fiction and long - and I can never seem to find it. But I found at least six holiday murder mysteries sitting out while I was there and I'm sure there's more tucked back amongst the shelves. The Mystery Bookstore has readings/signings at least twice a week so if you have a favorite mystery author passing through L.A., chances are they'll end up there. It's worth checking out. The space is nice and they set up about 10-15 chairs for people to sit in front of the table/podium where the author sits. They brought in water for everyone, too, which was a nice touch. And then there was Norman's presentation.

Norman wanted to discuss the genesis of this most recent novel, share where his ideas had come from. And from his explanation I gathered that this was a novel that was a long time germinating. It was a very personal piece. A piece he's probably worked on in some form or another since he knew he wanted to be a writer at the age of 8 or 9. Like many other writers, Norman can't always tell you where an idea for most of his novels has come from. He'll hem and haw like the rest of us and explain about how he gets to know the characters and lets them tell the story. But he couldn't tell you where the first seed of that idea or that first character came from. It just kind of happens. Many writers go through this. But 99 Sycamore Place was different.

It was interesting to hear all the different elements that were brought into this most recent novel. Norman is, like many writers, unassuming in person. It's his wordcraft and intelligence that will take you off-guard if you're not careful. And he comes from a background rich with cultural heritage. He grew up hearing 4-5 languages around the dinner table. He remembers the grown-ups in his family trying to shield him from the knowledge of their relatives in Europe being slaughtered simply for being Jewish. He remembers his first sight of those newsreels at the movie theaters showing the millions of people found in places like Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. These had a profound influence on him. But, as he explained at the Mystery Bookstore, he didn't want to write another Holocaust story.

Then there was the aunt who was a pianist, and the girlfriend in college who paid more attention to her piano practice then she did to Norman. This was also a character that Norman has wanted to write about, the gifted musician. He wanted to write that heroine.

Then there were the White Supremacists recently released from prison whom he met while shadowing a tattoo artist for his book, The Deadliest Art. They explained the world of the gangs in the prisons and how the Aryan groups were much stronger than any other gang. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at the lunches he went to with these two men who wanted swastikas tattooed on their backs.

Finally, there was the lion hunter that Norman met by chance in a bookstore years ago. In trying to write this story he kept coming up against what to do for the hero of the piece. He didn't want it to be a detective or P.I. For one, he wasn't going to write a police procedural or gumshoe novel. He was writing a story about how a hate crime twists the life of a young woman on end. As Norman explained, after he did his research with policemen and detectives, he knew that while they viewed hate crimes as awful, they really didn't have the resources or time to go into tracking down perpetrators of such bigotry and hate. But a lion hunter, better yet a lion hunter who's used to tracking predators and now has too much time on his hands, now that's a hero that Norman could get behind for this story.

And so all the elements finally came together and he was able to get out this story he's been wanting to write ever since he, well, wanted to write. And on some level it was particularly surreal to be hearing about continuing antisemitism, even to this day, and how people have to deal with it constantly. STILL. And here it is six days before Christmas. Not a Jewish holiday, sure, but a holiday about love for one another and peace and goodwill to everyone. It made me stop and consider my life and my writing and what it all means to me. I'm really glad Norman Bogner was able to come out and share these wonderful details of his life with us. And I'm really glad I took the time to be part of that book signing. I look forward to reading the book (well, cuz DUH, I got an autographed copy!).

Here's Norman Bogner and his new book, 99 Sycamore Place.

In other news... I surreptitiously looked up my e-novella on Amazon and checked it's rank through the fingers in front of my face. I am at #139,992 on the Kindle list. I sure hope there are at least 139,993 on that list! Cuz being last would suck, unless I were tied with someone, then it wouldn't be so bad. (At some other time I will tell you about how one of my fellow cross country runners and I used to work on tieing for last in all the cross country races in high school. I think she was just being kind and holding back for me, but it was fun.)

And I'd also like to put in a plug for some places that are advertising and/or promoting The Holly and the Ivan.

The Larchmont Chronicle (You can read the article on page 18 of the December issue. Just click on the virtual issue in the lower left hand corner of the website.)

Aoife's Kiss, which promotes fun fantasy and science fiction and speculative poetry through Sams Dot Publishing. You can sample some of their pieces online FOR FREE.

Bewildering Stories, which promotes anything that's out there and wacky! FOR FREE!

Electric Velocipede, which likes to explore a lot of different speculative fiction and poetry, but has a special fondness for steampunk. Sample some of the current issue online now FOR FREE.

Fantasy Magazine, which used to be a print magazine, but decided to go wholly online a couple of years ago. They like to explore anything from the mythological to the magically surreal and you can read their stuff on line FOR FREE.

So check them out and have a good weekend before Christmas. Serious count down begins now!

Four Vlogs of Christmas: Week Three - Santa is My Homeboy

2009-12-14T01:39:16Z

To watch me read an excerpt from this story click on the picture above or here.
You can find the rest of Santa is My Homeboy here on Mindflights.com.
Merry Christmas!
See you next week with the final vlog before Christmas!

Bragging. That's all. Just Bragging.

2009-12-09T01:39:28Z

You can find the Larchmont Chronicle at www.larchmontchronicle.com. Not sure they've uploaded the December issue yet, though, to their website.

Four Vlogs of Christmas: Week Two - City Sidewalks (a poem)

2009-12-08T00:13:33Z

Four Vlogs of Christmas: Week Two - City Sidewalks (a poem)

Hello and welcome to week two of Advent. Hope you're having a good Christmas season. Here is my second contribution to the Christmas season, my reading my poem, City Sidewalks.

Have a good week!

Four Vlogs of Christmas: Week One - The Holly and the Ivan

2009-11-30T15:44:31Z

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

As part of my contribution to the Christmas season, I am doing a series of vlogs where I read Christmassy fare that I've written over the years. For the first week leading up to Christmas, I'm reading an excerpt from The Holly and the Ivan. It's about 8 minutes long. Hope you enjoy it!

If you would like to purchase a copy then go here.

Contest Reminder!

2009-11-29T04:14:15Z

Okay, people! I really do have four (4) free PDF copies of my novella, The Holly and the Ivan, that I WANT to give away. This is especially good for those of you who for some reason distrust PayPal, don't want to register anywhere, don't have a Kindle, or don't get how to download PDFs. Just leave a comment on my blog...

http://puttputtproductions.com/blogetary/2009/11/11/holiday-blog-contest-and-hobbit-celebration/

Vlogs for Advent

2009-11-29T01:48:11Z

Throughout Dec. I’m going to put up 4 Vlogs where I read Christmassy fare. One will be an excerpt from the Holly and the Ivan, another will be an excerpt from Santa is My Homeboy, published last year, and one a Christmas poem I wrote years ago that I share every year. That leaves one slot free. Poll: What would you lik…e to see me read? Something I wrote? Something someone else wrote? Robert Frost? Clarence C. Moore? Luke?

Dancedy, Dance, Dance! I'm on Amazon!

2009-11-20T23:33:55Z

Yay for me! Okay, really, Holly and Ivan are on Amazon. And for a really good deal, too! You can find it here (for some reason, I've lost my insert link function): http://www.amazon.com/Holly-Ivan-ebook/dp/B002X8494A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258759005&sr=1-1

Review by C. Leigh Purtill! Yay!

2009-11-17T22:34:04Z

I didn't post this last week as I was distracted, what with my e-novella coming out and all! (*dances yet another little jig*)
Anyway, C. Leigh Purtill, who is the author of Love, Meg and All About Vee, wrote a wonderful review about my little e-novella, The Holly and the Ivan. I think my favorite quotes from her are: "Rachel Olivier is a master at using just the right word. Every sentence feels chosen, not merely written." and "Rachel's stories are immensely entertaining and readable and I enjoy them as much as I enjoy stories from the best urban fantasy writers like Emma Bull, Melissa Marr and Holly Black (well, those are my favorites!)." Every time I read those words I feel all warm and cozy inside. I know I won't always get good words like that written about my stories or poetry, but it's nice to appreciate them when I get them.
It's been a good week, almost like Christmas. That's all I can say.
Don't forget, if you want you can win a free copy of The Holly and the Ivan by entering my blog contest here.

Holiday Blog Contest and Hobbit Celebration

2009-11-11T23:22:51Z

When Hobbits celebrate, they GIVE gifts away. Many Native American tribes do the same thing when they have a potlatch. It’s a way of expressing your gratitude with the universe, God or the gods, however you believe.

Anyway, in celebration of the release of my novella, The Holly and the Ivan, I have decided to give away four (4) e-copies of said book in a blog contest! Not that purchasing my little story will break your bank. For a little less than a couple of bucks you can enjoy a happy holiday romance. What more do you want?

OR …

You can leave a comment at the end of this blog describing one of your favorite holiday activities, or a favorite holiday romance. Leave the comment by December 14 and on the 15th I’ll toss the names in a hat and see who gets a copy.

To read some more about Holly, see below:

Los Angeles, CA November 2009 — Rachel Olivier announces the publication of the holiday paranormal romance, The Holly and the Ivan, out through Drollerie Press 2009.

The only thing Holly likes as much as being in a band is being in a relationship. She can’t turn a cute guy down, and has the disastrous dating history to prove it. On the eve of her band’s biggest performance, a Christmas festival raising funds for the homeless, Holly meets two intriguing men, but even she can’t date both at the same time. So now the question is: which one? It takes some special holiday magic, a dash of music, and a little help from her friends to figure it out, but Holly’s heart wins out in the end.

OUT TODAY!

2009-11-09T16:48:21Z

Los Angeles, CA November 2009 -- Rachel Olivier announces the publication of the holiday paranormal romance, The Holly and the Ivan, out through Drollerie Press 2009.

The only thing Holly likes as much as being in a band is being in a relationship. She can’t turn a cute guy down, and has the disastrous dating history to prove it. On the eve of her band’s biggest performance, a Christmas festival raising funds for the homeless, Holly meets two intriguing men, but even she can’t date both at the same time. So now the question is: which one? It takes some special holiday magic, a dash of music, and a little help from her friends to figure it out, but Holly’s heart wins out in the end. Read an excerpt here: drolleriepress.com/excerpt-...the-ivan/

This ebook novella is available through Drollerie Press specializes in fantasy and other mythical transformative fiction in electronic book, audio, and print.

Contest for Free Copy of The Holly and The Ivan!

2009-11-02T00:00:28Z

Halloween is over and that means Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and other winter holidays are fast approaching. Tonight at 9 pm Eastern Time, Drollerie Press is having an open online chat and participators get a chance to win free copies of books, one of which is my novella, The Holly and the Ivan! Check it out!

Drollerie Press Sale and a Boost to the Environment…

2009-10-03T18:20:37Z

We can’t always predict how new friends or cohorts will be, whether or not we’ll get along or agree with new colleagues’ decisions. But we can hope. We can guess, surmise, and be pleasantly surprised when we realize we did make a good decision and these are nice people after all. I don’t know why I’m always surprised when I discover how cool editors are, but I am. And it’s always good. My most recent pleasant surprise has been being involved with Drollerie Press and the editors and authors.

For one, one of the reasons Drollerie Press does ebooks, besides the fiscal reason that it’s less expensive for all concerned, is that it’s more environmentally sound. It’s a step towards being more environmentally responsible. In addition, however, Drollerie Press has just announced that from here on out, for every book they release – online or in print - they will plant a tree. I think that is just so cool. My sister and I used to plan that if we ever got rich some day, or won the lottery, we’d buy up vacant lots in cities and turn them into parks and greenways. So, of course I think planting a tree for every release is the ultimate in cool.

Though I don’t have the ability to be another John Muir or Johnny Appleseed at the moment, I can support Drollerie Press in doing something similar. The more books Drollerie Press sells, the more likely they will be able to accept more books for submission and then release those books and plant those trees! So, I’m here to hawk those wares and tell you to check out some of their ebooks. Because starting now through October 17 all their ebooks will be on sale for $1.99 AND novellas and anthologies will be on sale for even less! So go check it out!

Wanna Chance to Win a $20 Gift Certificate...

2009-09-29T15:13:23Z

to the book vendor of your choice? One of the authors at Drollerie Press is hosting a blog contest. Review a Drollerie Press book by October 10 and be entered in a drawing to win. You can read about it here.

Cover Art for New Holiday Romance!

2009-09-27T23:53:46Z

Announcing the cover art for my new holiday romance!

I have just been sent the cover art for my new holiday romance so I'm bragging and posting it everywhere. It will be published through Drollerie Press, soon. I'll be sure to let you know when it's officially out!

September Drollerie Press Blog Tour – How Music Influences Our Writing

2009-09-21T15:13:19Z

As posted on my blogetary...

Drollerie Press (which is having a live chat on Sunday, September 27 at 4 pm Eastern and will be giving away books during the chat) is hosting yet another blog tour and the September theme is how music influences our writing. For this tour, a number of Drollerie Press authors are hosting each other on our blogs. I am hosting Isabelle Santiago.

Isabelle Santiago is a romance writer who likes to mix it up. The author of “Surfacing,” “Cinematic Royalty” and “Dark Hollywood Nights,” she is not content to write the typical alpha male/lady in distress tales of love and/or lust. She instead writes more unconventional, and even uncomfortable, love stories. And while the settings of these romances vary from historical to fantasy to crime to YA to regular old contemporary, they all carry in common the demand from the hero and heroine to be more. As she notes on her website, the heroine doesn’t choose between bad and good, but between good and better. Every decision brings change, and sometimes sacrifice. People get hurt and life doesn’t always offer a happy ending, but not everyone is looking for a typical romance, either.

Isabelle’s upcoming story through Drollerie Press, “Zerah’s Chosen,” is the first of a series and is high fantasy involving elementals, prophecies and forbidden love. It will be exciting to see what she does with it.

For now, I have the pleasure of hosting her here as she discusses how music has influenced her writing. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce, Isabelle Santiago.

_______________________________________________________

About two years ago I was introduced to the amazing world of fanmixes. What is a fanmix, you say? Ahhh, well, let me share the incredible magic of this form of fanatical expression.

A fanmix is like a mixtape, devoted to your favorite fandom. It can be about anything. A major character, a couple, an unconventional couple (not someone who ever hooked up in said movie, tv show, or book), a friendship, or even a particular episode or book from a series.

I, being the music junkie that I am, find this whole concept to be deliciously addictive.

Livejournal has a great community for fanmixes. And I’ve seen a mix for just about everything you can imagine. Which of course, got me searching through my music archive for songs I could put together in some sort of fanmix. The mixes usually tell some sort of story. A progression of the story told, or some new story, from the mixer’s point of view.

Mine turned out more like a soundtrack, chronicling the relationship of two characters in my fantasy series. They’re best friends, but he’s very much in love with her, and she’s very much in love with someone else. Ahhh… isn’t that what makes so much wonderfully angsty music? As an author, I use music all the time to help me create moods, but this differed in that I searched out music specific to two people and their character and relationship arc. What I found was absolute magic and loads of inspiration.

Here’s just a sampling of the songs that made the cut:

Near to You – A Fine Frenzy:

Near to you, I am healing
But it’s taking so long
‘Cause though he’s gone
And you are wonderful
It’s hard to move on
Yet, I’m better near to you.

You and I have something different
And I’m enjoying it cautiously
I’m battle scarred, I am working oh so hard
To get back to who I used to be

Vermillion Pt 2. – Slipknot:

I’d do anything to have her to myself,
Just to have her for myself
Now I don’t know what to do
I don’t know what to do
When she makes me sad.
She is everything to me
The unrequited dream
The song that no one sings
The unattainable
She’s the myth that I have to believe in
All I need to make it real is one more reason
I don’t know what to do.

She is the Sunlight – Trading Yesterday:

And if loving her is
Is a heartache for me
And if holding her means
I have to bleed
Then I am the martyr
Love is to blame
She is the healing
And I the pain

She lives in a daydream.
I don’t belong.
She is the sunlight.
The sun is gone.

And the song I consider their theme song, the one I listen to and it still gives me goosebumps because I picture them perfectly -

Recessional – Vienna Teng:

“It’s so beautiful here”, she says, “this moment now.”
And this moment, now.
And I never thought I would find her here: flannel and satin, my four walls transformed.
But she’s looking at me, straight to center. No room at all for any other thought.
And I know I don’t want this.
Oh, I swear I don’t want this.
There’s a reason not to want this but I forgot…

In the end, I created a nifty little CD cover for it on Photoshop, loaded it onto a playlist, and play it on repeat whenever I’m away from my WIP. It always manages to make me want to rush back to it. And who knows? Someday soon, after their story is revealed to the world, I might share this fanmix/soundtrack as a friendly bonus for those who grow to love these two characters as much as I did.

Isabelle Santiago
Because not every girl dreams of prince charming…
website: http://twistedfairytale.net
blog: http://twistedfairytale.net/blog/
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/isabellesantiago

Another Blog Contest!

2009-09-17T21:14:41Z

I have been remiss in announcing another blog contest going on that will be over by midnight September 30. I blogged about it a little bit here (after I announced the winner of the last blog contest). And you can see a copy of the September issue of Aoife’s Kiss down below.

If you're interested in reading a little bit of the issue online then check it out here.

And if you're tired of reading about blog contests from me, then read this here.

I promise I'll be blogging about more writerly stuff soon. I've just been pre-occupied.

New Issue of Chocolate Zoom is Up!

2009-08-29T05:58:44Z

New Chocolate Zoom is Up!

It's the end of summer, but not quite. If you want some ideas for what to do, then check out the new Chocolate Zoom!

Beyond Centauri: Annivesary Issue Blog Contest!

2009-08-07T02:38:07Z

The official cut off date, despite my dithering on the above video, is midnight on Labor Day, September 7, 2009. So, get your comments in on this blog sometime this month to be considered for the contest.

9 weeks since I've been here .... hmmm

2009-07-18T18:22:54Z

Isn't that supposed to be the average length of an affair? Sigh. No, no affairs for me to keep me busy. But I've been on vacation, been working and been writing. I have a new story out in Beyond Centauri (see below). My story, The Spider and the Crow, appears in this issue. As soon as I get copies in, I will be announcing another blog contest for anyone who’s interested! This is a great magazine for kids who are interested in science fiction and fantasy. It’s something they not only could read, but also submit stories and poetry to if they are so inclined. Check it out and see if you or kids you know may be interested.

New Issue of Chocolate Zoom is Up!

2009-05-13T15:13:36Z

I’ve been remiss in posting this, but I think you’ll like this new issue of Chocolate Zoom. In it are articles on how to grow chocolate, make chocolate treats and give chocolatey gifts.

Crossposted from Blogetary

Beyond Centauri: Another Blog Contest!

2009-05-01T01:33:28Z

Crossposted from my Blogetary:

Hey! Hey! HEY! It’s arrived! Presenting the April 2009 issue of Beyond Centauri, which just happens to have a flash fiction (very short short) story of mine in it. In honor of its arrival I am going to have another blog contest. Just leave a comment on my Blogetary blog by May 15 and on May 16 I’ll check in and draw a name and let you know who has won!

Drollerie Press April 2009 Blog Tour - Presenting Sarah Avery

2009-04-21T21:39:54Z

Crossposted from Blogetary:

As anyone who reads my blog knows, poetry is important to me, and April is poetry month. In honor of poetry month, the folks at Drollerie Press are having an author blog tour where writers are asked about how poetry has influenced them and their writing. We are sharing those influences on each others blogs. It is my pleasure to host Sarah Avery on my blog today.

Sarah Avery, author of Closing Arguments and Atlantis Cranks Need Not Apply, knows poetry. After all, she earned a doctorate in English with a dissertation on modernist poetry before going back to her scifi/fantasy roots. After a life of travel, study, and experiences many people only think they understand, it is not surprising that she would use these two very expressive and imaginative genres for her writing.
But Sarah didn’t just get a piece of paper indicating her expertise in poetry, she also taught poetry, has seen the fear and misunderstanding some people have of poetry. She “gets” how poetry is important not just as a field of study or genre, but in every day life, as a way of expressing feelings and moments that are bigger than we are. What follows below is one of best essays I’ve read on how basic and important poetry is to everyone.

“Woof! Squeak!”

by Sarah Avery

What blew my mind the one time I got to teach a course on poetry was how terrified my students were. If my class hadn’t been specifically required for all English majors, and satisfied several requirements for the university’s core curriculum, none of those students would have chosen it. For me, poetry had been by turns a comfort, a friendly challenge, a game, and very nearly a profession–the bell before my bowl of Alpo. For most of my students, poetry had been the occasion of their worst moments in high school English classes, moments of judgment and humiliation–the buzzer before their electric shock.

What could Pavlov’s dog have to teach Skinner’s mice? To be less afraid, to perceive the thing itself despite their fears, to allow for the possibility that a poem might be delicious.

It was both more and less than I’d expected to teach them. I had a carefully balanced syllabus full of lineage, form, and technique. The day before the semester started, I’d congratulated myself on its rigor. The hour I had to face all those wide eyes in pale faces, I found myself selling it to them as a menu full of delicacies.

Things started looking up when one of the students read ahead on the syllabus and raised her hand. “You’re not really assigning Dr. Seuss, are you?”

It was the same question I’d been asked in the department copy room. One of my fellow grad students saw that I was copying pages from Green Eggs and Ham and said, “Either that’ll be the coolest thing you do all semester and they’ll talk it up for years, or it’ll blow up in your face and they’ll hate you for it. Nobody likes condescension.”

In the copy room, my impromptu answer was:

I’ll teach it flying through the air
With long lines by that dude John Clare.
I’ll teach it climbing up a tree
With paeans by that chick H.D.
I’ll teach it creeping on the ground
With Cantos penned by Ezra Pound.
To get those clueless kids to scan,
I’ll teach that book, Green Eggs and Ham.

(That's what immersion in a genre will do for you. I couldn't knock couplets off that fast now, good or bad, with my head full of novellas.)

In any case, my goofy run of couplets wasn't the answer I could give a real live student in the moment when she was deciding whether I was condescending to her or not. Instead, I said something more or less like this:

Poetry happens in the body. Everything about it is something the body does. The body has a pulse, so poetry thumps. The body breathes, so poetry pauses. What is all that sensory vividness our high school teachers wanted us to pay attention to doing in the poem? It's there because the body senses the world. If you have a body, you can get something from poetry--and bring something to poetry, too. Robert Pinsky (the Poet Laureate the year I taught the class, but long before that an undergrad at the very same big state school my students were attending), likes to say that the true medium of the art of poetry is not the page or the written word, but is rather the column of air in the body of the person speaking the poem. The instrument of the poem is the body of the reader. Dr. Seuss never tries to disguise the physicality of his poetry. That's why you get him and not e.e. cummings when you're a child first learning to read, and that's why you get him and not e.e. cummings early in the semester.

"So," I concluded, "it looks like everyone here has a body." I waited a moment. No one contradicted me. "In that case, you've all come prepared."

That was my story. I stuck to it all semester. Green Eggs and Ham, with its thumpy pulse, took all the fear out of scansion marks, which apparently had been the source of a lot of high school trauma.

The physicality of poetry is one of the things I miss. I've been writing fiction seriously for six years now, and short essays for my blog for five years. A background in poetry does help on the sentence level, and to some extent on the structural level, but the intense focus on sound and breath is very difficult to sustain in a novel-length work. You do sometimes find those weird exceptions, novels in verse, and some of them even prosper-- like Vikram Seth's charming The Golden Gate, or Toby Barlow's current werewolf hit, Sharp Teeth. But not every story wants that form, and a writer who cares about publication and audience can't expect a verse novel to find a home out in the world. I expect to return to poetry from time to time, but prose fiction's where I live now.

But back to the students. (I miss them, too.)

What could Skinner's mice have to teach Pavlov's dog?

It was something I should have known, something I'd heard and read before. The poet who mentored me often quoted Muriel Rukeyser's aphorism, "The fear of poetry is the fear." That is to say, one of the intimidating things about poetry is that, in order to understand the good stuff, you have to open yourself to it, and ours is a culture that punishes true openness. For that matter, being open to the world lets in all kinds of suffering, along with the beauty. Numbness has it advantages. The very physicality of poetry makes it that much harder to resist feeling and thinking whatever the poem offers for you to feel and think.

Ultimately, it wasn't just the memory of humiliating ignorance in front of a classroom full of peers and a judgmental high school teacher that had zapped my some of students. The ones who had been able to connect with poetry a little bit, despite their educations, had found there something that demanded they bring, and therefore find, much more of themselves than they were accustomed even to acknowledging. Prose fiction, which was much more comfortable to them, invited them to lose themselves in story. Prose fiction does that for all of us, though the good stuff drops us back off at the end with more than we embarked with. It's a sweet deal, but very different. In most poetry, especially in modern and postmodern poetry, escape is not on offer.

Now, as a fantasy writer who brazenly embraces escapism as part of what stories ought to do, I look back on my students' predicament with more sympathy than I had when I was teaching them. The tools of sound and rhythm, breath and pulse, still matter, but instead of using them to demand the body's attention, I use them to direct the body's attention into the imagined bodies of characters in some other world. What is the medium of fiction? Not the page, not words, but the reader's identity.